Ginger and Gary
A huge blessing from this experience has been my time in the Cancer Center for Healing. There are only a few of us that live locally. Most there are living in hotels or rented homes, far from the comfort and convenience of home. I get down about the huge life changes needed to beat this thing. Then I go in and sit next to these people from all over the world, many of them are so so sick, and I realize that my life is good and whole and pain free. The only problems I have are between my ears. I can either enjoy today, this moment, which is all we really have. Or I can squander it on negative emotions and thoughts. Going into the Center straightens out my head - and I have come to love several people there.
Ginger and Gary are friendly, talkative people. When I first met Ginger, she told me the Lord had just blessed her by fixing her teeth. I have since learned that many many of us are walking around with infections caused by root canals done improperly so that bacteria is allowed to grow. It's strange but there are dentists that can predict what kind of cancer a person has by what old root canals are infected. Ginger was told she needed a ton of dental work but when they went to actually do it, she was healed. She smiles a lot. She is also a very talented artist. She showed me pictures of some of her art and one of them reminded me of a house I love in Colorado. I am trying to figure out why it made me feel happy inside. A couple weeks ago she mentioned that she'd love to be drawing. I brought her a sketching pad, pencils, and charcoal colors as a gift. She has told me it is helping her when they are at their hotel - Gary likes political TV shows. Now Ginger has something to do that helps her relax and pass the time. And, she is working up something for me.
They never go anywhere without their scruffy little bony dog. The Center said they can bring him as long as he stays on their lap. He's always wrapped up in a blanket asleep.
So last weekend Ginger was experiencing pain. She went to the ER where they did lots of tests, including a PET Scan. I saw her Wednesday morning while she was waiting to go see one of the doctors at the Center - to find out what the scans show about her ovarian cancer. Ginger is frail and older. There have been times she seemed just so sick and weak. She told me she has been praying specifically for this moment - that God would heal her, that the doctors would see no tumors in the scans, and that she could go home.
She and Gary have been planning to go home to Northern California, sell their home to help pay for mounting and potential medical costs, and move down here to a mobile home park near the Center.
Ginger has been through conventional chemo twice. When her ovarian cancer came back only 3 months after finally going into remission - and the oncologist was not at all surprised by that - she and her husband said no more to conventional treatment and found the Center.
Well - guess what. They didn't find any signs of cancer. None. They did a new blood test to send off to the lab in Greece that checks the Circulating Tumor Cell count. If it is low enough, they will call it taken care of. The doctor warned her to stay off sugar and continue with all the herbs and supplements and such they are using. But wow. She didn't even seem surprised. Her faith is beautiful.
To the best of my knowledge, they used a substance called Salicinium on Ginger. Sometimes it gave her headaches and it makes you smell funny while on it. It costs $2700.00 per week. She also used the Hyperbaric Chamber, PEMF, and Hyperthermia. There may are more but that is all I am aware of.
Ginger called me Friday night from home. She is home. They aren't putting their place on the market because they don't think they will have to come back. To say I am happy for them is such an inadequate statement. Just a week ago they were considering going to some place where you fast for days or weeks "To starve the cancer if we have to." She is already so thin and frail, that thought scared me to death.
I needed a story like Ginger's right now. It reminds me that God is working. Keep praying. And give Him the credit when He brings good news.
On the other hand...this time is a real test of faith. My mind can go to doubt very easily. My lymph nodes swell and go back down during the day. I hate how my feelings go up and down with them. I am always asking myself if I am making a mistake by not jumping into treatment as those with AITL and doctors have advised me to do. Or, should I be jumping into one of the very time consuming and very expensive treatments the alternative doctors suggest (they all conflict each other). Is going on our 30th anniversary trip smart? If I slip off the Ketogenic Diet, and eat something besides greens and proteins and healthy fats, am I hurting myself? Fruit has become forbidden (pun not intended). Cancer cells have something like 23 glucose receptors whereas normal cells have 2-3. Carbohydrates turn to sugar so my favorite comfort foods are off limits, as well as sweet veggies and fruit. Combine this with the no vinegar, pork, alcohol, tomatoes of the Horsey Protocol from Tijuana - and we now have a completely different diet that is pretty hard to take on the road. Every meat is marinated with vinegar and every salad dressing has vinegar at restaurants. I often take 1/2 a lemon with me and squeeze it on salads. I found a Whole Foods on a trip this weekend and bought some good turkey (not pressed lunch meat) and edamame. I wanted chocolate so bad - I bought some (low carb) dark chocolate disks. Blech. They were awful.
I am whining and I know it. I know and love some people who would give anything to have the food I'm complaining about. I think I need to sleep. Hopefully grumpy Cathie will go away overnight.
Ginger and Gary are friendly, talkative people. When I first met Ginger, she told me the Lord had just blessed her by fixing her teeth. I have since learned that many many of us are walking around with infections caused by root canals done improperly so that bacteria is allowed to grow. It's strange but there are dentists that can predict what kind of cancer a person has by what old root canals are infected. Ginger was told she needed a ton of dental work but when they went to actually do it, she was healed. She smiles a lot. She is also a very talented artist. She showed me pictures of some of her art and one of them reminded me of a house I love in Colorado. I am trying to figure out why it made me feel happy inside. A couple weeks ago she mentioned that she'd love to be drawing. I brought her a sketching pad, pencils, and charcoal colors as a gift. She has told me it is helping her when they are at their hotel - Gary likes political TV shows. Now Ginger has something to do that helps her relax and pass the time. And, she is working up something for me.
They never go anywhere without their scruffy little bony dog. The Center said they can bring him as long as he stays on their lap. He's always wrapped up in a blanket asleep.
So last weekend Ginger was experiencing pain. She went to the ER where they did lots of tests, including a PET Scan. I saw her Wednesday morning while she was waiting to go see one of the doctors at the Center - to find out what the scans show about her ovarian cancer. Ginger is frail and older. There have been times she seemed just so sick and weak. She told me she has been praying specifically for this moment - that God would heal her, that the doctors would see no tumors in the scans, and that she could go home.
She and Gary have been planning to go home to Northern California, sell their home to help pay for mounting and potential medical costs, and move down here to a mobile home park near the Center.
Ginger has been through conventional chemo twice. When her ovarian cancer came back only 3 months after finally going into remission - and the oncologist was not at all surprised by that - she and her husband said no more to conventional treatment and found the Center.
Well - guess what. They didn't find any signs of cancer. None. They did a new blood test to send off to the lab in Greece that checks the Circulating Tumor Cell count. If it is low enough, they will call it taken care of. The doctor warned her to stay off sugar and continue with all the herbs and supplements and such they are using. But wow. She didn't even seem surprised. Her faith is beautiful.
To the best of my knowledge, they used a substance called Salicinium on Ginger. Sometimes it gave her headaches and it makes you smell funny while on it. It costs $2700.00 per week. She also used the Hyperbaric Chamber, PEMF, and Hyperthermia. There may are more but that is all I am aware of.
Ginger called me Friday night from home. She is home. They aren't putting their place on the market because they don't think they will have to come back. To say I am happy for them is such an inadequate statement. Just a week ago they were considering going to some place where you fast for days or weeks "To starve the cancer if we have to." She is already so thin and frail, that thought scared me to death.
I needed a story like Ginger's right now. It reminds me that God is working. Keep praying. And give Him the credit when He brings good news.
On the other hand...this time is a real test of faith. My mind can go to doubt very easily. My lymph nodes swell and go back down during the day. I hate how my feelings go up and down with them. I am always asking myself if I am making a mistake by not jumping into treatment as those with AITL and doctors have advised me to do. Or, should I be jumping into one of the very time consuming and very expensive treatments the alternative doctors suggest (they all conflict each other). Is going on our 30th anniversary trip smart? If I slip off the Ketogenic Diet, and eat something besides greens and proteins and healthy fats, am I hurting myself? Fruit has become forbidden (pun not intended). Cancer cells have something like 23 glucose receptors whereas normal cells have 2-3. Carbohydrates turn to sugar so my favorite comfort foods are off limits, as well as sweet veggies and fruit. Combine this with the no vinegar, pork, alcohol, tomatoes of the Horsey Protocol from Tijuana - and we now have a completely different diet that is pretty hard to take on the road. Every meat is marinated with vinegar and every salad dressing has vinegar at restaurants. I often take 1/2 a lemon with me and squeeze it on salads. I found a Whole Foods on a trip this weekend and bought some good turkey (not pressed lunch meat) and edamame. I wanted chocolate so bad - I bought some (low carb) dark chocolate disks. Blech. They were awful.
I am whining and I know it. I know and love some people who would give anything to have the food I'm complaining about. I think I need to sleep. Hopefully grumpy Cathie will go away overnight.
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