All Survivors Unite's Why

Welcome to All Survivors Unite, a business that was started by my mother and I a long time ago. We didn't have the chance to fully develop it at the time, but I'm now working to bring it to life.

My mother, Carrie, was the primary inspiration for this business. In honor of her, I named the business after one of her own and incorporated survivor and cancer-themed designs. I stumbled upon this email one day and wanted to share it with you. Just to be clear, I'm not selling Melaleuca products (although if you're interested, feel free to contact me). This is just the story of how it helped my mother.

My mother was an incredibly kind, loving, and generous person who touched the lives of many, including children in juvenile hall whom she taught painting to. I'm lucky to have some of her paintings, as well as ones done by myself and my children, hanging in my home and they will be shared on this site. Despite facing many challenges in her life, including abuse from alcoholic parents and being left in the woods for three days, she persevered and went on to marry my father, a Major in the Army who served three tours in Vietnam. She also ran a successful wholesale company before retiring and teaching painting.

Onto, a brief look at my Mother’s story:

My name is Carrie Theroux. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 1998. I had been reading about breast cancer for many years before that because I had fibrous tumors for 15 years. I decided to have a lumpectomy because the results seemed to be the same as a mastectomy. The doctor said that my tumor was too big, so I had chemotherapy first to reduce its size and then I had surgery and radiation. My chances of the cancer returning were at 80%. Almost five years later, I had a lot of pain in my right leg. I finally went to see my doctor and my oncologist ordered some tests for me, but one of the most important ones got lost. I called my doctor on December 3rd and told him I couldn't get up, so he had me come in to see him and made arrangements to hospitalize me. The cancer had destroyed half of my right femur. I had surgery and a rod inserted in my leg, followed by radiation. In May 2004, I was told that I needed to take chemotherapy again. In principle, I am against chemotherapy because it destroys so many cells in its effort to make you well. I was told that I would never get well, but chemotherapy would buy me extra time and without it I would die within 90 days. I started chemotherapy for a few months, but then decided not to continue it. I started taking Herceptin instead. Herceptin is a drug that attacks HR2 cells that have over-expressed themselves. I took that for 16 months. In the meantime, I tried everything I could to cure the cancer. I ate 5-9 fruits and vegetables a day and used many natural products that claimed to cure cancer in some people, along with Esciac Tea. In January 2006, my doctor said I was getting worse and should take chemotherapy again. I started it in February. I continued my search for a cure on my own. I was on many prayer lists. I truly believe that God was blessing me and I felt uplifted most of the time. For the times when I didn't feel uplifted, I took a mild antidepressant. On April 17th, my daughter introduced me to Melaleuca. When I saw the products and the compensation plan, I thought I would like to do this. I thought that I would build a business and give it to my granddaughter when I pass on. At the time, I really didn't even think about the products curing me. I just knew that they were all natural and safe for your body, home, and the planet. I was already taking natural vitamins and felt like I was doing as well as I could, considering I was on my third round of chemotherapy. I was in bed every day, except to get up and sit in my recliner for two hours a day or go to my treatments. I received my order on April 20th and started taking the vitamins. Within a week, I was up all day and going out to present Melaleuca to my friends! By this time, I had broken out in a rash and had peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet, and my blood sugar was pre-diabetic (due to the chemotherapy). When I stopped chemotherapy in May 2006, my blood sugar went down to a safe level, my rash disappeared, and the pain in my hands and feet was more manageable. In mid-June, my tests showed that I had lowered my cholesterol by 20 points and my white blood count was 7.3, the highest it had been since 2003! I feel wonderful! I was taking five medications in early April and now I'm down to just one: my painkiller. If any of you have cancer in the bones, you know that I still need to take my pain medication. I am not cured. I still have cancer, but I stopped taking chemotherapy in May 2006. This was my own decision. Last month, my doctor said that if I keep doing what I'm doing now and keep my positive attitude, I could look at years instead of months before the end. Now, my goal is no longer just to build my business and will it to my granddaughter, but to help as many people as I can achieve their goals in life. I almost feel driven to share this good news with everyone. There is hope! I praise God every day for keeping me in his hands and bringing me to this wonderful place in my life, and the peace that he has given me. I also thank Melaleuca for the natural products that have helped me so much. I hope that this story will inspire others to try Melaleuca and see the benefits for themselves. If you have any questions about my story or Melaleuca, please feel free to contact me.

Carrie eventually passed away from cancer on November 17, 2008. Despite her struggle with the disease, she always remained positive and had a strong will to live. For most of her final months, she was active and up on her feet. I was fortunate enough to be by her side, holding her hand, when she passed away at 10:20 am. Taking care of her during the last six months of her life was an honor and a privilege, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to do so.