Vietnamese American says, “Victory over cancer gives me a mission.”
As published by The Vietnamese Globe by BBC Vietnam
Jenny Do and her mother (standing right together)
Born Dang Thi Phuong Thanh, Jenny Do came to the United States as a mixed-race child in 1984 at the age of 18, and quickly became a successful woman.
For her, law is a job, but her heart Jenny’s heart lies in her work as a painter, a volunteer enthusiast, and a fighter for the less fortunate. She has an affinity for helping others is because she experienced a cruel childhood, growing up in a society where mixed-race people were treated as outcasts.
Before becoming a lawyer in 1997, Jenny's first job was working with the Santa Clara County Social Affairs Department to help refugees, and then for the San José Police Department. Her charitable activities around the area have made her known as the 'darling' of the Vietnamese community in Northern California.
Having spent 20 years practicing law, Jenny continues to be an active volunteer in many fields related to the interests of low-income people everywhere.
Those who might reach out to Jenny for help include Vietnamese refugees in need of free legal services, trafficking victims sent to Taiwan, and at-risk home buyers who struggle with banks and face foreclosures, families, or low-income students in Viet Nam, who are supported through the Friends of Hue Foundation, a non-profit organization that she runs.
But Jenny is not only known by those in need. She often appears in Vietnamese newspapers, radio and television, and is adored by her compatriots for her peaceful opinion, and her desire to fight for the interests of the underprivileged. She says,
Cancer makes my mission more clear.
In 2007, at the age of 41, in the midst of a life that couldn't be more beautiful, Jenny was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. This news flushed her with anxiety, but with her naturally energetic and optimistic nature, Jenny, perhaps like so many other patients, “completely gave life to the doctor" and did everything that they suggested: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy. Even through these treatments, she continued pursuing a career in law, painting, rock climbing, as well as many other volunteer and social work.
Jenny Do marches at the 2018 Áo Dài Festival in San José
After the chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and the cancer showing signs of retreat, Jenny was given Tamoxifen by the doctor for five years, and she was continued with her life as before.
In 2015, Jenny was told that her cancer had reached stage 4, and was advised to prepare a funeral. She was given only 30 to 90 days to live.
Recalling the moment she received this shocking news, Jenny told BBC Vietnam:
“When I was given the news, I was standing in front of the door of a restaurant. My phone fell to my feet after talking to the doctor. After bending over to pick up the phone, I could not stand up. Tears streamed down my face as I returned to the table. My family more or less guessed the bad news that I had received.
She continued, “My first thought when being informed was, 'This cannot be true', and the next thought was, “Who will take care of my old mother and the children of the Friends of Hue Children’s Shelter if will not be adopted by anyone?"
Jenny Do on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1988
Not accepting death partly because she was not ready to leave the world, and partly because there were so many responsibilities, Jenny said that she would devote her time to understanding this malignant cancer, its properties, and do all she could to find a cure.
“As a result, since 2016, my condition has been declared No Evidence of Disease (NED). From time to time I stopped taking the current medication (Ibrance). My desire is to learn to self-regulate the cancer growth without the use of these drugs. Prolonged use of any kinds of these drugs will eventually kill me. Therefore, I have spent a lot of time researching alternative drugs.”, she explained.
When asked about her future plans, Jenny did not hesitate:
“I want to dedicate the rest of my life to helping other cancer patients. I have worked with at least 50 cancer patients to date. It is a lonely and sometimes painful process. Patients come to me from all walks of life and from all over the world. We support each other to fight the disease, and to prolong lives. I can help people mentally, but the fight has to come from within. I don't have a magical recipe because each of us is very different. What I can convey is the power of mind and the power of faith. I can share my own experience in navigating through each patient's own healthcare system and treatment process. ”
Jenny meticulously answered questions about her experience in dealing with cancer with the BBC. Below is a conversation we had with Jenny on the ways that she hopes to fulfill her mission to help cancer patients:
BBC: Your experience fighting cancer is very rare. You had stage 2 breast cancer in 2006, and after a period of treatment, you thought the disease had receded, but in 2015 you were told by the doctor that the cancer had reached stage 4. You stopped taking the medication. You were told that you had only one to three months to live. What was the most important lesson you learned?
Jenny: Yes, it is very important to point out my mistakes can be used to help prevent others from making the same mistakes.
When you have cancer, it is your body warning you that the lifestyle you had—the lifestyle that created that cancer—needs to change. I didn't do that. I just trusted the doctor and continued with the old life.
In 2007, after receiving chemotherapy for a very short time, then turning to radiation therapy, the cancer went into remission. I was given Tamozifen for 5 years. During those 5 years, I lived normally, and continued my life in the way I had lived it before the diagnosis. That was a huge mistake.
In 2015, when I was told that I only had 30-90 days to live, I asked what the doctor could do for me. They said they could give me the same chemotherapy that I had turned down in 2007. Luckily, it only lasted six months. I decided to turn down their prescription, and instead, study upon my own cancer. I believe that if I had continued to live my old way of life, perhaps I would not have the opportunity to do this interview today.
Jenny Do serves as San José Art Commissioner, around 2005 before her cancer diagnosis
Jenny Do testifies for Senator Janet Nguyen’s Banh Chung Law in the California House of Representatives
BBC: Are you advising that cancer patients should not completely listen to their doctors in their treatment? Why?
Jenny: Of course the patient should listen to the doctor, but they also need to be proactive. Thanks to the research, all of the available information form so many resources, and consulting with many people, I have determined not to fear cancer, but to make cancer afraid of me. And because of the many lawsuits in the past regarding the American health system, I did not put all the responsibility of treatment on the doctors. I understand that the responsibility must be on myself, and absolutely not let the complications in the American health system cause me further stress.
When find out that we have cancer, any of us will be shocked, depressed, and possibly lash out. Then, we grant ownership of our bodies to doctors and specialists, and this causes us to then become dependent on the complex therapies that our bodies are not familiar with. These methods are not ineffective, but the effects are usually temporary, and there are many negative consequences. We should consider and calculate every detail carefully, and formulate a strategy before going into these cancer treatments.
My experience shows that I should only use these scientific methods to temporarily stop the spread of cancer, and then find other healthy ways to keep the body from being further attacked by cancer.
BBC: Can you explain more about what you mean by not listening to the doctor completely? This is a very specialized field. How does the patient know when to listen to their doctor, and when to not listen to their doctor?
Jenny: This question needs a lengthy explanation to fully answer. In 2007, I underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. While receiving chemotherapy, I read the research on cancer chemotherapy and learned about a study from the UK that said that cases of breast cancers like mine that are estrogen-positive are not suitable for toxins that are often used in that kind of chemotherapy. I took this information with the oncologist at Kaiser. He asked me again: "Do you want me to stop chemotherapy for you?" I asked again what he thought about this British study. The doctor said he could not give any opinion and gave Jenny the right to decide.
I was too shocked at the time to think that the doctor should help me decide what is best for me. Finally, the doctor added, "These discoveries are too new. We need to pass through it from above, then we can apply it. So I cannot give an answer. ” So I stopped chemotherapy after 6 weeks of catastrophic treatment. By 2015, when the cancer had reached stage 4 and had spread to the bones, another oncologist said that I needed chemotherapy. I asked again about the recipe for treatment, and the poisons were known to be similar to 2007! That was when I asked to switch to a new doctor and get a second opinion from UCSF.
An important step in my treatment was determining my estrogen-positive level when visiting a doctor at UCSF. Doctors at UCSF need to know this ratio well, and luckily for me, my friend Mai Phuong who is a doctor helped me learn about it before meeting her doctor at UCSF. When she found out that my estrogen-positive level was 100%, she immediately said, "Chemotherapy is not the way to proceed. Hormone therapy is the right way to go.” Fortunately for me, the new doctor at Kaiser became acquainted with the doctors at UCSF and they have since worked together to bring me to hormone therapy, a simpler way that is not as aggressive. Since then, I have used the drug Ibrance every month to isolate estrogens that do not bind to cancer cells. However, what no one understands is why it is still effective three years later. Based on the manufacturer's prediction, this drug loses potency about 5 months or up to 9 months after use. My doctor also doesn't understand, and often asks me, "What other treatment is out there?" The aforementioned treatment methods have helped me maintain my body and health.
Of course, the details that I am mentioning pertain to my particular cancer and my body. But the general lesson is: Doctors do not know our bodies as well as we do. They do not know all about the latest research, and may not know what the best treatment for us might be because of the limitations of Medical insurance or hospital procedures. So, we patients need to actively research for more information and seek second opinions, rather than completely adhering to doctors’ orders.
California Senator Jim Beall presents Jenny with the Trailblazer Award, recognizing her for the second time as California Woman of The Year (Zone 15).
Journey of the Half Questions, a painting by Jenny Do, 2008. Collection of Doan Trang and Cuong Tran.
BBC: Yes, in your case, you were able to fight off cancer, and achieved No Evidence of Disease (NED). So, what was the turning point in your healing program with these specific healing methods?
Jenny: In terms of finding other healthy ways to maintain the body, I read upon the experiences of others first, and then when I understood that food and drink together affected my unhealthy lifestyle. The role of diet in my life was so detrimental, that I was determined to change it. I looked more closely at my diet, and realized that what we choose to eat and drink to treat illnesses plays a major role in our healing. I also applied the science of fasting to my regimen. Through online researching, I have come to the decision not to eat sugar and red meat. Then, after two years, I decided that I would become a vegetarian.
No matter what type of cancer, one thing science has confirmed is that cancer cells require fuel to grow. Different types of cancer need different kinds of fuel, but the primary fuel that almost every cancer cell needs to spread and to thrive is sugar and protein. All sugar is protein or, rather, amino acids from proteins. With the knowledge that most cancer cells needed amino acids (about 20% -40%) to thrive, I took extra care when eating meat and seafood during the first two years. I eliminated red meat and cut back on the amount of other meats. And recently, I have given up on meat and seafood. Now when I’m at the market, I am mostly engrossed in the vegetables, fruits, and beans. I was no longer interested in visiting the butcher shop.
Jenny during her return to Viet Nam to work with Amerasians in 1990
Jenny at Friends of Hue Children’s Shelter in Viet Nam
BBC: Among the healthy methods you just mentioned, fasting is the most difficult. How does your body feel when you fast? Is there a conflict between fasting and the need to nurture your body to stay healthy in order to fight cancer?
Jenny: I insist that there is no contradiction. When I fasted for 16 hours from 8:00 PM to 12:00 PM the following day, I felt lighter. I eat to live, but not too much to fuel the cancer. I still weigh myself every day and make sure I'm not losing weight. When I do not eat, my body has the opportunity to clear itself of the residue. In addition, the cancer cells will shrivel due to the lack of sugar and nutrition. They open the doors so that they can put toxins into them, while also nourishing good cells. This is the right way of eating, which I wrote in the article "Sugar Khuynh Diep In Me!" that cancer patients should consult.
People have often asked me, "If you don't eat, how can you be strong enough to cope with cancer?" Based on the research of experts, our body does not need to eat three meals per day. This type of eating is due to the human-created habit. The more often we eat, the more we force our body to work harder to digest the food, rather than allowing our bodies to focus its energy on fighting the cancer and treating the damage in our body. In addition, our minds are not pure. When the digestive tract is stopped for 16 hours, our soul relaxes and our body becomes lighter. That is why spiritual practitioners in ancient times had to go on hunger strikes to attain enlightenment. God, Buddha, and fathers and monks all go through this path.
After the 16-hour fast, we will cherish the meal and savor the food so much more. Since going road 16-8, I have loved all my meals and have not wanted to consume "bad" foods that will dirty my body. I am like a blank sheet of paper, without smudges or stains, but ready to shape each word on the page meaningfully.
BBC: How does helping cancer patients specifically help you? What do you think cancer patients and their families need the most help with?
Jenny: Since each patient has a different condition, I have to spend ample time with them to understand what they might need. There is no single recipe that I can easily share. In parallel with this interview, I’ve written an article about my own healing experiences.
While helping patients for the past 2 years, I have seen that the most important thing for patients is keeping the spirit uplifted, and keeping in the direction of proactive coping. This is what I can do to help people most effectively. I continue to use my social media channels to lift people's spirits and try to help people within their struggle to prolong their lives, as we wait for the popularization of immunotherapy, as a treatment. This allows for the stabilization of the patient's own immune system to cure diseases such as cancer.
Patients who need more details can contact Jenny via her Facebook page “Đường Khuynh Diệp”, or “The Eucalyptus Road”, or email her at jennydolaw@gmail.com.
