Since I'm not going to have radiation or chemotherapy, then what exactly am I doing to treat the breast cancer? Critics may think that since I'm not choosing standard treatment, then I am, therefore, doing nothing. Not so. I am definitely doing something! In short, I am doing whatever I can, within reason, to keep my body strong and healthy so that it can function as it is designed: to fight and kill any cancerous cells that may remain in my body.
When I first met with the oncologist, he showed me a report with ten year survival statistics based on women with my same diagnosis, and it contained four different scenarios. The first scenario was for women who chose to do nothing--no radiation, no chemo, no hormone therapy. Each subsequent scenario added a treatment choice, and, of course, the survival rate increased with each scenario, leaving the highest survival rate for the scenario in which the women received all three treatments. What I found interesting was the first statistic--the one in which the women did nothing. That statistic showed that women who pursued none of the standard treatment options still had a 50% chance of surviving ten years. I think it's pretty significant that I have a 50/50 chance of living ten more years without pursuing any treatment. And considering the fact that I am pursuing treatment--just not the standard treatments--I think my outlook is even better.
As soon as I knew the diagnosis, I immediately changed my diet to an anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting diet. I had known about the anti-inflammatory diet for years thanks to my knowledgeable chiropractor, who is also a nutritionist, and I had followed it "loosely" in the past, but the time had come to get very serious about it. I eliminated "junk food" from my diet, all refined/processed foods, all store-bought dairy and meat, and ate exclusively raw, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and Atlantic salmon. As for the "cancer-fighting" part of the diet, I simply started researching: I would search the internet with phrases like "cancer fighting foods," "cancer killing foods," "estrogen lowering foods," etc. It wasn't hard to find tons of information, and it is amazing how many foods and herbs have specific cancer fighting or cancer killing nutrients in them!
One of the most noticeable and unexpected results of my dietary changes was that I lost 30 pounds over the span of three to four months. I did not count calories or keep track of how much I was eating, and I didn't exercise any more than I had been. It was simply due to eating foods that are full of nutrients instead of foods that are full of calories. Many people have asked me to tell them what "diet" I'm on. I do not have a specific diet or protocol that I follow, so I can't just give out "copies of my diet." I will devote a future post/posts to details of what I'm eating and not eating because that subject entails lots and lots of information--and I continue to learn new things and incorporate new nutrients into my diet.
Foods that are living and fresh are absolutely necessary in the human diet, yet the Standard American Diet is full of refined grains and sugars, chemical-laden foods, GMO contaminated foods, processed foods in which any good nutrients have been destroyed, and unhealthy eggs, meat, and dairy from unhealthy animals that are fed an inflammatory diet and given hormones and antibiotics that all make their way into our bodies when we consume them. It is very true that "you are what you eat."
Good nutrition is the fundamental building block of a healthy, correctly functioning body, and there are almost never any negative side effects from eating a nutritious diet. It amazes me how many people will take drugs, all of which have negative side effects, to treat symptoms of health issues which could be completely cured or significantly reduced simply by proper nutrition. But don't expect to find the truth about nutrition from the medical field or government agencies.
My views on nutrition and cancer treatment are also based largely on my worldview and my faith. I believe wholeheartedly that God created (yes, GOD CREATED--not "evolved by chance over millions of years") our bodies in an unfathomably complicated, intricate, wonderful design--and He didn't make any mistakes! He created our bodies with an incredibly complex immune system including "fighter cells" and "killer cells" that attack and destroy harmful viruses, bacteria, and rogue cells like cancers. Our bodies can and do fight and destroy cancer cells! It is critical to realize this. The majority of all people currently have or have had cancerous cells in their bodies. But they don't have cancer now because their bodies did what God designed them to do and took care of those cancer cells before they could multiply enough to be harmful. He also created an amazing variety of living foods that provide all the nutrients necessary for our bodies to function optimally. He did NOT create our bodies to need man-made drugs in order to survive and thrive--what a cruel trick that would have been! Yet today, so many people think modern medicine is the answer for everything. I believe Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." I think ancient peoples understood better than modern medicine does about the effectiveness and benefits of natural medicines found in God's creation. There are plants, herbs, nutrients, and foods that can help or treat just about any condition or illness--but drug companies can't patent and make money off natural substances. Fortunately, I think there is a growing awareness of this, and a movement to go back to real, healthy foods and natural remedies. Many people are recognizing that modern medicine's approach is not necessarily the healthiest or best, but I think there will still always be a segment of the population more willing to suffer the consequences of prescription meds or other invasive procedures rather than change to a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Other things I am doing include receiving regular chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to keep my body functioning properly, reasonably limiting my exposure to some environmental toxins, focusing on getting adequate exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and sleep every day, and trying to eliminate or deal with stress in a healthy way as much as I can. I also did some detoxing for several months. There is not one "magic bullet"--it takes a comprehensive approach to achieve true health.
I indicated that I am doing whatever I can, within reason, to fight this cancer. There are many alternative cancer treatments out there, but they can be very expensive, especially since they usually aren't covered by insurance. I have no intentions of bankrupting my family to pursue every option available. I don't see any honor or benefit in that.
As a young child, I trusted in Christ as my Savior, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when my shell of a body expires on this earth, I will have the eternal joy of being in heaven with Him. So I am not tied to this earth, and I don't feel the need to preserve my life here at all costs. It would be heartbreaking to leave my Love a widower and my children without a mother--and this is the one thing that causes me to get very emotional when I consider it, but I don't fear death, because I know it's not the end. I also believe in the complete sovereignty of God and the fact that He already knows when I'm going to die and how. It may be from breast cancer; it may not. It may be within five years, or ten years, or I may live to a ripe old age. God's omniscience--His all-knowingness--gives me comfort and freedom. Comfort that I don't have to worry and stress about what's going to happen to me or my family because He already knows, and His ways are perfect. Freedom in not having to fret and constantly second-guess my decisions regarding treatment because God's is not limited by my treatment choices--no pressure! If it is His will that I die from breast cancer earlier rather than later, then that is what will happen no matter what treatment I have. If it's His will that I live another 40 or 50 years, then I can trust Him to bring it to pass. My goal is to live a life pleasing to Him and to be a faithful steward of the body and life He has given me.
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