Starve Cancer and Cook Your Way to a Healthy Lifestyle

Introduction

In April of 2004, during my self-examination, I found a small lump in my left breast. I immediately called my family physician and made an appointment to see him. After examining me, he referred me to a surgeon. I had a biopsy done at the hospital in April, followed by a lumpectomy in June. From the time that the lump was removed until the results were known was a difficult time in my life. I had to wait two long weeks until the results came back and it was torture. During those weeks I was so anxious about my results that I made multiple calls to the surgeon’s office, but each time the secretary would say that the results were not yet received.
Finally, the surgeon’s secretary called and gave me an appointment to see the surgeon. I pleaded with her to give me the result over the phone but she told me that I had to see the doctor.
My appointment was the following day. I remember thinking to myself while I was driving to his office that I did not have a history of cancer in my family, I nursed my two daughters, I ate healthy, I did not smoke or drink and I exercised on an almost daily basis. I assumed that the surgeon was going to tell me that I was fine and that I had fatty tissue and there was nothing to worry about. With this attitude I went to his office. When I saw the surgeon he looked sad and he told me that the lab results were back and the results were positive; the lump that he had removed was cancerous. I could not believe my ears. Why me? I did everything right and why was this happening to me?
My surgeon referred me to an Oncologist and from there I went through a series of x-rays, tests and lymph node removal.
My tumour was a grade one, tubular, ER, PR positive, node negative. I was given 16 sessions of radiation.
In October of 2005, I was cancer free and thought that this was the end of it. I saw my oncologist every six months and all of the results were positive. I had last seen her in August of 2007.
In September of 2007, I started coughing and went to my new family doctor as my previous family doctor had retired. My doctor told me that I had pneumonia. I had three chest x-rays performed and each time my doctor told me that I had walking pneumonia. I was repeatedly prescribed antibiotic medication. From September until December the coughing was extreme to the point that I thought that I had fractured my ribs. I knew something was wrong, but I never related my 2004 breast cancer to my current symptoms.
Ladies, take charge of your body. If you have had cancer before or if something is wrong and will not go away, ask to see a specialist.
I was uneducated and I did not realize that breast cancer could metastases to other parts of my body. If you have persistent symptoms that do not go away after 1 or 2 weeks of treatment, demand that your family physician refer you to a specialist.
Back to my story; after 3 chest x-rays and a variety of antibiotic medication and suffering with pain in my back and ribs for three months, on December 17, 2007 my family doctor said “ I am sorry your breast cancer is back and has spread to your lungs, ribs, back, liver and bones”. I was speechless as I had told my doctor for three months that something was wrong and she kept treating me with antibiotics for walking pneumonia. She is no longer my family physician.
During this time frame I had also found another lump in my right breast. I made an appointment with my Oncologist and went through six months of intensive chemotherapy treatment, numerous CT scan studies, and a barrage of other tests that I do not even recall.
It was the hardest journey I have ever taken. I gained weight, lost all of my hair and looked completely different. I could not walk or do normal everyday tasks. I was depressed and tired. But I decided to fight back. With the support of my husband, two daughters, extended family and friends and a strong will to survive, I am here. I have taken a new approach to life, educated myself, researched and come up with a healthy diet for myself, a diet free of sugar, red meat and dairy and other harmful products. I am not going to give up. I have too much to live for. Because of this journey, I have written a Cook Book of healthy recipes. “Starve Cancer and Cook Your Way to a Healthy Lifestyle” is a collection of recipes that I developed to help the millions of women living with breast cancer, like me. It focuses on removing alcohol, caffeine, canned products, dairy, red meat, or added sugar from your meals, while helping you in maintaining a delicious and balanced diet. However, this cookbook isn’t just for people suffering from cancer. It’s also beneficial for anyone who simply wants a healthier diet. When I set out to write this cookbook, my goal was to eliminate all of the unnecessary and harmful products in our everyday diets. I also recommend that you use organic fruits and vegetables, as well as free-range poultry. Believe it or not, you can sacrifice these ingredients without sacrificing flavour. “Starve Cancer and Cook Your Way to a Healthy Lifestyle” includes recipes for a variety of delicious appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. They are all easy to follow and take very little time to prepare. A portion of the proceeds from this cookbook will go to breast cancer research.