It was the summer of 2005 when my diagnostic mammogram revealed a growth in the back of my breast. The biopsy confirmed it was cancer. My best option was to have a mastectomy. The day before surgery, my surgeon called to tell me my pre-opt tests came back.
"Your liver enzymes are seriously elevated," he said.
"What are liver enzymes?" I asked.
"Liver enzymes let us know how healthy the liver is," he explained. "Your enzymes are 3 times higher than normal. Surgery is on hold until we run some tests."
Had the cancer spread to my liver?
After a round of tests, the surgeon called again.
"The cancer doesn’t appear to have spread to your liver, but we can’t pin point the cause of the elevated enzymes." He continued, "We can’t wait any longer for surgery."
Three days later I had the mastectomy. The doctors decided I was not a good candidate for the traditional follow-up cancer treatment of radiation, chemotherapy, or hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy. There is no cure for breast cancer; yet, the traditional therapies were not for me. My liver enzymes were still seriously elevated. I knew I had to find an alternative treatment. I went into research mode. I poured through hundreds of research studies, medical journals, and dozens of books. I shifted through my piles of notes. I devised My Six-Step Plan. I became my own guinea pig.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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