Allison Biggar is dedicated to raising awareness of natural, holistic cures. After losing both her parents to cancer...
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“The way I was living, was insanity. To bring sanity to my life I needed to move only to a plant-based diet.” In 5 months of juicing, and eating a plant-based diet Joe Cross was able to lose 100 pounds, ditch his medication and get rid of his chronic urticaria.
The Director and Star of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” shares his knowledge and wisdom on diet and a holistic approach to health.
Kris Carr of “Crazy, Sexy, Cancer” fame said not to give “your” cancer any notoriety or power by labeling it “my cancer.” She went even further, preaching even to spell it wrong when possible in order to take away its power over you. Though it is not always appropriate, I try my hardest not to call it “my cancer” and to spell it incorrectly when I can. Below is the “LONG” version of “the” (my) cancer story. It is not meant to be an award winning narrative, but just the details of how I overcame a cancer diagnosis through holistic methods.
Stage II Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Diagnosis
In the Fall of 2004 I found a lump in my neck. Knowing that my mom’s twin sister had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a teenager, I was concerned. It was examined, MRI’d and then I was given the option for a biopsy. I was just out of college and was very intimidated by the cost of all of this medical care, so I opted to “wait” for a biopsy, was given antibiotics, and the lump shrunk…temporarily.
In September of 2008, almost 4 years after my initial discovery of my neck’s enlarged “cervical” lymph node, I found a new lump- this time in my right armpit. I was calm and told my husband of barely 3 months, Kevin when I got home. About a week later, I was in the general practitioner’s office. Within an hour I was getting lab work, then immediately sent to Piedmont Hospital here in Atlanta for a consultation with a surgeon who scheduled me for a full lumpectomy/ biopsy the next day!
It took two weeks for the official results. The good news- it was a slow moving Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with an excellent prognosis. “Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin’s Lymphoma”- a mouth full! Bad news- the recommended treatment was 3 months (4 cycles) of R-CHOP chemotherapy and radiation*. Side effects- hair loss, nausea, mouth sores, and the worst of all- INFERTILITY.
My first oncologist scheduled me for a CT/PET scan to confirm the suspected Stage II diagnosis, along with a bone marrow biopsy. Over the next few weeks I did both, and both came back confirming what Dr. M thought: Stage IIA. The lump in my the left side of my neck was the original site of the cancer, spreading to my lymph node in my right armpit. Even though the large lymph node on the right side of my body was removed in its entirety via excisional biopsy (and no other cancer on the right side was detected in the subsequent CT/PET scan), the classification was still set at Stage II. The letter “A” was given to indicate my lack of B-symptoms. B-symptoms included high fever for days, excessive weight loss, drenching night sweats, and/or skin rashes, among others.
While I was awaiting my impending doom of chemotherapy and mourning the loss of my future children, Kevin began researching alternative cancer treatment. The first source Kevin came in contact with was a man named Jerry Brunetti. Jerry healed his Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma with nutritional therapies. He had an online presentation that made so much sense to us. He presented the individual healing powers of the food he consumed while healing from cancer. It all made so much sense to us when the conventional treatment didn’t.
Kevin also began ordering different books on alternative cancer protocols. One of these was Bill Henderson’s “Cancer-Free: Your Guide to Non-Toxic Healing”. He shared stories of people who cured their cancer naturally- without drugs or radiation. I really struggled with the idea of this. How could this “natural” treatment be so effective, but yet doctors continue to treat almost exclusively with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery? It must be because modern American medicine was superior to simple diet changes and small town cancer cures, right? I read Bill’s book in one day and throughout the month of November began following his protocol 100%.
On November 4th I began a strict regimen of 2/3 cup organic cottage cheese and 6 tablespoons of flaxseed oil for breakfast every morning, a series of vitamins and supplements, and an immune “booster” made mainly from baker’s yeast called Beta Glucan. My diet was strictly raw vegetables and juices. I even limited fruit to 2 servings per day. No sugar, meat, caffeine, processed foods, or cooked food.
December brought a new discovery- the Living Foods Institute here in Atlanta. Kevin saw their ad in a newspaper at my Holistic MD’s office. He and I both registered for the January 12 day course and detoxification. There I was introduced to new ways to enjoy raw foods. This helped me with the depression that comes with eating a diet of raw vegetables all day during a time of year when Americans feast and celebrate with so many sugary and rich foods.
At the Living Foods Institute I received 7 colonics to detox my colon. I say I was in “perfect health” before my diagnosis, but the truth is my digestion was a mess! I had chronic constipation and gas issues. Something was just not right. I had a SAD diet (Standard American Diet) of eating habits and my body was starving for nutrients! This is what I believe to be the main cause of my cancer. My body wasn’t eliminating correctly and became TOXIC.
During this time we found out about Ty Bollinger’s book: “Cancer: Think Outside the Box”. In it we found reassurance that what we were doing was God’s plan for my healing. We also read more about the research and success of holistic approach to cancer treatment. I began drinking Essiac tea as another weapon against the lymphoma. I believe it was this that really detoxified my lymph system. We also bought an Alkaline Water Ionizer and all of the kitchen supplies we needed to prepare “Living” Foods. Living this lifestyle is a lot of work. I had never sprouted a thing in my life and now I was sprouting wheat grass, lentils, and mung beans and juicing wheat grass every morning! I also began HcG Testing, a much cheaper and easy way to monitor the cancer. I began this in November and took a follow up in January right before the Living Foods Institute. I dropped almost an entire point in my score, excellent progress!
Also, exercise and detoxification was important. We bought a Cellerciser rebounder after learning about Kris Carr, author of “Crazy Sexy Cancer” from a fellow classmate at Living Foods Institute. It was after LFI that I saw and knew I was on the right track. It helped to be around other people who had a similar mind set as I did.
In February 2009, after almost 4 month my days were starting to feel “normal”. During this process my husband, myself, and my doctors kept physical track of the cancerous lymph node in my neck. At the next oncologist’s visit my doctor couldn’t even find the lump. It had shrunk to the touch completely. I was scheduled to take my next HcG test in March.
But instead I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I didn’t know what to think of this, but we knew the chance was there since I had gone off all prescription medication including birth control. What should have been a joyous event ended up being a scary one. I even had an OBGYN who refused to take me as a patient because “I refused to treat my cancer.” My parents and other friends and family were extremely skeptical of our decision from the beginning. The pregnancy only made it more difficult. It was during this time that any negative feedback from anyone had to be turned off in my head. I knew the importance of positive and prayerful thinking.
Through March and April we waited. I continued Bill’s protocol up until April when I started getting severe morning sickness. Anything green instantly induced vomiting. I knew I had to eat to nurture my baby, but the food that was fighting the cancer was not an option. The next few weeks I lived off almond butter, apples, and organic saltines. I also could no longer monitor the cancer through HcG testing since human fetuses have high levels of HcG. This was an extremely scary time.
It is ironic that shortly after I began surviving off of my 3 morning sickness staples, my oncologist gave us the shocking news that I was in remission! May 4th, 2009 I was declared in “clinical” remission and I have had a clean bill of health since then. My new oncologist did not think that that CT or PET scans were a superior way to monitor the cancer because of its indolent nature and the unnecessary radiation the scans would have on my body. (Remember- this was not a traditional Hodgkin’s lymphoma.) Instead, I continue to be monitored via bloodwork and physical examinations. Following several months of excellent health reports, I received “clinical” remission status. I went on to have an unmedicated and natural birth to Ruby-Claire Campbell on November 19th 2009. She is truly a miracle! And so is her mom.
As of this writing I am still in clinical remission. I celebrate this, but also don’t use it as an excuse to go back to my old ways. My diet is not as extreme as it was in the beginning, but I still stay completely away from sugar, processed foods, and conventional foods. I rarely eat meat, but when I do, it is grassfed, free-range meat or wild-caught fish. I eat a TON of nutrient-dense, organic vegetables: a big, colorful salad and 64 ounce veggie smoothie everyday. I still drink green tea and take 26 purposeful vitamin supplements a day. I have missed very few days of Cottage Cheese/Flaxseed Oil since I started.
I think there is a place for conventional medical treatment and intervention/monitoring. For my husband and I, it was a PRAYERFUL decision to approach the cancer the way we did. We believe that God gave us a fully functioning, self-healing body that when brought back to its original state can fight off malfunctioning cell growth like cancer. It will be a journey to keep the cancer away, not a destination. That is how we hope America will begin to look at health. I hope I can be an inspiration to encourage this belief.
*For those familiar with lymphoma, ABVD was not recommended because my lymphocytes expressed a molecule called CD20, which is the target of the Rituxan – a monoclonal antibody made from mouse and human serum. Dr. M had seen better results using Rituxan in combination with a “classic” chemotherapy like CHOP in treating NLPHL than in using ABVD. Hence, R-CHOP was the prescribed method of treatment.
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Read MoreHost of The K-Pod and co-host of Sixx Sense, Kerri Kasem is a wellness advocate who healed herself from ADD and depression without drugs. Here Kerri explains how juicing and eating a plant-based diet can prevent and reverse disease!
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Holistic Voices is a feature length documentary that will document the stories of individuals who have healed themselves of chronic, degenerative and terminal disease without drugs, surgery or chemotherapy.
Help us tell the stories of individuals who have healed themselves from chronic and terminal diseases through detoxing, alkalizing, and other natural methods. We need your help to finish the film. Every little bit helps!
One of the fastest growing epidemics in our society is a group of ailments called autoimmune diseases: including Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Celiac disease and Scleroderma. Although the prevailing view has been that genetics is the primary cause of these ills, recent studies have focused on the role of diet and nutrition as contributing factors. Diets high in processed, caloric and acidic foods create an environment so toxic that the immune system cannot fend against everyday invaders that it would normally conquer with ease. With an autoimmune disease, the body attacks its own organs and tissues, turning against the very systems that sustain its survival.
Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disorder and is classified as a rheumatic autoimmune disease. Scleroderma means “hardening of the skin”, which results in the overproduction of collagen within the body. The devastating symptoms include stiff, painful fingers; necrosis, or tissue death, in the fingertips due to Raynaud’s Phenomenon (causes a lack of oxygenated blood from getting to the fingertips due to blood vessel constriction); difficulty in breathing; digestive disorders; chronic fatigue; depression; Candida; loss of menstrual cycle; tightening of the facial skin, especially cheeks and lips; recession of gums; and tightness in the jaw.
Although these symptoms seem insurmountable, Sales Director Laura Sands was able to reverse this degenerating disease.
Laura Sands was diagnosed in 2007. The disease quickly destroyed her life and her dreams of becoming a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. She was forced to leave Chiropractic College because she was too exhausted and in too much pain to continue with the intense curriculum.
“I felt sabotaged by my own body, and I struggled for 7 months, with little to no success, to stop this disease from taking me down like a sinking ship,” Laura recalls.
Having always been against medication and drug therapies as a means to healing, Laura decided to take a holistic route and experimented with several holistic therapies to try to get the disease under control: colonics, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and acupuncture.
After crossing paths with several key proponents of supergreens and superfoods, Laura was introduced to the idea of healing her body at the cellular level through nutrition.
She began to take supergreen supplements twice a day, feeding her nutrient-deprived body and cells with an array of super foods, vitamins, minerals, live enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and probiotics. She also changed her diet to vegan, which meant eliminating all animal products and the hormones and antibiotics usually found in meat and dairy.
“I felt a difference in my energy within the first 3 days, and over the next 12 months, my health continued to improve. My depression and chronic fatigue began to dissipate, my digestion and elimination returned to normal, my menstrual cycles were normal, my lungs finally cleared out and I could take a deep breathe with ease. Also, the inflammation and pain in my fingers had decreased!” Laura explains.
Because the body always tries to reach homeostasis, or perfect balance, once Laura began to provide her cells with the right combination of nutrients derived from whole food ingredients, her immune system started to do its job once again, now free from the terrible burden of acidic foods, chemicals and synthetics.
Her cells were able to completely absorb the minerals and whole food nutrients, and in conjunction with Laura’s vegan diet and her positive attitude, she won her drug-free battle against Scleroderma. “I have never felt better in my life,” says Laura.