I received an email yesterday that I decided to answer on the blog. Here it is: "My wife found your blog and I find it very inspirational and resourceful. I've been diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer just like yours, but unlike your tumor, mine is located in the lower part of the rectal area. I have visited the oncologists and surgeons, they said the best way is to go through Chemo and Radiation in order to shrink the tumor size small enough to remove it during surgery. I will begin my treatment next week, the Chemo I'll be taking is the pill that I'll have to consume twice a day for 6 weeks with radiation. The doctors said I will be required to go through another chemo therapy after surgery, which would be different chemo treatment (through IV). That's where my wife feel most uncomfortable and began researching different options such as alternative therapy. And she found your blog with some insightful information. I changed my diet to raw organic vegetables the day I was informed that I had cancer. It was a life changing moment and left me a little confused what's on the horizon for me. Instead I began to eat more raw organic food and exercise than I have done before (I have been eating organic food and exercising moderately for years). While I have read through some of your blogs and stories, I know you mentioned that you had surgery to remove part of the large intestine and forego chemo and radiation with alternative therapy. I am still confused about the part when you had surgery...Did you have any treatment before your surgery? I understand your blog and stories mostly mention after surgery treatment but maybe I overlooked somewhere that says anything about before surgery? I am curious to know because my age is slightly older than your age right now and I have two young daughters, too. I just do hope that everything posted on your website is true. I am not doubting anything but I do praise your recovery and living cancer free. That's my goal too." Regards, Tris Continue reading for my answer and a surprising study about the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

In 2004 I was resarching alternative cancer therapies and heard about Dr. Stanley Burzynski in Houston, Texas. I was told that he had developed a non-toxic "alternative" therapy that was more effective than chemo or radiation on even the most aggressive cancers.  So yeah, he was on my short list of doctors to see if I my natural approach didn't work. "Burzynski The Movie: Cancer Is Serious Business" documents the amazing cancer treatment discovered by Dr. Burzynski called Antineoplastons and how the FDA and the National Cancer Institute tried to shut down his clinic, prove his therapy didn't work, and put him in jail while the U.S. Government tried to steal his patent. Really! Micah and I just watched this and it is so freaking awesome I almost exploded.

In early January I received a message through the blog from a young woman diagnosed with cancer at 26, just like me. She shared a little bit about her survival story and alternative therapy strategy. I thought it was so great that I asked her if she would do an interview. And she said yes! Instead of chemotherapy she decided to make hardcore diet and lifestyle changes along with alternative therapies, and had a huge surprise along the way. I really enjoyed this interview and I know you will too. Very powerful stuff.

Since my last post was on alkalizing, and thanks to a facebook thread with Deanna and Kathy, I figured I'd continue with that theme and write about one of my favorite products on planet earth, which was also a staple in my anti-cancer diet: Apple Cider Vinegar.

I am not a doctor or a scientist.  I am a self-educated chemo-free cancer survivor and I often have people contact me who want to know more. In this post I explain in the simplest terms what I have come to understand and believe to be true about chemotherapy and why I did not do it.

In January of 2004, one month after my surgery, my wife Micah and I went to the cancer clinic for the first time. It didn't go so well. I had already decided against chemotherapy after researching successful alternative therapies. To my dismay, my decision was not well received by my wife, family and friends. After many heartfelt and well-meaning "interventions", I reluctantly agreed to go meet with an oncologist to hear what he had to say.

This recipe was given to me as part of my Anti-Cancer Diet by my Naturopath and I drank it nearly everyday, usually as an afternoon snack. Surgeon Generals Warning: Highly Addictive Deliciousness.

An unhealthy diet is a proven cause of disease. In fact, three out of four Americans die every year from diet related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. So it's exciting to see scientific research proving what natural health practitioners have told us for the last 2,400 years. In this 20 minute video presentation William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, foods that prevent the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor.