I LOVE To See The Temple!

Today was one of the highlights of our trip for me. We had the opportunity to visit the Tijuana, Mexico temple grounds which is about a 30 minute drive from the treatment center. I just loved the spirit of peace I felt there and being surrounded by so much beauty. The architecture was so gorgeous and I really enjoyed looking at the very unique plants that were there.

Our driver/photographer, Ricardo, enjoyed our trip there as well. Ricardo has been such a friendly and informative driver and we have enjoyed our visits with him where ever we have had to go. Ricardo has four older children and two younger children (one who is handicapped and blind in one eye and a little girl that was abandoned that he is in the process of adopting). 

Luckily, they had a distribution center there that was open and we were able to buy Ricardo some music and books about Jesus for his children. We also had him pick out a picture for them of Jesus with the children. We were also super excited to buy some Book of Mormon's in Spanish, one of which we were able to give to Ricardo and the others will be given to some of our new friends that we have met while we are here.

I am truly grateful for temples and the incredible blessing they are to our family and the whole world!

This is a picture of the mountain that is behind the temple. It says "Jesus Cristo Es El Senor" which means in English Jesus Christ is the Lord

This is a statue at one of mosques on the way to the temple

Cancer Boot Camp 101

So what do we do all day at the Hope4Cancer Treatment Center and how are these treatments helping to restore Larry's health?

A Sample of Our Basic Daily Schedule

 6:30 AM  Get Read for the day

 7:00 AM  Prayers & Scriptures

 7:15 AM  Walk along the beach as Larry is able to (we have done this about half the time)

 7:30 AM  Vitals; Wheatgrass, Lemon water, & Golden milk

 7:45 AM  Coffee Enema followed by Ozone

 8:00 AM  Breakfast (1 hour; Tuesdays there is a lecture presented by the dietician)

 9:00 AM  Indiba

 9:30 AM  Near Infrared Heat Lamp

10:00AM  Green Juice (spinach, romaine, celery, cucumber, green apple)

                  PEMF (Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy)

11:00 AM  Hyperbaric Chamber

                   Smoothie

  1:00 PM   Lunch (1 hour)

  2:00 PM   Red bed (Photo Dynamic Therapy)

  3:00 PM   Red Juice (beets, carrots, green apple, lemon, ginger)

  4:00 PM   Smoothie

                    Light Pads/Lumen (Photo Dynamic Therapy)

  5:30 PM  Dinner (1 hour)

  6:30 PM   Sono Therapy

  7:00 PM   Hyperthermia (aka "Pizza Oven") or Near Infared Sauna

  8:00 PM   Shower

  8:30 PM   Pain Pill & Sleep Medicine (About five night's ago, Larry started having a lot of pain where his tumors are. This pain is largely in the evenings. This is a good sign because it means that his immune system is waking up and going to war against his tumor which in turn causes inflammation and ultimately pain. Luckily, we have found a good combination of medicine to get him through this time.

  9:00 PM   Prayers & Bed 

In this rigorous schedule Larry also has at least a weekly B.E.S.T. (behavioral, emotional, spiritual, therapy) appointment, has met individually with the nutritionist, is scheduled to meet with the local holistic dentist, is scheduled for an acupuncture appointment, and a lymphatic massage. Sometimes he will get up early to do some of his light therapy treatments so that we can venture out to the souvenir shop, the ocean, and today we are excited to be taking a trip to visit the LDS temple that is in Tijuana (about 40 minutes away)!

Larry also has several IV treatments that they have been giving him through this whole process. The iv's that have been prescribed to him personally include Vitamin C, B17, Helixor, Boswellia, Poly MVA, and DMSO. Larry also does Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation on a consistent basis as part of his treatment plan.

Larry does two shots--Sunevara (5 days a week) which wakes up the immune system and Helixor (mistletoe therapy), both of which we will continue at home. 

Yesterday when we met with his functional doctor, he added on eleven more supplements to his plan to assist with Larry's fatigue, adrenals, digestion/malabsorption, and liver support. These supplements were recommended as a result of his thermography results. I am so grateful that the team of nurses here are so organized so that they can help us manage all of this and will set up a good structure for us to take home with us.

Larry has worked so hard at completing his treatments everyday, even when he is not feeling well. With the exception of only a couple of things, he has completed everything, everyday. It has helped so much to have assistance with his diet and having those meals prepared for us on a consistent basis. With the exception of a few dinners, and some of the in between meal drinks, he has eaten the majority of the food he has been served. As nutrition has been such a battle for him for almost a year😓, this has been such a tremendous blessing to his overall health. For Larry to be able to eat like this fairly consistently has been a miracle in and of itself, but having an expert dietician design his meals for him, coupled with the treatments he is doing has made all of the difference and we are so incredibly grateful.

All of the treatments at Hope4Cancer support the following 7 principles:

1. Non-Toxic Cancer Therapies

2. Immunomodulation

3. Full Spectrum Nutrition

4. Detoxification

5. Oxygenation

6. Restore the Microbiome

7. Spiritual and Emotional Healing

How These Treatment Are Helping

• Ozone--oxygenates the body while also killing microbes and cancer cells via its oxidative properties.

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber--oxygen supports the body's healing process, yet it is toxic to cancer cells.

• Coffee Enemas--stimulate the liver and gallbladder to release stored toxins and wastes; this enhances liver function.

• Juicing--excellent way to detoxify your body and infuse your cells with a multitude of nutrients. Best way to cleanse your blood, lymphatic system, kidneys, liver, and gallbladder! Use all kinds of fruits and vegetables. It is recommended that the juice be made out of 80% vegetables and 20% fruits and drink 2-3 eight-ounce glasses daily. For optimal detoxification, it is recommended to dedicate one day per week to drinking only juices.

• Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy (SPDT)--this type of therapy uses sound (sono) and light (photo), in combination with a sensitizing substance called SP-Activate (non toxic substance that is a derivative of chlorophyll), to target cancer cells. This activate is absorbed mostly by cancer cells in a ration of 70:1. SP-Activate stays inactive until it is awakened by sound and/or light and it produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are free radicals, or negatively charged oxygen molecules, that kill cancer cells upon contact. SPDT also decreases angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels form in and around tumors. SPDT also activates the immune system and recruits immune cells to migrate to the tumor site. SPDT does not have the side effects of conventional approaches and it is good for all types of cancer except brain tumors because it doesn't penetrate through bones, such as the skull.

• Near Infrared Light Therapy-- reduces pain, inflammation, and also helps to destabilize cancer cells.

• Intravenous Vitamin C (one of God's most powerful natural cancer-fighting substances). At lower levels it supports the immune system. When used in high amounts, it eliminates cancer cells by creating hydrogen peroxide within tumors, which destroys them.

• Intravenous Vitamin B-17 (aka laetrile or amygdalin)--this substance can be found in bitter almonds, apricot, peach, and plum seeds, and a handful of fruits. Vitamin B-17 contains cyanide that is only released inside the cancer cells, not the normal, healthy ones! Dr. Tony say's that for cancer prevention purposes you would have to take 20-40 apricot kernels per day. If you have a stage III or IV cancer he recommends taking it intravenously, but if you have a stage I or II cancer, oral supplements may be adequate.

• Intravenous Helixor (Mistletoe)--mostly found on the apple, fir, and pine trees. Mistletoe is a remedy that treats cancer and is used at many integrative cancer clinics, especially in Europe. There are 7,000 scientific publications that confirm the benefits of mistletoe. Mistletoe plant eliminates cancer throughout the body through a variety of mechanisms. It also enhances immune function and helps reduce fatigue.

•  Poly-MVA--supplement that supports energy production, DNA repair and normalization of metabolic processes.

• Hyperthermia-- disables cancer cells through a variety of mechanisms. Whole body hyperthermia induces a fever (101-104) which stimulates the immune system. It also heats up the tumors and destroys the vasculor and cellular components of cancer cells.

• Near Infrared Sauna--valuable way to cleanse the body of many toxins, increase circulation, oxygenate the tissues, stimulate the immune system, reduce systemic pain and inflammation, helps remove plaque from the arterial walls, and it is relaxing!

In order to restore and maintain Larry's and all of our families health, these key principles will be a way of life for our family going forward. We have learned so much and are so excited to see how, not only Larry, but our whole family will benefit from practicing the 7 key principles, taught by Dr. Tony, on a consistent basis.

Having this incredible opportunity to spend this time at the Hope4Cancer treatment center has been such a blessing to our family and we can't even put into words the gratitude we feel for those who have helped us get here to have this opportunity.

We will be leaving here better people--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and we will forever treasure the incredible friendships we have made with like minded people who are on the same healing journey. As our friend Howard taught us, "Upward and Onward" and as we like to say, "Everyday In Every way We Get a Little Better!"

We Are Making Progress!

The last couple of nights have been rough in terms of Larry being able to sleep. We have finally learned that a combination of a pain IV and a sleeping pill works great. Fortunately, the pain is a good sign. The immunotherapy he is doing is putting his immune system on high alert and is causing inflammation in the body because it is laser focused on getting rid of the cancer cells.

Last night at our karaoke night was a huge hallmark for Larry's progress. When we first came here Larry had a very raspy and weak voice (I have since learned that that is a sign of cancer). As you can see in the attached video, we got up and sang "Mommas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" which we dedicated to our good Canadian friend who is going home today and has never heard country music🤠 

With very few exceptions, Larry has done all of his treatments everyday and it is making a huge difference in the short ten days we have been here. We have been for walks about half the days, his color is looking so much better, and overall (other than the nighttime pain) he is feeling better! The doctor came in and talked to us on Wednesday. He said that normally at this point he would run another panel of blood work, but from Larry's clinical presentation he was doing well enough that he was going to put it off. As I was typing this blog post the doctor came in to give me an update on his liver labs. Two of the liver panels that were highly elevated when we first came in have dramatically dropped. One went from 591-362 and the other from 386-183 and both are quickly moving toward the normal range. Everyday In Every Way We Get a Little Better!

Our karaokee group from last night. Unfortunately Larry had to leave early to get to his "pizza oven" treatment so we missed getting the picture with us

Dinner at Hope4Cancer. We have come to love all of these people. 

In the middle are our good friends Sondra and Vera from Canada. They are going home today and we will miss them so much😓 The mom, Vera, has been struggling with Ovarian cancer for quite some time. She is doing so much better from when we first met her. The two on the right are sisters, that we just met yesterday. They were born in Tijuana, but currently live in Los Angeles.

1st Day of School & The Power of Prayer

The last couple of days have been very emotional. Yesterday was my kids first day back to school and I was not there. That is the first time that I have not been there, ever. It was hard. It made it extra hard when I talked to them on the phone and they said, "Mom, I wish you were here." My first thought was to catch a flight out asap and go home, but I know that I am needed here also. I feel very torn, but I know that this is where I need to be right now and I am learning so many things that will be a blessing to not only Larry, but our whole family and I know that he needs my support right now. I just have to pray that God will comfort them and watch over them and I am so grateful for all of the people that are watching over them so that I can be here.

Larry and I have also been somewhat at odds with each other also the last couple of days. I'm sure all of the stress that we are under is finally catching up to us and we are not used to be around each other so much (retirement prep 101😉). Larry's health is still very fragile and it makes it extra hard when there are things I want to talk about or real life situations that need to be taken care of. We have since had some good talks and have learned a thing or two from these experiences. It also makes it hard when Larry's health and energy levels are constantly up and down, which is very common for everyone here battling cancer.

I walked across the street last night and walked down to the beach by myself. It was beautiful and I enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset (so sad that I forgot to take my phone to snap a picture). I also enjoyed watching the children play in the water, a few people trying to catch waves, and over coarse listening to the various bands that were there playing. I took a notebook and pen and just wrote out all of the anger and frustration that I feel for a good hour. I tore it up and put it in the garbage on my way back to the clinic. It felt so good, but I still had a hard time sleeping.

Because I didn't want to disturb Larry, I went down to the lounge to read for several hours. I got through the first couple of sections of the "Hope for Cancer" book which was so inspiring to me. After Dr. Tony had graduated from medical school, his father called him and told him that he had prostate cancer and ask him if he could help him because he didn't want to go through the "traditional" way of treating cancer. His Father became his first cancer patient.

He was able to help him fully recover by taking a holistic approach to healing the root causes of cancer, which included an individualized nutritional and immune enhancing plan. His Dad went on to live for several more years and died at 82 years old from heart disease, not cancer.

I was so inspired by his chapter on Healing the Whole Person: Spirit, Soul, and Body. In ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations, whenever somebody would get sick, the first person in the community they would call would be a spiritual leader, followed by the equivalent of a psychological counselor, and lastly a medical doctor. Sadly, in Western society we have reversed this order. Our relationship with God should be the foundation of our recovery. With that foundation several tools can be used to heal the soul and the body. Those who look to Him for help can expect better outcomes.

He shares a famous study that was conducted about prayer by cardiologist Randolph Byrd and published in 1988. For this study, 393 coronary care patients were either admitted to a prayer group (192 patients) or a control group (201 patients). Christians outside of the hospital prayed for the prayer group and over time those patients who received prayer as part of their recovery showed much better recovery rates than those in the control group. The ones being prayed for were five times less likely than the control group to require antibiotic and three times less likely to develop pulmonary edema. Twelve of the control group patients also needed intubation for breathing support, whereas, none of the prayed for patients did. 

I have been a witness to these type of miracles several times in my own life and I know that we are being watched over by God with our current situation. Through all of Larry's health problems we have felt the power of prayer in our lives and continue to feel so now. I believe wholeheartedly, that despite all the odds we have been given, that if it is God's will Larry will be completely healed from the cancer that is trying to overtake his body. I also know that through the power of prayer and inspiration that we have been led to this incredible treatment center to help aide in the healing process.

In Dr. Tony's words:  "At our treatment centers, we've seen many healing miracles in people who have survived and recovered from cancer, despite tremendous odds. There are people who have been transformed and/or healed, either through a miracle of God or with medicine. Yet when we have faith in God, He makes even medicine miraculous!" 

 

"Nate the Great" 3rd grade, Rachel 6th grade (1st year of middle school), Ben & Bekah (Seniors!)❤

Six Days at Hope4Cancer

We have been at Hope4Cancer for almost a week now. We have met some incredible people, from all over the world, who inspire us, we have been introduced to and have been practicing several of the cancer treatments that Dr. Tony recommends in his book "Hope for Cancer", we are being treated by extremely caring and knowledgeable doctors, we have had incredible nutrition, and we have so much hope! Larry has his up and down days, just like every other cancer patient here, but overall we feel like we are on a healing path. 

 

I have been so happy with how well Larry has been eating since we have gotten here. He has eaten all of his food (3 good meals, 2 juices, and two shakes a day) until yesterday when his pancreas started acting up again. It has been so helpful to be in house because we have gotten immediate help and they have compensated for his lack of nutrition very quickly. This morning they put him on what they jokingly call "Mountain Dew" which give his body vitamins and minerals to help compensate for the lack of nutrition from not being able to eat. They take good nutrition around here very seriously as it is the foundation for being able to heal. 

This is one of the three National Guard trucks that we have often seen driving up and down the main street that is just out our window. I am not sure whether we should be worried or feel safer with them around.😕 Our son, Dallin, who served an LDS mission in Chihuahua, Mexico said it was common to see them driving up and down the streets there too on a daily basis. Our driver at the clinic told us that they are there mostly to keep the police offers in check who have been known to do corrupt things.

There are several of these old telephones along the street that runs in front of the building we are staying in. I have no idea if they work, but I would have to disinfect it before I could even think about using it😏

Last Saturday we spent about two hours taking a trip downtown which is about 15-20 minutes from the clinic. The city of Tijuana is about 2 million people. Larry is posing at one of the shops we went to where they sell jewelry, toys, clothes, postcards, bags, and beautiful painted pottery.

The driver told us that this is where the Caesar salad originated from.

This is downtown Tijuana. We learned that we were on the safe side of the arch. Prostitution is legal in Tijuana and if you travel to the other side of the arch that is the "red light district". We opted to stay on our side of the arch.

An old cemetery we passed on our drive.

This is the first dessert I have had in a week and it was delicious! It was a muffin made from the leftover pancake batter that we had at breakfast. It was topped with fresh blueberry sauce and of course the batter was glutten-free. For breakfast we had two pancakes, slightly cooked eggs (I have learned that eggs that are less cooked are a lot easier to digest), with two succulent strawberries on the side.😋 

You see these OXXO stores all over Tijuana. They are just a little convenience store.

Just some views that we see looking up from the ocean.

This is looking from Tijuana into the American side of the fence. From what I understand there is a military base on the other side.

We have seen this guy out fishing every morning that we have been out on a walk.

A view of all of the buildings along the beach. Sadly, so many of them have been abandoned and are run down. 

The light house you can see from the ocean.

We found it very interesting to find Idaho license plates while on our walk this morning. We have seen Mexico and California plates, but no Idaho until today. One interesting thing that we learned from our driver is that there are several expired California plates in Mexico. Because it is out of the Mexican police jurisdiction there is nothing they can do about it so they avoid paying yearly taxes and registration.

I LOVED this painting that I saw on one of the walls.

This is the hotel that is just West of the clinic that a lot of the return patients and out-patients stay at. It is $65 night and the report from patients that have stayed there is that it is ok.

This is one of the quotes I saw on the tv at the clinic this morning. Again, it goes back to the seven basic principles of "Hope for Cancer". Can't say enough good about the treatment center and the principles that they teach!💕

One other thing I will say about where we are staying at is that it is noisy. It goes from loud, to louder, to loudest! Saturday night we hit the loudest level of noise as there was some music festival in town. It made for a really bad night's sleep.  There are constant cars going by, we have even heard a garbage truck out picking up garbage at 2:30 in the morning one night😒, or vehicles with loud speakers speaking commercials or propaganda (I have no idea what they are saying), and there is constant music from either speakers or live bands. It is so entertaining to watch people pile out of their cars with a whole band and start playing music wherever they are at. Can't say we aren't looking forward to getting back to our peaceful, quiet life in Idaho.💤

Hope4Cancer 7 Principles of Cancer Therapy

Having been at the Hope4Cancer Treatment Center for almost a week now, we are both so grateful that we have had this opportunity to come to this incredible facility, even though we still have so much to wrap our minds around. Larry's color looks better, he is eating more, he seems to be getting stronger, and we have HOPE!!!

People come to this center from all over the world because they have some of the best integrative cancer treatment there is. At lunch today we met a guy who is heartbroken because he will likely lose his wife of 40+ years in the next week or so. She has been battling cancer for over 11 years and is just tired of fighting. They came to Hope4Cancer as a last ditch effort. Even though they haven't had the results that they were hoping for, he could not say enough good about this center. His only regret is that they didn't get here sooner.😓

Dr. Antonio Jimenez (Dr. Tony) has done an incredible job at creating the facility we are at in Tijuana, MEXICO and one in Cancun, MEXICO. We chose to come to Tijuana, not only because Larry did not have a current passport, but also because the Tijuana provides 24/7 care for more high risk patients. Dr. Tony has based these centers off of the following principles:

1. Non-Toxic Cancer Therapies

2. Immunomodulation

3. Full Spectrum Nutrition

    a. nutrition based on the Garden of Eden

    b. supplements that repair and restore the body

4. Detoxification

5. Oxygenation

6. Restore the Microbiome

7. Spiritual & Emotional Healing

Following are some of the therapies that Larry is using at the center:

Photo Dynamic Therapy Plus

An innovative and effective treatment with a long list of benefits, Photo Dynamic Therapy Plus builds on the foundation of Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy with a more direct application of low-level laser light.

Learn More Here

Sunivera Immunotherapy

Combining a powerful, immunotherapeutic macrophage activating factor (MAF) with synergistic therapies and nutraceuticals that work together to modulate the innate and adaptive immune systems.

Learn More Here

Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy

Using non-toxic sensitizers that selectively concentrate in cancer cells, these can be activated using predetermined sound (Sono-Dynamic Therapy) and light (Photo-Dynamic Therapy) frequencies.

4 Days at Hope4Cancer

We have learned so much since we got to the clinic on Tuesday morning and we have been VERY busy. We have also met so many amazing people, both staff and patients.

Larry's daily schedule will be super intense, especially the next ten days. Yesterday Larry was involved with appointments and therapies from 7 in the morning until 9 in the evening. His schedule includes Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy (SPDT), INDIBA, whole body hyperthermia, Sauna, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, near infrared heat lamps, PEMF, Light Pads/Lumen Photon Therapy, Coffee Enemas, Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation, Helixor Therapy, and several IV's (Vitamin C, B-17, Boswellia, Poly-MVA, and DMSO). We have also met with several specialists, including Dr. Romero, who is overseeing Larry's case, a nutritionist (that guy was sharp and really knew his stuff), and an emotional counselor. We still have to meet with another counselor, a functional doctor and we will receive the results of Larry's thermography next week. One of the things that this will tell us is the amount of radiation damage that Larry has had through the years. Given that Larry has had between 20-30 CT scans through the years, we are anxiously awaiting these results. We have learned that CT scans give off 100x more radiation than a chest x-ray (Pet scans give off 500x more).😢Going forward we will do all that we can to avoid these scans.

The key foundational component to this program is Larry's diet. I have LOVED having experts help me to formulate a diet for Larry that I will be going home with, including recipes. The food is also very delicious and consists of all real, organic plant based foods. As this is so crucial for Larry's healing, and continued health, this will become our lifestyle. As I have battled weight for years, and I have children with very severe health problems, I am so excited to be able to learn this new way of eating and incorporating it into our home life. I find it interesting that we are studying the Word of Wisdom for our scripture study this week, because this lifestyle is just following the way that God has already taught us to eat.

I was pleasantly surprised that Larry was feeling up to a walk last Wednesday evening, the day after we got here. We went for a 20 minute walk on the beach and it was wonderful! I LOVE the ocean so much and I even got a little wet even though it was cold. This morning we went on a 30 minute walk down to the wall where Mexico and the US come together. It is only about a 10 minute walk from the clinic.

Even though Tijuana is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world, we feel safe and protected where we are at. The clinic has went above and beyond to help us feel this way. They met us in San Diego and drove us into Mexico, they drive and escort you anywhere you want to go, there is a 24 hours guard in front of the clinic, we have a lock box in our bedroom, and we have been told that we are in the good part of town.  

Today I ventured out to Walmart to get Larry some athletic shorts while he was doing his treatments. It was similar to a states Walmart, but a little bit more run down. I had to have the escorts help reading the tags on the clothing and communicating with the cashier. One thing that I thought was interesting is that they had a larger variety of things at their Walmart, including washers and dryers. Tomorrow afternoon Larry and I are scheduled to go out to the market. I love looking around at all of the beautiful things that people make, especially souvenirs and gifts. I think Larry enjoys the bargaining part of the market😏That is definitely not my thing. Not only do I not speak Spanish (Larry had a couple of years in college), but I have a hard time bartering with people who are already so poor.

The staff here is truly top notch. Not only are they very well educated in their expertise, they are all so kind and helpful. They go above and beyond to answer all of your questions and make sure that our needs are taken care of. I also love that God is openly and frequently talked about at the clinic and there is a really good Spirit here. 

It has been such a great strength to daily interact with other people who are fighting the same fight that we are. One of those people is Howard. Howard is an 89 year old man from San Diego who was diagnosed with stage III pancreatic cancer 1 1/2 years ago and only given 6 months to live. He has been coming to Hope4Cancer since that time and is doing great! I am inspired by his words, "Upward and Onward!" Missy is another one of our friends from California who is here at the clinic for a check-up. She was diagnosed with ear cancer and she is doing great also, even though she refused the traditional chemo and radiation and opted for alternative medicine.

Two of the books that we are reading that we would highly recommend are "The Truth About Cancer" and "Hope for Cancer" by Antonio Jimenez (Dr. Tony). They are both excellent books that will help open up your eyes to different ways of thinking about cancer and alternative ways to overcome it.

 

Our good friend, Howard, who is also battling pancreatic cancer.

Our friend, Missy, from CA who is here for her three month check-up

Larry with Dr. Ramero

The atrium room at the clinic

Larry's daily schedule

One of my favorite dinners, yummy!

More yummy food. The brown rice noodles with pesto sauce are to die for. I am told that they do serve occasional dessert that is delicious. Can't wait to try it!