In 2019 Melanie noticed a lump in her breast, and figured that it would be a good idea to get it checked out — even though she knew it would likely be a benign cyst.
She remembers the pit in her stomach when the test results came back, positive, for an aggressive form of cancer.
That test kicked off a painful and exhausting couple of years for Melanie that ultimately led her to where she is now — a mother of four, thankfully in remission, who is working as a financial analyst and studying for her CPA exams.
But for much of 2019 and 2020, Melanie wasn’t sure what the future held.
Within months of her diagnosis, she was in full chemo treatment and in radiation, as a team of doctors worked to try and eradicate the cancer cells she’d originally assumed were harmless. The treatments worked but sucked the energy out of her. She lost hair, nails, and even some teeth. She had no appetite and little energy to be around her children.
Her doctor prescribed her medical marijuana which helped to bring back some of the appetite she’d lost — food finally began tasting good again — but she hated being stoned in front of her kids.
A friend suggested she try CBD, and her research eventually led her to Lazarus Naturals 200mg softgels.
Within days, she noticed that a big serving of CBD significantly reduced the psychoactive high from the medical marijuana.
“In addition to less pain, I can't stress how wonderful it was to be able to have a meal with my family without being obviously impaired during the height of my chemo treatments,” Melanie said.
Melanie — who served in the Army — was able to use her Assistance Program discount to get the high doses she needed to help her manage her daily routine of cancer treatments and medical marijuana.
“I credit Lazarus (with) basically helping me regain my life,” she said. “Without having access to affordable CBD, I might not have been able to finish my chemo. I almost quit because I couldn’t eat. I know that sounds grandiose, but that’s how I feel. I feel as though Lazarus has helped me regain my whole life."
In March of 2023, the good news became official. Melanie was cancer free. She’s since been able to get back to the pieces of her life she’d placed on hold — spending time with her four children, night school, prepping for CPA exams growing the produce that feeds her family in her garden, and being outside as much as possible.
Melanie still uses Lazarus Naturals, and enjoys the softgels to help with inflammation, relaxation, and her overall well-being.