Cancer recovery support from someone who's been there
You don't have to navigate this alone.
Maybe you've made it through the storm.
Or maybe you're still in the thick of it.
I share how I found my way out of the dark.
Welcome, and I’m sorry you’re here because that means you’ve joined an infamous club. No matter where you are in your cancer treatment, I understand the shifting sands beneath you.
“Of all the breast cancers, this is the best one to have. It's 100% treatable.”
These words did not have the effect my oncologist hoped for. They didn't stop the terror eating away at my insides or the horrible scream I stifled within. I felt like I was being swallowed in a black hole and drowned in fear. I've faced hurricanes, sinking boats, and accidentally swimming with sharks, yet this is what shook me the most. A threat coming from inside of me. An invisible danger is far harder to fight and much harder to face. Your body should be a safe place; it's where you live. If you can't trust your body, what can you trust? This journey was hard. The hardest one of my life. It took away a lot, but thankfully gave back more than I lost.
I know what it takes to ride a roller coaster: the highs and lows, from the pure, elated, blissful moments, celebrating simple moments and wondering if this is the last time you’re experiencing this, which moves you to tears, to the debilitating anxiety of finding a new lump, and the rising panic driving to your next scan, the endless wait for results, appointments, treatment plans that constantly change. Everything is going too fast, yet you can’t get it out of yourself fast enough
I’m grateful for all who provided relief, hope, holistic help, a shoulder to cry on, or sent extra cheers when I needed it, my therapist, support groups, family, sisters, The Dempsey Cancer Support Center, the many Cancer Foundations providing financial relief, Zoom support groups, holistic practitioners, forums, and books that guided me through this storm.
Cancer is the loneliest journey. Partners don’t know what to say, friends disappear, others only want you to talk positively, ignoring and not giving space for the epic wave of emotions overwhelming you. If you haven’t walked those shoes, you cannot understand how life-changing a cancer diagnosis is. I know how easy it is to lose your North on this journey, and how you can feel more comfortable sharing with survivors—even those strangers to you at first—than with your loved ones.
I want you to know that you are not alone.
In your own time, and at your own pace, I can be a supporting presence on your journey. I'm currently NED (No Evidence of Disease) and navigating lingering side effects that used to be debilitating but have become manageable as I move into a new chapter of recovery. Rebuilding and maintaining my strength and immune system takes center stage, and so does mental health. I’ve been coaching women for years prior to cancer, so this new offering is a natural addition as I adapt and share the tools that worked for me during treatments and recovery, as well as all that I have learned from my naturopath, nutritionist, holistic practitioners, energy medicine, exercise coach, whole-food plant-based nutrition and supplements, and personal research.
I stand in my convictions that healing is not only a whole-body experience but also includes mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual health.
I say this, feeling the most grounded I have ever been, deeply grateful, softer and gentler with myself yet feeling an unshakable strength in spirit, with uncompromising boundaries and a fierceness for life that drives me to move with purpose and a “no bullshit” attitude.
I lead from a heart that’s been reenergized and wiped free of the self-doubts and limiting beliefs that previously held me back. No one knows how long we have on this earth, and I'll make sure my time is spent in joy, inspiring others, and moving through life from my heart space.
If you feel like creating space in your life to bring in more peace, more trust, more resilience, and a more authentic ‘You’ on your path to health and wellness, please reach out and let’s have a conversation. The only thing you need to start is a willingness to change what’s not working and have an open heart.
You may not feel empowered, fierce, or even brave right now, and that’s okay.
We’ll walk the journey as slow as you want. One day at a time.
I’ve finally reached a safe harbor and feel deeply anchored in my life and practice. The storm has subsided, and I've never felt so at peace. Let’s find the lighthouse that will guide you on your path. Reach out and let's talk.
"I felt like a bird getting its wings back after years of being caged."
—Carole Fontaine, S.A.I.L. Book 1, Chapter 19
30 minutes. No obligations.
“I made this meditation while going through my own treatment. I imagined every cell in my body laughing, dancing, radiating joy as medicine. I don’t know all the ways it helped. I only know I am here. And I want you to have it.” —Carole Fontaine
The Healthy Happy Cells guided meditation, created during Carole’s own cancer treatment, is available on Insight Timer.
A gift she made for herself, and now for you.
COMING SOON
Downloadable helpful lists for people in treatment and in recovery.
“In the darkest of dark, I found my courage to live. However dim, a light steered me on a path of self-discovery. I wasn't ready to give up just yet.”
—Carole, S.A.I.L. Book 1, Chapter 17