Juicing to Shrink a Tumor

I started writing a journal this week to record my food choices, work outs and therapy experiences. Today, I woke up and felt stronger. The tumor has receded a little bit more. My juice this morning used 2 celery stalks, 1 apple, 1 lemon, 1/3 cabbage, 3  beets, 1 tsp chia seeds, 2 oz Kombachu, 1 oz mango, and a piece of ginger and turmeric. Kombachu gives the drink a little fizz and makes it taste a little bit dangerous. I find this helps to shrink the tumor a little more.

An Ironman Hopefuls Thoughts on Cancer

I'm an athlete. I trained for two years to prepare my body and mind to participate in an Ironman Triathlon. This required discipline. I spent 3 hours a day training, monitoring heart rate, and measuring my performance. I learned how to eat or "fuel" for short or long runs. I learned how to use electrolyte supplements to ease muscle cramps so I could train longer. I hired coaches to help me improve my technique and form with swimming, running and biking. I would concentrate on improving just one or two things in each training session. I focused on improving on what I had done before and shunned any comparisons to others. This was a personal challenge, to improve on my own terms and no one else.

And despite all of this, Testicular cancer manifested in my body. A tumor that ballooned to the size of a basketball that crushed two vertebrae, lumbar 1 and 2. It strangled my stomach so I could not eat more than 2 teaspoons of food at a time and made it hard to breathe. I lost over 60 lbs. and ironically, I looked like I was 6 months pregnant with all of the symptoms, i.e. back ache. I was reduced to sleeping most of the day and kept up at night with dry mouth and a back that ached so badly that I had to muffle my cries in a pillow to not alarm my wife and children.

Death was a looming possibility. All of my efforts seemed to be in vain. I tried many medical devices and healers applied their skills with little effect. Everything that I thought I knew was thrown back into my face in a merciless mockery. I felt guilty for having this sickness. How will my family survive without me? Why did I let this happen? Where is the justice in having this condition? Where art thou God? His answer was simple: "right here. I never left you." I underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy, you can read about it here. It was harsh, I almost needed a blood transfusion a few times because my white blood cell counts went so low and I had a fever several times. Friends and family prayed for my recovery.

I was comforted and strengthened when I needed it most. My sister Lynell, my brother Mark, my aunt Elma, my cousin Theresa, my nieces Melissa and Leah and my mother came to visit. I had a vision of our family line going back to the patriarchs of old, a wonderful gathering of the family where we sat down for a meal while hearing the stories of our ancestors and afterwards danced together. The witness of the holy ghost was very strong as I related what I saw.

I have made many changes to adapt to living with cancer. I started juicing raw carrots, apples, beets, ginger, turmeric and other mixed greens and fruits. I eat salads with mixed vegetables and nuts as condiments. I drink Peppermint and Essiac tea instead of water. I perform a daily cleansing with a coffee enema. I spend a few hours in quiet meditation and prayer. I write. I work part-time as a technical writer. I walk a mile or two to stretch out my back. Recently, I have been having 3 chiropractic and 2 massage visits a week.

Recovery is coming along well. I track my progress with blood tests, e.g. Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) and Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). I monitor the size and shape of the tumor by laying on my back and pressing down into my abdomen. I feel the lump in my back. The shape and size changes daily. I have my doubts some days. I refused an Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) surgery because I thought the price was too high: a kidney, lymph nodes and probably another round of chemotherapy. I still have the goal to complete an Ironman Triathlon.

Seeking Safe Food at Farmers Market

Every Saturday, people gather at Pioneer Park in the center of town and sell their fresh fruits, vegetables, arts, crafts and food truck items. The side walk becomes an aisle jostling with people with their children and dogs. Food options range from pizza baked in wood fired ovens to Thai cuisine. The smell of Mexican food prepared in front of you fills the air and fresh squeezed lemons and limes made into a refreshing glass of limeade or lemonade tops it off.

I have to forgo these delicious treats while I am still on a strict diet of vegetable and fruit juices. I do enjoy it with my eyes though. There are often guitars playing in the background, people relaxing under the shade of trees and the laughter of children playing tag. I'm there for fresh apples and beets. There are several farmers that I have come to look forward to seeing each week. They farm without pesticides and use organic methods. I can tell when I bring it home and slice into a nice fresh beet. The taste is wonderfully sweet.