By: Regina Fong, MBA
There’s a Japanese proverb that says “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” It alludes to the power of perseverance in spite of multiple setbacks. It takes steadfast faith for someone to be able to stand up, dust themself off, and try again after numerous seemingly discouraging blows. Jaime Martin, a registered dietitian and alumnus of Loma Linda University, is the epitome of such faith. We had the honor of chatting with this incredible woman about her journey of becoming a dietitian, entering into the missionary field, and battling cancer, all the while keeping an unwavering faith in God’s plan for her life.
Would you walk us through your journey on what sparked your interest in dietetics and your decision to apply to Loma Linda University.
“I started off as a nursing major and decided to switch to nutrition because I wanted to do something with preventative medicine. Thankfully most of the prerequisites for nutrition were the same for nursing, so I didn’t have to take too many additional classes. I was at Sacramento State University at that time. I wanted to attend Loma Linda University because they focus on a vegetarian diet, so I applied in 2014, but didn’t get in, so I was kind of bummed out. I tried again and got accepted into the BS/MS program in 2015. My sister also started PT school that same year, so we were able to room together at the dorms, so everything worked out pretty well.”
That’s great it all worked out! After you graduated, you moved to Guam, a place you had never been to. Why is that, and what was your initial impression of the island?
“As I mentioned, I initially wanted to become a nurse—a missionary nurse. I’ve always wanted to experience working overseas. LLU, along with their church, has something called a GSA, a Global Service Award, which is awarded to students to help pay off their student loans. You receive a stipend and loan assistance based on your degree and length of missionary service after graduation. I originally wanted to travel to Honduras, so that I can learn Spanish and use it for my future career when I moved back to California, but that didn’t work out. I met recruiters from Guam SDA Clinic at a poster session at Centennial Hall in March 2019, right before I graduated. I graduated that June and moved to Guam in July.”
“My initial thought of Guam was that it was very hot and humid!” Jaime laughs and takes a sip of her bubbly lemon water. “It wasn’t easy moving somewhere far from home, especially being so far from family, but the staff and people on island were very supportive and kind. It’s a great place for those that enjoy the outdoors.”
You mentioned doing missionary work…
“Yes. Since I was a child, I would hear missionary stories and watch videos of mission work abroad during church services. I also read books about it. I probably decided on it [missionary work] sometime during my early teenage years.”
What are your career goals as a dietitian? “Hmm…to help people become their own best dietitians because every body is different. I can guide them, but patients know their bodies best. Food is such a big part of our lives. The big thing I learned is that people make changes at their own pace. I had one patient that became very frustrated when I counseled him about switching to a plant-based diet, because he felt like he wouldn’t be able to eat his cultural foods anymore. We had to make gradual changes.”
What advice would you give to dietitians that are newly entering into this career field?
“One thing would be to use motivational interviewing. Make sure to build a good relationship with your patients. Second, don’t be afraid if you don’t know all the answers, because it’s impossible to know everything, especially since nutrition is a growing field. Also, find your niche, whether it’s eating disorders, sports nutrition, diabetes, weight management, nutrigenetics, etc.”
I must say you’re an incredibly strong woman. In early 2019, you were diagnosed with schwannoma [a tumor that attacks the nerve sheaths]. What were your initial thoughts, and how did your mindset transform as you went through this experience?
“It was so surreal. All I could think about was ‘What do I do now? What’s the next step?’. I was just thankful that it wasn’t cancer. The diagnosis was based on the initial MRI they took when I was on Guam. I had to decide whether I wanted to do my surgery on or off island, and I had to decide fast. It progressed so quickly I had trouble walking the following days.”
You transferred over to Loma Linda University Medical Center for surgery. Why this of all the hospitals you could’ve gone to?
“I didn’t have insurance, but God worked it out. The tumor was progressing to my lungs, and the cardiothoracic surgeon was off-island, so Dr. Robinson and Dr. David from Guam SDA Clinic recommended I fly out to LLUMC. I was in a wheelchair by this time. My family drove down from NorCal and met me at the hospital, and I had the surgery two days afterwards. I was diagnosed with schwannoma May 21, 2019 and had the surgery May 25, 2019. After the surgery, I was informed I had Ewing Sarcoma [a rare cancer that occurs in the bone or soft tissue], so I was crushed.”
That’s difficult news to swallow for sure. What type of treatments did you have to go through?
“PT [physical therapy] began right away since I was in a wheelchair, and that lasted for about five months. I began chemotherapy in July 2019. I also did proton therapy beginning November 2019, while still doing chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was 2-day and 5-day cycles alternately every other week. Sometimes I wouldn’t meet the minimal blood count, so I would have to skip that week and go back the next week to check again. A person is considered to be in remissions after 8 years from the last chemotherapy. My last MRI was in June of this year, and thank God it was clear!” Jaime let out a sigh of relief and took another sip of her drink.
Praise the Lord! Were you on any particular diet during your treatment?
“Well, the chemo made me nauseous a lot, but my mom was very helpful throughout all of this. She made all different types of vegetable juices—beets, carrots, celery, cabbage, ginger, turmeric, etc. Sometimes, she would also juice camotes, which are sweet potato tops, and it tasted like green sludge!” A playful cringe plays across Jaime’s face as she reminisces and laughs about it. “The juices didn’t always taste great but I knew it was healthy so I’d drink it anyway. One of the CNAs [certified nursing assistant] at the hospital mentioned he had brain tumor. His advice to me was ‘always have a positive attitude and wheatgrass.’”
Wheatgrass?
“Yeah…wheatgrass. We didn’t have wheatgrass so I would put droplets of chlorophyll into my water. I feel like it did help.” Jaime has a matter-of-fact look on her face. “Chemo kills good and bad cells, so I guess it killed my cancer cells, but also some of my white blood cells, so my blood count would be low sometimes. The chlorophyll helped with the blood count. I also avoided sugar, especially processed sugars. This was hard since I have a sweet tooth! Oh, and I also cut out processed foods.”
What is your diet like nowadays? “I follow a plant-based vegetarian diet. I don’t think completely cutting out sugar and processed foods is really sustainable, but I am trying to go gluten-free right now because my PT [physical therapist] tested my blood for gluten sensitivity. I guess it affects nerve inflammation and blood flow. Right now, I’m seeing an INF [Intraneural Facilitation] PT at Loma Linda. My sensation has recovered about 95%, but there’s still a small percentage that’s still not quite recovered yet.” Jaime points to her feet. “I still get some numbness in my feet sometimes, but praise the Lord I can walk!”
You’ve made wonderful progress from being in a wheelchair to now walking and driving without any assistance! What would you say is the most important lesson(s) you’ve learned from this experience? “Thanks!” Jaime sits back and thinks for a second. “There’s a lot, but I guess the power of prayer, especially that first week after I had my surgery. I was emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. It was like I could feel a lot of people praying for me, which helped lift and heal me. Another one is the power of hope. Hearing an encouraging sermon, reading encouraging words, and receiving encouragement from people really helped. People telling me that I will walk again was also really encouraging. I think encouragement really changes one’s perspective.”
It’s been quite a journey for you. What are your plans in terms of returning to work at this time?
“That's a great question.” Jaime laughs. “I really don't know when I'll actually start working full time again…maybe when my hair has fully grown back.” She smiles and sits up straighter. “I'm hoping to maybe start sometime next year. A part of me still dreams about going back to Guam, but I'm open to whatever doors God opens, whether it’s here or abroad.”
Jaime Martin, MS, RD currently resides in Southern California with her family. She is continually getting stronger and spends her free time playing the ukulele, journaling, and reading a myriad of books. Connect with her via email (jaimesaguan@gmail.com) or Instagram (fleur.petite2).
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