When I was 43, my cousin convinced me to do a celery juice cleanse. After a week, I’d lost 8 lbs and immediately found a lump in my breast. Within a few days, UCSF told me it was cancer. I was inconsolable as I thought it meant I was dying and that my two very young children would soon be orphans. A friend of a friend told me to email BAYS, and as soon as I connected with them, it was like a lifeline of hope had been gifted to me. I learned that my stage II, triple positive breast cancer was very treatable, and that I was one of hundreds of people living in the Bay Area who were getting support, advice, and encouragement from this amazing group of people. My friends and family tried to help as much as they could, but it was the BAYS community who really understood what I was going through and what I needed to hear to move through each phase of the cancer journey. Since then, I’ve completed active treatment and am now helping support others as they manage the shock that comes with a cancer diagnosis. And, obviously, I’ve vowed to never drink celery juice again.