Despite being together (or perhaps because we were together) for so much of the last two months I am missing Debie. Debie had asked me for a timeline of our travels...she has no idea I will write all this...
We met in San Diego on Monday, February 22nd at her cousin Linda Eager's. Linda cooked up a storm with love but found that Debie wouldn't eat any of it because she was focused on a cancer diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and a little grain. Deb and I went to Tijuana (2/24) and had lunch at the Gerson Clinic which Debie had arranged. We toured the clinic, had lunch with patients and Ms. Gerson (83 year old daughter of Dr. Gerson), and went to a lecture/question session with patients and Ms. Gerson. The clinic program involves drinking 13 juices a day (hourly), eating meals of fruits and vegetables, and doing coffee enemas to cleanse the system. Ms. Gerson feels the three worst things for your body are sodium/salt, animal products, and floride. This diet program is thought to be a little dated by other authors. Ms. Gerson was not recommending treatment for Debie due to concerns about brain swelling. She'd heard that the Burzynski Clinic in Houston was having more success with brain cancers. We spent a couple of afternoons at the beach in San Diego, had a pedicure treat from our generous hostess Linda and parted Friday, February 26th...with a plan for me to go to Denver the next week.
On Wednesday, March 3rd I flew to Denver and met Sophie (the dog), Cassie (the cat) and many of Debie's friends: Kim, Marjorie, Barry, Susan, Lori, Wendy, etc. I saw Debs' beautiful studio addition, art, and garden work. I was treated to a Atlas Profilax treatment which was a neck bone realignment by Darce (my posture is a work in progress). Took Deb to her Chinese doctor of the last 20 years, Dr. Pau. We saw two movies: 2012 and Avatar with 3-D glasses. I joined Deb at a 'play dance' group that she co-led. I flew home Sunday, March 7th...with the plan to meet in Houston, Texas to check out the Burzynski Clinic.
Arrangements were made and we met in Houston on Tuesday, March 16th. Debie had an MRI done that day in Denver and had to take a late flight. The condo we rented was owned by a very nice man who works in international relations at the clinic. The two story condo was perfect, homey, fully equipped and gave us each some privacy. The appointment at the Burzynski Clinic the next day did not go well. The staff was overburdened (too much growth from the Suzanne Sommers book
Knockout?). We experienced: unprepared doctors (hesitant to give statistics/ couldn't give one reference of someone with a similar cancer), uninformed doctors (diet ignorant, couldn't show MRI without radiologist); patients care concerns (man in waiting room with a high blood pressure reaction to their medicines was given his second pill to lower his BP but left there...not being monitored, not elevated); lack of awareness of visiting cancer patient needs (no organic foods in cafe, snacks given at lecture - fried veg. chips, salty pretzels, peanut butter filled crackers; etc. Their medicine might be good but the clinic seemed uninformed and unconcerned about cancer patients. Keep in mind this treatment is very expensive!!! Estimate $100,000. with drugs over a year +. Deb got her $1,000. for her introduction day back and we left. Back at the condo, we licked our wounds of lost hope and disappointment and made our plans to each return to our homes in a couple of days. We read and researched diets, trying a bit of the Budwig Diet. During this thinking time Deb talked to her cousin, Tim, who knew a woman from the Denver area who had been cured of breast cancer by a healer in South Dakota named John. Did Deb want to talk to the woman? Sure... Deb will talk to anyone and she's good at it. The woman returned Debie's phone message and they talked at length. Debie made contact with John and he agreed to see Debie late the following Monday in South Dakota. Flight and rental car plans were changed ...plans were made to go back to Denver then onto South Dakota.
We flew from Houston to Denver on Saturday, March 20th. Debie retrieved for me a rental car fee of $280. for returning the car to a different airport by talking to the manager...played the "C" card. I was treated to a cheerful dinner gathering with Marjorie at her friend, David's house. On Sunday, we gathered organic fruits and vegetables, hotwater teapot, juicer, cooler, snow clothes and packed for an early morning get-away. John's customers all stay at a particular motel where he comes to see them. We booked adjoining rooms, we each had two beds, a desk area, closet area, and bathoom. We also each got a small refrigerator and I had a microwave. We knew John charges a flat rate ($3,500.), and ones stay is generally a week. Debie had heard he had been put in jail after a new medical facility came to town but that the warden released him (they hadn't convicted him of anything) after about 6 months of him healing the people in the jail. Good story, anyway. We arrived in Belle Fourche, South Dakota about 3:30pm on Monday, March 22nd. We later found out from the motel staff and other customers that John sees anywhere from 5 to 10 customers at the motel most days except Sundays. John says he has been doing this for 33 years. Debie & I wonder what he does with all the money... we hope he is putting it to good use. His life style is not visibly high and he works 6 days a week, sometimes late into the night when someone is very ill. We do think the amount of money would sort out people who were not serious or seriously ill.
John is 72 years old, he has white hair, he runs and is quite fit. John wears western shirts (most of which his wife has made for him) and a blue plaid jacket. He checks your eyes, blood smear on paper, saliva lick on paper, through feel he decides which pills you need, he uses touch, cold lasers, muscle testing. The pills detox and supplement your body. They may make you vomit and you will have diarrhea! Many pills 3 times a day; by about day 4 or 5 you start to feel a bit better. John's visits continue with touch and muscle testing. On a daily basis, one never knows when he will arrive that day. The effect is that you have to stick around your room even if you felt good enough to go out and about. It seems by design, his schedule is meant for the person to stay near their room and rest. He can report on your progress. When he can detect no more cancer in your body he will take another blood smear and check it before reporting that it's good.
As Deb approached the end of her week, she asked John if he would check me. He didn't commit. After several days, John said he would but only if I was ready to quit smoking. I knew that was coming. I also had the feeling long ago when Debie first called that I was going to be faced with quitting smoking. I was doing so well...I love smoking! I smoked outside the Gerson Clinic; I smoked in the Burzynski parking lot and outside the condo; I smoked outside Deb's house; I smoked outside the motel. Bottom line, I committed. I was diagnosed by John of some lymph, leukemia and a touch of lung cancer. I paid my fee, quit smoking, took 40 pills 3 times a day, got sick like a dog for a few days. Deb drove back to Denver then came back with Sophie (dog) to care and hang with me. We snuck out on Easter Sunday to go see Devil Tower, very cool. During this time she visited and helped other customers who needed encouragement. We found people from many states there to see John. On our last day, (against my advice) Debie said to John, "Were you in jail?". John smiled and said, "Yes, they've tried to close me down many times".
Debie & I returned to Denver on Thursday, April 8th. I flew home to San Jose, California on Friday, April 9th. Debie is with her tribe of friends (who I really, really like).
My take on all this. #1 Debie has nothing to lose!
#2 We have both loved being together again!
#3 Living with hope is grand!
#4 I'm there with her.
Peggy
