Diagnosis: Terminal Cancer

February 1988.I vividly remember sitting in the Doctor’s office waiting for the final results after an exhausting day of testing, from x-rays to a cat scan, to blood work, then finishing up with a complicated Lymphangiogram procedure while juggling a wild array of emotions. When I heard the word Cancer my world instantly fell apart as I thought about my 5-month-old daughter, wondering what her future would now look like.

As I asked the Oncologist: “What if I don’t go ahead with the surgery?”, he replied, “You have 6 months to live”. I was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which was spreading throughout my Lymph nodes while I was pondering my next decision.

The Dreaded Spread

A week after surgery, I was told the Cancer had spread and more surgery was required. According to my surgeon it would be significantly more intense than the first, in the blink of an eye the 8-hour operation was completed.

On top of all that was going on, my wife at the time chose to walk away out of fear and desperation to pursue her own desires. My existence took on a meaning that was way below the boundaries of my own logic or understanding.

Over the course of the next year I visited more hospitals and saw more medical staff than I had ever seen in my life. Blood tests were done weekly, chest X-rays every month and cat scans every 3 months, all the while trying to monitor my emotional state.

I kept busy through the recovery process, trying to stay positive with meditation and prayer, remaining open minded while finding myself drawing closer to God who I knew not only created me but loved me intimately and had a purpose far greater than I could understand or embrace.

The Transition

Through the recovery I radically changed my life in every possible way. I jumped in with great attentiveness, believing this was the next step in transitioning to a healthy constructive positive lifestyle. Focusing on a healthy diet was the catalyst necessary for this massive change. Next step was to take on the challenge of an unwavering determination to live actively and enjoy life to the fullest, being totally consumed with activities such as physical exercise, cycling, kayaking and motorcycles. I’m a down to earth, outdoors kinda guy.

The Shift

I began experiencing joint and muscle pain, sudden jerking of limbs, stabbing pain in various places, frequent headaches, mood swings, brain fog, drenching night sweats, and unexplainable fatigue. As the months and years passed, the frequency and intensity of these symptoms continued to increase.
The look and feel of being unwell:

Seeking Help

August 2013. I sought medical advice through a Naturopathic clinic and was diagnosed with heavy metal poisoning. I went through a rigorous treatment program over the course of the next 3 months, spending far too many thousands of dollars. I was experiencing some relief but needed to stop treatments as I had long surpassed being financially burdened.

Some products I used to try to alleviate my symptoms.

My symptoms that I thought were gone for good returned with a vengeance, along with many more that I had not experienced before.

Someone I Didn’t Know

What I was experiencing was more than I could bear. My physical pain pushed me far beyond what I thought I could handle. I was so out of balance. The pain, on a scale from 1 to 10, hovered between 12 and 15. I felt depressed and was slurring my words, having extreme difficulty concentrating, repeating myself over and over again in conversation. Making decisions was becoming increasingly more challenging.
Depression and anxiety set in along with feeling exhausted all the time, experiencing floating body pain that would come and go at random, intense bone pain, significant brain fog, dyslexia, my heart rate would increase rapidly for no apparent reason, the onset of dementia was surreal, along with the onset of Parkinson’s. My symptoms seemed to increase weekly not stopping until I had exceeded 80. I was unable to sleep on my left side for 15 years due to ever increasing pain. I felt as if I was 90 years old and waiting to die.

My Career Left Behind

October 2016. I left my job after 16 years because I could no longer cope with the work-related stresses and the constant negative change. I was so consumed with discouragement and despair I was convinced there was absolutely no hope.

Terminal Illness #2

After reaching my absolute breaking point, I decided to do my own research when energy allowed. After drawing a conclusion, I needed confirmation. I contacted a Doctor who specializes in Lyme disease. After several hours of testing, the results confirmed my suspicion: chronic Lyme disease, along with 7 co-infections. I had had it for over 40 years. It lay dormant until conditions were right. I was in stage 3 (final stage) approaching organ shutdown. The Doctor couldn’t believe I was actually alive!

Returning home feeling unsure if I should laugh or cry, nevertheless the confirmation spoke for itself.
I had tried it all. I had been taking high quality natural supplements, vitamins, minerals, along with doing B12 injections, coffee enemas, colon hydro therapy, Osteopathic care, chelation treatments, Chiropractic care, juice fasting, massage, cranial sacral adjustments, acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and homeopathic medicine, all to sustain some normality of life.

Offering Hope

After being approached by a close friend, out of love and concern, I was asked to try specific natural remedies consisting of essential oils and supplements to improve my overall health. At first I declined, thinking there’s no point. Reconsidering out of sheer desperation I agreed to give them a try. I shelved everything I was taking which at that point was 45 pills a day, along with other products.
Within the first week of starting, I noticed positive change which I assumed would be short lived, as I had experienced far too often in the past when starting something new. I pressed on and within a month’s time I was feeling significant improvement. Relentlessly I moved forward with greater confidence, feeling better as the days went by. Within the first month I not only was starting to walk at a local indoor rec center track but also actually had the ability to start jogging, something I hadn’t done in years.

Personal Milestones

Within 3 months I could now walk 5 kilometers in 35 minutes, or run 5 kilometers in 26 minutes, and on off days run 1,082 stairs in 8 minutes. Incredible to say the least, I was ecstatic. To this day I still visit the track several times a week, occasionally breaking personal records.

The Outcome

As I look back over the past 30 years of my life I’m easily caught up with emotion realizing I have overcome some of life’s most difficult obstacles along with relentless physical and emotional pain. I feel relieved knowing who I had become was just for a time and did not define who I was.
My cognitive thinking processes have improved to a level I have not seen or experienced in years, my emotional stability feels unprecedented, I have regained my memory. My energy continues to remain extremely strong while my immune system has steadily strengthened and improved. I have gone from a noted 80+ symptoms down to a couple.

Aside from my indoor track activities, I have joined a local gym, and am finding even after returning home from a 45 minute bike ride, I don’t feel weak or drained, I’m ready for the next workout! I am currently in my late fifties feeling like I’m caught up in my twenties, feeling amazing indeed!

I am so thankful for my wife Alison, for her endless patience, encouragement and her relentless display of love toward me and with whom I had become. I will always be eternally grateful for her endless support. I will love you forever!

I Understand

My heart breaks as I see and hear of so many suffering while feeling helpless with no direction, and feeling like there’s no hope and no one cares. This isn’t true, as in the case of my friend who cared enough to approach me out of love, which has radically changed my life forever.

Reach out

After surviving two life-threatening illnesses, I am committed to coaching and mentoring others. I have become a Nutritional Therapy Consultant and Wellness Advocate with doTERRA essential oils. My desire is to assist you on your journey, for you to feel empowered and supported as you embrace the freedom of being coached through the experience of your own unforgettable transformation to wellness.

“I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b

Thanks for taking part in my journey. Feel inspired to pass this message of hope along to those you love and feel will benefit. I am here for you, reach out!!