Meet Luci
Luci Berardi is a survivor of Metastatic Ovarian Cancer and the author of Chasing Rainbows. She and Todd Hutchcroft were married in 2008. Their newlywed marital bliss came to a standstill in October 2010. Luci was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer at the age of 42. She faced the greatest fight of her life. This couple’s additional challenge was whether or not they could weather this storm…..Their commitment to hold true to their vows and their unconditional love for one another, allowed them to persevere.
Upon completion of 6 months of chemotherapy, Luci received the news we all long to hear─ she was cancer free. From that moment on, Luci was inspired to help others in their own fight through volunteering with the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance, as well as speaking, and writing about the intimate details of her own fight.
Luci and Todd live in Bailey, CO with their dog Isabel. She remains passionate in her commitment to her yoga practice and exercise and her devout commitment to her Catholic Faith. Luci has a new found appreciation for the most precious gift of all ─ “Life”.
“Being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer does not need to be a death sentence.” Luci Berardi
Fast forwarding to 2021. I am sure many of you can’t help but wonder if I am still going well or if I am still alive. I am happy to report, I am in remission and doing well. I will say however, with this dreaded disease, and my advanced staging, I did have two recurrences. Since my original “all clear” following my treatment which concluded in April 2011, I chose to keep my port for 5 years which allowed me to receive weekly IV Vitamin C therapy. It is my opinion the weekly treatments, regular testing of my CA125 along with the strict dietary regimen that I write about in my book contributed to the 4 year delay in my 1st recurrence. In 2014, my doctors and I were able to act very quickly as the marker started to rise. There was a small mass and lymph node. The surgery involved removal of my right adrenal gland. Prior to beginning chemo, I requested a tissue sample of the mass the surgeon removed to be sent to Clearity Foundation for tumor blueprinting. The testing would provide us a list the most effective chemo drugs for my specific tumor. After receiving the chemotherapy recommendations from Clearity, I began 6 rounds of chemo, Etopocide and Carpoplatin. The treatment was successful. Again, I continued to receive IV treatment during and after the chemotherapy. The port was finally removed in 2015 because of an infection that developed. In 2016, the same lymph node started showing activity on my PET scan. August 2016, I inquired about radiation to see if I might be a candidate. My gynecolgist agreed with my request and referred me to a radiologist oncologist. He felt very confident due to how small it was, radiation could eradicate it. He was correct.
Being BRCA1 positive, I wanted to be proactive in my future health. I just couldn’t live knowing the high probably of developing breast cancer. I needed to do things on my terms if possible. In 2018, I chose to undergo a prophylactic direct to implant double mastectomy. The surgery went very well and I am glad that my 80+% odds of developing breast cancer have been reduced to 1.5%. As of today, I remain cancer free. While I do not require IV Vitamin C, I continue to follow a strict dietary regimen. My Faith and daily Prayer is also a huge part of my life. God Bless.
“For she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be healed.”(Mark 5:29)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)