Ok.. Time to share what's been going on.

The Kids were playing. I was cleaning. The phone rang.
"Hello"
"This is her"
"OH. Really, the Dr disagrees? Really?"

I go to the bathroom, close the door.
"No, I  have never had surgery, No, I don't know a surgeon"
"ok.. ok.. hold on.. uh.. I need to call my husband and call you back"
"ok.. .. ok.. bye"

The shock and anger was so intense its hard to describe. My  kids laughter from the other room was flooded away by the tears as I sat, alone.. in the bathroom wondering why. Wondering... what if? I was angry, I was confused, I was so worried.


Ten days earlier I was getting dressed for bed and found a lump in my left breast. It was LARGE. There was no wondering if it was a lump, the question was why did is show up so quickly and how.  I made an appointment that day for 4 days later with my doctor.  He ordered a mammogram and sonogram and said "It is so large I probably needed to have it removed". He set my mind at ease and said it felt like a cyst and "not to loose sleep over it".  I was happy he didn't have concern for cancer but I was still anxious about the tests. You see, I have tried to steer clear of radiation, and a  mammogram wasn't what I wanted to do. I thought about it, prayed about it, discussed with my husband and decided to go ahead with the mammogram.

 A day later the Radiologist said the Mammogram and Sonogram showed multiple cysts, the one I could feel was 3 cm. They said "These never turn to cancer, if it gets too painful you can have it aspirated" and "No, we don't know what causes cyst, some women just get them".



I was relieved. I also wanted the cyst to go away. After the mammogram, what was just tenderness was now so sore I had to take Tylenol to sleep! I rarely take medicine. I believe in my body's ability to heal and pain is a sign to slow down and take it easy. I had to take Tylenol for 3 nights in a row because of the pain.


As soon as I found the cyst, even before I went to the Dr, my husband and I would have long discussions.
What caused it?

What if it was Cancer?
Would I agree to an aspiration? a Biopsy?
What if I had to have surgery?
A lumpectomy? Mastectomy?

Would I want to do chemo?
How can I make it go away?


I immediately cut caffeine, or so I thought. After two days of thinking I was caffeine free I realized the herbal tea I had been drinking had more caffeine than the decaf tea I was drinking! So.... I went cold turkey and have been caffeine free for 3 weeks.


I also started researching.

• The Mayo Clinic and other sites suggest a vegetarian diet, low fat, no caffeine, and as much raw fruits and veggies as possible.
• Holistic and health sites suggested raw vegan diet and herbal supplements: Primrose extract (helps with breast issues), seaweed tablets (for the iodine to help regulate hormones), extra vit. C and vit B. 
• I found a video for Lymphatic Breast  Massage, which said women had cyst disappear after using the techniques they taught. 

I tried it all. I told a few friends and my sisters and asked them to pray. I didn't want the whole world to know. I didn't want to worry my Mother or In Laws, not until I knew for sure one way or the other.

I have no history of breast cancer in my family. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I didn't lay in tanning beds or out in the sun for hours on end when I was a kid. I use to eat like crap, I give you that, but now... for the past 4 years, I eat better than anyone I know! I am fit.  How could I have cancer? The odds of me having cancer are about like the odds of me winning the lottery, or being struck by lightening. Intellectually I knew that but emotionally .. that's another story. 

The phone call a week later sent me on a whirl wind of emotions in the bathroom, alone. What if? What if I ate so bad for 40 years that I do have cancer?

For the next three weeks I ate 90% raw vegan diet and took my herbal supplements. I rested. I tried to be positive and not think negatively. I prayed. I focused on scriptures like Psalm 16:8-9 "I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.   Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,"

 Every bite I ate I thought "will this help me get rid of that cyst?" Would this work?
He asked me "Have you decided what you will do if the Surgeon wants to biopsy it?" The roads were iced over, we were moving very slow and had quite a while to visit as he drove carefully to the doctor's  office. Later, we sat in the nine by nine room for about fifteen minutes waiting for her to come in. "All I know is if I have cancer, I am going to be pissed, so be ready for that."

The Dr came in, she looked at my chart,  asked me questions.
"I fell in November when I was running. I fell really really hard. My fist was on my breast when I landed, could it be that the fall could have activated a smaller cyst?" I said,"It got much smaller after about 2 weeks on raw vegan diet", she smiled and said jokingly "Well, that's great but don't publish that anywhere".

"Have you had pain?" I explained, "Yes, overall pain the first 10 days and one time a very sharp pain for about 30 seconds and after that it got progressively smaller".

She examined me and said, "Show me where the cyst was." (WAS? I thought. WAS?) Then she said, "Well... it's pretty much non existent now."

 Today I sit here so relieved and so thankful. Thankful that I learned about the 801010 diet.  Thankful that I found support and encouragement from family and friends. Thankful that God designed our body's to heal. I am more thankful for my life, my family, my friends and even more excited about the future and what it has in store for me. I believe God has things happen in our lives for a reason. I am sure the reasons for this past month of worry and healing will lead to many more revelations in my life.

I believe the fall had a  LOT to do with the development of the cyst getting so large. I also believe the fact that the weeks leading up to the cyst being found I was at nutritional lows. I had eaten more sugar and had more caffeine than I had had in a year within a two week time span. I wasn't feeding my body like I knew I should to be healthy.


 For now, I plan to stay 75% raw vegan. The results of introducing more raw fruits in veggies in my life has brought about such positive responses in my body that don't think I will ever go back to eating like I use too.  I know transitioning to this way of eating takes time, and like the other dietary changes I have made over the past four years I know it will be an emotional, spiritual and mental process. I know I won't be perfect at it and that is ok.

Some people will say diet doesn't have much to do with getting sick. We live in a world that takes medications by the truckload to fix problems that I believe we could fix by changing what food we eat. I know people might think I am a bit off my rocker, but what I have experienced over the past month has made me a believer! We ARE what we eat.

I have more learning, more reading and more researching to do. I don't believe I have learned it all but I do know whole, raw, nutritious foods have given me the results I hoped and prayed for and I am so very thankful.

OH BOY
do I have plans now people... talk about a fire being lit under me! It's going to be a great year! So happy I can get on with it!!!! I post about that later.. Until then... enjoy the snow  (yes.. we are all iced and snowed in here!... even the Cat enjoyed watching the snow fall!)