CANCER GUIDE CONSULTATIONS - A SURVIVOR'S STATEMENT Jody Whitman It's not often that one finds just the right person at just the right time. That is who Henry Dreher was for me in November of 1998 when I was told I had breast cancer. There was no one person who did more for me, for my survival, for my peace of mind, than Henry. When diagnosed, I knew nearly nothing of what I was in for, but knew I had to make decisions and take action quickly. Henry got me up to speed practically overnight, calmly educating me as to what I needed to know and the steps I needed to take. One of the areas Henry educated me in was a cutting edge procedure called sentinel node biopsy. It was so new in 1998 that only a few major cancer centers had perfected the procedure enough to make it safe and effective. Most doctors and pathology labs were either not using it yet, or had done the procedure only a handful of times. After explaining its value to me, Henry then researched the leading cancer centers and contacted the leading surgeon in the country who had done more of these procedures than anyone at the time, (over 600), an oncological surgeon named Charles Cox with the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. Henry was able to speak directly with Dr. Cox, learning even more about the success of the procedure. Furthermore, he was able to get me an appointment for the sentinel node biopsy and surgery within two weeks with Dr. Cox. Since most doctors amd their pathology labs were not up to speed on using this procedure yet, the surgeons I interviewed had not even mentioned it. And had I somehow found out about the procedure on my own and went ahead and made an appointment with Dr. Cox, I would not have gotten in for months. With Henry's help I was now getting state-of-the-art medical care from the leading cancer professionals in the country with the most advanced techniques at their disposal. (Parenthetically, after surgery, when I went in for my radiation treatment at a different cancer center in a different city, the radiation oncologist who examined me happened to mention, not knowing who had preformed my surgery, that the incision from my surgery was the smallest and cleanest he had ever seen.) Henry not only directed me to the top cancer doctors in the field, he also knew whom I should call regarding complimentary naturopathic medical advice. Additionally, he provided me with a list of questions that I should have on hand when meeting with the various medical personnel, questions that the doctors might not have addressed had I not known to ask. Because of Henry, I was able to speak to my doctors intelligently and understand their responses. This enabled me to feel confident about the decisions that were mine to make. Finally, Henry is a very gifted communicator. As Henry is a well published medical author, I had read many of his books on cancer and various health topics years before I ever knew cancer would be in my life. But Henry's gifts go beyond his knowledge; he is so able to speak in a calm, supportive, and direct manner. After a conversation with Henry, I always felt more in control. I knew I had someone helping me who really cared and understood what I was going through. I personally can not sing Henry's praises loudly enough. If one is in the challenging situation of needing advice regarding cancer, Henry is a Godsend.