My Breast Cancer Story
From Diagnosis to Advocacy: A Journey of Innovative Treatment and Empowered Choices
December 2024
I was privileged to be chosen for the 2024 Alamo Advocate Program in San Antonio, Texas. Two weeks before I was scheduled to fly, I learned I had severe aortic stenosis and would need an aortic valve replacement. I refused to miss the program, so I used wheelchairs in the airport and scooters at the conference to avoid overtaxing my heart. The day after I returned, I went to my pre-op appointment and had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement two days later.
I continue to advocate fiercely for myself. By working closely with my doctors to reduce chemotherapy doses when appropriate, I have been able to avoid harsh side effects while maintaining an excellent quality of life.
My Breast Cancer Story Began in 2018
In April 2018, I was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer after undergoing a mammogram due to a nipple discharge. HER2-positive breast cancer occurs when cancer cells overexpress the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) protein. Normally, HER2 helps regulate cell growth and repair. However, when the HER2 gene malfunctions, cells produce too many receptors, leading to uncontrolled growth and cancer. Approximately one in five breast cancers are HER2-positive.
After my diagnosis, I was quickly pushed through traditional medical protocol: MRI imaging followed by a surgical consultation. The surgeon recommended an immediate lumpectomy followed by radiation. When I asked for time to think, I was told I had none—and that delaying might require chemotherapy as well.
Thankfully, two close friends intervened. One, an oncology nurse who had healed her own breast cancer, encouraged me to explore alternatives. She gave me books, supplements, and a completely different perspective. From there, I immersed myself in research and took an aggressive, integrative approach. I also began extensive psychotherapy, including EMDR, to address past trauma, believing there is often an emotional component to breast cancer.
Discovering Cryoablation
In July 2020, I learned about a blood biopsy performed in Greece that could predict which supplements might be effective against an individual’s cancer. Through a Facebook group, I was referred to a doctor in Irvine, California. After completing the test, I met Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, who encouraged me to research cryoablation.
Through another cryoablation group, I was introduced to Dr. Dennis Holmes, a breast surgeon in Glendale, California. I sent him all of my records, and he agreed to take me as a patient. During my consultation, Dr. Holmes suspected that changes to my nipple and areola might be Paget’s disease of the breast and recommended a biopsy. Several previous physicians had dismissed this possibility because Paget’s is considered rare. After extensive research, I believed it was Paget’s. Rather than pursuing another biopsy, I asked Dr. Holmes to remove the nipple. He agreed.
A Life-Changing Procedure
On September 30, 2020, I arrived for cryoablation and removal of the nipple affected by Paget’s disease. Before beginning, Dr. Holmes performed his own ultrasound and discovered a second tumor that had been missed by five radiologists on previous imaging.
He biopsied the tumor, then proceeded with cryoablation of both tumors. Using a cryoprobe—a needle-like instrument through which liquid nitrogen circulates—the tumors were frozen. He then removed my nipple and sent it to pathology. The entire procedure took about two and a half hours and was completed entirely in-office.
Recovery was remarkable. I had minimal swelling, normal bruising, and a lump of dead tissue that gradually dissolved. I left the office with a dressing and a Band-Aid where the cryoprobe was inserted. My husband and I drove home nearly two hours, and I made dinner that evening. The next day, I resumed normal activities.
Pathology confirmed the second tumor was HER2-positive and that the nipple biopsy verified Paget’s disease. Following Dr. Holmes’s recommendation, I completed six months of Herceptin infusions to address remaining HER2-positive cells.
At three months, my ultrasound showed no evidence of disease.
At six months, MRI, ultrasound, and biopsy were all clear.
One year later, the mass was no longer palpable.
Advocacy and Innovation
I later had the privilege of watching Dr. Holmes perform cryoablation on other patients. For women who qualify, cryoablation can reduce significant physical and emotional suffering while being far more cost-effective. Doctors should present all options, give recommendations, and respect a woman’s right to choose—rather than dictate what she “must” do. I chose to forego radiation and chemotherapy.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Holmes. Together, we helped raise $30,000 for a clinical trial studying cryoablation for DCIS through the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation Matching Program. The interim results will soon be published.
Advocacy has become my ministry. I spend countless hours supporting women online, sharing information, and helping them understand their options. Every woman deserves informed choice. Cancer is stressful enough without dismissive providers. I fired several doctors before finding a team that respected me.
In July 2021, Dr. Holmes asked me to interview him for his upcoming webinar—then invited me back three months later for an encore. We now do webinars as often as schedules allow, all available on his YouTube channel.
In February 2022, he surprised me again by asking me to partner with him in a new business creating products that make surgical recovery easier. I spent a year developing a shower cape so patients can shower right after surgery. RecoverEasy Capes are now available on Etsy.
A New Battle — and Victory
In March 2022, I met Dr. Maggie Gama, an integrative primary care physician who accepts insurance and supports many cancer patients. She has been instrumental in strengthening my immune system and overall health.
In November 2022, an abdominal ultrasound revealed a gallstone—and a 4 cm liver lesion. My then-oncologist told me I was no longer curable. I was devastated.
Dr. Holmes reassured me immediately:
“This is manageable. We just need the right treatment.”
He ordered comprehensive scans and a biopsy before Christmas, then referred me to Dr. Linnea Chap, a breast-cancer-only oncologist who offered both realism and hope.
By January 10, I began treatment:
Herceptin and Perjeta every three weeks, plus low-dose Xeloda.
Within weeks, my liver enzymes normalized.
By April, metastases had completely resolved.
I continue Herceptin and Perjeta indefinitely, supported by integrative therapies.
Importantly, my progression to Stage IV had nothing to do with cryoablation—HER2-positive cancer is aggressive and was likely advanced earlier.
Later, Enhertu helped make lung lesions inactive. I authored a clinical research paper on reduced dosing, published through the Alamo Advocate Program. It can be found on the Alamo website under 2024 Featured Scholar Papers.
Today
Life is fuller than ever.
Cancer has been an unexpected blessing. I have extraordinary doctors, a loving husband who attends every treatment, three daughters, sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren. I travel, advocate, speak, and live fully while treating cancer.
My hope is that cryoablation becomes part of standard care—fully covered, accessible, and presented as a legitimate option. Patients deserve choice. With the right team, support, and advocacy, it is possible not just to survive—but to thrive.
I pray every patient learns to advocate for herself.
Sharon Ann Merritt
Breast Cancer Patient Advocate | Breast Cancer Survivor
[Contact information available upon request]
Alamo Advocate Program: www.alamobreastcancer.org (Featured Scholar Papers 2024)
