OUR STORY
Liz Bauer knew it was wrong the moment she felt the large lump in her breast. As a mom who had been “either pregnant or nursing for the past four years,” she says she had every reason to dismiss the lump as a harmless clogged milk duct. But something about this lump didn’t feel harmless.
“Something felt wrong,” she says. “it was so big it took my breath away.”
She called her midwife, who advised her to get a mammogram, which confirmed Liz’s intuition.
At age 36, Liz—living a life packed with two little boys age 1 and 3, a husband and a full-time job—now found herself facing a daunting battle with breast cancer.
CONVERSELY, ONE COULD SAY BREAST CANCER NOW FACED A DAUNTING BATTLE WITH LIZ.
If cancerous cells were capable of sentient decision making, cancer might have chosen to settle elsewhere. Liz and her husband, Todd Bauer, have structured their home and lives around tackling tough health challenges. That is, in fact, their day job.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
In 2014 Liz and Todd Bauer purchased an old abandoned farmhouse on 3 acres of property in the Glen Arm area of Maryland. They dreamed of opening a health retreat—a place to bring clients to learn about nutrition, exercise, mindfulness and relaxation. They settled on the property on December 31, 2014, and that night, Todd surprised Liz and proposed to her in front of the fireplace in the farmhouse.
Within the next few years, The Bauers got married on a hill overlooking the beautiful serene property, had two babies, and renovated their space into a total wellness retreat, The Farmette at 4424, which offered nutrition counseling, indoor and outdoor group and individual fitness, massage, sauna and meditation. Clients would work out with Todd in an open-air barn and had access to the organic vegetables grown on-site and eggs from the chickens that roamed the yard.
Todd Bauer, owner of The Optimal Health Alliance, has spent nearly 20 years building his reputation as one of Baltimore’s top wellness coaches and personal trainers. He trained Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright while they were in Baltimore filming “House of Cards,” sculpting Wright’s famous Claire Underwood arms. He has trained countless pro-athletes and celebrities but his passion is working with and changing the lives of his friends and family.
THE UNEXPECTED CHAPTER
Enter breast cancer. Liz says she was raised and lives in favor of the holistic way over Western medicine. “My parents are as organic, gluten free, grain free, dye free, pesticide free and alternative as can be,” she says. But looking at images of a 5-centimeter tumor in her breast, and other tumors that had already entered her lymph system and other breast, Liz felt she’d need every tool in the tool belt to get well- both that the holistic health world and the western medicine world could offer.
Her doctors at Johns Hopkins recommended fighting the disease by starting with four rounds of Adriamycin (known as the “red devil” to cancer patients and practitioners), then 12 treatments of Taxol, followed by a double mastectomy and the removal of all cancerous lymph nodes.
Todd worked to build a nutrition and wellness plan to complement and increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.
“It’s important to treat the disease, of course,” Todd says. “But where’s the exercise, the nutrition and the mindfulness to help you stay well through the treatment and beyond?”
Todd and Liz agreed that if they were to commit to the lengthy and intense treatment regimen, they needed to align their lifestyles to get the most benefit from it.
For Todd, that meant “doing a deep dive into what nutrition is best for preventing cancer, the best nutrition plan during chemo for staying well and strong, and for maximizing its benefits.”
He consulted cancer experts in both holistic and Western medicine, and he worked with his team at Optimal Health Alliance to build a complete pre- and post-chemotherapy and surgery wellness plan. This wellness plan included exercise and nutrition, mindfulness, meditation, supplements and massage.
Todd is “very analytical, very in his brain,” Liz says with a laugh.
“I just knew there was a lot more information available than what hospitals and doctors were telling us,” Todd says.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH
The results after one chemotherapy session, says Liz, were “so encouraging.” She had responded to her treatment in the top 5% of patients. The oncology team was impressed. By the time chemotherapy was complete, cancer could no longer be detected in her lymph nodes and the 5-centimeter tumor had been reduced to less than 1 centimeter. The Bauers credit Liz’s robust response to her treatment to “Western medicine along with that holistic edge.”
As Todd’s expertise and knowledge in the cancer nutrition world grew so did his reputation as a holistic health coach and healer. He now partners with many cancer practitioners to bring what he and Liz learned to other cancer patients. Most importantly, Todd says, health and nutrition plans have to be adjustable and responsive to each individual. “It was hard. With Liz’s nausea during chemotherapy, we had to adjust the eating plan. You have to eat what makes you feel good when you’re sick,” he says. “We had to figure out when she was well enough to exercise and when she wasn’t, and when it was best to use massage. We had to be flexible and adaptable.”
2020 required still more flexibility. Right before her scheduled mastectomy, COVID-19 descended on the country, closing hospitals to nonessential surgeries and visitors. Because of the restrictions, Liz faced her double mastectomy alone. Todd dropped her off at Johns Hopkins Bayview with a suitcase and said, “I’ll see you in two days.” As a steady presence alongside Liz during every single one of her chemo treatments, Todd never envisioned this scenario occurring.
The hospital, Liz says, felt like a “ghost town,” but staff went above and beyond to make the experience easier for her. “I will forever be grateful to these angels,” she says.
LOOKING AHEAD
Liz was officially deemed “cancer free” in July 2020. It was “exciting in that moment,” says Liz, but she felt “the hardest battle—the emotional and mental battle—against the unknown and the fear of cancer returning was just beginning of my journey. The downs, she says, “are the hard part for me.” As someone who describes herself as “a naturally positive person,” she feels pressure to present a positive face, even on bad days.
At the same time, she knows that’s unrealistic. “There are times it’s hard to just look in the mirror. That’s when I see the cancer,” she says. “I allow myself to cry and acknowledge the need to accept the real and the raw.” This connection to reality “is how we connect with clients, too,” Liz says. “For a client to begin to become truly healthy, we need to know where you really are. We hear a lot of, ‘Oh, gosh, I don’t want you to see how I eat.’ We don’t want you to be perfect. WE are no where near perfect. It’s not about perfect, it’s about the process. It’s about giving people love, helping them heal.”
THERE’S THIS GOOD-VIBES-ONLY, FORCED-POSITIVITY ATTITUDE CANCER SURVIVORS CAN FACE. LIZ SAYS SHE FEELS THE PRESSURE OF REGULATING THE MOOD OF THE HOUSEHOLD:
“THE KIDS THRIVE OFF OF ME. WHEN I’M HAPPY, THEY’RE HAPPY.”
For the next year, Liz deep dove into the cancer world- educating herself on everything and anything breast cancer related- root causes, alternative treatments, different healing modalities and the most cutting edge practitioners, doctors and healers. She worked her hardest to heal her mind, body and soul and explored and mastered many healing techniques. “I had forgotten how to care for myself. I had completely ignored my well-being since having babies. Cancer was a not so gentle message to return to that.”
THE AWAKENING
Fast forward less than a year and Liz’s stage 4 metastatic breast cancer returned with a vengence and worse than ever. Liz’s (and most cancer survivors’) worst nightmare had come true. “The shock and shame of cancer returning before I was even healed physically, mentally or emotionally from the first round was perhaps more life shaking than the original diagnosis.”
Liz often refers to the power of the unexpected village she discovered during her cancer journey. When she learned of her original diagnosis and then of her recurrence, “an entire tribe of women came to my aid,” Liz says. Friends, family, acquaintances, and even women Liz had never met but who felt called to help her on her journey. Both she and Todd were uplifted and supported during the most difficult time in their life by these women (and men!) “I did not know this kind of love and support existed before this experience. Many women do not. And I want to change that”, Liz says.
This is where the idea for Restore was born. Liz, with the help of Todd, who has been on his own cancer journey not only walking by Liz’s side but also walking a very difficult path of his own- that of a supporter of someone with cancer, have spent the last two years not only fighting their second battle with cancer but also building Restore to the non-profit 501c3 it is today. Liz often says she feels Todd’s journey may be the harder one, “to witness what I’ve been through and not be able to “fix” it but still steadfastly support it is not for the faint of heart,” she says. But with all of the heaviness that comes with a cancer diagnosis, there are some very beautiful moments that you can appreciate, especially as a couple. “You have to lean in and hunt out those silver lining moments, really allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that come hand-in-hand with this journey,” says Todd. He now devotes his time and expertise to clients of Restore to help them walk through their own cancer jouernies and “see those silver linings and heal even in the shadows of cancer.”
Together, Liz and Todd continue to lean into their journey and into Restore: knowing they need to share their experience and the knowledge they have gained along the way with others. Liz believes that she was meant to get back in the cancer fighting ring and…
“to go through this second portion of my battle so I can gain access, insight and knowledge for other women battling aggressive “incurable” forms of cancer”, she says. I was told I probably wouldn’t make it to 5 years from my original diagnosis. This year (2024) I celebrate passing that 5 year mark. My current mantra is “I am here, I am healthy, I will live past 80.”
AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE
As Liz reflected on her life's aspirations, she envisioned a future where she could dedicate herself to what she does best: listening, supporting, and healing alongside others; while Todd, applying his years of experience in health and wellness, worked to “create a safe and supportive space for the loved ones and supporting partners going through their own cancer journey.” The Bauers strive to “pay it forward” offering home-cooked meals, childcare during chemotherapy sessions, home cleanings for cancer patients, wellness coaching through cancer, clean living and wellness gift baskets and of course insight and funding for holistic healing practices that often elude those without financial means.
Access to quality healthcare and treatment options remains heavily influenced by social and financial status, leaving holistic care as an unattainable privilege for many cancer fighters. While Todd never purposely sought out to question Liz’s treatment, “it was blaringly obvious that the whole person and story was not being accounted for in traditional treatment”, he says. Determined to challenge this disparity, the Bauers had a clear mission when they set out to create RESTORE by Elizabeth Bauer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
What started as a small passion project quickly became a life dedication committed to providing steadfast support to female cancer fighters and their loved ones, through shared wisdom and a community built on compassion, resilience, and unwavering hope. At the very core, “we believe that every woman, along with her loved ones, deserves the support of a nurturing community, especially during life's most challenging moments,” says Liz.
At RESTORE, Liz and Todd, alongside their carefully chosen team of experts, stand as the proverbial village to those navigating their cancer journey. Focusing on empowering women and their families through tailored holistic care, personalized packages, nutritional guidance, counseling, and other holistic and immersive therapies, RESTORE approaches healing that addresses the multifaceted needs of cancer fighters and their support networks.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone that has supported our journey and our mission and who continues to do so. We are ever-so grateful.
The Bauers
(Article and interview excerpts from Baltimore Style Magazine, written by Erica Rimlinger, Yana Frigelis and Liz Bauer )