It's funny how certain occurrences in life force us to rethink our own decisions and actions. Stranger still, is how the reality of one's own mortality can really put things into perspective. So much has happened in the past few months that for me, it seemed like a whirlwind had taken full control of my future, leaving me no other choice but to hang on tightly and to simply follow wherever fate had deemed me worthy to fall.
On April 11th, 2011, I was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia. I will never forget the telephone call from my gyn, telling me in no uncertain terms that the only treatment for what I have was a total hysterectomy. At the time it didn't seem real...the true implications of what was about to happen to me had not yet set in. At her request, I scheduled an appointment with a gynecological oncologist. So, on April 28th I was in his office where I was learning that about 40% of women who have this surgery end up having uterine cancer. Of course, I kept thinking that it couldn't be me. I absolutely had to be part of the 60% of women who would have their hysterectomy and be just fine. My surgery was scheduled for May 25th...and during the course of those few months I had fallen from the healthy raw diet that I had been trying to adapt for the better part of the past two years.
I would be lying if I said that my raw food journey had been easy. It was a constant on and off the 'wagon', a veritable yo-yo of back and forth that I now believe did me no good whatsoever. Worse still, with my impending surgery I totally gave up on trying to eat healthily. I began to really worry that I had cancer, and figured that what I had tried to accomplish during the past two years didn't stop what was happening to me, so what was the use? So I went into my surgery perhaps even more unhealthy than I was when I discovered the need for the surgery. According to my doctor, the surgery went well but it was more difficult than he had anticipated. Previous c-sections had left a tremendous amount of scar tissue on my uterus, and it had attached itself to the abdominal wall. Furthermore, my bowels were compressed by the sheer weight of my uterus...which was much larger than he had anticipated. I had cancer. A huge ball of malignant cells that invaded my entire uterus, cells that had even begun to grow down into the cervix. On a good note, he was optimistic that he had gotten all of the cancer, but we wouldn't know for certain until the pathology report came back. So I spent a night in the hospital, went home...then proceeded to suffer a serious post operative infection that landed me in the hospital a week later, for a total of eight days while they struggled to find the right combination of antibiotics that would fight off this very resistant infection. I was running temps of 104, had no appetite and suffered severe abdominal pain. It could have easily been the worst week of my life...and most of what I remember was praying to whomever would listen...please get me through this and I promise to change my lifestyle...to eat healthy, exercise and do what was right for my body.
After much trial and error, they did find an antibiotic that worked...and I had discovered while in the hospital that the doctor had gotten all of the cancer. I am a survivor...even though I still have to worry about the higher risk of colon cancer in my future. Yet I am determined...I don't want cancer again. I never want to have to go through this, and I know that there are others out there who are in worse shape than me. I can prevent colon cancer. The solution is absolutely so very simple!!!! I believe this is my second chance at life. My second chance at going raw...and staying raw. From the ashes of my personal struggle I have emerged healthy, alive...and ready to go completely, blissfully raw and vegan.
This is my beginning.
My rebirth.
