How I Stopped My MEN1 Symptoms (without Meds or Surgery)

My Consultant said, “keep doing what you’re doing.”

I was diagnosed with MEN1 at 13 years old, I’ve undergone two rounds of pancreatic surgery and tried a cocktail of medications. Fifteen years later, I’m now symptom free, medication free, and I have no surgeries on the horizon. Here’s how that happened.

Q: What was your diagnosis experience like?

I was just turning 13. I remember being told that I had a genetic mutation, and here’s what was likely to happen. But something in me — this slightly stubborn, inner voice — said, You’ll be okay. It’s going to be different for you.

A year later, I was in surgery. They found two pancreatic tumours that had to come out. I was told it was urgent. My family sought several medical opinions, but we were very much in the conventional system. I went through the operation and recovered.

That pattern repeated again a few years later — more tumours, another major surgery. Then later, more lesions again. I kept wondering: Is this really how it has to be?

Q: When did things start to shift?

[embed]Click thumbnail above to watch full video

In my early twenties. I misinterpreted a scan report full of medical jargon and panicked. I thought I was heading into my third pancreatic surgery asap. I had 30% of my pancreas left.

That moment of panic became a turning point. It lit a fire in me. My consultant calmed me down and explained that it wasn’t immediate cause for surgery. But he also said something I’ll never forget:

“At some point, you will need another operation. That’s just the way MEN1 works.”

And that’s when something inside me said: But what if it doesn’t have to be that way for me?

Q: What did you do differently?

That’s Chapter Two of my healing journey. I went all in — not just with diet or supplements, but with everything I could access:

• Nervous system regulation
• Spirituality and inner work
• Yoga, journaling, somatic tools
• Meditation and breathwork
• A complete nutrition overhaul
• Fasting protocols tailored to my cycle
• Working with a functional medicine doctor
• Learning to listen to my body, not my mind

I started asking different questions. Why is this here? What can I do about it?

Q: Did it work?

Last summer (2024) I went for another round of blood tests and scans. The results showed that I had started to reverse my symptoms. My consultant looked at me and said, “Whatever you’re doing… it’s working.” For a condition like MEN1, that is virtually unheard of.

Of course, my medical team doesn’t fully understand or endorse my approach — and they don’t need to. They’ve been respectful and cautious. But they’ve also seen my results, and so have I. I know it’s working.

Q: What would you say to others with MEN1?

The voice in your head that says this disease is different — MEN1 is genetic/hereditary, among the 1–3% of conditions no diet or lifestyle expert will talk about, therefore it’s incurable — I had that voice too (and sometimes still do).

The hardest part of my journey was witnessing slowly how I’d clutched that belief because certainty of something unappealing felt safer than uncertainty of something appealing. (Ironic, though that seems.) Where was the proof? How could I find evidence? Only when I began to let that (need for control) go, could my symptoms (dis-ease) let go of me. That’s how I heal.

Fancy the nitty gritty on how I’ve managed to buck the trends in MEN1? Join me in my email community where I share my most valuable healing tools well before they reach social media. Click here

Disclaimer: The content shared is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.