Walking With Expectation

So many of you have been asking for an update . . . I’ve been avoiding it because I haven’t been quite sure what to share. Honestly, I thought that by this time I would be posting in large bold letters that I am “Cancer-free.” But as of my last blood results, there is still evidence of cancerous activity.

Reports such as that are discouraging to say the least. With all that I’ve been doing I’ve found myself asking, “Am I really on the right path?” Certainly I know nutrition is a gift God has given us and He has designed our bodies to heal themselves. But the whole health INDUSTRY can sometimes get very frustrating. It seems like everybody and their brother is out to make a buck and a BIG buck at that. Supplements, consultations, bloodwork and the like are all very expensive. Obviously, this isn’t even a path everyone can walk. It takes a lot of money!

In the midst of all of these somewhat discouraging thoughts, I woke up on August 1st of this year and heard God speak very clearly to me that I was to fast. So I began a fast—a juice fast. I felt like He was calling me to a 40 day fast, but it actually took me a few days to say that outloud because I really in my heart of hearts thought there was no way I could ever fast for 40 days. But as it turns out, it was so supernatural. God’s grace was so sovereignly upon me and I had the most amazing time. I read several books on fasting during my fast and the one that stood out the most was, “Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God” by Jentezen Franklin. Wow! This book has forever changed my life. I’ve been a Christian for over 40 years and though I was familiar with fasting and had done it some, I had no idea what a tremendous gift it is to us a Christians. Fasting brings breakthrough, healing, deliverance, and miracles. I want to encourage you to go to Amazon right now and buy this book. I’m telling you, it will change your life. You’ll never be the same.

I am scheduled to see my oncologist next week. Because I’ve had intense pain in my neck (somewhat of a chronic problem from a fender-bender many years ago), one physical therapist I saw thought it was possible that the cancer has metasized to my spine which might be causing the pain.

I don’t really think this is what is going on . . . but I do feel the need to get an update from my oncologist. I’m continuing to follow the plan of my nutritionist. After the fast I sent my bloodwork in and my numbers were quite high. I didn’t realize when I started that fasting is the healthiest thing we can do for our bodies. I didn’t take any supplements during this time, yet my numbers all climbed significantly. It seems like most of the health people say that juice fasting is the healthiest form of fasting, but there are others who contend water fasting is best. Some even say dry fasting (no food or water) is the quickest way to get rid of toxins and cleanse our bodies. I don’t know, but I do know I’m learning so much as I explore this gift God has given us.

Ultimately, God is the one I’m looking to for healing. I know He has designed our bodies to heal themselves when we treat them properly . . . and many times He simply steps in with the miraculous. I walk with a constant sense of expectation . . . like Oral Roberts used to always say, I'm expecting a miracle! Just as I look to Him for every need I have, I’m trusting Him with my health as well.

Thank you all for your continued love, encouragement and prayers. Truly, I’m so grateful for all of you.

A Grateful Heart

Last week I received the results of my bloodwork from Colorado. My nutritionist says the cancer has been greatly reduced and I am close to the finish line . . . but there is still evidence of cancerous activity—so I continue on. Please pray God would continue to pour out His grace upon me to be faithful to the strict eating plan and protocol of my nutritionist. This journey has now passed the one year mark and probably more than ever before I’m feeling so weary of it all. I’m learning all the more the truth of Jesus’ call, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

In the midst of the tedious routine of juicing, supplements and exercise, I recognize I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I’m reminded of the old hymn we sang often in my church growing up about counting the many blessings in our lives to remind ourselves of God’s goodness. I have found over the years counting my blessings out loud is always a GREAT way to overcome disappointments and discouragement. So if you’ll indulge me, I like to list a few of them here.

One: Physically I feel great. I haven’t felt sick at all throughout this entire journey. Pretty amazing! Thank you, God, for strength, energy and life!

Two: My husband and kids are healthy. As difficult as it is to fight serious illness, I’m quite sure it is not even close to as hard as when your spouse or kids are. Thank you, God, for a healthy family!

Three: I have made some of the most amazing friends through this journey. They will remain close and dear far after cancer is no longer part of my life. Thank you, God, for deep friendships!

Four: I have learned tons about the wondrous ways God has designed our bodies and the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Thank you, God, for truth.

Five: Seriously, I am married to the most amazing man. He is patient, endlessly serves me, loves me unconditionally and never ceases to amaze me. Though I knew this before I was diagnosed with cancer, it is even more true to me today. Thank you, God, for the gift of David!

Six: I have been the beneficiary of so many, many prayers lifted up on my behalf (and the behalf of our family). I have felt this labor of love poured out upon me. Thank you, God, for people who love me!

Seven: In this journey I have experienced the truth of the promise of God’s Word, “Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.”(James 4:8 NAS). Thank you, God, for holding me close to Your heart.

This heart is full. Thank you for all of your encouragement, your outpouring of love and support, and most of all for your prayers.

There's No Place Like Home

Home at last! It is so great to be home and reunited with the kids. The picture is them on the beach in Gulfport, Mississippi where we recently attended the wedding of our dear friend, Lulu. Our trip to Rome and Milan was blessed in so many different ways. Though I can’t take time to write about them all, I’d like to highlight a couple of memorable moments.

When after two days our luggage still hadn’t arrived, we knew we had to break down and buy a few necessities. Rome is VERY expensive and the strength weakness of the dollar doesn’t help much. Believe it or not a simple pair of underwear, though quite pretty, cannot be found for less than $15. I couldn’t find a pair of pajamas for less than $55. I’m not kidding! The frugal side of me was having a VERY hard time giving in to such prices even though the need was rather great. (The hospitals there don’t give you a gown upon admittance like they do here.)

After walking into three different shops only to head back out empty handed, I walked back out on the sidewalk in frustration and final realized I hadn’t called on the One who never sleeps or slumbers. In those moments I quietly prayed aloud, “Jesus, you know our needs and You promised to supply them all.” Not thirty seconds later we happened upon a little shop owned by Asians. Through sign language she brought me a large garbage bag of what appeared to be underwear from a market in Hong Kong—with a price tag of 1 euro each! (About $1.40 or so). She then directed me to a basement rack of pajamas on clearance for 4 euros. God so totally provided for us! With such provision we were then able to continue washing our clothes each night in the bathroom sink with a bar of soap. Though I don’t intend to take up backpacking anytime soon, I found it somewhat refreshing to rough it a little bit. Our luggage finally did arrive on day 3.

Another memorable moment was on the plane from Rome to Newark. Though I was bandaged up around the surgery site (with the drain still in), I realized I was bleeding rather heavily around the drain. Just before landing David asked one of the flight attendants if there was a clinic in the airport where I could be checked and re-bandaged. At that moment Continental Airlines (we actually usually fly American) went from being just ‘a regular ol’ airline’ status to ‘the best airline ever’! (I’m even going to write a thank you letter to their head chief!) First a couple of ladies came and talked with me and generally accessed the situation. They then paged the passengers and asked if there was a doctor onboard—of course there was with such a large flight. The one who then attended me was an actual radiologist of oncology. What’s the chances? He was very familiar with patients such as myself.

He felt certain it was simply the high altitude. I felt no dizziness and my pulse was strong. Another flight attendant trained in first aid took me into one of the larger bathrooms and redid my bandages.

As we were leaving the plane many people around us (kind of became a momentary celeb with all the fuss) asked David if there was anything they could do to help us. Many (I’m not exaggerating and remember this was not East Texas) said they would be praying for us. The pilot even asked the Lord to bless us. My goodness, I kid you not, it felt like we were leaving a church service rather than a plane on the east coast! Such kindness from complete strangers can be overwhelming refreshing. It’s a moment I will remember for a very long time.

Though we didn’t ask for it, Continental provided a wheelchair when we disembarked and a very nice man from India zipped us through to the front of many long lines for customs, baggage, security, etc. making international re-entry feel like a walk in the park.

My body is healing from the surgery and I’m continuing with the sodium bicarbonate infusions which are quite painful. Mostly I’m staying in or near my bed and letting David and Ashley function as my round the clock slaves nurses. : )

Thank again for all of your prayers. There are many times throughout the day when I have moments where I can literally feel love, encouragement, hope and joy flood all over me—I know the source! Thank you.

Abundantly Blessed!

Once again here we are in Rome. Tomorrow I have my last treatment and then we head home on Wednesday. We have so much to be thankful for! Other than localized pain from the surgery and a short duration of pain when I receive the sodium bicarbonate treatments each day, this trip has been free from any serious incidents. Though our luggage arrived a couple of days late, we were able to overcome the frustration of it with laughter and a short shopping spree.

Upon arrival a week ago, we rented a car and headed to Milan. David loved driving on the Autostrade. While for most of the way there is no speed limit, our little Fiat maxed out at 140 kph. The BMWs and Porsches swerving around us made us feel like we were standing still!

The hospital in Milan was really great and the surgery (lumpectomy)went very well. The doctor said my lymph nodes were clear--thank you Jesus!

The day after the surgery we headed back to Rome where we have been hanging out ever since. Though this time around we are skipping the tourist track so I can rest and recuperate, we did spend an afternoon going to visit the last prison Saint Paul was held in just before being beheaded. It was a stark reminder of what so many Christians around the world have endured for the sake of the gospel.

Dr. Simoncini is a really wonderful doctor. Though I realize he has received much criticism in the comment section of this blog, I believe he has a heart of gold and has helped countless people become cancer free . . . without the side effects of chemo and radiation. Upon returning home I will continue the sodium bicarbonate infusions for a few weeks and then be retested to see if they had the desired effect--a clean bill of health.

Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support for us. We recognize God has walked with us every step on this journey and words can't adequately express our gratitude for all of you.

The Return

Recently when Dr. Simoncini was in town for the Wellness Expo, David and I were able to meet with him and re-evaluate where I’m at. After an examination, he said that while 90% of tumors totally collapse and dissipate after receiving the sodium bicarbonate injections, 10% respond by becoming really hard and encapsulated—a protection mechanism of the body to keep the cancer from spreading. I’m in the 10% category.

His recommendation was to have a lumpectomy (surgical removal of the tumor) with sodium bicarbonate infusions directly into the surgery site. This is the same principle of “cleansing” the area with chemotherapy . . . the difference of course being that sodium bicarbonate doesn’t harm the body in any way.

For myself I would be quite content to continue fighting the tumor with nutrition instead of surgery . . . but my dear husband is not. Since every single doctor we have seen (both conventional and naturalpath) and my nutritionist are all now saying surgery—surgery it is.

Since there is no one in the United States currently doing this approach, we once again have tickets to fly to Rome. We are scheduled to leave Sunday, May 3rd and will be there approximately 10 days.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, encouragement and support. We know God is taking care of us every step of the way.

The Big Race

The 10k on Saturday was really great. Though the temperature was only 36 degrees, the sun came out off on and on and made for a really beautiful race. I ran it in 1 hour and 18 minutes—a true accomplishment in my book since I wasn’t even sure I could run an entire 10K!

Though I don’t think I could have ran much faster, I do believe I could have ran a little longer . . . which inspires me to think about entering races in the future.

David finished the race in 43 minutes and then circled back around to finish the last mile with me. He grabbed my ipod and switched my selection of Alan Jackson Hymns to Toby Mac—which he claims increased my speed dramatically. Apparently there have been studies done connecting the music you choose on your ipod to your ability to run faster. Could be they are on to something.

All in all it was a great day and a great race. Thank you for all of your prayers. I truly felt them give me strength and endurance.

Small Glitch In The Math

Possibly it’s because I didn’t pay attention much in school . . . somehow I thought 10 kilometers equaled 3.1 miles. Wrong! It is actually 6.2. Nonetheless I am signed up for the Tyler Azalea 10K on Saturday.

Though I would rather my FIRST RACE EVER to be a bit shorter, I am quite content with my goal being only to finish—even if I have to walk!

My husband runs it every year and sometimes even wins a medal for his age group. (He has been an avid runner since childhood and is currently preparing for his first marathon—26 miles!)

Nearly 400 Teen Mania interns will be running as well—honestly it is quite a spectacle to see them warming up and slightly taking over this annual race set in the beautiful Azalea District of Tyler.

So, if you’re praying for me—please remember me on Saturday. I’ll be huffing and puffing my way to the finish line.

Celebrating!

Last week I received my most recent bloodwork from Colorado . . . my numbers are the highest they’ve ever been! (My immune system started at a 1 and now it is at 126!) My nutritionist says I have turned a corner and my body is NOW ATTACKING THE CANCER! This is wonderful news and we are rejoicing!

Because I want to be as aggressive as possible in this battle against cancer, I’m seeing a new doctor. His name is Dr. John Gonino and his office in Rockwall is so amazing. He takes a holistic approach to helping people get well. One of the first things you do after becoming a patient is attend a class on nutrition—not nutrition like I had always been taught before being diagnosed with cancer . . . but rather the whys of all the things I am currently doing: No sugar, no white flour, vegan, fresh and raw, only olive and coconut oil and for sweeteners only stevia and agava. I feel like this addition to all that I’m currently doing is such an answer to prayer. It is really helpful to understand the “whys” behind all that my nutritionist is asking me to do.

Although the drives to Rockwall (several times a week) are quite time consuming and somewhat taxing, I am receiving sodium bicarbonate I-Vs there as a continuation of Dr. Simoncini’s protocol. He had told me in Rome if the eight treatments I received from him didn’t cause the tumor to completely collapse, I should try and find someone who would be willing to do the sodium bicarbonate I-Vs. So I continue on.

Again, thank you to all who pray for our family. We are so continually blessed by all of your notes of encouragement, support, and most of all your prayers!

Prayer is such an amazing gift. I have felt the prayers of so many and I can’t tell you how much it means. I know God is my healer and I am believing His Word to be true: I am healed!

Tomorrow our church has called for a church-wide day of prayer and fasting for myself and others in our body who have been diagnosed with serious illnesses. All other meetings have been canceled so we can come together as a full body at 7:00pm for a time of intercession. Please feel free to join us where ever you are. Distance isn’t an obstacle for God.

"You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father." —John 14:13

Thursday I had the ultrasound Dr. Simoncini recommended and yesterday I met with my oncologist. Apparently there has been no change in the tumor whatsoever. It did not shrink like we had hoped, and yet it did not grow as tumors are so famous for doing. So now we are again at a crossroads. The options I’m considering are: Surgery, continued treatment with sodium bicarbonate through a natural path doctor in Rockwell (45 minutes from here), or to simply stay the course I am on of nutrition. Please pray with us for wisdom in this decision as we really want to have God’s leading.

Though this news was somewhat disappointing, we are very thankful the tumor is not progressing. In looking at the bigger picture, I have so much to be thankful for. Physically I feel great. So many with cancer endure a great deal of pain and sickness. I have neither. I have both energy and strength. As far as the restrictive eating plan I’m on, I truly feel the grace of the Lord in this. I know so many people are praying for me . . . and I believe that is why I’m able to do it. I know I’m getting healthier every single day.

I realize some find it hard to understand why I’m not just following the current traditional medical treatment of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. To put it in a very small nutshell, these approaches cannot deal with cancer without destroying our immune systems. Many times people with cancer do not die from the cancer . . . but rather from the treatment. In addition, the medical world only views the tumor as being the problem. In actuality, it is a bigger problem that caused the tumor. Simply cutting out the tumor does not make the problem to go away. So often we hear of people who were treated for cancer and then were labeled “cancer free.” But then two years later are told the cancer came back. People in the health world would say the cancer never left their body. With all the health stuff I have been doing for eight months, I believe my body has been turned around from unhealthy to healthy. Now I’m doing everything I can to get my immune system working at it’s highest possible capacity so that my body can do what God designed it to do: Heal itself.

Do I like this journey I’m on? Certainly not! I so hope none of you ever have to walk it. But are there joys along the way? Absolutely! They are too numerous to count. There are blessings I could have never received any other way.

Thank you again for all of your prayers, love, and support. By God’s grace I continue on.

We just received good news from my nutritionist in Colorado. The last sample of my blood (the first one since our trip to Rome) came back looking great! He has several ways of testing cancer markers and they are significantly down—especially in the area of the tumor! Praise God!!

He is switching up my supplements quite a bit and even giving me more liberty diet-wise—makes for a very happy me!!

So, I continue on. Everyone keeps asking when . . . but I don’t go back to my oncologist until the end of January. At that point we will schedule another ultrasound to see if there has been any change since receiving treatment from Dr. Simoncini. His recommendation was to wait eight weeks and we’re almost to that point.

Another really fun turn of events is that Dr. Simoncini is coming to our little nick of the woods. He is scheduled to be in Dallas on Doug Kaufmann’s show, “Know the Cause” again and my friend, Antoniette, arranged for him to be part of Tyler’s Wellness Expo. This is so exciting and we’ll be glad to see Dr. Simoncini again. He had told us in Rome he wanted to check up on me when he comes to Dallas . . . this will simply make it all the easier. We are so, so blessed!

Thank you again for all of your continued prayers, love, support and encouragement. I can’t tell you how loved and cared for I feel.

It has now been six months since I started this journey and almost everything in my life has changed. My diet and lifestyle are completely different: No meat, no dairy (other than occasional goat cheese and goat yogurt), no sugar, no white flour, limited amounts of fruit and high volumes of vegetables and fresh vegetable juice. In addition to taking exorbitant amounts of supplements, I’ve changed every product I use from shampoo to laundry detergent to avoid chemicals and carcinogens. I work very hard at getting eight hours of sleep each night, have become an avid runner and I read astronomical amounts of information about health and nutrition. I’m not even sure I recognize myself anymore!

This is a picture of us with Dr. Simoncini. I received eight treatments from him while in Rome and need to wait two months to have another ultrasound to find out whether the treatments were successful. I’m scheduled to revisit my oncologist in late January. Until then, I am continuing on with a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Simoncini has been an oncologist for 30 years. He stopped administering chemotherapy and radiation many years ago as he watched the devastating toll it was taking on so many. He began treating cancer as a fungus with sodium bicarbonate nearly 20 years ago. He has had a 90% success rate. I found Dr. Simoncini to be a very wonderful man. He feels he is doing God’s work and tirelessly continues in the face of those who are trying to shut him down.

If you have found this blog because you’re wanting to receive treatment from Dr. Simoncini, my husband and I are putting together a packet of information to help others trying to navigate his direction. Leave me a comment with your email address and I’ll send it to you as well as try to answer any questions you may have.

Please pray for continued grace in this journey. Though I try and follow the advice of my nutritionist, I recently realized I have little understanding of the “whys” of all I’m doing. I’m trying to research each supplement I’m taking as well as the benefits of a vegan diet. Thank you so much for all of your love, support and prayers. Truly we feel very loved and abundantly blessed.

Ah Roma!

As we flew into Rome we were greeted by both the morning sun and a beautiful rainbow over the Mediterranean Sea. I took the breath taking scene as a reminder of God's promises and His faithfulness to us.

Rome is such an amazing place and after one week I'm still pinching myself trying to wrap my brain around the fact we are here. Today we visited the Sistine Chapel with our new Israeli friend, Ronit, who is receiving treatment as well. While walking though the centuries old tapestries depicting the life of Jesus, she asked how people knew Jesus was special when he was but a baby. We explained what was woven in the beautiful, huge pictures . . . the wisemen following the star of a King and the shepherds hearing of his birth from the angels. I found myself becoming quite emotional about a story I've heard all of my life. Somehow it took on new meaning as I thought how it must sound to Ronit who was hearing it for the first time. This place is quite the wonder with it's rich history of Christianity.

We met Dr. Simoncini upon our arrival. How do I even begin to descibe him? He is brilliant, compassionate, kind and diligent. So far I have received seven treatments . . . they are quite painful, but the pain only lasts for 15 minutes. In spite of the pain I am so thankful to be here and feel like it is such a privilege to be receiving treatment from Dr. Simoncini. Thank you so much for all of your prayers.

I will receive my last treatment tomorrow and then we will head home on Sunday. The blessings we have experienced here are too numerous to count. Tonight we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant. A couple seated near us came over and introduced themselves as they recognised we were Americans. After learning why we are here, they asked if they could pray for us. Together we formed a small circle and they joined their prayers with the many being lifted up on our behalf. I honestly can't even put into words how precious such gestures are. We were so bonded with these strangers in those few moments in a way only those who have experienced it can understand. We left the little restaurant feeling so tenderly cared for by the God who never ceases to lavish His great love on us in unexpected ways.

Can Someone Say, "Wow!"

Have you ever had one of those days when it just seems like EVERY SINGLE THING is going right? Please bear with me as this might get a little lengthy.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer back in May, my parents saw an Italian oncologist named Tullio Simoncini on television who has been treating cancer with baking soda. It was so interesting and insightful, they hit record on their vcr (possibly the only family in America that still has one) and even made a tape of it for me.

I started seeing Dr. Simoncini all over the internet and watched him several times on Doug Kaufmann’s show, “Know the Cause.” I talked to Mike (the nutritionist I’m working with in Colorado) about the possibility of seeking treatment from Dr. Simoncini. Mike said it would be incredible . . . but highly unlikely as he has now hit the “World Market” and is undoubtedly being pursued by the masses.

A couple of weeks ago my friend and neighbor, Antoniette, sent me an email saying she had talked with Doug Kaufman (a personal friend of hers) about me. He very kindly said he would be glad to help me any way he could. I sent him an email of the ups and downs in this journey toward health I’m on and, among other things, asked him about Dr. Simoncini. He gave me both an email address and phone number. I told another friend and neighbor of mine, Charlotte—fluent in Italian, about him and she invited me to come over. We called the number in Rome on her skype thinking we would get a receptionist. No—it was Dr. Simoncini himself! I talked with him about the actual medical reports from my oncologist and he graciously agreed to treat me. So, David and I are now planning a trip to Rome!

I know Rome sounds rather exotic . . . but in actuality the treatment I’ll be receiving there is quite inexpensive. (You might recall baking soda costs about 50¢ a box!) In addition, David has accumulated miles with American Airlines for two tickets to Rome! God has always been our provider, and now as we are being flooded with medical bills, costly supplements and expensive organic produce, His provision (through many of you) continues to overwhelm us. His hand has been so evident every step of the way.

In the next week or so we have to take care of a few logistical details like renewing my expired passport (wow, wish I would have thought of that before yesterday), setting up childcare for the kids while we’re gone, and packing for my FIRST trip to Europe! (well, unless you count a missions trip to Albania with Teen Mania including a medical emergency to Greece).

If you would like to watch an interview between Doug Kaufmann and Dr. Simoncini, click here.

Today I’m off to get passport photos and I’m planning on calling Houston to set up an appointment to pay buku bucks for the immediate passport renewal option.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support for us. We feel so overwhelmingly loved and cared for by all of you.

Rejoicing!

Late Friday afternoon my oncologist left a message on our machine—both the CAT scan and bone scan from last week came back negative! This is such good news and we are rejoicing.

My oncologist thought the recent sonogram I had was a possible indication the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, but the results of these two scans mean the cancer has not spread. God is so good!

We will be meeting later this week with my oncologist to go over the tests and we are considering other options on dealing with the actual tumor. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers.

Finally . . . An Update! : )

Okay, okay, okay . . . you all are flooding my email inbox, my message box on facebook, and my answering machine. Thank you, I do feel so loved by all of you. The picture is all of us out at David’s parent’s house on the lake today—such a peaceful, wonderful time.

My oncologist appointment on Thursday was very frustrating. We had to wait three hours before seeing the doctor and then she said according to the sonogram the tumor has grown a little bit. As far as the cancer marker numbers, I guess I was confused. There is nothing there to compare to because my cancer marker numbers registered normal when they first took my blood. So all we really have to go by is the sonogram which shows the tumor to be slightly larger.

I am scheduled for another CAT scan tomorrow afternoon and a bone scan on Wednesday morning. This information will be helpful as we continue to make decisions about treatment.

I was very discouraged after the appointment as it felt like everything I’ve been doing these past 4 1/2 months have been futile. I was trying so hard to just not think about cancer for awhile as it has dominated all of my thoughts and actions for so long. My attempts were only in vain though; my thoughts tormented me all night and I got very little sleep. Friday morning I awoke wondering how I was going to put one foot in front of the other and begin my rigorous routine of juicing, supplements, exercise, etc. It is quite easy to be motivated if I KNOW what I’m doing is working . . . but almost impossible without it. Standing in my quiet kitchen after the three older kids left for school and David for work, I could literally begin to feel the many prayers being lifted up on my behalf. I KNEW the right thing to do was to keep going with all the health stuff I’m doing and walk in confidence that God is guiding me every step of the way.

I realized in those moments I simply could not stay discouraged no matter how hard I tried. I felt the close presence of the Lord and it was like He was showering me with flowers, sunshine—all things beautiful . . . and reminding me at every moment of His goodness and faithfulness to me. I knew there were powerful prayers being lifted up on my behalf.

Throughout the night on Thursday I had been asking the Lord to give me insight into why the tumor was larger and why I had NORMAL blood cancer markers at my very first doctor visit (Thursday was the first I learned this). Friday morning a friend gave me the email information of a man you may have heard of named Doug Kaufmann—he has a TV health program called “Know the Cause.” He has written several books on cancer and has studied it for years. I kind of poured out my heart to him in an email I sent and he responded Friday afternoon with a reply that totally confirms what I felt like the Lord was saying to me. My cancer marker numbers were normal at my first visit because of the powerful juices I had been drinking 3-4 weeks prior. As for growth of the tumor, there is what is called the “herxheimer effect” where the medical condition often worsens and causes a tumor to become larger when killing microbes inside the body. He went into more depth, but that is basically the gist of it. In addition to these truths, I didn't have any blood work done until all of you had been praying for me for nearly 4 weeks. With all that prayer, how could my cancer marker numbers be anything other than normal?

I know Thursday’s report from the doctor was a “bad” report . . . but I’m choosing to believe God’s good report (in His Word) of complete healing. On Friday night our church had a prayer meeting from 7:00 until well after 11:00. In addition to praying for the election and so many issues our country is facing, they all gathered around me and symbolically covered me with a blanket and then covered me in prayer. Some of our elders anointed me with oil again according to James 5. It was a truly amazing time and I can't even put into words the love being showered on me from so many.

Thank you so much for all of your continued prayers for me and our family. Honestly we feel like we’re in a season where God is pouring out blessings so great they can not be contained. We are leaning into Him like never before and proving His word to be true.

“Trust in Me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you.” Psalms 50:15

Life Is A Gift

Though I keep meaning to purchase one of those little gadgets diabetics use to test their blood, somehow it slips my mind every time I’m in or near a drugstore . . . which is why this morning I had to once again cut up one of my triple blade daisy razors in order to prick my finger for the bloodwork I send to Colorado. Though it nearly sent my dear husband into a fit of anguish just to think about what I was doing, really it’s not so tough. Believe me when I say there are A LOT of far more difficult things I’m doing these days . . . like for instance the downing of my many supplements. The lengthy list was recently lengthened all the more to include seven more items. It is both time consuming and labor intensive to keep up with the rigorous daily routine I am following, but I am trying very hard to be diligent and stay the course.

On Thursday of this week I’ll be going back to my oncologist to review the recent sonogram I had done as well as compare my cancer marker numbers to what they were three months ago. This visit will play a huge role for us in deciding whether we continue on with exactly what I’m doing now, or whether we need to add something more aggressive. Please pray for God’s wisdom in all of this.

The picture is a rosebush I planted many, many months ago while we were still in the building phase. Because we were so long delayed in being able to move in, it went without water far too long and appeared to be completely dead . . . until Hurricane Ike came through. Now it is so beautiful and daily reminds me of how God loves to give us health in place of sickness, joy in place of sorrow, and hope in place of despair.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers—truly they are a gift.

Through The Eyes Of A Child

This is a picture Cole (age 5) drew last night. You always wonder what's going on in a kid's head while their mother is dealing with a terminal illness. This is how Cole described to David what the picture meant.

He and I are at the bottom and Cole is giving me a kiss. The "B" at the top means I'm getting Better . . . the rainbow means I'm getting better as well.

In the middle of the picture he and I are dancing because I no longer have cancer. You might make note of the disco ball above us. Can someone please tell me how my 5 year old even knows what a disco ball is?! And then lastly all the flowers are added "just because he can make them."

Of course this picture reduced me to tears. I love my little artist.

The “C” Word

Cancer. Funny how that one little word changes everything. A day doesn’t go by without this “C “ word dominating every decision I make. I wish cancer prevention was something I had invested my energy toward . . . alas, I never even once gave it a thought. Now it consumes every waking minute—for David too. He is such a huge support and encouragement to me. Though not as radically as myself, he too is eating healthy. The picture is a recent one of he and I in front of the new house we moved into in July.

I never thought I’d be the preachy type when it comes to health and nutrition . . . but I’ve been learning so much I find it hard to restrain myself. The biggest nugget I want to pass on to you, my friends, is something I wish I had incorporated into my life a long time ago. I’m putting it in bold letters so you don’t miss it. There are people who eat really, really healthy but never exercise. There are also people who eat garbage but exercise all the time. Which one is healthier? My answer would have been the one who ate the healthy diet. As it turns out, according to all these health experts I’ve been leaning into, it is the one who exercises that is most likely healthier. We need to exercise to release toxins from our bodies. Of course the combination of exercise with a healthy diet is best. I just found that really interesting because I think it is way easier to exercise than to eat right. Maybe that’s just me.

So many of you have been asking what I’m eating and what supplements I’m taking. Feel free to click onto your next must-read if this doesn’t interest you, but for those that really want to know:

Diet:
• I try to drink 4 cups of the carrot/spinach juice daily (probably the most important.)
• I eat mostly vegetables. I can also a little bit of fruit, but it must be limited because cancer feeds on sugar.
• I eat whole grains (mostly spouted) but 80% of my diet is to be fresh and raw. (Organic if I can get it.)
• I’m learning how to hang out at health food stores, read labels and find things that fit into a vegan diet. (I’ve actually been quite amazed at what people can do with these kinds of limitations.)
• I drink only water (other than fresh vegetable juice) and try to drink 8 glasses a day. I drink alkaline water whenever possible.

Supplements:
• Cod liver oil. I’m not kidding. Somebody catches little fishes from the ocean, cuts open their livers, puts the oil in a jar and I drink it! I still can’t believe I’m doing this one. It is rather difficult, but every four days or so I juice a grapefruit or pineapple, mix it with the 2 tablespoons of the oil and gulp it down. Not only does it work to break down the walls of the tumor, health experts say it is excellent for my heart. (Healthfood store.)

• Zrii. This is a red liquid in a beautiful red bottle and comes from some exotic faraway island. It’s price is nearly a mortgage payment, but evidently it’s powers are quite remarkable. It helps my cells communicate properly (or something like that). It tastes just like cherry kool-aid. So either it is a great product worth it’s weight in gold, or someone is making a killing on cherry kool-aid. After taking it for all these weeks, I do think there might be something to it. Their website is www.zrii.com.

• Vita-synergy. This is a multivitamin. I take 5 a day. (synergy-co.com)

• Pure Synergy. This is a powder from the same company and it tastes absolutely atrocious. I recently switched to the capsule form as it is very difficult to get down and keep down.

• Barley Life. This is a bright green powder made from the leaves of barley grass and again is quite powerful. When I first started taking it I had to pray every time I took it not to throw it back up. If you’ve ever had the experience of being in a barn while lots of cows are eating their dinner, it is the exact same smell you intake when you open up this little green jar. (For those who don’t know, I’m was born and bred in Indiana). I have grown somewhat accustom to the taste and now can take it without fear of it coming back up, but I don’t think it will ever be something I actually like. Please let me know if you take a form of this and actually like it. (hacres.com)

• Fiber powder. (hacres.com)

• Sea Minerals. This is the saltiest stuff. Though I only have to take a teaspoon a day, it too is not easy to get down. (seamineral.com)

• Chia seeds. Remember those little things called Chia pets? After asking Jonathan what he wanted for his fifth birthday, his Uncle Jon bought him the Chia pet he asked for. Jonathan loved that gift and I fondly remember that little elephant sprouting grass on my window sill every time I open my jar of Chia seeds. I take two tablespoons of this a day. They are exactly the same seeds! They can be purchased at any health food store.

• I take 2 capsules of metal X a day. This is to help remove a buildup of metals from my body. (Krogerherb.com)

• Phyto Aloe. This is a powder form of vegetables. (mannatech.com)

• I take 1 pro-biotic capsule a day. (Healthfood store)

• Enzymes. I take 1 or 2 of these everytime I eat. I think they are suppose to aid in digestion. (hacres.com)

• I wear those foot patches on my feet at night to again help pull metals from my body that don’t need to be there. (detoxion.com)

Challenge for the day: If you don’t currently exercise, PLEASE do. I exercise 30 minutes every morning (usually running), but that’s because I have cancer. Most recommend exercising 30 minutes for at least 4 days a week. Exercising is the healthiest thing you can do for yourself!

The Journey Continues

So many have been asking how I’m doing. I find it hard to answer that question lately. I feel great physically. Emotionally I’m so tired of eating this way. I’m hungry almost all the time. I think I would be okay with all the limitations in my diet if I were 100% sure it was working. I don’t know how to measure this. I am waiting for results back from my blood sample I sent to Colorado nine days ago. I don’t go back to my oncologist until October. She will read cancer markers in my blood to tell whether I’ve gotten better, worse, or stayed the same. They will also be doing another sonogram to determine whether there has been any change in the actual tumor. So I continue on . . .

I actually wrote all of that a couple of days ago. Last night I got my blood results back and am ecstatic. All of my numbers continued to climb and all of organ functions and body systems are operating at very high levels of superior health. Funny how just that little bit of information changes everything. It makes it so much easier to continue making and drinking fresh vegetable juice. Though a few days ago I was tempted to “cheat” and eat a meal not on the plan, I now have that needed boost to stick to my vegan diet. I know its God’s grace that has brought me this far and I so appreciate the many prayers you have been lifting up on my behalf.

Though I had been making plans to go to Colorado for further testing with Mike (my nutritionist), my numbers are so high he said I really didn’t need to. My body is responding incredibly well to everything I’m doing: 30 minutes of exercise a day, 8 glasses of filtered water, fresh vegetable juice, lots of supplements, and a vegan diet.

Ashley, Jonathan and Cole started school on Monday. The picture is from Monday when we dropped them off at our new school: Christian Heritage. Nicholas was so sad he didn't get to join his siblings. Now it is just he and I holding down the fort.

Thank you again for all of your prayers. I am greatly encouraged to continue on!

Our Recent Good News!

For those I didn’t have email addresses for, I want to let you know the good news I recently received from the nutritionist I’m working with in Colorado. After one month of following this nutritional plan, he did a second testing of my blood. The first time around all of my numbers were extremely low. He was looking at all of my systems and organ functions. At exactly the one month mark I sent him another sample of my blood because I REALLY needed some encouragement to keep going. I was hoping to see some of my numbers come up a few points and give me that boost I needed to show me I’m on the right track. When I got the results back I was absolutely shocked! ALL of my numbers shot up really high into the highest range which is superior health. In addition to this, my free radicals number the first time was 100 (can be as high as 1000) and this time it was 0 which is where we want it to be.

I was totally blown away by these results. It is amazing to me that our bodies are designed to respond to the basic nutrients found in lowly vegetables like carrots and spinach.

A week ago Friday, we met with my oncologist. She is very supportive of the route I am taking. She said my tumor has shrunk 1 centimeter. (From one month ago). Though this might be due largely to the fact there tends to be swelling right after a biopsy, it has definitely not grown and that is very good. I am scheduled to return in 3 months and until then will continue doing what I am doing . . . lots of fresh carrot/spinach juice, fresh and raw veggies, and whole grains.

Thank you so much for all your prayers for our family. The picture is us at Splash Kingdom last week. We are abundantly blessed by the overwhelming presence of God’s mercy in our lives.

The Journey Begins

After discovering what felt to be a lump I decided to schedule the mammogram my doctor tried to schedule for me four months earlier when I went in for my regular annual checkup. I didn’t even for a moment consider the possibility it might be dangerous. In hindsight I have no idea why.

After the mammogram they took me straight into another testing room for a sonogram. I started to feel somewhat apprehensive because of the way the technicians were behaving. Though they said nothing, I was majorly picking up on their non-verbals. After the exam a doctor came in and talked with me. I think he only meant to tell me I needed to have a biopsy. But because of my incessant questions, he ended up confessing he was 99% sure I had cancer . . . and that it was far larger than the stage they normally like to detect such things. He said there were lots of options available to me and that some people with cancer of this size were able to undergo treatment and live many years.

I left the Ross Breast Center that day trying hard not to cry, but my attempts were futile. I cried all the way through the crowded office, I cried in the elevator while the man riding with me tried not to notice, I cried all the way around the massive building (I went out the wrong door), all the way to the parking garage and the 30 minute drive back to our house. All I could think about were the pictures in my head of people on chemo throwing up all day long, losing their hair and many times even losing their battle with cancer. I thought of my husband and our four kids. I tried to picture them trying to make life work without me. Mostly I thought of our youngest, Nicholas, who would never even remember me.

Together David and I began to explore our options. We met with an oncologist, a surgeon, a geneticist and a radiologist. They gave me an enormous amount of pamphlets detailing current medical approaches for cancer, lots of little pins with pink ribbons, numerous pink bracelets, and a children’s book to help little ones understand why their mom throws up all the time and why she no longer has hair.

Four days after my diagnosis, I shared the information with my Sunday School class and asked them to pray for me. After class a woman named Rebecca came up to me and asked if she could talk with me. In a time span of 45 minutes she shared a massive amount of information with me on the link between cancer and nutrition. She told me of her own battle against cancer that took place twenty years earlier. God spoke to me through her and she is the reason I have chosen to fight this cancer with nutrition instead of doing what my oncologist wants me to do: Chemo drugs, surgery, more chemo and then radiation.

It has now been two months. Sometimes it seems like forever . . . at other times it seems like the time as flown. This journey has not been an easy one and I can’t yet say I can call it a “gift” (many others have done so in their own battle against cancer), but certainly I’ve learned a lot in a short amount of time. For these things I’m learning I am very, very grateful. They are the reason I am not doing the traditional medical approach of surgery, chemo or radiation. I do have cancer and I know it can kill me. But I believe the nutrition path I am on will lead me to victory.

Ultimately I know God is my healer. Sometimes God heals people instantly like the woman who reached up to touch the hem of His garment (Matthew 9). And then there are others like Naaman who was told by the prophet Elisha to go and wash seven times in the Jordan. It wasn’t until after dipping the seventh time that he was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5).

I feel like God has led me to this path and placed my feet upon it. I’m walking down it in obedience to Him and I know my healing is taking place everyday in my body as I go forward. It is a pretty amazing when a person can say, “Every thing I’m putting in my mouth is good for me.” I read this on Facing Your Giant, a blog of someone I’m just getting to know. She was diagnosed with breast cancer last August and after following a path of nutrition is now cancer free.

I KNOW God can heal me in an instant. And if at any point He chooses to instantly heal me . . . that would be quite okay with me. But until then, I will continue to learn everything I can and fight for my health with all that I’m learning.