Teddy Bear Tea

Last year, in December of 2010, I left the house for four consecutive hours.  I felt like shouting from the rooftop as it was the first time I had been out of the house for any significant amount of time in 16 months.  I was on the Gerson Therapy and had to be home to drink vegetable juice and do coffee enemas all day long.  Preparing certain juices in advance or missing a “coffee break” wasn’t an option.  After 16 months of perfect compliance and stable blood work, I decided to grab a few juices and hit the road - the destination was Teddy Bear Tea in the city.  My husband and my father attended as well.  I really didn’t have the energy to manage the girls on my own. 

I don’t know if it was because of my sheltered life or because of the beautiful décor but, for me, the tea room was magical.  I felt like I walked into dreamland for little girls (and for us mommies who like a little glitter).  There were two story windows with a view overlooking the Public Garden, ornate chandeliers, Christmas décor with extra sparkle, and giant, stuffed teddy bears all around the room.  I didn’t think it could be any more perfect until I saw the pianist playing in the corner.  All the little girls were wearing fancy Christmas gowns.  I felt so lucky to be experiencing this festive event with my daughters.  I didn’t feel great physically but, unlike the prior year, I was vertical, and the pain in my bones was beginning to subside.

The highlight of the event was a visit from Mrs. Claus and Hermes, Santa’s elf.  When they entered the room, about 30 feet from where we sat, I heard them announce “We’re looking for Madelyn and Sierra (my daughters).  Does anyone know where they are?”  I didn’t know what was going on.  Why were Mrs. Claus and Hermes singling out my daughters?  Once they found us, Mrs. Claus and Hermes spent a long time speaking with my girls.  They told the girls all about Santa, why he has a big, white beard (to keep him warm) and how he’s able to visit so many childrens’ homes in one night (he has magical powers and is able to make time stop, of course).  I then saw Mrs. Claus and Hermes hand each of my daughters a beautiful, sparkly heart ornament.  As I listened in on the conversation, I turned away so that my oldest wouldn’t see the tears pouring out of my eyes.  I overheard Mrs. Claus tell my five year old daughter, Madelyn, that “She knew the last year had been a tough one at home.  Santa knows that mommy hasn’t been herself and hasn’t been able to take care of Madelyn like she used to.  Santa wants Madelyn to know that she is a very special little girl and has been a fantastic help around the house for mommy.  Santa has been watching and he knows how good she is.”  It had been such a tough year – first the diagnosis, then the crazy juice and enema schedule, and finally, living in the basement for several months to avoid exposure to the viruses my girls brought home from nursery school - but, somehow, Mrs. Claus had just made it all okay. 

It was then that I remembered the conversation that took place when I made the reservation for tea.  I told the receptionist that I was using a nutritional cancer therapy and wouldn’t be eating.  I told her because it was a pricey event and I didn’t want to be charged for a meal that I wouldn’t eat.  Well, it just goes to show that, when you give people the opportunity to be nice, some will jump at the chance.  Some will do more than you ever could have hoped.

My girls have not stopped talking about Teddy Bear Tea for the last twelve months.  This last weekend, we attended Teddy Bear Tea 2011.  I didn’t tell the receptionist I was sick this time, I simply told her that I was on a restricted diet and couldn’t eat the food provided. 

Mrs. Claus recognized me from the previous year.  She gave me a huge, lingering hug and told me that she thinks about me often and that I am amazing.  I was way too choked up to tell her that she is the one who is amazing.  Her kind words and special gift brought so much happiness to my daughters after a very difficult year.  I’m in the process of writing her a letter.  I think she needs to know what a difference she made.

This year, the event was a very different for us.  This year, I was strong enough to attend the event and manage the girls on my own.  This year, I didn’t have to travel with juices.  I just popped a few enzymes and relished every moment. I had a skip in my step and a smile on my face.  My time has come and I am healing.   

Blood Test Results

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

(Excuse me please, my rural roots are slipping out.)

For the third consecutive month, my blood results indicate that my cancer is continuing to regress!!!    

Truth be told, I was a little nervous about my results, not because I doubt the therapy but because I wasn’t as compliant this month as I have been in the past.  I often missed my skin brushes and my daily tablespoon of flax oil.  I had some chocolate (85% cocoa, dark, organic) which is a no-no and when I ate my homemade desserts, I had a little more than I should.  (I’ll share my super easy, super delicious fudge recipe at the end of this post)  I also had beef on three occasions that was mostly but not entirely grass fed.  I knew that any one of these things wouldn’t derail my program, but I was concerned about the cumulative effect.  In addition to my transgressions, I was on the go a lot this last month and I’ve been feeling it.  I know that my body heals best when it’s at rest and that running around trying to keep up with my young daughters as they hit every single activity on our town’s Christmas walk isn’t the wisest decision.  But, I haven’t attended these events with my girls for three years and we had a blast enjoying the festivities together.  I think there’s something to be said for the healing effects of joy.   

So, it’s official.  I’m not perfect.  (ssshhh….don’t tell my husband)    

At any rate, I had another month of terrific results.  IGA, the main number we use to measure my disease, continued to decrease another 400+ points from 6022 to 5579!!!  It feels so good for this number to be in the 5,000s instead of the 7,000s.  In addition, both my hemoglobin and red blood cells increased.  Very, very exciting.  My red blood cells are at 3.6 and it’s been several years since they were that high.   

My white blood cells decreased a teensy bit from 5.0 to 4.8.  Dr. Gonzalez said that it’s normal for WBCs  to move around and it’s all good.  We don’t want that number increasing too much as the last thing I need is leukemia.

I asked Dr. Gonzalez about my recent skin break outs and he explained that as the cancer cells die off, the body attempts to get rid of them through various channels, including the skin. 

So, I’m off to a fantastic start on my new therapy.  My cansir (looks a little less daunting spelled this way, don’t you think?) is dying off and life is very, very good.  It will be a Merry Christmas, indeed. J

White blood cell count: 4.8 (normal 4.0 - 10.5)

Red blood cell count: 3.6 (normal 3.8-5.10)

Hemoglobin count: 9.7 (normal 11.5-15.0)

IGA count: 5579 (normal 70-400)

Fudge Recipe

1 cup softened butter (raw is best)

1 cup raw honey (I cut this in half)

1 cup cocoa powder

1 t vanilla extract

½ t sea salt

Process all ingredients in a food processor.  Spread mixture in pan and refrigerate for several hours.  Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Many of you have asked if it is okay to post my blog on your facebook page or share it with friends and family.  I want to let everyone know that I encourage you to share this site with anyone and everyone.  Please, please, please help spread the word that cancer patients have options.  (In case you’re wondering, it does feel a little weird to have my personal life on the web but I’m getting over it.)

I'd suggest that you not wait until someone is diagnosed with cancer to share this information.  By the time someone is diagnosed, it will probably be too late.  Newly diagnosed cancer patients often make fear-based decisions and will choose the route that feels familiar and comfortable.  I know several people who have been diagnosed with late stage cancer that conventional treatments couldn't cure.  These patients still chose to to do conventional treatment because an alternative treatment just didn't feel right to them.  So, the conventional treatment that offered no hope of a cure felt better than the althernative therapy that offered a 50% chance of success.  I think we're just brainwashed from birth to believe that orthodox medicine is the safe, effective choice.  There's no other way to explain why people continue to choose the route that offers no hope.  It's worth mentioning that Dr. Gonzlez has over a 50% success rate with stage three and four disease.  Odds of success are higher for those who have not had chemotherapy or radiation as the effects of these treatments are often irreversible and debilitating.

To make matters worse for the patient who is evaluating treatment options, many oncologists will tell scared, desperate patients considering non-conventional treatments that the alternative therapies don’t work.  Well meaning family and friends often pressure patients to go the conventional route because alternatives aren't proven.  So, the patient ends up receiving false information from every angle.  I feel fortunate that my oncologist was honest and admitted she knew nothing about what I wanted to pursue.  My family and friends were behind me every step of the way.  I thank God for the love and support I have every day because there is absolutely no way that I could have done this alone. 

I know so many cancer patients who have died because they didn’t know they had options outside of the conventional world or because they chose the wrong alternative therapy, just as I did.  I created this blog because I want to stop cancer patients from dying just because they don't have the right information. 

p.s. You've already done a great job spreading the word.  I had 2,000 hits on the site in the first week.   Yippppeeee!!!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Whew!  I just finished sorting my supplements for the next month.  I take the supplements for twenty-five days and then take a break for five days each month.  Twenty-five on, five off, twenty-five on, five off, etc.  The breaks allow the body to catch up with the toxic load resulting from physiological repair and rebuilding, and allows for faster healing. 

So, once a month, I prepare my supplements for the next few weeks.  The first time I did it, it took me eight hours.  The second time, it took me six hours and now, I’m down to a little over three and a half hours.  Of course, I have to deal with five and six year old daughters who want to “help”, so, that always makes it challenging.

The funny thing is that I was never a fan of taking supplements.  It seemed so unnatural.  I thought that we should be able to get all the necessary nutrients from our food. 

Well, Dr. Gonzalez agrees that taking supplements is unnatural.  After all, the cavemen never took supplements and they didn’t have heart disease, diabetes or cancer.  The difference, of course, is that the cavemen didn’t have to deal with pollution and factory farms.  Their meat wasn’t diseased and their food sources weren’t contaminated.  As each year passes, our food becomes more and more nutritionally deficient.  Even our organic produce has been washed in acid rain.  So, until the pollution clears up, Dr. Gonzalez’ patients will be required to take supplements to optimize their health.  I feel like this program is the opportunity of a life time to achieve optimal health and I am happy to oblige. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

My two month blood draw revealed continued improvements!  My hemoglobin jumped from 8.6 to 9.4,   my white blood cells improved from 3.9 to 5.0 and my red blood cells are at 3.33, the highest they’ve been since I was diagnosed over two years ago.  My IGA continued to improve by dropping from 6500 to 6,000.  When Dr. Gonzalez told me that my white blood cells were at 5.0, I fell to my knees and screamed in his ear “WHAT?!”.  Oh, good God, I was so happy.  My white blood cells are finally in range by a full point which hasn’t been the case for at least three and a half years and my IGA dropped another 500 points!! 

For the last two years, I was on the edge of my seat every month, hoping and praying for an improvement on the Gerson Therapy.  Now, after two months on the Gonzalez Therapy, my cancer is melting away. 

I carry the copy of my latest blood work in my purse and glance at it a few times a day.  I’ll tell you, nothing can get me down.  J

White blood cell count: 5.0 (normal 4.0 - 10.5)

Red blood cell count: 3.33 (normal 3.8-5.10)

Hemoglobin count: 9.3 (normal 11.5-15.0)

IGA count: 6022 (normal 70-400)


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Monday, October 17th, 2011

A few days later, I called Dr. Gonzalez to express my concerns. “I couldn’t really be improving already, could I?  Maybe my Immunoglobulin A was artificially inflated on the The Gerson Therapy since it’s an immunotherapy?”  In other words, maybe the perceived improvement wasn’t real.  He said “You’re overthinking it.  Your white blood cells improved too.  My program is different.  It’s better.  It works.  You’ve had terrific results.  Go be happy.  Go hug your kids.  Actually, I’m writing you a prescription to go be happy.”  I laughed and happily followed his advice.

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

The blood draw a couple days later revealed that my Immunoglobulin A had dropped 600 points from 7100 to 6500.  OMG!  When Dr. Gonzalez shared this news, I began babbling nonsensically.  All I could say was “I’m so happy. I’m so happy.  I can’t believe this.  Thank you.  I’m so happy.”  Dr. Gonzalez said “I’d say your myeloma is getting whacked”.  I literally fell to my knees when I shared the news with my husband (I didn’t think about it but a prayer position just seemed to make sense).  I couldn’t believe it.  The therapy was already working.  I spent two years on the Gerson Therapy with no significant results and, after one month with Dr. Gonzalez, my disease was regressing.  Never, in my wildest, most optimistic dreams, did I expect to see improvements in one month. 

Dr. Gonzalez advised me to take some iron to address the low hemoglobin.    

Let me explain…  I have IGA myeloma.  The normal range for IGA is 70-400 and mine has been at 7,100 for the last year and a half.  The fact that my IGA dropped from 7,100 to 6,500 is a huge improvement. 

Both my red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) have been out of range for the last three and a half years as a result of my disease (my disease is in the bone marrow where red and white blood cells are made).  The fact that my WBCs jumped from 2.7 to 3.9 in one month is significant.  My white blood cells haven’t been above 3.2 in over three and a half years.  The normal range for white blood cells is 4.0 to 10.5, so, I am very close to being in the normal range. 

I was initially concerned, however, about my hemoglobin dropping but once we saw that my myeloma was dying off, we knew the decrease in hemoglobin had to be related to something other than my disease, like being iron deficient.

IGA count: 6500 (normal 70-400)

Monday, October 10th, 2011

I went for my first blood draw and Dr. Gonzalez called me the next night to share my results.  I had noticed that, after about two weeks on the therapy, I had begun to feel very tired.  The first thing he asked as how I was feeling and I said “tired”.  He said “yeah, your hemoglobin dropped”.  Oh no.  “Your white blood cells went from 2.7 to 3.9, which is significant.  Your hemoglobin dropped from 9.4 to 8.6.  At 8.0, people start getting blood transfusions and I know that neither of us wants that”. Oh God.  He asked if I minded having my blood drawn again because the lab didn’t break down the Immunoglobulins the way he wanted.  So, he sent me a new slip and I went as soon as I could.

I walked around in a daze for a couple days, pretty depressed.  I didn’t want someone else’s blood in my body, and, more importantly, I was concerned that the therapy hadn’t kicked in yet and I’d have to go take some toxic drug.  Worse yet, I had that sick feeling in my stomach that the therapy wasn’t going to work for me.  Ever.  I’d spent two years chained to the house, missed my daughters’ Christmas concert (so that I wouldn’t be exposed to viruses) and numerous other events, and took on significant debt, all for the Gerson Therapy, which didn’t work.  Now, here I was again on another therapy that might not be working.  I really didn’t feel like I could stand much more. 

The only bright light was the fact that my white blood cells were at 3.9.  The minimum range for normal is 4.0 and I was so close.  My white blood cells haven’t been over 3.2 in over three and a half years.  It seemed my bone marrow was functioning to some extent but the low hemoglobin really bothered me. 

White blood cell count: 3.9 (normal 4.0 - 10.5)

Hemoglobin count: 8.6 (normal 11.5-15.0)

Monday, October 3, 2011

A month later, I visited Dr. Roy Sweat in Atlanta with my husband and oldest daughter Madelyn.  Madelyn had suffered an accident when she was young and we wanted to make sure her spine was healthy.  Dr. Roy and his staff were really nice to work with.  He checked the alignment of my feet and tested the strength of my limbs, including the strength of my fingers.  He squeezed two fingers together at a time and asked me to resist.  When my fingers weren’t strong enough to resist him, he said “wow, you’re really weak”.  Great.  I lay down on the table for my treatment which is very different than your typically chiropractic adjustment as there is no physical adjustment.  Dr. Roy developed a machine 20 years ago that adjusts only the atlas, the top bone of the cervical spine and the adjustment is done with a machine that sends force to the bone for adjustment, kind of like kinetic energy.  He believes that a typical chiropractic adjustment will not stay in place as long as the atlas is out of alignment.  He also doesn’t believe that any other adjustment needs to happen and says that if a patient has had too many chiropractic adjustments, it will lessen their chances of ever having a healthy spine. 

Immediately following the treatment, an x-ray revealed that my neck was already shifting into proper alignment and I was now able to pass the strength test when I resisted his fingers.  WOW!  I was so happy.  I felt like I was finally responding to something.

Once home, David will check my feet for alignment and when they move out of place, I’ll have to head back to Atlanta for another treatment.  Dr. Roy predicts that the adjustment will only last a month or two, so, I’ll probably be heading back to Atlanta before the end of the year. 

Wednesday and Thursday, August 24th and 25th, 2011

David and I first met with Dr. Gonzalez on August 24^th and 25^th.  The first meeting lasted about two hours.  We discussed my medical history and the results of my hair sample analysis.  The meeting ended with a physical exam.  So, the meeting was pretty much what you’d expect for a first meeting with an orthodox physician except for the controversial hair sample analysis….I’ll explain.    

Two weeks prior to my appointment, I had snipped a few strands of hair and sent them to Dr. Gonzalez for testing.  Before we reviewed the results of the hair sample analysis, Dr. Gonzalez handed me a sheet of paper covered front and back with a list of all the things that the hair test measured.  Here’s a high level list of what he could tell from those few strands of hair:

-        nutritional deficiencies

-        health of DNA/RNA

-        toxic poisoning such as levels of aluminum, mercury, etc.

-        whether or not I had parasites or candida

-        how well I managed my stress

-        total body function – an overall measurement of health

-        overall level of toxicity

-        the amount of cancer that I had

-        the health of my cervical spine

-        the health of each of my organs, glands and systems

-        the breakdown of my autonomic nervous system, meaning how strong are my sympathetic and parasympathetic systems

I sat there in awe as Dr. Gonzalez was able to tell so much about my body from the hair sample.  He provided so much information that I half expected him to tell my fortune!  J

I learned that the hair analysis is extremely controversial and extremely accurate.   There is only one lab in the country that Dr. Gonzalez will trust and it is run by a former patient of Dr. Kelley. 

At a high level, my heart, small intestine and lungs were a little weak which was probably due to stress, the antibiotic I took last summer, and the bronchitis I had in July, respectively. 

My bone marrow, red blood cells, and white blood cells were far out of range which was predictable, given that I have multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow. 

My cervical spine was a mess.  This was no surprise as a chiropractor told me the same thing a few years ago.  I was surprised, however, to learn how concerned Dr. Gonzalez was about this.  I learned that Dr. Kelley believed that 95% of cancer patients have suffered some kind of trauma to the cervical spine.  The five percent that say they haven’t simply don’t remember the event (ie. they were dropped from the crib).  The brain controls everything in our bodies and if the blood supply to the brain is compromised, as it is with an unhealthy cervical spine, nothing is going to work right.   Dr. Gonzalez proceeded to explain that he knows the best chiropractor in the world.  This chiropractor is sometimes able to fix the curve in a patient’s neck with one appointment.  He said that he doesn’t do a physical adjustment so you don’t feel anything.  It was critical that I travel to Atlanta sooner than later to see Dr. Roy Sweat.  www.thesweatinstitute.com When I asked if I should bring a travel juicer on my trip, Dr. Gonzalez said that this appointment is more important than a thousand carrot juices.  WOW.  Given the fact that I had drunk 8,760 vegetable juices on the Gerson Therapy, this was big news.

My liver was in great shape which he never sees in new cancer patients.  The health of my liver can be attributed to all the coffee enemas I had done and the fact that I hadn’t done any conventional cancer treatments. 

I learned that my autonomic nervous system is almost perfectly balanced and that only 2% of Dr. Gonzalez’ client base has a balanced system.   Balanced people don’t normally get cancer which means that I was probably exposed to a major source of toxicity when I was young.  It may be the fact that I drank well water and grew up surrounded by crops that were sprayed. 

As far as my cancer goes, I have a moderate amount; the equivalent of someone who has a tumorous disease that has metastasized.  Dr. Gonzalez says that he sees a success rate of 80% in his patients who have the amount of cancer that I have and that he believes that nine out of ten that fail do so due to non-compliance.   He said that for me to fail I would have to be grossly non-compliant.  

Well, I must say, I liked those odds.

The therapy includes a diet, supplements and detoxification.  Scroll to the bottom of the “Gonzalez Therapy” tab of my blog for details. 

Here’s what bugs me, though.  Why aren’t the conventional doctors doing something like this hair sample?  I mean, I know why, but this is wrong.  To think that he is able to learn so much about my health with a simple, inexpensive, non-invasive hair test?  To get that much data from an orthodox physician, I’d have to run around to several different specialists and spend a small fortune, not to mention endure a bunch of invasive exams.  In the end, they still don’t recognize candida or parasites or adrenal health, nor can they guide me on how to heal from the inside out.  Remember how my lungs, small intestine and heart were out of range?  Although I’m not symptomatic, Dr. Gonzalez realized those organs needed a boost and is giving me supplements to strengthen them.  He can catch and address the weakness before it’s a problem, not to mention the fact that I am healing them in a way that is safe and non-toxic with no side effects.