My story-part 2

We discovered that my mother had MS first because she lost vision in one of her eyes. Before this happened, she was suffering dizzy spells, and just not feeling right. After several doctor’s visits (they misdiagnosed several times), they concluded she had MS. MS? I didn’t know the last thing about MS. A degenerative disease, one which would eventually rob her of her freedom, and according to the doctor, she would have to be medicated for the rest of her life.

It was extremely painful to see my mother with a patch over her eye, and to hear the bleak prognosis of the doctor. I was severely saddened, and living away from home in Chicago certainly didn’t help.

Because my mother did not want to take numerous medications every day, my sister started doing research on the internet for alternative ways to heal disease. She found several websites and came in contact with a few people who had found that their cases of MS had cleared up once they changed their diet and lifestyle.

These people mainly adhered to a non-processed diet, filled with vegetables, little meat, and no chemical additives whatsoever. They exercised, and stayed away from toxins as much as possible. They didn’t use chemical cleaners, and they were careful about what they even put ON their bodies (lotions, make-up, etc). Not an easy lifestyle to maintain, but these people were onto something.

My mom decided to give it a go. She dropped her traditional Serbian way of cooking and eating, and started to eat tons of vegetables, very little meat, and exercised daily, sometimes twice a day. She started to visualize healing and only used positive affirmations-this became a way of life. And within 2 months, she was starting to lose a lot of weight, and…her vision returned.

We were elated! Back in Chicago, I slowly started to do the same. I cut out sugar from my diet, threw away all processed food, and stopped drinking alcohol. Before I knew it, I was a complete bore. JUST KIDDING! Ha.

Before I knew it, my cupboards were emptied from processed food and I was feeling great and enjoying my new way of eating. I started researching holistic living and eating and read everything I could get my hands on about health topics which interested me. But even though I was feeling great, I still didn’t feel as if I was in perfect health. I continued to search for answers to my personal dilemma.

Unfortunately, a few months later, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer of the appendix, colon, uterus, and diaphragm. Her cancer was severe. She had numerous operations to remove as much as possible, but some of could not be removed. By the grace of god, my mother was given a book by a friend, a book written by a Serbian lady who cured herself from Stage 4 cancer by an esoteric diet called the “Macrobiotic” diet.

My mom read the book from cover to cover and started the diet right away. The diet was extremely difficult to follow-plenty of Japanese food, cooked in a certain manner and from scratch-as well as more lifestyle rules to follow-but my mom took to it and dedicated herself to it because she didn’t have any other options. Chemo was not an option.

In this time, I wanted to give the diet a try as well. I had moved to California and actually contacted the counselor who wrote the book my mom had read. I started the diet, and within 2 months, I was down 23 pounds and felt worse than ever.

The diet was too extreme for me, and I definitely didn’t need to lose weight. I feel blessed to have been on this diet for eight months however, because it was the beginning of a complete turnaround for me, one which changed the way I ate once and for all.