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Originally published in January 2004 icon
Breast Cancer - The Facts
My Breast Cancer Journey
Valerie Jeffery is an astrologer, an environmentalist and an animal welfare worker When she was diagnosed with breast cancer she decided to take an unorthodox approach to her treatment. This was a very personal decision and, although icon would not necessarily recommend her method, we thought our readers would like to hear her remarkable story.
"I moved to Dorset with my husband a week before Christmas 2001 and in October 2002, because I was with a new medical practice, I was asked to attend the mobile mammogram unit for screening, a year earlier than I was due. This accompanied the feeling that I was meant to go for some reason! At the end of October I was recalled for another mammogram. An area in my right breast looked different to the left, and this was verified as new, after they had scrutinised my last mammogram. I had another mammogram, plus an ultrasound scan which showed a very small suspect area, difficult for doing a biopsy, though this was eventually achieved. I can think of better ways of spending Halloween!
On the 7th November I learned that the biopsy did not yield a result, so I would have to have a tiny area removed surgically for testing. My Macmillan nurse, Frances, telephoned me with an appointment. I still did not know what I was dealing with, so was not in a position to make an informed choice about my treatment, but realised that there was a reason for the lack of biopsy result. I felt I was meant to be admitted into hospital to make contact not only with other patients, but with members of the breast-care team. An important experience for me personally, especially as a healer. I had recently heard of many experiences of cancer patients, from youngsters to mature ladies such as myself, and I knew I could not go down the orthodox route.
I knew I could not go down the orthodox
route
On my admittance to Dorset County Hospital, I was the only patient in the Day Room for the evening meal, except for one other lady, Gill. We sat down together, and it was clear from her conversation that like me, she was on the holistic wavelength. We both questioned a great deal of what was on offer on the medical pathway, and Gill provided me with a copy of the pilot issue of icon. The case histories in this magazine were of the kind I had read now and again over the years, but had not kept... people healing themselves of cancer in various ways such as diet. Apart from these wonderful stories, the magazine contained detailed advice necessary on what to cut out of your diet, what to include a lot of, organically where possible, and the high doses of supplements you need, all to reverse the cancer cells - normal cells that have not renewed themselves correctly for some reason. As soon as I returned home, I sent for a subscription to include the few back copies I had missed.
On 16th December, I attended the breast care clinic to be told I had invasive breast cancer grade 3. It goes up to grade 4. The hospital wanted me to have more surgery to make sure that the cancer cells and pre-cancerous cells were removed, plus a couple of lymph nodes under the arm to check that it had not spread. This I declined, but said I would still attend the clinic appointment so that I could tell them exactly what I was doing to heal myself. I had by this time already researched what to cut out of my diet and what to include more of, as a healthy background to clearing cancer cells, Now I had to include the necessary high doses of many important cancer-clearing supplements, I was, as a veggie/vegan, hallway there, and should have been very healthy, but I had been neglecting myself nutrition-wise for a long time and had undermined my immune system. Always busy, with just a quick cup of coffee and on with my various freelance work in animal welfare, environmental issues, astrology, healing, writing, etc. I know the absence of the necessary nutrition to sustain my body had been the main cause of it not being able to regenerate cells normally. By 18th December I had my healing regime in place. Already taking Menopace, (a vegetarian 22 nutrient tablet for menopause as I had come off HRT) I added vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin F, kyolic garlic, coenzyme Q10, selenium, milk thistle complex and phyto soya. The most important supplement I took, and still take in a lower dose, has been MGN 3 Biobran which consists of the outer husk of brown rice and the enzymes of three japanese mushrooms. Information on this wonderful product is out there on the Internet and available from The Nutri Centre and The Really Healthy Company, both in London.
I was not about to subject my body voluntarily to radiation and chemicals as a means to combat my cancer
cells
As a campaigner for animal welfare since the 60’s, I have been aware that natural products for our personal use and in our homes means less pollution of both ourselves and our environment. The less animal ingredients and chemicals the better.
In this day and age our infrastructure has been undermined by industry, manufacturing and commercialisation and we are unfortunately reaping the consequences more and more. Armed with this knowledge, I was not about to subject my body voluntarily to radiation and chemicals as a means to combat my cancer cells, especially as it would only be targeting the cells that were known, i.e. in the right breast. The whole body needs to be treated. I could not do that to the body I had nurtured all my life, but unfortunately had unknowingly neglected and caused it to struggle to sustain itself. It needed love and nutrition. As a healer and writer I had to go down this pathway. If I had not experienced cancer myself I would not have gained all the knowledge I have doing a crash-course in healing my body as soon as possible. I can now also say with true understanding to cancer patients, that I do know how they feel, and can support them in whatever decisions they make concerning their treatment, be it medical or holistic, or both, and help them with the mental and psychological anguish that accompanies this experience.
Whilst following my regime, I had all the support I could wish for from friends and healers, and I was guided to new contacts and books for invaluable information. I found myself having the most profound conversations with complete strangers who are prominent people in the arena of health. There was a great deal of networking going on, to pass around individual knowledge and experience. Aware as I have been since childhood of more than this life in this dimension, the guidance I received during this period of time has been amazing. Our angels are there for us to ask for their help with even the most mundane tasks. Because of the transformation that the experience of cancer can bring about, it can become a blessing in disguise. Even whilst healing myself I was able to support and help others with all that I was learning. This was an added bonus at a time when my life, out of sheer necessity, became very home-based.
At the beginning of my self-healing, in January 2003, I was told by one of my new contacts of a Dr Robert Jacobs who healed cancer patients and had a clinic in Dorset. I filed the information away, as he seemed to be quite a distance away when I needed to be at home, keeping to a strict support system of meals and supplements. However, about three months later, a lady at a health store in Dorchester, gave me a book she thought I might like to read. It was The Wise Woman by Judy Hall with Dr. Robert Jacobs! Judy is a fellow professional astrologer - Dr. Jacobs was her partner! Obviously, the time was right to see him.
I visited Rob on 20th May, 2003. He is a doctor who has combined conventional medical training with a study of Eastern Philosophies and systems of healing. He has studied medicine in China, Germany and England, and acupuncture with Dr Julian Kenyon. Using electro- diagnostic apparatus, Dr Jacobs can obtain a reading from the body’s energy field, and in my case could fnd no trace of cancer in my body whatsoever. Within five months my healing had taken place. My surgeon had told me that they would not be able to tell me if I was in remission, but I knew someone out there could! With screening the whole body in this way, who needs a mammogram to look at only the breast area, which according to American research is equivalent to 1000 x-rays!
Find time to be kind to yourself, so that you are healthy and strong enough to help others
Right from the beginning of my healing regime I soon began to look and feel really well, and more in touch with my true self which I had lost sight of in the hustle and bustle of this modern age. As Chris Woollams has said in icon and in his book "Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer the make-up of the cancer patient is very much the ’people pleaser’, and it does seem that habitually putting others first can lead to self-neglect when time and energy are at a premium with equal effect. So, find time to be kind to yourself so that you are healthy and strong enough to help others in the way that you would like."