HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

I hope that everyones Turkey Day was wonderful!! I had a great time!! I am so thankful for all the good that has come into my life, I am truly lucky!!

I am feeling great, I have blood work coming up soon. My numbers have come down to almost normal and my PET/CT Scan looked amazing! Only 4 little spots!! Isnt that great!! I know whos going to have a great holiday season! ME!!!

Scott is headed back down to Florida on Tuesday next week. He will be down there until Dec 15, then hes back for the holidays and heads back south on Jan 2 or around there. Hes working with Donna, cooking for her, testing recipes out and doing recipes for the Newsletter HOPEFULLY! As well as, putting his two sense in a recipe book for Body Ecology! Sounds great doesnt it!!

Ill be home, working on the house and getting the business going smoother! I now am selling my product at a health food store in upstate New York!! I figured that I would work slowly and start one store at a time. I need to find an establishment to make my product now. So Im looking into renting/borrowing a space from someone that owns a business with a kitchen. Im also going to look into placing my product in a Health Food Store locally. We will see how it goes. Trying to get together all my stuff for tax season! Im starting soon!

I cant wait to Christmas shop, I already know exactly what Id like to get Scott!! So once he heads to Florida I can start shopping for him!!!

I will be helping coordinate all of the Body Ecology Trainings, so it looks like Ill be travelling some this spring. I figure once a month there will be a training almost, so I need to be ready to go!

I hope that everyones Holiday Season is as rewarding as mine has started!!! Stay healthy and happy!!!

Melissa!

Just another Update!!

Hi everyone! Im crazy busy lately! Im back from LA where I coordinated a CBE Training for Body Ecology. Scott was one of the chefs. It went so great! It was amazing!! Everyone kept saying how they wanted Scott to go to their house and cook for them!! We are hoping that happens and soon!! I had a treatment yesterday (not chemo but all the other stuff they shoot me up with)and guess what!?! MY NUMBERS CAME DOWN AGAIN!!!! I actually stopped my chemo three weeks ago, due to the fact that my hands and feet were getting discolored, they were peeling and still are and they were kind of painful.. So I stopped my chemo, yet my numbers are still coming down!!!! Thats 9 weeks straight of my numbers going lower and lower, Im almost near the normal level!! I have an appointment for a PET/CT on Monday next week. And I am sure that it will look amazingly wonderful, but Ill update you guys again to let you know! Check out my website, I put some pictures up:
http://getintobalance.com
I have the pictures of my cultured vegetables at the Shopping Cart there too!!
I am having labels done for my veggies I sell and actually Scott, myself my friend Trish and Adiante helped today to make 50 jars of my veggies. The Weston A Price Foundation has their national conference next weekend and Scott and I will be there to work the Body Ecology Booth. We will also have our vegetables there for sale!! YEAH!!! We are hoping to bottle at least 150 bottles for the event. The small convention they had in Detroit sold 35 bottles in a day. And the same conference Im going to last year, they sold 96 bottles in one day. Ill be there three days! Im hoping to sell out hand out flyers and take orders!! Wouldnt that be great!!
Its going to be a wonderful event and hopefully will bring in some profit for us!!! At least to pay for the bottles, lids, lables, business cards and flyers I just paid for... I cant wait, it should be amazing!!
I have classes lined up, not a lot of attendees yet, one person coming on Nov 8 so far. Id like at least three, but it would be fun and more educational for the person if it is just one person. So we will see!
Things are just wonderful! Im feeling great and looking great and my business is steadily doing better and better. Each month more sales!! Which means, more profit!! Its still a small business, but its getting there. Wouldnt it be great when its making me enough money to pay bills!! It wont be long!

DONT FORGET ABOUT:
THE COOPER PERRY FAMILY FUNDRAISER
November 4, 2006 is the Bowl-a-thon! The past two years we have done the event at Explora World, now called Playwise Kids in Columbia. This year we will do a bowl-a-thon. Its in Timonium at the AMF bowling alley! I hope that you can all come join the fun! It should be a blast for the kids!! To sign up go to:
http://bowlathon.net/

So I guess thats the update for now! We are great! And I hope you are all great too!!!

Ill speak to you all soon!!!
Melissa

Another Update

Hi everyone! So I had a crazy crazy month.. Heres what Ive been doing.

My friend Liz and I started a non-profit organization called "MICFA"
Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association
Check out MICFA...(Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association)
http://micfa.net/

Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.
Help give freedom a voice. Let's take back some of the ground that we've lost to global agendas and government interference. Be a true patriot.
MICFA was incorporated just last month! Help support a worthy cause and become a member!!

I get my blood work done on Monday, so Ill do another post with news there. But of course as you all know, the blood work will look good!! I have a PET/CT scan next week too. So it will be nice to see NO CANCER!!!! Everyone think the same thing, Ill be CLEAR!!! The more people who say it the better!!!

I was just in Los Angeles.. I coordinated a "Body Ecology Certification Class". It was a long week but wonderful! I met a lot of great people and Scott was the chef who cooked for 25 people breakfast lunch and dinner everyday! Everyone kept saying, is he willing to travel? OF COURSE HE IS!! They want to rent him for a week or two so that he can cook for them as well
as teach them how to cook The Body Ecology Way!! Isnt that great! So now I need to come up with Marketing materials for him. That would be great! I might end up coordinating more events for Body Ecology, however it most likely wont be until next year.

The Race for the Cure was Saturday and a lot of fun! It was great to see everyone come out for the event. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO DONATED OR PARTICIPATED! Its such a worthy cause!! My friends Jodi and Barb came in from Colorado and my friend Liz came in from New York! It was a great turn out!
Here are some pics of the Race: http://homepage.mac.com/lyndameier/PhotoAlbum25.html

THE COOPER PERRY FAMILY FUNDRAISER
November 4, 2006 is the Bowl-a-thon! The past two years we have done the event at Explora World, now called Playwise Kids in Columbia. This year we will do a bowl-a-thon. Its in Timonium at the AMF bowling alley! I hope that you can all come join the fun! It should be a blast for the kids!! To sign up go to:
http://bowlathon.net/


My business is doing well, going slow, but well. I cant really go hog wild, Im trying to still get enough rest. Which seems almost impossible. Check out my site: http://getintobalance.com
Here is an update of GET INTO BALANCES' classes for next month..

November 8, 2006 (wednesday)
6pm-9pm
How to Make Cultured Veggies & Coconut Kefir
Catonsville Maryland

November 10 thru 12
Get Into Balance will be helping out at the Body Ecology Booth at the
Weston A Price Foundation Conference in Virginia.. Hope to see you all there!!

November 18, 2006
2pm-4pm
Introduction to the Body Ecology Diet
Catonsville Maryland

You can call me for more info at 410-566-7420
or you can email me at melissa@getintobalance.com
You can also book your spot online at my website: http://getintobalance.com

Limited Space Available.

Stay tuned!

COOKING CLASSES With Chef and Certified Body Ecologist Scott Altvater
Learn to use Grains!!
Learn to use Sea Vegetables!
Cooking with good oils/fats!
Let us know what you need help with, and we will have you in the kitchen creating in no time!!

SCREENING OF FILM
I will be having a screening at my house of "The Source of Food". Its a great film that will open up your eyes to what really is going on with our farmers!!

FOOD PRESENTATION
My last food presentation went so well, I am hoping to do another one!! Ill update once I schedule this!


So, I guess you could say Ive been busy!! Scott is making Cultured Veggies right now, while Im doing emails and posts...Then back to work!!

Melissa Stanley Cohen
Get Into Balance
http://getintobalance.com
melissa@getintobalance.com
410-566-7420 Phone

More Good News!!

Hi everyone!! So, I had a doctors appointment on Friday and my Cancer Tumor Markers came down again!!! In half!!! I feel really good!! I went to Florida to stay with Donna Gates, thats who wrote the Body Ecology Book and ONE HUGE reason why I feel so good!! It was amazing and I loved it. I made a contact with Evergreen Spices, a great company that I want to do business with. They are from Isreal and have created some great spices. They are all organic, kosher and they have NO MSG or SALT. They taste amazing too. They had mix and dry it all themselves and they collect spices from around the world!! I also had a great time learning a lot more from Donna as well. While there Donna hired me to help coordinate a Training in Los Angeles for The Body Ecology Diet. Now Im crazy busy with that.. Scott flew down to Florida just a couple days after I got home. He is healing, cleansing and TRAINING. He will be one of the chefs in LA at the Training. Im going back to LA, crazy huh. Ill be there from Oct 13 thru Oct 19.. Then come home to get ready for the RACE FOR THE CURE!! If you havent signed up, the cut off is coming up! Dont forget to sign up for the Race, heres the link again:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=163313&lis=1&kntae163313=7EEAB54C451C4423B337F4EBDC1ECD0E&supId=84842811

I hope you can all come!! If not, a donation would be greatly appreciated. If you want to come, when you get to the link, hit JOIN MY TEAM!!

So, while Scott is in Florida training, he got his hair cut. Hes back to the preppy look and out with the hippie look. His hair was so beautiful and long, it was around 10 to 12 inches. Crazy huh!! Now its a crew cut again. I havent even seen it. He will be in Florida for another couple weeks, then he will fly directly to LA for the Training then back to Baltimore for the race on Oct 20.. The race is Oct 21st..

He is feeling really good and doing really well. So am I!! Isnt that great!! My tumor markers are so low right now, I dont have far to go before they are in normal range. Isnt that just amazing!!

I also started a non-profit organization. Im still working on the Federal Paperwork, but the State paperwork is already done!! Its called MICFA, Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association. You can check out the link if you want:
http://www.micfa.net/

Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.
Help give freedom a voice.
Let's take back some of the ground that we've lost to global agendas and government interference. Be a true patriot.


Isnt that cool too!!! Ive been very busy.... Heres the info on the training too! If anyone is interested in learning more about The Body Ecology Diet, its well worth it!! Heres the link:
http://bodyecology.com/events/malibuseminar_em.pdf

Okay, so what else....Hmmmm. My hair is coming in beautifully!! Its light brown with what looks like highlights on the tips..And its straight!! I love it!!

I started a weekly drop/co-op at my house for Raw Dairy Products and Grass Fed Meats...Its been great, the products are amazing and healthy!!

Who would have ever thought I would be doing all this!!! Not me, but its changed my life for the better and I feel like I need to scream it out to the world!!

I hope everyone is doing well, and please do keep in touch. Maybe Ill even get to see some friends in LA while Im there, I havent been there is almost 7 years. That just doesnt seem right, well here I come! I hope to see you all while Im there. And for those of you here in Baltimore, lets all go out and celebrate life!!!

Talk to you all soon
Melissa Stanley Cohen

GREAT NEWS!!!

So my cancer markers (blood work) have finally started going down!! And how great is it that one of the markers actually went down by almost HALF!! The other one came down substantially too, just not in half. I still look great and feel great!! YEAH!! Im going to Florida to visit with Donna Gates for a week. Thats who wrote The Body Ecology Diet. Ill be detoxing and relaxing! What a great thing, great news and a great vacation!! I hope to see you all at The Race for the Cure!! Heres the link to join the team:
http://2006komenmdrftc.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=163313&lis=1&kntae163313=00F4490ADCC14DB0BF4D7C920D2B22E7&team=1349268

Heres the link to donate if you cant walk in the race but would like to make a contribution or sponsor me:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=163313&lis=1&kntae163313=00F4490ADCC14DB0BF4D7C920D2B22E7&supId=84842811

And dont forget to check out my new business website if you havent already:
http://getintobalance.com

Events my company is holding:

Sept 16, 2006 at The Shops At Kenilworth "A Day of Healing", Ill have a table set up that day, Come by and see me!! Im not sure of the times, I think its 11a to 2p or something like that.

Sept 23, 2006 Presentation and Food Tasting of Grass Fed Farm Products at 12noon
A 15 minute film on Raw Dairy Products and presentation on the good whole foods that can be obtained. I host a co-op at my home, it delivers once a week. You can order that day and delivery to my house is on MONDAY!! YEAH

Sept 30, 2006 from 2pm to 5pm -Two Classes
How to Make Cultured Veggies &
How to Make Coconut Kefir

So, as you can see Im keeping very busy!!! I am also hoping to try and raise more funds for the Race for the Cure, by being a GUEST BARTENDER. I dont know where yet, but when I know, Ill let you all know, so you can come by and support the cause!!

I hope that your summer has gone well, mine has been great!! HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!

See you all soon!!
Melissa

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Hi everyone! Im still feeling really good, but my cancer isnt playing nice. I had a PET/CT last a week or so ago and my cancer is still progressing. I have additional spots on my back bone in T-9, T-11 in two spots, T-12, my scapula which is also new and my liver has more spots as well. You couldnt tell by looking at me or by the way I feel so thats good!! I have to start chemo again. This time Im trying Xeloda, apparently the Abraxane didnt work. So we will try Xeloda now. Its a pill. I take 4 two times a day for 14 days then take 7 days off. This seems like it would work better. I take it daily!! Time to kick cancers butt! They say I wont lose my hair, although I dont have a lot of it, thats good! And hopefully the side effects will be very slight! After all, I am gettint used to it!! For those who havent signed up for the Race for the Cure, dont forget about it. October 21st! If you cant be there, Id love for you to donate to my team. The team name this year is "Get Into Balance" just like my new business! The web address to join the team is:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=163313&lis=1&kntae163313=2F1FC761E20C400BAD051753C21880BE&supId=0&team=1349268&cj=Y

If you havent seen the website for my business, its:
http://getintobalance.com

I hope everyone is well! And I hope everyones summer is going great!! Hope to see everyone soon!

Melissa

GET INTO BALANCE!

I am feeling wonderful and looking pretty good too!! My hair is coming in, although its not black anymore! Maybe it will turn darker down the road. For those who dont know, I have started a business with Scott called "GET INTO BALANCE". Our website is: http://getintobalance.com
We are on the journey to wellness!! That sounds funny from me doesnt it! I cant tell you how great I feel, Ive been walking one mile a day on the tredmill and helping mom to move up the three flights of stairs have been a workout too!! We have held two classes and one support group our next class is this Sunday, so we will see how that turns out. The website is generating some business, but Im still not listed on any search engines yet. Ive submitted, but apparently it takes awhile! DONT FORGET about the Race for the Cure, It looks like its Oct 21st this year instead of Oct 1st. Ill resend emails to everyone here and there! I hope that you can make it to the race or donate something if possible! My next doctors appointment is Thursday and my next PET/CT scan is two weeks from now. So wish me luck! I dont know that we will see a difference this PET/CT or not. However, it would be great wouldnt it!! Hope everyone is well and hope that your summer will be wonderful like mine!!!
Heres the link for The Race for the Cure, this year my team name is GET INTO BALANCE, like my new business, hee hee. This is the link to JOIN THE TEAM, you can always hit my name on the right of the screen to simply donate!!
http://2006komenmdrftc.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=163313&lis=1&kntae163313=BB3BBD613A4645748D1C84B23364D689&team=1349268
I hope to see you at the Race!! Ill update you ater my next test!
Love to you all!! And dont forget to "Balance your body!"
Melissa, Scott, Gracie and Timber too!

JUST ALITTLE UPDATE

Hey everyone! Im feeling really good. Lots of stuff to tell you about. So my last day of chemo, didnt happen when we expected it to. I went in on that Monday and had a bad infection (or so it seemed) in my chest where my port(how they administer chemo) was put in. I couldnt really move my arm much and the pain was bad, both scars were red and inflammed. The redness actually moved up the chest along the line where the port and tube where. Anywho, got anitbiotics and went home to watch it. Wednesday went in and we all decided to go ahead and remove the port. My test results came in and no infection. I did have a high white blood cell count on Monday, so I guess my body just rejected it. So I had surgery (out patient, no biggie) on Monday and by Tuesday morning, the surgical site looked great, no redness, no pain. And its gonna be a much better scar too! The diet (new way of life) is going great!! We are using a lot more Ocean Veggies and Grains now. I had a really great Fritter!! Yummy!!Our friend Caroline came into town from New York to visit and taught us a lot and hung out. We cooked great B.E.D meals and I got to try out her Cultured Veggies (I know I have to tell everyone what that is). It was a blast! I am going to be doing another website as soon as I have all the info for everyone Ill pass it on. Ill also put a link here at the blog so you have a quick way to get there. Ill write again soon, I still have so much to tell everyone!!! I look good and feel good and this last treatment went swimmingly! I was only sickish for 1 day. Thats it!I stopped taking my prescription meds, I dont need the blood pressure meds anymore, I guess my diet helped that out! Went from 145/115 for approx 3 months, down to 118/75..I now take my blood pressure at home to monitor since I stopped taking the meds. No more pain killers, Ativan, Lunesta...How cool!! I dont need it. My hair started growing back a couple of weeks ago too. ALREADY!!! I never really talked about my weight much but, in January I was in the high 190's...Now, 161.....Pretty big difference huh!!! I hope everyone is well and have a really great Memorial Day Weekend!!!!! Love to ya all!~Melissa

WOW! WHAT A WEEK IN ATLANTA!

So, I dont have the time to tell all that happened, but Im a new person and so is Scott. After only 4 days in Atlanta living with the Body Ecology Diet, we feel regenerated, healthier happier and much much more!! I now know that I can feel so much better than ever before and with dedication to this diet, I feel I can now cure my cancer and prove all of the doctors wrong. I feel I have a medical and scientific base for what I say and I truly believe. It will take us some time to get organized and of course we need to specifically work on ourselves and getting better, the Body Ecology Diet has given us answers to a lot of our questions about why we were feeling a certain way and how to change it. I would love to share this knowledge with everyone!! Scott and I both were certified, so we are CBE's now. (Certified Body Ecologists) Scott is beginning to create menus and recipes that are delicious and down the road once my imbalance (I wont be using the word Cancer anymore) in balanced, we will have an opportunity to make this journey a very lucrative one. Scott can do prepared meals for families daily or on a weekly basis, he could go into a persons home to cook, write a recipe/cook book and I can consult and try and get the word out to all persons in a similar situation as me so that they too have a chance of recover when being told otherwise. And at the least be able to feel better and look better!! Yes it is an organic diet, but the foods are delicious and meat is still on the diet and all veggies and leafy things are too! Even baby red skin potatoes and some winter squashs!! Anyway, Im too excited to go into all of it, but Scott and I have found something that makes us feel amazing!!! Cant wait to talk to each and every one of you to spread the knowledge of feeling good!!!!! I hope to speak with you guys soon. I feel amazingly wonderful!! My last chemo treatment is Monday and the way I feel now, it wont be such a bad week, my body will handle it and then move on!! YEAH!
Love to everyone!
Melissa & Scott

A WHOLE NEW BEGINNING

Okay, so I had my 5th out of 6th treatment this round. Its been going okay, but there have been lots of new changes to my life, so here we go!!
I started seeing a Natural Physician. Im taking multiple (like 50 a day or more) supplements, Im now going to be on a diet called the Body Ecology Diet and Ill also be taking a non FDA approved supplement called Poly-MVA. So far the supplements have given me alittle more energy, less hot flashes and I can sleep alittle better. The diet im really excited about, there are many people who have had very long remissions due to the diet. Scott & I are headed to Atlanta on Tuesday next week. Scott will be going to get certified in this diet while I hang out and hopefully meet people I can talk to at the clinic. Ill go get a colonic to probably!! That will clear me out!! Veggies, meat, cultured veggies.. NO SUGAR, No lots of stuff, rice, wheat, bread, nothing processed, pasturized, so on...I truley believe that I have found my way to a healthier life and a possibility of a cure. I will be continuing to see my oncologist and continue the treatments that he prescribes as well as what the Natural Physician prescribes. The DIET and the Poly-MVA which has so many good qualities as well. So my plate will be full, but so will my life! Im really excited, WISH ME LUCK. Im racing to find my own cure!! Ill do another post when I get back from Atlanta. I hope everyone is well and the Passover and Easter season was great for all!!
Love you all! Melissa Stanley Cohen

BACK TO CHEMO

Hey everyone! Well my travelling days are done for now. I started chemo last Monday and felt pretty bad the first week. Im starting to feel alittle better and Im sure that as soon as I do feel okay again it will be time again for another treatment. So heres the skinny:
Last PET/CT: There was more growth of my disease in different places, there is an additional spot in my liver, more lymphnodes and a new spot in my spine. Dont feel the one in the spine yet, so thats good, usually thats where the most pain is, in the bone. But as usual I dont feel it yet. Ill have 6 treatments one every three weeks, with blood test and possible shots in between those weeks. I am now taking ABRAXIN AND AVASTIN. Abraxin is the chemo for the breast cancer and avastin is a treatment (via iv) that is FDA approved for Colon and Rectal cancer, but more and more breast cancer patients are using it. In essence it stops the blood flow to the tumors in an effort to stop the growth. So hopefully these items will help knock down the cancer so that when Im done treatments by May and feeling better I can do some more travelling around!!
Acapulco: I had an amazing time in Mexico!! My friends Lizzie, Jodi and Lindsey from Colorado met me and Scott there and we had a ball!!Scott, myself and friends had a little ceremony on the beach the last night we were there to join Scott and I in our eternal love. Hee Hee. So now my wedding aniversary is January 16!! Pretty cool huh!! It was beautiful and amazing!!! Lizzie took pics, so hopefully I will have them soon to share with everyone! I am so glad that I was able to go there and make it a monumental couple weeks!!
So now, I am hanging out at the house trying to take it easy and relax during this set of treatments, I wont be travelling to Vegas this round of chemo. Oh well.
All are welcome to come visit me at the house, Im not very good at the phone thing while in chemo, but would love the visitors if anyone wants to come by and see me..
HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH EVERYONE AND I HOPE THAT THE NEW YEAR IS BRINGING LOTS OF CHEER AND HAPPINESS TO ALL!!!!
You can always browse the old posts at the blog to get to links to pics of me on my adventures!!