Lord Willing

Life is full of surprises, as the old saying goes. The last several months have launched my wife and me on a new learning curve.

About a year ago I realized that something might be amiss with my plumbing. My annual physical was coming up so I waited until then to tell my personal physician. He referred me to a urologist who then proceeded to put me through a number of tests, culminating in a biopsy of my prostate gland. That procedure alone has to rank as one of the most unpleasant experiences I have ever been through! It sort of reminded me of going through Marine Corps boot camp: Glad I did it, but I don’t ever want to do it again!

As it turned out when we met with the urologist in early March we did not receive the news we had hoped for. Of the twelve samples taken from the prostate, eight showed to be cancerous. My first reaction was to immediately schedule radical surgery and have this offending part of my body removed forthwith! The date was set for surgery which would give me time to recover before a very busy summer began. But after a few days, Isaura and I decided to do our own research and see what alternatives there might be.

What we discovered is that there are any number of alternatives to radical surgery. We went online, read books, talked to folks, had friends, family and church members offer their numerous experiences and advice, sat in seminars and workshops, and generally attempted to soak up as much on this topic of prostate cancer that we could absorb. We knew after just a few days of research that we should cancel the surgery date until we were satisfied that we had looked at everything, both pros and cons.

So here’s the decision we have made concerning my prostate cancer. We have rejected the three medical approaches: surgery, chemo, and radiation. The first removes portions of your body; the second poisons the body in the hopes of killing the cancer before the chemo kills you; and the third cooks the body part in an attempt to retard the cancer’s growth. But here’s what really got me thinking: None of these approaches actually addresses the cause of the cancer! Now I realize there are cancer cells in everyone’s body, called free radicals. The body has a natural defense against such cells, but only when the body is healthy. This caused Isaura and me to look into a holistic approach. After another visit with my urologist where we told him about our research, he was very encouraging and referred us to a friend of his who is a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.).

After meeting with the D.O., Isaura and I are now eating totally organic foods. My daily intake of foods is three-quarters raw vegetables and fruits. We are also juicing carrots a couple of times each week so that I can drink the juice daily. The enzymes in these fresh organic fruits and veggies are what the body needs to battle the cancer. I’m two months into this food lifestyle change and have lost thirty pounds. My present blood pressure reads 116/66 with a heart rate of 55. I’ve started back into a rigorous workout regimen and feel better than I have in a number of years.

What we have learned from this lifestyle change is that my generation is the first one to be completely exposed to all the chemicals that are used in our food and water. Our tap water has chlorine and fluoride; our fruits and vegetables are doused with pesticides, and then preservatives; and our meats are injected with hormones and steroids. None of these chemicals were intended for human consumption. On top of that, the medical community says that every man, if he lives long enough, will have prostate cancer. I do not believe for a minute that God meant for this to be the case. Something is causing this to happen, along with many other ailments that seem to be endemic today, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc. This is why we have chosen a holistic approach – it goes after the cause of the problem.

The testimonies of those who have chosen a holistic approach say that the cancer dies when starved of the things it likes (processed sugar, for one!). An additional benefit is the arteries clear out the plaque build-up, which is great news for me because of the eight stents in my heart arteries!

A month from now I will be going in for a blood work-up, after which I will be screened by my urologist. Lord willing, I plan to be around a long time!