FMBGN-HW-ReNew Yu-A Life Of Caring For Others Finally Turns Inward

She walked into the ER thinking “my asthma is acting up” and walked out carrying a cancer diagnosis that changed everything. That moment kicks off a raw, hopeful conversation with our guest Nelsa about what chronic stress, grief, and nonstop caregiving can do to the body when survival mode becomes your default setting.

We talk about the years after her husband’s sudden death from a brain aneurysm and how being high functioning can hide the real cost of pressure. Nelsa shares what happened on January 1, 2026, including the frightening breathing struggle, the discovery of massive fluid buildup, and the emotional shock of hearing “you have cancer.” From there, we dig into the mindset shift she’s making now: treating brain and body as one system, doing a simple daily body scan, and letting signals guide her schedule instead of overriding them.

You’ll also hear the practical side of her integrative wellness plan in Naples, Florida, including nutrition changes, cutting sugars and processed foods, prioritizing one full day of rest each week, and supportive modalities like PEMF mat therapy, red light therapy with near-infrared, and a closed-loop electromagnetic current device she credits as especially meaningful for her. We also name what can’t be skipped: the emotional and psychological work, including therapy to process grief, so healing becomes more than lab numbers or protocols.

If you’re searching for real talk on stress recovery, self-care for caregivers, holistic healing, and what it means to come back home to your body after a life-changing diagnosis, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more local health and wellness stories, share this with someone who needs a steadier breath today, and leave a review to help more good neighbors find the show.

REnew-YU Natural Health-Beauty
Dr. Greet Baestaens
801 Tamiami Trl E, Naples, FL 34112
 (239) 682-1306
RENEWYU3801@GMAIL.COM
renew-yu.com
#REnewYU
#NaturalHealth
#MindBodySoul
@REnewYUNaples

Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor
To Nominate Someone to be Featured
Or
To Subscribe to the Newsletter
CLICK HERE
https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/

Transcript

Welcome And What We Explore

Intro/Close 0:00

Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast Health and Wellness Series, brought to you by RenewYu Natural Health and Beauty, where we make wellness feel possible and turn everyday choices into stronger living. Each episode brings you uplifting conversations, local resources, and practical tips to help you look better, feel stronger, be emotionally balanced, and more connected to the community around you. So take a breath and settle in because feeling better starts right where you are.

"Cabo" Jim 0:30

Welcome, good neighbors, to our Renew YU Health and Wellness series. Today's conversation is a powerful one. We're gonna be talking about chronic stress, grief, survival mode, and what it means to come back home to your body after a life-changing diagnosis. Our guest Nelsa spent years putting everyone else first, working non-stop, carrying deep personal lusts. And then on January 1st, 2026, everything kind of changed. So since then, her journey's become one of healing, reflection, and learning and how to support her body in a whole new way. So, first of all, we'd like to thank uh renew you and Dr. Greet for hosting this series. And secondly, we'd like to welcome you, Nelsa, for joining us and sharing your story with us today.

Nelsa 1:12

Thank you, Jim. It's lovely being here.

Life Before The Health Crisis

"Cabo" Jim 1:15

Well, thank you. Yes. Very good. So to start, Nelsa, can you share a little bit about who you were before the health crisis and what life looked like at that time?

unknown 1:27

Yes.

Nelsa 1:28

So I think uh my um things changed for me um in around 2015 when um my husband suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. Um, of course, this was um extremely shocking. It was a surprise. Um, but I've always been a very positive person. So um I handled it in a way that was I I have so much love to give. He's not here. The world is full of people, um, I know so many people, and so I dedicated myself completely um to others. Um, I was a very high-functioning and deeply um committed person um to helping others. I have a master's in myoskeletal therapy, I'm a cancer journey coach, a Pilates instructor, I love Japanese floral design. So I just dedicated myself to all of these things, which were all um wonderful because I've always made a point of surrounding myself by wonderful people. So it was very um um this is who I was um before um my diagnosis. I was always living on a in kind of a high, high functioning, high stress mode. But you know, it was also very enjoyable. So I kind of normalized it. I'd wake up in the morning, like, who's on my list? Who will I see? Whose life will I make better? And I normalized that situation of always being, you know, high, high functioning and high stress, but that's what I did.

The Night Breathing Became Impossible

"Cabo" Jim 3:28

And to you, that was normal. That's you know, you were living life to the fullest and doing everything you loved, and you just continued to push forward into some of that. Can you take us back to January 1st? And then what happened when you were rushed to the hospital?

Nelsa 3:42

Yeah, so um January 1st, I woke up at night and I was having difficulty breathing. And I thought to myself, oh, my asthma is acting up, and um my albuterol, my inhaler must be expired or something, it's not working. But it was really an extreme struggle to even walk um a few feet in my phone my son. I said, please take me to the ER, my asthma is acting up, and he did. He he took me in, both of us thinking about this asthma, but it was actually uh a turning point. It it wasn't asthma. And um within a few minutes of being there um at the in the ER, I was told, oh, we're we're sorry to tell you, but but you have cancer. And um when I heard it, it it didn't, I didn't absorb it. It it was it was you know something that I was aware of. I was a caregiver, but it you know it it didn't it didn't suit my personality. I had too much too much going on. Um but what had happened was that I have um a low-grade cell biocarcinoma, and what it does is it likes the linings of your organs, and um the little tumors attach themselves to the linings of your organs, and your organs actually or these this lining is highly sensitive, and it starts to create a fluid, and it turned out I had seven liters of fluid in my body, and it had completely squished my right lung, it had moved um my spine to the left, my heart was not where your heart is supposed to be, it was a little bit up near my um um um clavicle. So um it um yes, um, it was very um uh almost like no, this can't be true situation.

"Cabo" Jim 6:14

At least you had the fortitude to go to the doctor. There's a lot of people in those situations that no, I'll be okay, I'll be fine, but at least you went to the doctor and got that diagnosed properly. So, how did that experience change the way you see your body and your health?

Nelsa 6:29

Yeah, so even though I was very much involved in taking care of others, personally I I needed a readjustment. So my brain before would tell my body to move and work and do. It was almost as if it was separate. And so now I just see things a little bit differently. Um I see my body and my brain as a whole. And um it's no longer my brain is in charge of what I do. Um, I um I I see and I I I've created a space um in my life where I listen. I I do this little um scan where you know I started at my feet, I breathe, you know, and I I gently start scanning, you know, my my toes, my ankles, and I go up my body, and I I I ask it, you know, how how are you doing? Um you know what is this, what is this happening here and and or there and and why? And when when I see something or I feel something in my body that is not a hundred percent right, I am learning to listen to it, to adjust my schedule, to accommodate, taking care of it. You know, this is all very new for me. You know, it started, my my illness started January 1st, you know, that I was aware. So, you know, today we are April, I think, the fourth or the third, and I am I'm re it's like I'm relearning. I I don't have it a hundred percent down pat, but I am really working on trying to see myself as a whole and um learning to be kind and loving um to my body, not just other people.

Chronic Stress And The Abrupt Stop

"Cabo" Jim 8:58

Turn it internally a little bit and then love love yourself in your body. Yeah, so so looking back, how how do you now understand the impact of chronic stress and and long-term pressure on your body?

Nelsa 9:14

Well, um I understand it as if you don't stop and acknowledge yourself your body is going to ask you to please stop abruptly, you know, and um this is something extremely important, you know. I had the best care um when I was, you know, an NCH. I was in ICU for 10 days, and um after that just everyone gave me such wonderful care. But I saw in other you know, physicians and healthcare practitioners that we tend to go into this mode of let me take care of. And I I wanted to tell them, please stop a little in your day and and look internally, introspectively, like what is going on with you too, not just you know, um the ones around you, you know, if you look at the the the daily schedule, you know, I I am an early riser, and my doctors would already be there, you know, walking around the halls and working in ICU. By the time the sun was setting, they were still there. And I I was like, I used to work seven days a week from sunrise to sunset, taking care of others. Please, you know, take a moment. It's a wonderful job to take care of others, but really take a moment. Look inside, look internally, take care of you so that we have more time on this earth to take care of others, otherwise it'll get short.

Nutrition And Modalities After Diagnosis

"Cabo" Jim 11:17

Yeah. So since surgery, what's your healing journey kind of look like? What's it look like?

Nelsa 11:24

So I actually started my healing journey before surgery. So my CA125 test when I entered um the um hospital on January 1st was in the 700s, and the average range is 35. So as soon as I got you know my diagnosis, I asked my son, you know, bring me this, this, this, and this, because I also am a you know no nutrition. I I help people nutritionally, I'm a certified nutritionist coach. So um he he he did all of that. So I was already eating and and and very healthy, but um there were some things that, for example, between 3:30 and 4:30 every afternoon, I stopped, I had some tea and a delicious pastry. So there were some things that I did have to cut out, there were some things I knew I had to boost my immune system. My son supplied me all my food and meals while I was um in the hospital. And um I had my surgery February the 4th, which it's it's almost it's you know, monthly anniversary, month anniversary, but um by the time that before I went into surgery, I had another test done, and my numbers now were in the 200s. So this was just you know, nutrition that had brought them from seven, and I was already a healthy person, but there's so much more we can do than just living healthy. And then um after that surgery, I um started to, I was more mobile, I could move around, I could um get to places, so I started to um do the modalities that renew you provides. So um I was doing pulsating magnetic electromagnetic pulsating magnetic electrofield mat therapy, um, red light therapy, not just red light, which is more super, you know, takes care of your outer layer, but it had one with NIR, which actually helps you. It goes in deeper, so it helps with yourself. But what I really thought was um um game-changing is a device called Review. Now, this device was based on um the discoveries of a um professor called Michael Levin. And Michael Levin really studied um electromagnetic fields. So um this device actually works internally. These two um sections that you um put on your body. Dr. Greet um is the expert at this in the United States. And um what it does, it provides current to your the mitochondria. So we know that when your mitochondria does not function properly, there is a breakdown in your body, and hence you can get cancer. So this is what the REU device does, it actually recharges that energy so that your mitochondria are working at its peak performance. So this was a modality that I also did. So I did electricity, magnetic fields, red lights, and um nutrition, and also a change. I now give myself absolutely one full day of rest a week, even though, like I said, I'm learning because I worked so much for so many, you know, so many years in my life. So all these um things together have really helped me, and often my surgery. So the surgery did help with these numbers too, but like I initially said, the average human has a CA125 of around 35, mine was at 18.

unknown 16:11

Wow.

Nelsa 16:11

So if I think from January 1st, 700 to today, where it's below my CA125 is below average, um, I I am very grateful for everyone and all the physicians, all the research that has gone into how the body heals and um the fact that the REU device is available here in the United States, um, and so forth that um help me um be where I am today.

"Cabo" Jim 16:50

And it and I think you kind of touched on it, but uh out of all the modalities you've incorporated, was there one that really stood out that was the most meaningful, made the most meaningful difference for you personally?

Nelsa 17:01

Yes, absolutely. I would say it's the RIU device. You know, there's two electrodes, one is placed on your spine, so on a vertebra. We know that vertebra um can connect with different parts of your body, and the other electrode is in the form of a pen, so it works the area where um you feel um um needs the treatment, and so a a charge is sent up to your brain and it re-loops to the other electrode, so it kind of like remaps um your body. So you have these this um um magnetic charge like going through your body to recharge your mitochondria.

"Cabo" Jim 17:51

Very interesting. Interesting. So, what does healing mean to you now? It's good probably takes a different meaning on from what you saw before.

Healing Means Rest And Support

Nelsa 17:59

Yes, absolutely. So I have to be more conscious of myself. Um so I think that's uh that's the greatest thing, and then healing to me now is I do red light therapy every single day. And I do the review closed loop electromagnetic current once a month, and um my I'd really cut out all sugars and um any kind of uh you know processed foods. I wasn't eating many before, but I really cut um back on those, but I'm really trying to create an internal environment that is um um healthy. But again, I also have to put in um the um emotional and psychological part, you know, it's not just your internal environment. So of course I also you know got myself a wonderful psychotherapist to work with to help me process grief that I'm still carrying. And um it's it's a lot more um thinking about yourself, and sometimes I don't want to because it really is more fun thinking about others. But I'm I am learning, like I said, even speaking about this, you know, I'm not um a medical professional, I'm not claiming any cures whatsoever. I'm just saying this is my journey. It's not too easy to talk about it, but if it I could help again anyone at all with my story, and you know, just let people know that, you know, here in Naples, we're very fortunate to have wonderful modalities that can really help us um in overcoming, you know, some um very big health obstacles. I'm not saying I have overcome um my cancer, but it's something that I am living with and I'm still I'm happy, I'm enjoying life, and I still feel that I am living rather than like the the cancer is living, do you know? So um, yeah.

Advice For Constant Givers

"Cabo" Jim 20:42

So so I mean, uh yeah again, you kind of touched on it, but what would you say to the woman who's constantly giving to others but like forgetting about themselves a little bit?

Nelsa 20:53

No, just of course, please don't. If you don't keep track, your body really is. Every time you have a heartbreak, every time you have a disappointment, every time you push your body physically, you know, in order to um take care of others, because we tend to be these very nurturing um beings, you know, keeping the family together, keeping all your friends um together and happy, and um the body is keeping track. So um please take um good care, um, get wonderful allies. I always say I wouldn't have been where I am today without my allies, and Dr. Greet um is my health ally, you know, my my psychotherapist. Um getting educated with what you can do physically, emotionally, spiritually, you know, um all helps.

"Cabo" Jim 22:00

Very good. Nelsa, thank you very much for being so open today with us and sharing your story. It's a beautiful reminder that after fear, loss, and uncertainty, healing is still possible in so many different forms. We're grateful you shared your heart with us, and we hope listeners walk away with a little feeling and courage to listen to their bodies and give themselves the care they deserve. So I thank you again. A beautiful story, beautiful person, and we'll see you soon, okay?

Intro/Close 22:30

Thank you for spending this time with the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast, health and wellness series brought to you by Renew Yu, Natural Health and Beauty. If today's episode helped you, share it with a friend and check the show notes for local resources and next steps you can try this week. Until next time, be gentle with yourself, celebrate the small wins, and remember, better days are built one breath, one choice, and one good neighbor at a time. Also, to nominate your favorite health and wellness expert to be on the show. Go to fmbgoodneighbor.com, that's fmbgoodneighbor.com, or call 239 427 4100. Until next time, remember to cabo until you wabo and keep being a good neighbor.