Latest update April 27th, 2024 12:25 AM
Oct 10, 2021 News
“It was my intuition about a lump in my breast that led to the discovery that I had cancer; something that my yearly mammogram had not picked up. So, I encourage anyone who would heed my advice; your body speaks to you, listen to it; educate yourself about treating your body; become health-conscious: exercise, manage your stress level, it could save your life.”
By Rehanna Ramsay
Kaieteur News – Back in July of 2017, a nagging feeling about a lump that she discovered in her left breast led US-based Guyanese, Cuyun Field to the doctor’s office. Sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed and she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.
The 49-year-old single mother of four, who left Guyana with her children in tow eight years prior to her diagnosis, told Kaieteur News that she had a plan to pursue a college education and own a home in the United States within five years of relocating there with her family and she did just that.
What she did not plan for is her battle with breast cancer; a condition she conquered through strict dietary measures.
Field recalled the tumour, which she found in her left breast was just about the size of a ten-cent.
She revealed, “My yearly mammogram did not detect the tumour, I discovered it while doing my after-shower skin lotion routine. It wasn’t alarming to me, so I totally ignored it at first, but then, I kept seeing those cancer billboards everywhere, so like about two weeks after that I decided to satisfy my curiosity and visit the doctor. There, it was confirmed to be cancer.”
Test results from Field’s examination had revealed that she was dealing with stage two breast cancer that had positive estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors.
This meant she had a few options for treatment.
Field said, “I was given the options by my oncologist: a mastectomy; the removal of both breasts, a lumpectomy; removal of the tumour followed up with chemotherapy and radiation… In addition, I was prescribed tamoxifen to be used for a period of five years with side effects like increased risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer and I wasn’t willing to take that risk.”
After considering the types of treatment offered to her by her physician, Field opted for the removal of the tumour; the lumpectomy without the radiation or chemotherapy. She noted too that throughout the ordeal, she did not panic but decided to educate herself on the prevention and causes of breast cancer.
That decision, she said, led her to a healthier option for survival. “The knowledge I gained was from doctors who used the alternative method of treating cancer, after carefully studying and researching the causes and prevention. Their theories focused on diet, pollution, and lifestyle changes. I decided to take that route,” the breast cancer survivor added.
She found research studies that showed breast cancer survivors who eat diets high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, chicken, and fish tend to live longer than those who eat diets that have more refined sugars, fats, meats such as beef, pork, and lamb, and processed meats such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs.
“I looked it up and I realised I had been eating a lot of junk food and stuff which were harmful to my system and probably, led me to deal with cancer in my body. Also, my partner at the time had been trying to wean me off of the junk to a healthier diet and lifestyle. We had discussions and started to eat better and adopt a healthier lifestyle,” she said.
Field said when she opted to treat her cancer through, mainly, lifestyle changes, many persons who knew of her diagnosis including healthcare providers did not agree with her choice.
“My oncologist was coercing me to take the mastectomy or the chemo but I refused. I studied the effects of each treatment option and I decided that a lifestyle change in addition to removing the tumour from my breast was the best option for me,” Field stated.
As such, she examined her eating habits and contributing factors such as constipation, which she said, affected her, all her life.
“My diet, which mainly consisted of processed meat such as sausages ham, bacon, red meat (beef) chicken, rice, pasta, milk, eggs, sodas, ice-cream, butter, cheese, etc.,” Field revealed. She said that based on her research, the regimen developed by Dr. Max Gerson a German-born American physician who developed a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment.
She explained that Dr. Gerson’s developed his therapy in the early 1900s and it consists of four daily coffee enemas, fruits, and vegetables all organically grown.
“It contains absolutely no food that has sugar, refined carbs, rice, oils, butter, milk, cheese, no fish, beef, eggs, chicken, sausages, beans, peas. Two tablespoons of castor oil must be taken every other day, followed by a cup of coffee, four eight-ounce glasses of carrot juice (with one whole apple each), four glasses of specific vegetable juice that is taken every hour, oatmeal and orange juice for breakfast, vegetable salad, and veggie soup for dinner,” she said.
Field noted however that the vegetables suggested are not her ideal veggies, so she substituted them for spinach (callaloo) and mangoes blended together.
She explained that, “Callaloo contains flavonoids which are said to limit the cancer-causing compounds. In fact, any green leafy vegetable can lower the risk of developing cancer. As Guyanese, we have a variety of organic green leafy vegetables that can be incorporated into your diet in a healthy way, either by steaming or blending.”
“Mangoes are rich in beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant, also a pigment responsible for the yellow-orange colour of the fruit. Beta-carotene, in mangoes, has been shown to fight free radicals, which can cause damage to your cells and potentially lead to cancer. Pumpkin is packed with fibre, potassium, and Vitamin C can be substituted for carrots. Cherries are loaded with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, which may reduce chronic disease. Soursop leaves are also high in Vitamin C. As we know, Vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system and prevents cell damage,” revealed the survivor.
Field told this newspaper that part of the reason why she stuck to the dietary treatment is that she lost four of her friends to terminal illnesses. They had all chosen to go on either chemo or radiation therapy.
She recalled, “I had begged all of them to join me in my quest for a healthier lifestyle to fight cancer but they each refused because it meant sticking to a strict diet and adapting a routine that required real discipline to keep.”
Field said while she is not knocking on anyone who chooses radiation and chemotherapy to treat their cancer, she firmly believes that “the secret to survival is found in changing our routine habits to healthier ones.”
She noted that the side effects of chemo and radiation such as headaches, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue, “offered me no comfort that I would be healthier.”
“Chemo treatment kills both good and bad cells in the body and radiation causes burns to the internal organs; added to that, these treatments are more expensive and not affordable to everyone,” she said.
In addition to this, Field noted that having a strong support system helped boost her confidence that she was going to beat the illness.
She said, “My children were my motivation. I had to eliminate all the foods that I had become addicted to…Adhering to such a strict diet change is not easy but it’s a better choice in addition, to undergoing the lumpectomy.”
The survivor added regular exercise to her adjustments for a strict diet, which helped her attain even a healthier persona and perspective.
Field explained, “As I maintained my strict diet and exercise regularly, I found that I had the energy to do a lot of the things that before I was too lethargic to get done. If I didn’t tell you that I was battling cancer, you would not believe that, with the amount of energy I had.”
She explained that another determining factor in beating breast cancer is stress management. “I learned that panic and mental fatigue would weaken your immune system even more and that would kill you faster than cancer itself,” she said.
“I was living in an overpopulated State of New York at the time which was full of pollution both air and water, not forgetting the stress life throws at us from time to time. I had to eliminate stress. I moved out of state. Also, I made a lot of drastic psychological and physical changes. I paid more attention to stress triggers like people with unbalanced mindsets. I learned to meditate, I began reading books based on living a conscious life. I have experienced significant changes and now I have a more positive perspective on life,” she added.
The survivor noted that in addition to beating breast cancer, the experience has taught her to listen to her body and take better care of herself. As a breast cancer survivor, Field advocates for regular checkups with the doctor in addition to continuous self-examination of one’s breasts.
She noted, “It was my intuition about a lump in my breast that led to the discovery that I had cancer; something that my yearly mammogram had not picked up. So, I encourage anyone who would heed my advice; your body speaks to you, listen to it; educate yourself about treating your body; become health-conscious: exercise, manage your stress level, it could save your life.”
And, while she was able to beat her cancer through a strict dietary treatment, Field says it is not easy to remain on that diet.
She warns, however, that given the aggressive nature of the disease, returning to old eating habits could lead to the return of cancer as well. “You have to be determined to give that cancer cell nothing to feed on, and if you don’t feed it, it will die. It’s not easy to be disciplined to maintain that diet… I find myself slipping sometimes but as soon as I catch myself, I get back to my diet. It’s the consistent process of fighting and beating breast cancer,” she said.
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