Wednesday, November 25, 2009

PET Scan Results

We got the phone call from Maureen Long, the director of Camelot Cancer Care, at about 6:40pm this evening. Now..this was just a phone conversation, I have not seen the PET Scan pictures myself...and I was listening in on the conversation with my head up against Derek's head, while his ear was to his cell phone...and I do not know or understand all that there is to know, more will be explained when Derek and I travel back to Tulsa next week.

Good News!~
1. The cancer has not metastasized into Derek's torso or anywhere else.
2. The center of the cancerous tumor is DEAD!!

What this all means and then the slightly negative part...
The cancer has not spread...self explanatory. Tumors die from the center or inside-out...so we know what we have been doing IS WORKING!! With PET Scans they measure SUV's (?? I think that is the correct term) and anything with a value of five or above is considered cancerous. The center of the tumor is dead..the cells surrounding the center measured an 8.8 (I believe). Also (here is the slightly negative part) there was an upward streamline towards a lymph node that measured a three point something and then (and I apologize to family that when I spoke with you I did not know this part, this is the part I missed and Derek had to explain to me later.) there is a place near the lymph node that measures 4.1. Now, again...anything 5 or above is considered cancerous, so these numbers are low enough that they are not even considered cancerous...we will keep plugging away and they will not have the opportunity to become cancer!! Maureen said that as cancer is dying it can try to recolonize and move else where...and she believes that is what is happening...or it could be that before we got to Camelot, that the cancer was trying to move. Whatever the case...what we are doing is working and we cannot stop!! We just got to keep hammering away. Maureen said, "We can beat this! We know that what we are doing is working." Because the cancer is trying to move, we may have to tweak things in our game plan slightly...BUT PRAISE GOD!! It has not metastasized and IT IS DYING!!! I cannot tell you how I love to hear it and I love to say it...the center of the cancer is DEAD... PRAISE GOD!! THANKS for all the prayers... we will beat this! God is good.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Special Thanks to Kirsten and Her AMAZING Friends!!

I wanted to say a special thank you to Kirsten. I have no idea what the email said that she sent out to her friends and then they passed along to their friends, but I have never been treated so warmly by complete strangers. We met Kirsten and Joe, her husband, about 12 years ago at Victory Life Church in Durant, OK. They were a fun, friendly couple. We were expecting ..her first child and my second at the same time..in fact our babies were due on the same day! (We didn't have them on the same day.) Anyway, they moved and we moved, we lost contact with one another, and then later reconnected through Facebook. Kirsten kept up through the internet with what we were going through, and told me that she knew many people in the Tulsa area. Before we left for Tulsa, we started receiving cards of encouragement with money from complete strangers!! Once we got to Tulsa, we had more meals than I can count from ...again, complete strangers!! Homemade meals...delicious home baked goods!! We also had...babysitters, hand me down clothes, and offers to take our kids to movies, pizza, etc. It was AMAZING!! This is the body of Christ! This is how the church should operate. I will NEVER forget this time in my life and I most assuredly will never forget the love of God shown to us through strangers!!! God bless you all!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Past Three Weeks...Or More..

Whew! Where do I begin???
There is sooo much.. especially since I haven't blogged in SOOOOO long!!

Getting Here~
In my last post I had written about our plans to come to Camelot Cancer Care and at that time, we had the appointment set but nothing more. We did not have a hotel to stay in and we didn't even have the money!! Not long after that post our van broke down and so did I!! You know how it is..when you are coming down to the wire and you are needing to see progress and things happening. You know how it feels when nothing SEEMS to be coming together right!! Thank God that He is never late and always on time:) As everything seemed to be falling apart other things just started falling into place. I won't be able to tell it all tonight, but will try to give the short version:)


We are using a van that belongs to friends and will be purchasing it once we return home. ..Oh by the way, we made it to Camelot Cancer Care here in Tulsa and I am writing this from our hotel room. The money for the hotel...came in the very next morning after the van broke down.. a sweet lady from Derek's Granny's church who lost her husband to cancer! Derek nor I have EVER met her...can you believe that? In fact, we have found some pretty amazing people through all of this and even more...we have found out what a REALLY amazing God we serve. We have had money, cards of encouragement, FOOD!, babysitters...all kinds of things being offered to us in ways that can only come from HIM!!!


Anyway, I'll tell more about all that later... let me get to Derek and his treatments. I know many are wanting to know. ~ Camelot Cancer Care~
Camelot Cancer Care staff is amazing!! I have never met people with such HUGE hearts!! We are at the right place! I believe everyone working and caring for people in that clinic are nothing short of pure genius! They are driven by passion to see people well. We have grown so close to the staff. I will NEVER forget Maureen, Belinda, Noel, John, Heather, or Michael. Maureen is the owner/director...operator...she is a fire ball and I thank God for her. She is Einstien smart...incredibly knowledgeable about cancer. Belinda is one of our favorites!! She is the vascular specialist/nurse. I cannot even imagine how giving she is. It is truly a blessing to have her caring for Derek. We are in great hands. Noel and his doberman, Champ, are dear as well...Derek asks for Noel when he needs a pep talk. When Noel is administering treatments he is so positive and uplifting. He speaks Derek's language! There is so much that I could say about this staff...I just don't have enough time:) While I am ready to go home, I can't even imagine how much I am going to miss these people, along with the other cancer fighters we have met. (I call them cancer fighters...none of them seem like cancer patients to me!)


~Cancer Fighters~ please add these names to your prayer lists... sweet, cheerful Nancy, Stan Poston (and his BEAUTIFUL wife, Janet... such awesome people!! There is so much to say about this couple..Godly people!!), Primo and his daughter Jannet (we should all be blessed with such a daughter) (Please pray for Primo that the swelling on his brain would subside so that he would be strong enough to return to Puerto Rico.), and two new fighters, Joe and then Grant and his family. It has been refreshing to be here with other believers.

Derek continues to feel great. The first day we arrived here at Camelot, a Picc line was placed in Derek so that he could receive the daily drip bag treatments. We will leave here with a bag, which we will stretch out over an eight day period. One bag usually lasts for four days. Most 'fighters' leave with a 20 day treatment to continue on at their home. At this time we do not have the finances to leave here with that, so we are going to just buy a bag at a time. We have a PET scan scheduled for 9am Monday, November 23rd, in Oklahoma City. The results will be sent back here, to Camelot Cancer Care. After a few days we should have the results. We will be heading back home to Texas as soon as the PET scan is finished on Monday. We were advised to continue on with the treatments as best we could for at least another month or two...no matter what the PET scan says. We do not want to give the cancer an inch! The idea is to get us at first ...four weeks down the road..then if we can get the cancer pushed back into a corner four months down the road and eventually four years, we will get to a place where the cancer will not ever return!! This is the goal!! I believe it a is a very attainable goal for us! We know we just have to keep at it, we cannot let up. We will continue on with the lifestyle change (healthy eating and exercising) for the rest of our lives.

Specific prayer requests~
1. Peace!! No fear...no matter what the PET scan results say..
2. Wisdom!
3. That nothing would be hidden!
4. Finances
5. Jannet and her father Primo to be able to return to Puerto Rico
6. These other cancer fighters~ Stan, Nancy, Joe and Grant

Thank you for reading! Thank you so much for all of the prayers and encouragement... God has been good to us!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Camelot Cancer Care

We have been researching alternative treatments and clinics for nearly a year now... We are fortunate to have found a place near us that specializes in various types of cancer treatments and cancers...including sarcomas. We have been led to the Camelot Cancer Care Clinic in Tulsa, OK. They have an impeccable reputation. We have been researching this clinic since March. They have a very effective treatment for sarcomas, which was the main thing we were looking for (alternative treatments for sarcomas). It was very refreshing to finally find a clinic that puts into practice the various types of alternative treatments that Derek has been researching and looking for. I could tell you some about the treatments, but mostly if you are curious or have questions about them it is best to email or call and let Derek tell you about them, because he is a wealth of information:) I can tell you some...he will have a port placement surgery, just as he would if he were having chemo. He will then begin intravenous treatments that same day, I believe, and will continue to have intravenous treatments every single day for 20 days. He will have a PET scan at the end of treatments to see that the cancer is gone. Insurance will only allow for PET scans every three months, so we are still needing to find out if we should go ahead and have a PET scan now and then wait until January to have another one to see that the treatments got it all. There are still details to work out, and some things I'm sure we will not know in full until we get there and get started:)



Because these intravenous treatments are considered alternative and non-conventional, insurance does not cover it, except for the port placement surgery (after we have paid for it, up front, we will be reimbursed) and the PET scans (once every 3 months). Derek's mom is going to use some of her retirement and sale stock to pay for the treatments...close to $10,000. I have to say that even though that seems awfully steep...it is still a great deal cheaper than if we were having the traditional chemotherapy and radiation...those treatments are extremely expensive, even with insurance paying for most ...our deductibles and copays would have well exceeded the $10,000 treatment cost. Mostly...I can not put a price on Derek's life:) Words cannot express my thankfulness to Linda (Derek's mom) and his siblings. His brother and sister let him know that they were not interested in any inheritance..what they want is for Derek to have a long healthy life. They want holidays and family get togethers. They want their nephews and nieces to have their Daddy. Even though, I know that Derek's family does not need my gratitude ...I just couldn't put it into words..there are not enough words to express my appreciation for what they are doing and sacrificing.



We are all going...we are taking the kids with us. We are still making calls about where we will be staying, trying to find the most affordable place. Camelot has sent a list of places that offer rooms/suites and even apartments at reduced or reasonable prices. They sent us a list of about five places to call. Using their list, the cheapest place I spoke with, was offering a suite w/a fully stocked kitchen, bath and two rooms for $65.00 a night, and the most expensive was a lady (whose daughter had treatment w/Camelot) who manages an apartment complex offering us a bottom floor, 2 bed/2bath, fully furnished, fully stocked kitchen for $100.00 dollars a day...$2,200. At this time, we do not have the money for either of those places:) BUT... I have a friend..who has a friend, who has a brother (yea, it's that kinda thing) that works for the company that owns several hotel chains..including Comfort Inn. She is going to see if her friend's brother can get us something cheaper. Where ever God guides, He will provide:)



Derek has cleared the three week vacation/extended sick leave with his boss. His boss told him.."Go and take care of your health and your family. We will cover for you as long as you need us to." However, his boss is not in charge of time off pay, etc. and so some of our time away will be with out pay. We could wait until January, but have decided to go ahead and go through with this plan right now, rather than wait. It is not that Derek is feeling bad or anything. We have just prayed and decided that we would rather go seek treatment while he still feels great, rather than wait until we 'have' to go somewhere.



Even though these treatments are not nearly as rough as chemo..they are still tough. He will have nausea, headaches, fever, chills, body aches, etc. This will not be easy. I will be very honest here, and say that because of that..I have a lot of fear and anxiety. I do realize that it is a necessary part of it to rid our lives from this cancer. I am just a little scared to see him sick, and unsure exactly how sick he will be...again the fear of the unknown. At the same time, the lady from the clinic told us that when he feels awful, that that is a time of celebration, because we know that the treatments are killing off the cancer...it is beginning to take effect. So...I think at the same time I would probably freak out a little if he did not have some sort of sickly reaction.



Derek has said that he is not scared. He continues to be so upbeat and positive, my ROCK...even while I struggle. I have a variety of emotions right now...excitement, nerves, fear, anxiety, hopefulness...mostly that..mostly hopeful!! I am full of hope. I have tremendous peace about this place. I am just ready! Ready to be done!



So...here are our immediate prayer request:

1. Most of the time patients do not need any more treatment than the first 20 days...pray that we would be among those patients not needing to return for additional treatment.

2. Finances to fall into place.

3. Wisdom for the doctors and for us.

4. PEACE...no fear.

5. My kids...just for them in general, this has been a long, tough year and even though they have been absolute troopers and blessings, it's been tough..they have had some heavy things to deal with this past year. I know that in the end we will all be better for having gone through this:) We praise God because we KNOW that He works ALL things together for our good...even what may have been intended for evil, He can turn around in our favor.

6. That we get rid of this cancer and that it does not return. CANCER FREE



**If you all could... from November 1st until November 22nd have Derek's name added to your church's prayer list and keep it on there for the duration of our time in Tulsa..would mean so much to us. I know the prayers of others have sustained us this past year:)**



Much love and gratitude,

Misty

Thursday, October 8, 2009

In His Presence..a little insight

This is Jason Upton singing "In Your Presence". (DON'T forget to scroll down to the playlist, on the left hand side of the screen, to pause the music so that you can be blessed by this video.) It has become one of Derek's favorite songs. I was watching this today, as Derek posted it on his Facebook page. I believe Derek has truly just stayed 'in His presence'. I see that he is so strong, full of faith...without fear. He is so upbeat and positive. I also found this verse on the laptop today...it is Mark chapter 4 beginning in verse 35. This is what Derek was reading.... this is where his state of mind has been...

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?










Thursday, September 10, 2009

It's Been A While....

Hi All...
Wow! It's been a while... there is much to tell, but because of time restraints, I will make this short.

I am homeschooling all three school aged Pressley children this fall. I have decided to do this for a variety of reasons. One is to free us up so that if we are needing to go somewhere for treatment...we have the ability to do that and take the kids with us. It will also be easier for them to go stay with family, if they are not tied to public school. Anyway...we are really enjoying our time of schooling together. So far, so good. It is work...it has been a challenge juggling all three at different developmental stages, but we are working it out and getting into a groove. It is my hope that we will learn to work together as a team..a well oiled machine by the end of the school year. While I say that it is work, it is also very enjoyable. I find myself, at different points throughout the day, wondering why I have not done this sooner!!! It is very rewarding, to me as a parent, to sit down at our kitchen table and work with the kids. I enjoy our daily Bible study with Nate and Hannah. I love having Caedmon, cuddled up close on the couch, sounding out words in one of his readers!! It's also been a huge relief to have homework free evenings. I am staying sane without the added frustration of juggling homework, kids' schedules, meal preparation, and bed time every evening. We are way more relaxed. It's just proved to be a huge blessing at this time.

As for Derek, he just walked in the door from running five laps around our neighborhood. He continues his cancer fighting regimen. Although, he has been a bit lax throughout the summer, he is getting back into the groove of his hardcore protocols...including strict diet, exercise (we are both beginning P90X today!!), detoxification, etc. We have found an alternative treatment clinic, Camelot Cancer Care, in Tulsa that is having wonderful success against sarcomas!! They encourage a PET scan to see where we are in our fight. Once we have the results we will be making more decisions about either continuing in the way that we are currently treating or having Derek go to Tulsa and receive more aggressive intravenous treatments as a patient. We do not yet have all the details to this plan worked out, but will keep you posted as things come together:) Please be in prayer about these things, with us.

Thanks for your love and prayers,
Misty:)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

God's Chisel

Enjoy!! Be sure to scroll down to the my playlist on the left and pause the music first. You may want to turn up your volume just a little, so that you can listen to the video.




Monday, June 15, 2009

Digging in our heels and PUSHing- (Praying Until Something Happens!)

I have had such marvelous support and encouragement throughout this, and I just thank God for it! All of you out there, praying for and supporting us, really mean the world to us. The past few weeks I've been particularly blessed by three really special friends...on facebook, of all places!!

One friend simply said, "STAND! When you have done all.....STAND!" So, Karla, I am!!

Our God is certainly able....I am unmoved~ Daniel 3:16-18~ Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. but if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worsip the gold image which you have set up."

While chatting with a pastor friend, a while back, he brought me to those verses. He showed me that Rack, Shack and Benny (ok... I'm using the "Veggie Tales" names, for my purposes!) were a wonderful example of how we should pray. Our God IS ABLE to deliver us and we believe He WILL, but even so....come what may, we will continue to worship Him and to praise Him, because HE IS WORTHY! We will not bow our head to circumstances. We will not be moved. (Thanks Dr. Haney~Derek and I were talking about how great God is to have the pastor that I had such admiration for, from my youth camp, ministering w/in 30 minutes of where we live! We think it is just super cool of Him! And for such a time as this!!! God is too good!! I know Parkside is certainly blessed!)


P*U*S*H ~Pray Until Something Happens!!~ While reading the blog of a friend (Thanks, Ronnie!! "Arrington Family News"), I felt so inspired and challenged! She was blogging about the unity of the church body and how we are to encourage and pray for one another. She was telling about a book she was reading with the acronym P*U*S*H, Pray Until Something Happens. She wrote, " I want to be so enfolded at the throne of the Father that I won't leave until something happens!". I was so struck by that statement! Her words challenge me! What I felt in my spirit, was ...'I'm not moving unless it is forward!' I should be PUSHing forward. I need to dig in my heels and STAND firm! I am not budging! We need to PUSH (pray) through these situations and circumstances. We should not allow circumstances to knock us backwards on unsteady feet... I'm digging in my heels and I'm going to STAND firmly planted until I can PUSH forward!! Now, I know that this all sounds very simplistic, but to me...it was just such a revelation!! So, we are PUSHing forward. We are Praying Until Something Happens!! Please join with us to PUSH on through!!

PUSH!

Misty





SUMMERTIME!!

Wow!! It's been a while! I promise that is not a bad thing! We have had a busy last few weeks of school and summer began with a bang! We are off and running!!
(WARNING: excessive bragging to follow!)

We'll begin with the smallest Pressley~
Selah is fully potty trained and doing well. She turned three on June 1st and celebrated with a small Mickey Mouse party here in our home with family. She amazes us daily with her speech and vocabulary, she really is talker and very smart!

Caedmon~
Caed can tie his shoes and ride his bicycle without training wheels. Kindergarten ended on a high note, with him reading above grade level, spelling, and beautiful handwriting! He won several awards at the end of the school awards ceremony including "Outstanding Reading", "Super Math Whiz", "Super Speller", "Excellence in Social Studies", and "Outstanding Behavior" (and a few others!). He is really proud of himself and so are we!!

Hannah~
Hannah finished up volleyball with a third place finish for her team in their division. She received commended performances on her TAKS reading, math and writing tests; missing only one on her reading test, missing two on the math portion and a perfect score on her composition!! She also received a few awards at the end of the school ceremony including, "Exceptional Behavior", "A/B Honor Roll", and she was voted "Kindest Student" and "Biggest Animal Lover" by her classmates. We really like the young lady that she is becoming.

Nate~
Nate has been working hard and enjoying his homeschooling. He has become such a huge help to me around the house and with Caed and Selah. He is taking on more responsibilities and I believe his self esteem has greatly improved. He moved up to boyscouts and is learning so much there, including that it isn't all just fun and games! He has completed two, five mile hikes, and will be going away to camp next week. I can hardly believe how grown up he is becoming and how fast it has all happened!! (He'll be 13 in December!!!)

Visit w/Nanny and Pops~
Nate, Hannah and Caed all went on a road trip with Nanny and Pops. This was Caedmon's first time to be able to go with them and he was stoked!! They went and stayed in Childress, Amarillo, and then met Derek, Selah and I in Oklahoma City for a few days. In OKC, we ate a lot of great food and went to Frontier City. At Frontier City we enjoyed beautiful weather, short lines, fun rides, and some pretty cool shows. We caught a short country musical act, that Selah loved and an awesome cowboy stunt show....very entertaining!! We will definitely go again!

So...all that brings us up to date on what we have been doing. I'll have another short post as time allows; there is so much in my heart these days that it is sometimes difficult to put it all together in order to form complete sentences and paragraphs!! (That's a good thing!)

Hugs,
Misty
PS. Derek continues to look and feel great. He's sticking to the protocols, although he has cheated on his diet a little. We continue to *PUSH* forward (more on that later)!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Spring Fever

I'm sooooooooo tired of winter.... What's this??? I know...many of you must be asking yourselves. You must think I'm off my rocker, with the heat and already we are deep into the month of May. What I'm saying is that ...sure in the physical/natural I'm ready for SUMMER, but in the spiritual...I still feel as though, I'm experiencing winter, and I have a really REALLY bad case of SPRING FEVER!!!! I know I keep saying this, and well maybe you all are tired of hearing it, and I'm sure by now that God is, but I am more than ready for this whole cancer thing to be a distant memory! I keep thinking and saying to myself...if I can just glide through these next few months, then we'll make it. Here as of late, it's as if even the underlying fear and knowledge that cancer is a part of our lives has become a part of the normal...what our lives once were before the diagnosis is gone, and then the life we experienced while getting over the shock ...well, now that's gone too, and what I'm left with.... I feel like I'm either drudging along or some days I'm on auto pilot, just going through the motions and anything I can do to NOT stop and feel or think. (Please forgive me...I know this post sounds very negative, but just hang with me for a moment if you will...) I know that neither of those are what God would have of me. I know he wants me to experience His love to the fullest and to walk in that knowledge. God help me, I'm tired! So, today I'm going back to square one ...AGAIN..hehehe! He loves me, and perfect love cast out all fear. So...if this is where we are, and honestly, I'm not 100% sure where that is...I know that what my eyes tell me is that there is still a tumor in my love's leg, (but we are still doing the protocols, we can't give up yet!! We might be just weeks from being finished with this thing forever!! And then there's that..."will we EVER REALLY be finished with this forever or is this going to be a black cloud hovering?"). Anyway, back to what I was about to say...if this is where we are, then it might be that I should quit looking for a quick escape, a quick fix, and maybe I should just stop and look for the lessons that are in the daily walk in this winter. There is much to be gleaned from this season. I am learning that it is so easy to 'talk the talk', what I'm LEARNING is to 'walk the walk'. I feel like a toddler on unsteady legs learning to take my first steps. I am a frustrated toddler wanting to run but these newly developing muscles are holding me back, they are not quite ready to run...yet, but that day will come!!! So, I'm going to slow down, take it one step at a time, and when I fall, instead of crawling because that is what I know will get me there faster, I'm going to get back up and learn from that failure, reach out for my Daddy's hand and ask Him to help me, hold my hands Lord and walk me through this.

Friday, May 15, 2009

It's been a while

I know it's been a while since we have posted anything. We're still here!!! We've been busy with end of the school year activities, and Derek has been working quite a bit of overtime. We've been juggling schedule changes due to rain and swine flu fears!!! Anyway, Derek feels great! He has kept up the lifestyle change, and most of the protocols. The more strict he is with his diet the better he feels and the sooner we'll get through this. The tumor is still there doing its job, which is containing the bad cells until his good cells take back over. While we are still able to see/feel the tumor, he will just continue on with his protocols. He will continue the clean eating and healthy lifestyle even after the cancer is gone, just not as hard core;) As far as scans, blood work and what not, he'll be getting those to monitor his progress over the next few months. We'll keep updating as these things progress. Derek will be posting, himself soon.

As far as other Pressley news goes, we are finishing up volleyball this weekend ~YAY!~ and have several girl scout and boyscout activities planned over the next few weeks and some camps even into the summer months. Homeschooling Nate is going well...we have found our niche and are rolling along. I have all of his curriculum and it has been completely paid for thanks to a sweet gift from a special Uncle, given unexpectedly and without any knowledge of the need!! God is good and knows our needs!

Church has been fantastic, as usual. We have been learning so much over the past few months. Pastor Lee came from Atoka and taught a series about "What is a Real Man?", it was very good and I have to say that I'm soooo very thankful to be married to a real man. This series was great in that it teaches about how to raise a boy into a man, how to be married to a real man and of course challenges men to stand up and be the men of God that He has called them to be! Very good!! Brother Duane is now teaching on "Raising Teens in the Lions' Den"...all I can say is WOW!!! This series is a fantastic teaching ...we are only three messages in, and it has been very convicting, affirming...just a super message, even if you don't have children. You can log onto http://www.dsheriff.org/ to order any of these messages for FREE!!! Our church has a free tape/CD ministry!!

Well...hmmmm, I have so much in my heart that I'd like to share, but because of time restraints of the moment, I'll just have to wait until a later date.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Beautiful Truth

Hi all, this is just a short post about a movie that Derek and I recently watched. It's a documentary made by a 15 year old, homeschooled boy from Alaska. He sets out to prove and disprove different theories concerning cancer, its causes and treatments. He and his father fly all over the country to interview patients, doctors, different people working in the food industry, etc. I have to admit, when Derek told me that he wanted me to watch this documentary...I was about as excited as I get to clean the kids' bathroom toilet;O) but...afterwards, I was very grateful that Derek had literally MADE me sit down and watch this. It's quite interesting and very informative. Anyway, Derek has requested that everyone take time to rent this movie. We rented it through Netflix and had it streamlined from our laptop. Here's a link to the movie's webpage:

http://www.thebeautifultruthmovie.com/


Thanks,

Misty and Derek

Thursday, April 23, 2009

An Interesting Message from a Friend

Below is a copy of a private message sent to me from a friend on Facebook (Thanks Ronnie!!)


Hey - Derek is WAY ahead of the game for this coming out!

JOHNS HOPKINS(very interesting) New Info on cancer

Excellent information!!!I'm passing it on to everyone.......PLEASE READ


I THINK EVERYONE WILL FIND THIS VERY INFORMATIVE.


AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cellsin their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

7. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

8. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruit help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water -best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. Learn to laugh.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Interview w/Rick Warren

This came to me in an email, twice! I forwarded it on, but it is so good, that I couldn't resist posting it here as well:O)

An Interview with Rick Warren (REMEMBER, HE WROTE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE)

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is a short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life' author.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body --but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.? No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is 'my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.? It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people ...You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.? It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.? That's why we're called human beings, not human doings. Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

My Lean Mean Cancer Fighting Machine

Whew...we've had a busy few weeks!!


Let me get to Derek's updates first...
Derek completed his 21 day, deep cellular detoxification (http://www.drcelltox.com/). I'm so proud of his strong will and determination. He then ordered the 'Bob Beck Protocol'. There was a small misunderstanding concerning exactly what products, company, and the price of the products...so we are waiting for the rest of it to come in the mail. During this time, Derek happened upon the name of a naturopathic doctor in our area http://innovationsfps.com/wellness.html). We had our first appointment with Dr. Wilson on Wednesday, April 8th. She spent a little over two hours with Derek. She was extremely thorough. She wrote up a very strict protocol for Derek...including recipes, diet, what supplements to take when...etc. Two things that we learned yesterday were that 1) Derek's blood sugar level was slightly high and needs to come down (sugar feeds cancer) and 2) His body fat ratio was just a tad bit higher than what it needs to be, as well. I was a bit shocked by both of those little tidbits, as Derek has radically changed his diet and lost so much weight!! All in all it was a very positive experience and she gave us a great deal of information. I am learning that there is definitely an art to this...to ridding oneself of cancer the alternative way!! So...she did some tweaking to his 'treatment plan' and before long, Derek will be a lean mean cancer fighting machine!! Derek is scheduled to return in two weeks for blood work.

In other Pressley household news~
Nate got glasses and is amazed at how well he can see ~haha!! Derek got new glasses as well, and they both look very handsome in their new glasses;O) Nate crossed over from Webelos to a Boyscout; we are so proud. He had his first camp out with the Boy scouts and made it through a 5 mile hike. Hannah started volleyball and is really giving it her all!! She is having so much fun playing. We are proud of how hard she tries and her work ethic during practice. She too has been very active in Junior Girl scouts. She took a cooking class, and made a delicious dinner for the entire family complete w/salad and dessert!! She also took a cake decorating class, and made an adorable smiley face cake. Caedmon lost his first tooth!! He has been doing so well in school this year on his spelling tests, his reading and his handwriting is beautiful!! Selah does pretty well with her big girl potty and likes wearing big girl panties...sometimes. She has a huge vocabulary and cracks us up daily with the things that she comes up with...She is quite a character!! She is still the boss, or so she thinks!

Spring Break was beautiful for the biggest part of the week, and we enjoyed the time off. We stayed up late and slept in, often!! On Derek's day off we packed a picnic and headed out to Waterloo for lunch. We fished, and Derek was the only one to catch anything...one small bass. We walked around the entire 'lake', fed the ducks and finally, gave up on the fishing and played at the playground. All in all, spring break was very relaxing, and we got very little accomplished other than some good quality, family time together!!!

Once again..God has used a dear one to remind us that we are not in this alone. He has shown us, through the kindness of others, that He knows our needs and that He will provide! I am blessed by His goodness. I am amazed at His timing!! So, the following is a message to someone special...~THANK YOU~ Thank you for the card and gift!! It came at THE right time!! God knows!! He knows our needs!! And even though, we do not know who you are...God does, and I know that He will bless you! What you sow you will reap. We pray for you, and we thank God for you..for your sensitivity to the Spirit, and we thank God for your generosity:O) God bless you!!

Well...that's all I have at the moment. To each of you who take the time to check in on us, and who continue to pray for us...we thank you so much. The prayers and support we have received have kept us going. Thank you:O)
~Misty

Monday, March 9, 2009

Move Mountain!

You know, the minute I begin to get comfortable or the minute I proclaim something...it gets tested!! Yes, in my last post, I wrote about how great Derek is doing, and how close we have become during this 'season'. Well, yes..he is doing well, and we are still experiencing that closeness and that unity, but...this past week has been difficult, to say the least. Definitely icy, cold days in this past week (and I'm not talking about the literal weather, as it was beautiful all last week!). I'm talking about a couple of days of just feeling overwhelmed. " When will this end?" " When will we begin to see tangible results?" "Will our lives ever look 'normal' again?" All these questions and learning of so many others going through the same struggles, hearing about a few new cancer diagnosis. It makes it all feel so huge, so never ending. I believe Derek would even say that this last week...cancer has FELT like a mountain to climb, equipped with nothing but flip flops and a walking stick!! I capitalized FELT...because that is what it is/was...feelings, and feelings lie. Because the truth is...cancer might be a mountain, but we are equipped with the word of God and faith. In Matthew 17:20, the word of God tells us, "I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Those words were spoken by Jesus, by the way.

It is so easy to focus on the physical. It is easy to allow our five senses control what we believe. It is easy to get so caught up in the physical protocols that we neglect the more important aspect, our spiritual walk. It is time, once again, to stop focusing on 'the healing' and instead focus on The Healer. All this other, it's just a distraction. We have to be about our father's business. I have children to raise, a house to clean, and a King to glorify (all of the above need tending to, so I'm going to get busy).

I'll leave you with this email that Derek received this week. It is from Kim Clement ministries in response to Derek's request for prayer. It was the right word at the right time.


Dear Friend,
I have received your request and I am praying for God's intervention.
One of the most encouraging stories in the Bible is in Matthew 8: 5-13: A Roman Centurion came to Jesus pleading for his servant who was paralyzed. Jesus offered to go to the Centurion's home and heal his servant personally, an offer most would never refuse. However, this man is different from most and understands the authority of Christ and says to Jesus; "...Just speak the word and my servant will be healed." Jesus was astounded at his level of faith and his understanding of the power of one word being spoken by a ruler and the effects thereof. Verse 10: When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said "Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" At that moment Jesus spoke the word; "Go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.
Please be encouraged that His word is yours, no matter how great the need may be. He has already spoken it for you and now it is in your power to receive it.
Lord, I pray for healing and even though we are miles apart, your Word is within our reach. As you have spoken it, so we receive it now.
With Christ's love,
KIM CLEMENT




As always, thanks for reading and most importantly standing in the gap.
Misty
His love never fails!



Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The flu, failures, fears and FINALLY Fruit!!

Hi all!! It's been a while since we updated..so,I thought I'd do a quick post to let everyone know how/where we are in the midst of this winter. I call it a winter because it very much feels like that to me...in fact it feels a lot like a Texas winter to me:) Those of you who have lived in Texas or who live in Texas will understand what I mean when I say...one day it may be a sunny, 70 degree day only to come a freezing ice storm the next!!! For me, this whole ordeal has been a Texas winter... one day I feel full of faith and excited about what God is doing (a nice sunny 70 degree day) only to come down hard the next, (I'm ashamed to say) full of fear and doubt (a frigid, windy day with sleet!!). Now...thank God, those days are far and few between, and they were a lot more frequent in the earlier days following the cancer diagnosis. In fact, it is very seldom, now, that I feel the icy clutches of 'cancer'. It definitely doesn't have the power that it once did, but every now and then, those clouds sneak up on me. Now, let me say, Derek...he is awesome! ~my steady and sure ROCK!!

My fears are not in the alternative treatments. In fact, I feel very confident about the path we are on and I have a tremendous amount of faith in the wisdom of my husband. Again, I think the fear is just in getting over the word or name...'cancer'. (I'll say it again though...a fantastic friend reminded me in the beginning of this, and she is so right ...WE KNOW THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES!!) I am guessing that I am human, and that overcoming fear is a part of the growing process.

The kids and I are getting over a horrible bout of the flu. EEWW!! I have not felt that bad in quite some time, and hope to not feel that way EVER again!!! I believe this is where the fear crept back in...while I was sick. I was not in the Word, we were missing church, I was not listening to praise and worship music, and I was not praying (other than begging for mercy..hehe!). I thought a lot about if we had chosen to go the traditional route, what that might have looked like, while the kids and I were so sick. Derek would have been in the midst of chemo, and most likely would had to have been hospitalized, away from us, as chemo wipes out your immune system. I thought about how I would want to be with him while he was going through that and about how much I needed him while I was so sick!! I have heard the horror stories of people going through chemo and dying from something as simple as a cold!! And so...here is where the fear came from...imaginations!!! Isn't it strange how something, whether real or not, an illusion...can cause such fear!! In the beginning, I learned to take those thoughts (all the what ifs) before the Lord in prayer and often times to crank the praise and worship music!! Praise is a powerful thing...it's hard to worry with something so small as cancer when you are focused on the glory, and awesome goodness of the Heavenly Father!! As John Mark McMillan so eloquently wrote in the lyrics to "How He Loves", "all of the sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, and I realize just how beautiful You are, and how great your affections are for me!"

Even in the midst of winter there are some plants that still bring forth fruit!!! In fact, my dad was telling me that (I believe) it is the fig, that has two fruit bearing seasons, one during the cold of winter. It is the fruit that comes during the winter season that is considered the sweetest and most sought after of the figs!! It is smaller, but has a sweeter taste after having endured the cold hard winter!! I want to be the fig! I want to survive this 'winter' and still have fruit, in fact I want it to be the sweetest, most sought after fruit! I can not imagine coming out of this 'season' the same!! In fact, I'm sure that God is using this season to bring forth fruit! I know that there are many things that we are learning in the midst of this. I know God is working these things into His purposes. I know so many things are taking form that would not have, had we not gone through this season.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I know that God is using this season in our life for His purposes. I know that He is using this time to mold us into who He wants us to be. I believe in the midst of this, there is purpose. Not that God gave Derek cancer, but that He allowed this. He allowed this for a reason, He has a purpose and a plan. ("For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11)



I do not yet know all that is to be learned from this, nor am I sure of what ministry might be birthed from this. I am hopeful that there will be some fruit that we will see bud years from now, as a result of this season. I pray that God uses us for His glory. I believe that we are being catapaulted to a whole new level, sprititually. But for now, on a personal level, we are already beginning to see a few buds.

Budding Fruit~

Goodness there has been so many wonderful things being revealed to us that I do not even know where to begin. I think I'll begin with the sweetest...



God loves me! He loves me! He just really does, and that is being revealed to me, DAILY!! I am becoming more and more aware of His unwavering love, every day. I feel it in His word, in prayer, in praise and worship, in books that I read and most amazingly ~ through His people, some of which are strangers to me, but my spiritual family (Thank you so much, loved ones, thank you!!) It feels great! It makes me feel a bit invincible, at the moment; makes me believe that there is NOTHING, that can come my way, that as long as I cleave to Him, I can't make it through. As I recently read in a book, could it be that He has allowed me to come to the end of my own self-sufficiency just to find Him, waiting to have this kind of relationship with me...where I'd be DRIVEN to KNOW Him..the true Him; where I'd FINALLY realize my NEED for Him, and that I would learn to lean on Him and trust Him. In all His goodness, that I can comprehend at the moment...where I'm at in my walk, being human. ( I realize that I haven't yet arrived..but I want to find Him, I desire an intimacy with Him. To know His heart and to trust Him, sit in His lap and rest!) That I would come to a place where I'd NEED to learn of His true nature, not to get something from Him (although, I must admit..I am still pleading my case before Him. No doubt that I want Derek well, and here with me! I continue to ask for that! and of course I should!!), but so that I can rest in that assurance, that what ever comes my way, He will bring me through; that He is enough, in fact, more than enough; that He does in fact, have plans for me, not to harm me;o)



This has challenged me, to figure out what I do believe about God, and His goodness, and the things He allows us to go through, and it's challenged me to know what I believe about healing. I have been driven to find my own answers, not the things I had been taught growing up in a Baptist church (not that any of those things were bad...but to know for myself), and not the things I've come to believe in the charismatic circles (again..not bad, but just to dig to find my own answers.).


Another beautiful thing taking place in the midst of this, is the relationship between Derek and I. Now, don't get me wrong...we have had a great marriage, we've been and continue to be happy, in love and we enjoy each other immensely, but I'm talking about something deeper, something more significant taking form...we are becoming One. We are more of a team than ever! We are learning to listen more, to be more sensitive towards one another. Derek has been extremely patient and understanding. We talk and pray together more. We are talking things out, and walking this out together. It feels amazing. It's very powerful...it feels like ..."where two or more agree upon anything, it shall be done!"~it feels like that. Our time together in Houston, (and in Tulsa, for that matter) although tough, was precious; just focusing on the Lord and one another. It has been a really sweet time for us as a couple.

Finally... Derek has a call on his life. Although, we have not been walking in that call and have set it aside for sometime, now, I feel those gifts and callings stirring ...in the both of us! I don't know what all God has for us...but I know it must be something!! Surely, we are not to go through all that we have for nothing. I believe with all my heart that God is not finished with Derek (nor myself)..I do not believe that Derek has fulfilled his purpose, yet. I believe that there are songs in Derek waiting to be birthed, lessons to be taught, and who (other than God) knows what else...where all of this will lead. Not that we should boast in ourselves, but that we might shine a light into the darkness, share the love of Jesus with others, and to glorify our King!

Well, I'm sure what most everyone wants to know is 'How is Derek?'...sorry it is taking so long for me to get to that!! Derek is doing great! As I said earlier, the kids and I have all had the flu and in fact, passed around a few colds and what nots this winter, but Derek has not gotten ANY of the things we have had. He has NOT been sick at all this winter. He has his immune system built up to such a place, he is just not catching these illnesses that the rest of us are. He is nearly through his 21 day detox (in fact will be finished Tues.), and has been working some of his less agressive protocols...the Budwig diet (cottage cheese and flaxseed oil), and some other things that he takes orally that can make his tummy a little upset, and he has also been applying a topical salve called cansema...that I can only describe as...MEAN!! It is a pretty rough treatment, in that it goes after the tumor/cancer cells from the outside. It does not react anywhere else on his body, but the tumor site (we have tested) and it does not react on me (no cancer~again tested). It makes his leg look as though someone decided to put out a giant cigar on his thigh. We are still, basically in phase one of his treatment...in the cleaning his body preparing it for phase two, which will be going after the cancer in an aggressive way. As far as his attitude, as I said earlier...he is a ROCK!! He is positive and determined!! He is strong willed and brave! He is happy and fun to be around...he's just Derek!! You would never know by looking at him (because he looks great!!) or talking to him (because he is so upbeat!!) that he is fighting cancer!! I am very proud of him; very proud to be married to such a man! I'm blessed, very, very blessed:o)

~Thanks for reading,
Misty

Monday, February 2, 2009

No More Starbucks...or do I?

Hello everyone, Derek here. My wife told me a few weeks back that many people are curious and interested in what I am doing in my fight against cancer. I have tried to determine what to write. The real problem with this is, “Where do I start?”
I don’t know the span of my audience, or what time they may have to read, but if I may, I will start from what was the beginning, for me.

I have discovered and learned more than I ever intended to about one dreaded and feared word,…..cancer. Like many others, I, too…watched the doctors’ face (and my spouse’s) as the word “malignant” emitted from his shocked lips while reading through the pathology report. I felt as if Mike Tyson, in his younger career (of course), had just given me a body shot to the abdomen. ‘Malignant’….mal…very bad….It was like I was now that prince in “Sleeping Beauty” with that Maleficent ‘witch’ laughing in my face.

For several weeks, I have to admit, I was scared… even frantic. I remember going aside to have ‘crying spells’ after watching my children play, thinking about the future, thinking about death, reading 5-yr survival statistics, wondering what my family would do, etc., yet all the while trying to ‘look’ strong. I remember everyone leaving the house one day while I took care of my 2-yr old, Selah, and bursting into tears as I did something as simple and wonderful as changing a diaper. I then realized how I have taken life for granted and how fragile life really is. I remember her smiling, laughing, talking, and then prancing away into the living room while I then burst with tears and screams into my pillow begging God to help me. Not since my dad passed away (from cancer 8 years ago) had I wept so hard and uncontrollably. I could only keep repeating between sobs one word…. “Jesus…Je-sus….JE-SUS!!” Afterwards, I knew He had heard my cry and had seen my tears…for I immediately felt a peace moving on me. I envisioned myself sitting in His lap, broken…and clutching Him. That was the first turning point…I know a name above ALL names…even cancer.

“Learn and live. If you don't, you won't."-U.S. Army training film, WW II


I found this quote recently and I feel it sums up a lot of what my mindset has become during all of this. To make a long story short, I began my tedious research on cancer. I had to stop going to any websites sponsored or endorsed by mainstream orthodox medicine. I determined that there is no 5 yr survival rate for me,…it’s either 0% or 100%. I learned that the traditional, most accepted treatment methods for cancer are limited to just three: surgery(to remove the cancer/tumor), radiation, and chemotherapy. Through my research, I also discovered, on the other hand, there are over 300+ alternative (non-toxic) treatments for cancer. I discovered that for the last 100 years different men and women have been successfully treating and “curing” cancer. Yes, that’s right…curing. Ok, Derek, “now you are mistaken” you may be saying. But, do your research. The internet is a wonderful tool. Yes, there are quacks, frauds, snake oil salesmen, etc., but there is also the TRUTH, and much of which has been suppressed by those who are motivated by greed. It’s just that simple, and that disturbing. Don’t get me started on the FDA, AMA, etc. Just look up men like Royal Rife (Rife machines/Frequencies, his lab was raided by FDA, documents/research/patient files and equipment destroyed or confiscated), Max Gerson (Gerson Therapy), Dr. William Kelley, Dr. Josef Issels, Dr. Dan Rogers, Dr. Contreras, Dr. Ralph Moss (who was fired for refusing to go against his moral conscience concerning Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital’s attempt to cover up the efficacy of Laetrile Therapy [Apricot seeds]), Bob Beck (NASA scientist, Bob Beck Protocol), Dr. Warburg, Dr. Matthias Rath, Linus Pauling, Ph.D., and many others. Some pioneering women also: Dr. Hulda Clark, Dr. Johanna Budwig (Budwig Diet).

Many of the above pioneers in alternative/non-orthodox cancer treatment were persecuted greatly by the AMA, FDA, etc. I was SHOCKED at what I continuously read about the ‘corruptness’ of the “The Cancer Industry.” Conspiracy Theories…..? You bet. Research for yourself.

So,…anyway, I was turned away by Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa. I LOVED the atmosphere here and the fact that they treat the WHOLE person, not just symptoms, were open to alternative treatments, and offered conventional treatment,…But, alas, Dr. Rivers did not want to treat me as Liposarcoma is extremely rare. He was not sure of himself, I guess, and referred me to the famous MD Anderson Cancer Center.

It was after going to Houston that I decided not to go with traditional/orthodox treatment. We traveled down there twice. Once to meet the Dr., who was very arrogant and when I had questions, she just replied, "You're at MDANderson now!" (Like, I would be saved now?) She looked at me funny when I explained all my natural supplement and strict diet protocols, gave the standard responses to any notions of alternative slant and on to the next customer, I mean patient. MD Anderson was like a city for the nation of cancer. They could have put up golden arches and put, "Millions and Millions served." Although I of course never experienced the Jewish Holocaust of WWII, I imagined this place as a type of ‘Cancer Holocaust.’ I have never seen so many tired, sickly, pale, crippled, maimed, sad and scared people in one place in my life. It was not comforting or uplifting AT ALL. My wife burst into tears during our first visit to the ‘sarcoma unit’ as returning patients limped or hobbled back and forth (Liposarcoma tumors appear frequently in the limbs). I was confused when two women without hair who seemed excited as they told us that they have made it 3 yrs so far, only to see the cancer come back.
My experience between CTCA and this place was like night and day. At MD Anderson they treat you like a number and everything feels like you are a product being sent down the factory line. The second visit was to experience all the tests: blood draw, CT Scan with the barium shake, if you could call it that, and barium enema. The allergic reaction to iodine was unpleasant. The MRI was the least invasive scan, although I felt like the machine was trying to devour me as it made lots of loud clicking and buzzing sounds. I imagined what went on in the minds of others that had been through what I was experiencing. It was quite overwhelming.

Anyway, they took their time in contacting us, scheduling appointments, which gave me a lot of time to think and read about the 300+ alternative treatments available out there. Thank God. I now realize the CTCA/MD Anderson experience were obviously part of God’s plan for me. I needed to see and experience this. I have walked this road. I then came to a ‘fork’ in the road, and like the famous author determined,… “I took the road less traveled.”
Misty had a feeling that I had been praying and seeking God for wisdom and guidance as to what we would do, and that I was leaning towards ALL alternative. This was much to the fear of many family and friends, but, I have NEVER felt peace about chemo or radiation. The statistics are undeniably negative, or should I say ‘grave.’ 1.Tumors (symptoms of cancer) always come back after surgery if the ‘cause’ is not addressed. 2.Radiation CAUSES cancer! (That one is a no-brainer) 3.Chemo is straight up poison into your blood veins without the ability to differentiate between good cells and bad cells. There are indeed some exceptions with these treatments and favor better results with ‘some’ cancers. But, there are MUCH better, more efficient methods of either destroying cancer cells or even ‘reverting ‘ them back to good cells available through alternative treatments. I believe like Max Gerson's daughter, Charlotte, who runs the Gerson Clinic in Mexico, said, " You CANNOT cure with poison!!!" My immune system is too important to compromise. I believe now that only God, my body (which He fearfully and wonderfully created), natural foods and herbs, and various simple treatments/protocols invented by humble men and women, (not brainwashed by Big Pharma and the medical industry living “Inside the Box”), can heal me of this ‘cellular malfunction’ in my body. I knew, deep inside me, that if I give my body what it needs and rid myself of fear, toxins, etc, then my body, given time, will ultimately heal itself.

I decided to step ‘outside’ the box of traditional thinking. Emerson, Thoreau,…Mr. Keeting would be proud… maybe. I asked God to show Misty and to give her peace about my decision. It was difficult at first, but God began to show both of us along with confirmation after confirmation from His word, worship music, pastors, and others, that this is the right path. For the first time, we got a huge breakthrough in the ‘spirit realm’. It was on that particular day that we both felt like a 2 ton weight had been lifted and we no longer had that terrible ‘cloud’ of FEAR looming over us. It was that day that I walked back in forth in our living room telling my wife, and myself, with tears in my eyes and sudden boldness in my mouth that: 5 years was unacceptable, having my leg amputated was unacceptable, not even a limp, 10 yrs, 20 yrs…the Word promises at least 70 or in some places 120. I believe in that. I felt a boldness rise up in me that I have never experienced before. This was where the rubber met the road for me concerning my belief in healing, God’s promises, God’s (true) provision through man, etc. Believe me…I wanted an ‘instant’ healing, but God is doing something different. Misty and I are walking this out. So,… I am learning to trust, cleave, and believe. I will praise Him in the storm. Either God can be trusted and accountable for what He promised, or…well….the other. I also determined from then on to focus on “the healer” and not “the healing.” Like Kenneth Hagin’s daughter said to her mother once, “Well, if daddy says I am healed and gonna be ok, …then it must be so!!”…and she ran back outside to play. Out of my hands and into HIS. Letting ‘Daddy’ take care of it.

So now for my choice of protocols. First, and foremost, I knew that Misty and I would attack this spiritually. We searched our hearts for anything unpleasing, detrimental, sinful, etc. that might be hindering us in ‘walking this out’. We asked God for discernment where humans can fail. We cast down everything demonic. When fear would rise up, we would put in praise and worship music: Hillsongs, Gateway Church, Jesus Culture, Christ For the Nations, Kim Walker, Kari Jobe, Misty Edwards, Keith Green, John McMillen?, Riverwalk Fellowship “DNA”(Steve Solomon), and….especially….KIM CLEMENT. (Side note: If you have never heard his music or experienced the ministry of Kim Clement and his prophetic gifting, you are truly missing out on one of God’s anointed men.) My wife would put in praise and worship music often at home while I was at work. All the while, I too, was ‘letting the praises flow’ at work. We also would speak the word. We then had many opportunities for ‘hands’ to be laid on me. I have been anointed with oil. I have even had as many as 15 or 20 kids from children’s church pressing in, touching my body, believing for my healing. The prayer of faith is powerful for sure. Many comforting, prophetic words were spoken over me (us). I have had the daughter of a friend, on her own, request her mother to bring her to my house to share something with me that she felt applied to my situation….It was the story of David and Goliath. I had a good buddy of mine, Larry, speak from God to me 3 times within a few days. I brought my van in to his shop. As I was pulling it in to be fixed, he said he asked God to show him what was wrong with it. He popped the hood, listened closely,…it had a bad vacuum leak. He felt around blindly behind the engine and found the leaking hose. We fixed it in less than 5 minutes. He said later to me on the phone, “If God cared enough to show me quickly what was wrong with your van, how much more does he care about ‘fixing’ you and your body?” BAM!

Church has become regular again. I am ashamed to have been away so long. God never leaves us. His mercy is great. I anticipate and long for each worship opportunity and the teaching/preaching of the Word of God, which is medicine to my flesh. We often read “out loud” all the healing scriptures in the Word. We read the fantastic and powerful prayer in the book, “Rules of Engagement” given to us by Pastor Jeff Davis (Victory Life, Sherman). Whew! Talk about powerful… and it will improve your vocabulary too! We cling to Dodie Osteen’s comment in her book, “Healed of Cancer” about letting man do what he can, and then trust God to do the rest (what man can't do). She used the story of Lazarus to make this point: after men rolled away the stone of Lazarus' tomb, JESUS did what they thought imossible by raising Lazarus up, from the dead!! I also am encouraged by the fact that every time Jesus fell down from the weight of the cross, He got up. And, for certain, I also take assurance in the fact that “by His stripes, I am HEALED.” I told my wife to start seeing me as healed. I told my kids to do the same and told them about God’s promises and His will to heal. I asked them if they believed it,…they said…Yes! In the mouth of babes…child like faith…could be my most powerful protocol?

Secondly, I knew after all my research, that I believed and embraced the theory that disease, germs, microbes, viruses,….are not the problem, it’s the “terrain.” Louis Pasteur, on his deathbed, recanted his original belief about germs (germ theory) and believed that it was the ‘terrain’ that brought on sickness, not the individual germs, viruses, etc. But, you never read about his change of theory in the history/science books. First of all, traditional medicine, concerning cancer and all diseases, is simply ‘disease’ or ‘symptom’ oriented. They go after the tumor, the germ, the microbe, while failing to address the ‘cause’. They only treat the symptoms! A tumor is just a red ‘dash light’ warning you that something is WRONG! They swat mosquitoes with little and BIG swatters/devices, chemicals, etc., but the mosquitoes keep coming back. They have not addressed “the cause.” Alternative medicine, which by the way most of which is NOT FDA approved (not profitable), seeks to “drain the swamp.” You won’t have mosquitoes in clean, fresh flowing water, they only seek habitat in stagnant, polluted water. Another example is this: if you have a fish that is diseased in a stagnant pond, you can’t save the fish by cutting on it, radiating it, or poisoning it, but instead, replacing the stale, stagnant water with fresh and making sure it has the right pH balance, not too acidic or alkaline. Then, the fish will heal on its own. People who have swimming pools know what happens when you neglect proper pH balance. Here’s another example: If you put a block of cheese under a glass, in a few days it will develop mold on the outside. You can ‘cut’ the mold off, but it will soon again be covered. You have not addressed the cause. It’s the terrain, the environment! Vultures only come around that which has become dead.

Soon enough it was crystal clear that I knew that those men and women (labeled as ‘quacks’ by those in bed with Big Pharma) who advocated detoxing the body, building back up the immune system, eating the RIGHT foods prepared correctly, exercise, sunlight, prayer, positive thinking, etc., were right and this was the road I would travel.

Before I give specifics as to what I personally am doing with my condition, I must emphasize that getting over the “FEAR” of the word “cancer” was of utmost importance for me! That was indeed only overcome by the power and sovereignty of God! Cancer doesn’t scare me anymore. I believe that is saying a lot. If you could have seen me initially for a few weeks after the diagnosis, you would understand. Some may think I am in denial…we will see. Take note,…the more you learn about your enemy, especially in shadow of the presence of the Almighty God in your ‘camp,’ the less you fear that enemy, and actually become quite a confident young shepherd boy wielding that ‘stone’ which is CHRIST!! Like David in scripture, I have learned to prophesy concerning my situation and the territory/terrain of which I have authority over. I am taking my stand as did David against this Goliath, declaring to my enemy that God will soon deliver him into my hands. Just as David destroyed a giant with a single stone and used Goliath’s own sword to sever his head, I too am taking that which the enemy has wielded against me and will turn the tide in my favor. I am made in the image of God. I am built to win. I will get more out of cancer than cancer will get out of me.
And now…what I am doing in the natural.


Lifestyle Change


Before my tumor was removed back in October, I weighed 217 lbs at 5’8”. Today, I weigh 185. I used to worry that I had that wasting away condition of many cancer patients, but I am pretty certain it is not that. I still have a great appetite and would love to eat things I used to, but wisdom has shown otherwise. Here are the changes I made and continue to make.

-No more white sugar. I only sparingly consume honey, agave nectar, or pure maple syrup and natural sugar from fruits, especially the ones that are detrimental to cancer cells even though they contain natural sugars (Sugar feeds cancer, as it has nearly 20 times more insulin receptors than normal cells and has to have a lot more of it to produce the same amount of energy as normal cells. Cancer uses ‘glycogenesis’ to produce energy where it ferments sugars. Forget what oncologists say about it, they are wrong. You must limit sugars, especially those quickly absorbed by the blood. Natural sugars are best to consume, if any)

-No coffee, colas, caffeine, artificial flavors or preservatives, MSG, Aspartame, overcooked foods, fried foods, no meats, no dairy, no flour breads, anything on the ‘aisles’ of the food store (dead food), microwaved food(changes molecular structure of food [blood for transfusions can’t be microwaved, nor baby food, think about it!] Basically, I drink only pure water (no tap) or freshly juiced juices from organic sources if possible. I stay away from all hydrogenated fats and oils. I use olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil. I have a juicer and use it as often as I can. Mostly carrots, beets, chard, and celery, and any fruit like apples, pears, etc. I eat organic when I can get it and I eat the SEEDS with the fruit, especially grapes. I don’t have the space to explain this, so research for yourself, especially concerning the power of apricot seeds!

The hardest things to give up were…well many of the above. One of the hardest was, of course, greatly limiting my sugar intake. I now relish food with natural sugar, and it’s so much better for you: figs, dates, honey, maple syrup, apricots, etc. Another hard one to give up was…STARBUCKS. Coffee is very acidic and most, if not all people with cancer have bodies that are too acidic. You must eat foods that balance your pH. Many Americans eat much more acidic causing foods than they do alkalizing foods. Before my diagnosis, I was spending a small fortune at Starbucks, had my own grinder, coffee pots, presses, percolators, etc. I was a coffee freak. I also was very fond of these cinnamon rolls at a bakery near work. I also didn’t exercise frequently. I also had a lot of stress leaving teaching and entering a new career field. All of these had to have been contributing factors to cancer forming in my body.

As fate would have it, I now still drink coffee, but in a slightly different manner…Coffee Enemas. I know most of you are ready to quit reading now, but again, research lead me to this. Read about "the Gerson therapy" and many other cancer protocols and coffee enemas are part of it. Coffee, with caffeine, has the ability to stimulate the liver to release toxins built up from cancer cells being destroyed and moved out of the body. It also acts as a solvent in cleaning out and releasing things from your bowels that you do not want to think about. It is also rather unpleasant to perform. I demand that my wife not enter the bathroom during treatment. It has become normal life for now. I must say that I do feel a lot better after doing these. However, I also suffer immensely from the longing to drink the coffee with frothed milk and sugar, Americano style, as the aroma fills my nostrils while preparing it for....well, my therapy. LOL!

I also avoid fat and fried foods as they cause sludge on my cell walls and make it hard for them to absorb oxygen and nutrients. Cancer thrives in an anaerobic, acidic environment. I do sometimes eat a little bit of chicken with a salad or in a Mexican dish, along with a little cheese. I try to eat bigger meals before 1 pm instead of dinner. Cancer patients need the body to be using enzymes created by the pancreas and supplementing to digest and break down the protein barrier that protects cancer cells instead of digesting food, especially at night. No cereal before bed ever again! Green foods are important. I eat anything that looks like a 'tumor' in nature. (God gives us signature foods, or "sign-n-nature" foods) Floured Bread with yeast are not good for me now because of it being fermented in the body, which cancer likes. I eat Ezekiel bread or muffins produced from sprouted grains. I have dropped 'dairy' also, except a little cheese, and of cours cottage cheese in the Budwig Protocol. I am a frequent customer at Green Market Foods in Sherman, Tx. I eat mostly anything that will mold if left out a few days. My cells need living food, like carrots, broccoli, etc., and NOT nutrient enriched macaroni and dead processed cheese. I am mostly vegetarian... for now, again with a little organic chicken and clean (mercury free) fish, but no red meat at all (the fat, antibiotics, growth hormones,etc). I eat a lot of nuts, except peanuts, forbidden due to funguses and manner of production. Organic Almonds are staple, apricots, figs, raisins, coconut, herbal teas, green tea, etc. Essential Fatty Acids are important and I get these from flax oil, olive oil, and fish oil. I try to eat the Budwig Diet protocol daily, which is 6 tablespoons of pure unrefined flax oil mixed with 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese. Curious as to why? Google... “the Budwig Diet + cancer”.

I immediately knew after my surgery that I needed to not only change my diet and start exercising, but to also to first Detox my body. You can’t expect nutrients to be absorbed efficiently or wastes/toxins to be removed effectively without detoxing your bowels, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, and most importantly….the liver. I had to get clean pipes and plumbing!) I did a week long detox, and I believe this helped me break sugar cravings and also help me lose excess weight. As the weight dropped from detox and diet change, I began to feel better and much more energetic. My wife noticed my skin looked healthier, nails grew fast, hair grew fast (hope the thinning on top will stop, lol), etc. I began to get out in the sun more (this is important for cancer patients according to my research, 15-20min/day), I bought a bike to ride with my kids, and jogged outside when I could.

I haven’t covered everything, there is so much more I could write and explain, but this is a long blog as it is. I just wanted everyone to know that I feel better and healthier than I did before my diagnosis. Even though there is a mass/tumor currently still present in my left posterior thigh, I don’t feel any pain. The tumor is just there. It doesn't seem to be getting any larger. My supplement protocols and diet, I believe, are holding off metastasis, and my body will soon take back over and the tumor will shrink and dissipate. I believe the tumor is only a symptom, a signal that I have work to do to get my body re-claimed and in the healthy condition God intended for it to be in and function. All the above factors: faith, prayer, music, diet, exercise, supplements, protocols, sunlight, etc. have given me the strength to move through this valley. I feel GREAT! Also, I am not alone in this by no means.

My wife is the best, by the way! I could not be were I am at today without her by my side. I don’t really know how to close this, but I just want to say that I FEEL everyone’s prayers!! I know that there are many factors unseen by human perception that are sustaining me this very moment. I appreciate everyone who prays for us. Thank You!

I will list the main areas of my alternative protocol treatment below. If you want to now more specifically what supplements/devices/oils/pastes, etc. that I am implementing, just email me at souljourne@msn.com

The following protocol is what Dr. Gary Tunsky (http://www.drcelltox.com/ ) has started me on. There are 3 phases. Here are 10 bullets that sum it all up:
Cellular Detoxification (Whole Body)
pH balancing
Chelation/Oxygenation/Ozone
Vibration Therapy (Frequency/electromedicine/ Bob Beck Protocol)
Microbe annihilation
Cell Apoptosis
immune system building
Circulation (Blood/Lymph)
Prayer/Meditation
Toxic emotion elimination (anger, stress, bitterness, etc. )

(other) Detox Methods: liver compress, olive oil/castor oil rub down with hot bath and wrap (sweating) Saunas (Far infrared)
Epsom salt baths, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) baths, Celtic sea salts/mineral baths. "



The BEST books that I have gathered much knowledge and treatment methods from are:



"Cancer Free," by Bill Henderson (Bill Henderson Protocol) His book is worth gold. He has done his research and I hope God blesses him for it.

http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/





"Cancer: Step Outside the Box," by Ty Bollinger (another great e-book, he will even send you his book for free if you can't afford to pay for it, he's that determined to help people. He should know, he lost 5 family members to cancer, including his mom and dad)

http://www.cancerstepoutsidethebox.com/



Here are some quotes and some websites:

http://cancertutor.com/

http://www.cancerfightingstrategies.com/

http://energygrid.com/health/cancer-cure.html

http://www.rense.com/general54/SYUGAR.HTM

http://www.altcancer.com/index.htm

God Bless...

Friday, January 23, 2009

A short note to our 'Scouting Family'

Derek and I just want to extend a huge heartfelt thank you to those of you who are in Scouts with us (Girls and Boys...especially Boy Scouts!) Thank you for the patience of our den's parents with Derek's absence. A special thank you to Laura and Jennifer and especially Bruce for taking up the slack. You are special people. We love each of you from Pack 45 and Troop 72. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for your prayers and encouragement during this season in our life. God bless each of you!
Sincerely,
Misty and Derek
PS..In order to give some of you in pack 45 an opportunity to win (hehehe), we will not be attending tomorrow's Pinewood Derby. Hahaha! Just kidding..Derek will be asleep after his shift, getting ready for another 12 hour shift and I ...know nothing about this derby stuff, and have a sore throat. Good luck and have fun!!

Friday, January 16, 2009

A Really Short...Update

Hi Loved Ones!!
Ok...here we go! We have a doctor that we are going with...his name is Dr. Tunsky. We met Dr. Tunsky about eight years ago, when Derek was searching treatment options for his dad. While visiting a very big church in Frisco, Derek went forward and asked for prayer for his father. They prayed for Derek's dad and a lady gave us one of Dr. Tunsky's cards. Although, Derek's dad did not use him, he met with both, Derek and I, and spoke with us in depth about cancer and health. I do not know why we have not been in contact with him up until this point!!! Anyway, he had his headquarters in the Dallas area back then, but now lives and works out of Florida. He continues to work in the Dallas area with contacts here and does consulting by phone. Today when Derek spoke with him, he was in Tennessee speaking at a conference. Derek will begin a cellular detox for starters. He informed Derek that the detox that Derek had done in November, although good, was like a surface cleaning and Derek needs a deeper detoxification at the cellular level. He said basically what Derek had done was a "dusting but needs a deep scrubbing!". After the detox, he will have Derek on an agressive protocol. We do not know yet, what all that will be, but Derek has his next consultation next Thurs. He told Derek that Derek was on the right path, but needed a guided protocol tailored to Derek's body,( once we have the proper diagnostic scans). Derek will have to stop some of the supplements and what not that he has been doing once he gets into the more aggressive phases of his treatment, as they will interfere or react adversely to the more aggressive protocol. Dr. Tunsky is a Christian man, full of wisdom and has written several articles about cellular health. He has guided many people with cancer and other illnesses back to health. A question that some have asked is that we continue to have scans to be sure that what we are doing is working and that the cancer has not spread. Dr. Tunsky wants to do his own scans and tests to know exactly what is going on in Derek's body. So, when this is over we will have those scans and what not to be sure! As you can see, I do not know all of the ins and outs about this, as of yet, but will have more answers next week. I believe Derek will be posting soon to let everyone know what is going on and how things are. Many have asked that he post what he is doing, so be expecting that post before too long!!

Well, that's all that I have at this moment, but Derek will be posting more as he has time. Things have been a little hectic around here, trying to get everything in order to get Derek on the right path and getting things together for Nate's education in the home. We appreciate the continued prayers and support!!
Updated prayer requests:
1. WISDOM!! (for us and Dr. Tunsky)
2. Derek's immune system to function as God intended.
3. The bad cells to die or revert back to good.
PS. According to Dr. Tunsky there is an exact art to this treatment. He said that what we have right now is a bunch of missing pieces to the puzzle, and that what he is going to do is gather information about what is going on in Derek's body and fine tune the right protocol for him. He said that what we will be doing will actually be going after the cancer cells in a lot more aggressive manner than chemotherapy, but without harming Derek's good cells, keeping the immune system intact and promoting health.
Cheerfully,
Misty

Monday, January 12, 2009

Quick Updates...

I just wanted to let everyone know where we are at this time.


In my last post, I let everyone (that didn't already) know, that we have decided to go completely alternative. We have found a few places where Derek can receive those treatments (the ones that we can not do at home). He has an appointment with Sunridge Medical Wellness Center in Scottsdale, Arizona scheduled for January 19th. We also have another clinic in mind, that might be a bit more aggressive, but is further away. We also have a few new, local contacts that might be beneficial, as well. We will keep you updated as to how this all progresses. He has already begun some alternative protocols here at home, and has been in touch with a trusted Naturopathic doctor by phone. Derek feels terrific, but just like some conventional treatments have their side effects and can be difficult, some of these are rough as well. Please continue to pray for Derek, as he walks this out. He has had some nausea, and pain at the tumor sight. We are sure that God will continue to lead us in the right direction. Interestingly enough, there are around 350 alternative cancer treatments out there, with only about six or seven for more advanced cancers.



On another note, we have decided to bring Nate home to home school. We have prayed about this decision for a little over two years. We have not had peace about that decision, until now, and for whatever reason, feel that the Lord is telling us that now is the time to do it. I want to add that I love our local school system and it has nothing to do with failure on the school's part. The school is very restricted in how they are able to deal with different situations as they arise. Our middle school principal is a fabulous educator and really does care about these kids. He has been very diligent to address issues as they are brought to his attention. I have never contacted him that he did not deal with things IMMEDIATELY!! I could go on and on about my love for our local school, but still, it is just to Nate's benefit that we bring him home. I will join a local home school group, in order to keep up with the social education. In doing this, I will be able to observe Nate in social situations and correct any inappropriate behavior as it happens. We will be using a company out of McKinney, TX called LambCo, ( http://www.lambco.com/home.htm ). I am very excited about what they do. They are a Christ centered company. I will update more about all of this at a later time. (Again..we ask for prayer in this area.) Oh...it just dawned on me, that maybe there are readers unaware of Nate's challenges. Nate is twelve years old and has high functioning autism.



Well, that's all I have at this moment.



Thank you for your love and prayers,

Misty