Paul Reid, Victoria, Australia.
Hear Paul’s story in part 3 of this 5 part youtube series:
The Healing Power of Food, written by my wife Cheryl, describes my journey from disease to health, and explains the diet and lifestyle changes undertaken in the process of healing from cancer (with no medical treatment), diagnosed Jan 1997.
I had been suffering from chronic fatigue for a number of years. I also suffered from colds and chest infections, which lingered on for months, sometimes requiring up to five courses of antibiotics to regain health. Upon examination by my doctor it was discovered my spleen was enlarged and some lymph nodes enlarged.
In December 1996, at the age of 55, I went for a C.T. scan, which showed probable lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. Although suffering from a persistent cough, and in no condition to undergo surgery, I was strongly urged by the specialist to undergo diagnostic surgery as soon as possible. This was to find out the exact type of lymphoma so that appropriate treatment could be given.
My wife and I were given much confidence by the specialist, who assured us that 90% of all lymphoma cases are completely curable by chemotherapy. Because most cases of lymphoma are aggressive, and fast moving, diagnostic surgery seemed fairly urgent. This would involve removal of some lymph nodes deep down within the abdomen, by no means a simple operation as many abdominal organs would be in the way.
At the same time we were beginning to consider what alternative therapies had to offer and were reading as much information as we could get our hands on about natural therapy. We were given the name of a health retreat in Queensland, Australia run by naturopaths. The retreat offered short-term live-in sessions involving fasting, colonic cleansing and natural therapy. Despite strong opposition from the cancer specialist, I decided to cancel my diagnostic operation and instead go for 9 days of natural therapy. On returning home, there was no sign of the cough, and I felt much rejuvenated. As I continued with my strict diet, along with herbal tonics and food supplements as recommended by the health retreat, my health continued to improve. I was gaining more and more confidence in natural therapy.
Additionally, I received prayer, a powerful experience that gave me faith. This was to be a great source of encouragement later, when I experienced times of despair and depression. Each time of depression presented a battle, which I had to fight with determination, holding on to the promise of life through faith in God, rather than focusing on the prospect of terminal illness.
Later in February I had a call, out of the blue, from the cancer specialist who explained that it was imperative that l submit myself for diagnostic surgery because there was a strong chance that the lymphoma was aggressive. I finally decided to go for the surgery. I was now feeling much stronger and able to face it. The surgery involved seven days in hospital, five of those days on an intravenous drip of saline solution. This was a traumatic experience but I made a good recovery. I returned immediately to the strict diet and supplements.
Two weeks after the surgery we were called to discuss the results. Much to everyone’s surprise, I was not in the 90% of ‘curable’ lymphoma cases. I had a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, (follicular small cleaved cell type involving mesenteric lymph nodes), for which there was no medical cure. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were ineffective on this type of cancer, (as at January 1997). The cancer was said to be fairly slow growing, which meant I had approximately four to seven years to live. Fortunately there was no evidence of secondary cancer.
Instead of being shocked by the news, my wife and I were relieved. By this time we had done enough research on natural therapy to know that chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not the only way. In fact we were relieved to be free from making the decision on which way to go. Also because my cancer was slow growing, it meant that there was time for natural therapy to work. So for me, obedience to a strict, healthy diet, making use of the healing properties in God’s creation was the only effective way to go.
We continued to believe that God would heal by both natural and supernatural means. Natural therapy meant obedience to a strict healthy diet, taking of the best nutritional supplements we could find. Making use of all the healing properties in God’s creation played as much importance as our overall belief that God would heal.
The first year proved to be the most difficult. Keeping hope and faith alive was not always easy, but vital. We discovered that the way we spoke about the illness was important. It was often necessary to explain to people why we were eating the way we were, or why I didn’t have enough energy to do things on certain days. Instead of saying, “I’ve got cancer”, I would say, “I’m recovering from cancer.”
One year after diagnosis, my chronic fatigue had lessened; the occasional cold was thrown off within a week without resorting to antibiotics. My health had improved dramatically.
Four years after diagnosis we read about the value of taking apricot kernels for healing and prevention of cancer. In Phillip Day’s book, Cancer, Why We’re Still Dying to Know the Truth, we found testimonials of people who had been healed from cancer using natural therapy, part of that therapy being vitamin B17 found in apricot kernels. I started taking the kernels along with the important enzymes . Fresh pineapple provides the enzyme, bromelain, and fresh paw paw or papaya contains papain. These fruits are eaten for breakfast. Additional pancreatic enzymes are taken in tablet form. I took 30 kernels a day for six months, just to make sure that the cancer was really gone, and then continued on a maintenance dose of 14 per day. Many people think that apricot kernels are toxic, but this is not the case. The compound of cyanide they contain is different to the toxic form of cyanide. Vitamin B17 is only toxic to cancer cells.
I also changed my nutritional supplements to those mentioned in Phillip Day’s book, and my energy level increased dramatically as a result of these supplements – more powerful than any I had ever tried before. We also threw out all our regular brands of personal care/bathroom products and substituted them for the safer non-toxic ones mentioned by Phillip Day. Detoxification is the key, and that means not putting into your body harmful chemicals that get absorbed through the skin.
Currently I am in good health. I still continue to take a maintenance dose of 10 kernels per day and still continue with the very effective supplements.
What do the doctors say? At my regular six-monthly check-ups by my G.P. finds no sign of swollen nodes or spleen. As for my oncologist, his advice was “just keep on doing what you have been doing.” He sees no need to undergo another C.T. scan, which involves some degree of exposure to radioactivity. The physical evidence is enough!
Apricot kernels in the media – Read Paul’s comments on two newspaper articles that featured his cancer survival story.