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Jeremy soon quit his job at Solana. This was a scary development. While Jeremy was excited to be working for himself and creating a start-up company, there were some unknowns that were concerning. First of all, we now had no health care coverage. Jeremy had looked into health ministries, which is a healthcare cost-sharing Christ-centered ministry, but he never signed up for one. We also had a much smaller income than when he had been working in the power industry. He started going to school to use his GI bill and took out about $20,000 in student loans to tide us over until his business grew and became more profitable. The lower income worried me a little since I was used to a certain standard of living. But I was adaptable. After all, I had been a starving college student at one time. Even more worrisome was having no health insurance while trying to heal from cancer.
At my next infusion appointment I had to explain to Dr. John that I didn’t have insurance anymore. He worked out a deal where I would pay out of pocket for a discounted price for the IV vitamin C. He also told me the price for ozone treatment which was more than I was willing to pay. As we talked about how the different treatments work in the body he explained that the vitamin C breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, in the body. I said, “Can you give hydrogen peroxide through the IV?” He paused for a second thoughtfully and responded, “Yes, I guess we could do that.” He continued to explain that it would be more difficult to do as hydrogen peroxide is very caustic to the veins and can damage them. The hydrogen peroxide would have to be diluted and infused slowly and closely monitored. I hesitated as I considered these ramifications. It would be more affordable, it worked similarly to vitamin C, and veins can grow back after all. I told him I wanted to do it. So we began to replace ozone treatments with hydrogen peroxide treatments.
At my next appointment I received my first hydrogen peroxide treatment. Dr. John used a low concentration and warned me that it would have to be administered very slowly. If you have ever seen what hydrogen peroxide does to a wound, you can understand why it has to be administered so slow and carefully. As the hydrogen peroxide reaches the blood, an enzyme in the blood, catalase, breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The fizzing that occurs is the oxygen gas being released. Hydrogen peroxide is also an antiseptic and breaks down the cell walls of bacteria through this oxidation process. Not only does the hydrogen peroxide kill any pathogens in the blood, but it will also release oxygen which is toxic to cancer cells. A way to kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.
After a few of these treatments I noticed that a vein in my left forearm that had been used previously for hydrogen peroxide had a hard spot. It felt like a small pea under my skin. Not painful, just odd. I pointed it out to Dr. John and he told me that it is likely a small blood clot and nothing serious. He told me to watch it over the next few days in case it started to become painful. It gradually went away, and the vein dissolved as well. I was disheartened to see one of the few good veins I had left disappear. Another casualty of the cancer.
Before signing up for any health insurance plan or joining a health ministry, we thought it would be a good idea to get an official “no evidence of disease” diagnosis from my diagnosing doctor, Dr. Wingo. Also, admittedly, I wanted to show her that I was able to heal my cancer without chemotherapy–that it really was possible. I made the appointment and I was eagerly anticipating it. I also missed Dr. Wingo–she had become a friend and an ally through the darkest days of my diagnosis. Many holistic and naturopathic practitioners and advocates paint a picture of conventional oncologists as ‘only in it for the money,’ that they aren’t as concerned about the welfare of the individual as they are about the paycheck, and that they pressure their patients into chemotherapy treatments with fear. Dr. Wingo is definitely not one of those oncologists. She never pressured me into any treatment that I wasn’t comfortable with. She presented me with options and the likelihood that they would or would not achieve results and left it up to me to decide. And when I chose contrary to a treatment she could provide, she facilitated conversation with someone else who chose a natural way as well.
Unfortunately, when I arrived at my appointment, I was told I would be meeting with her Nurse Practitioner instead of Dr. Wingo. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. The NP reviewed my case and looked over the copies of the results of my recent scans and blood tests that showed no tumors, masses, or signs of cancer. She performed a physical exam, asked me questions about my health and what treatments I had received–all with a distanced air of professionalism (and a little doubt), and then suggested that I continue to follow up with her every 3 months for pelvic exams. As she is making this suggestion, all I think about is the unnecessary money I will be spending on appointments I don’t need because I’m already seeing another doctor who is monitoring my care. So I politely declined the offer and requested a copy of the notes for the visit to have an official “no evidence of disease” diagnosis on file. I left with an air of satisfaction, having shown a conventional doctor that by their standards I was “cancer-free” without chemotherapy or radiation. But I knew I wasn’t out of the woods yet; this type of cancer is notorious for recurring within 2-3 years.
To continue the story, go here.