From using a cane to running a marathon: Doctor to share power of lifestyle medicine at free lecture May 21

SCRANTON --
Conventional wisdom says that Dr. Saray Stancic's multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1995 should have landed her in a wheelchair. Instead, she ran a marathon.

Dr. Stancic will share her story with the community and discuss the power of lifestyle medicine, especially in relation to chronic diseases, at a free event.

• When: Tuesday, May 21 at 5 p.m.
• Where: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, 525 Pine St., Scranton
• RSVP: go.geisinger.edu/prevmedmay
• Continuing education credits available

Dr. Stancic will explain specific lifestyle changes that can transform life for people with chronic illness and talk about her "prescription" to prevent, treat and even reverse chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis.

"I went from a woman who was dependent on a cane in 2003 to one that crossed the finish line at a marathon in 2010," Dr. Stancic said. "These are simple prescriptions that we're offering here. This is not complicated… we can all do this. We can all engage in healthy behaviors and live our best lives. That's really what I want for everyone."

Dr. Stancic is the author of What's Missing from Medicine, a book described as "a clarion call" for the medical establishment to make lifestyle changes an integral part of the practice of medicine. She is triple board certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases and lifestyle medicine. She is a graduate of New Jersey Medical School and for the past 20 years, she's worked to promote the power of preventive/lifestyle medicine on a global scale and bring needed change to how we train physicians.