“Cancer doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long, complex process. Many changes occur for the disease to develop. It can take years, even decades. There are many things you can
do to prevent, delay or even stop the cancer process at all stages of life.”  The American Institute of Cancer

My triceps on my right arm were growing. In ’06 my doctor asked me about it. I thought it was because I lifted my mom a lot. I saw an article about a dog that had cancer in their leg, but no humans. Now there’s all kinds of info to set off alarms. I began treatment for lymphedema.

I entered the hospital April 7th for 5 days of aggressive 24/7 chemo, then the remainder at a clinic for 4 months as an outpatient. I got an infection from the port surgery, reacted to PET scan dye, and had acute renal failure. Then I had a reaction to chemo and was in the hospital for 18 days, in ICU twice for 6 days.Five years later I started to get sick. Really sick. My right arm was 4.4″ larger than my left arm. March 03, 2011 I saw a GP, who ordered x-rays and referred me to an oncologist, who said they would have to take my arm. She said there were two docs at the Mayo who might be able to save it. She referred me to Dr. Clohisy, who took four biopsies in his office. A PET scan showed it in my lymph nodes. Stage 3½ .

My family, friends, and church were praying. It wasn’t my strength, I didn’t have any left. I barely held on. I thought it was my time to be promoted and be free of my body. I was in a coma twice, and when I came to the second time I heard a voice, as if someone was in the room with me. It said “we’ve got this.”

When I left the hospital I couldn’t walk. Marty gave me shots for my white blood cell count and brought me meals in bed. A month later Dr. Clohisy and his team worked 5 hours removing the tumor, then 2 hours in recovery. After a week in the hospital I was as good as new. Not really. I had two months of radiation with Dr. Dusenbery, and I was beginning to heal. I felt a huge difference when I got back on my nutritional program. During a lot of the treatment all I could take was VitaLea Gold, and after a week and a half of not moving my bowels I took a natural senna product called Herblax. Side note: At my last colonoscopy the polyps from earlier were gone, and there were no new ones. They knew I took a powerful senna product.

Fast forward – today I have my arm, and great mobility, even though they took my triceps and lower deltoid. I thank God every day for the people who prayed for me, that Dr. Clohisy was extremely skilled, and took immediate action. Dr. Dusenbery’s, proficiency and patience with the radiation treatments made a huge difference. Their knowledge, faith in me, solution focus, and heart made me believe we could fight this monster.

This is a brief account of a long, horrific journey. That monster is always waiting, looking for a weak spot. Some of the nutrition I take to “power up” is listed on the next page. I told my doctor prayer, great care, and powerful nutrition are helping. She said the nutrition helps the other two do their job. Two nurses told me my nutritional program is probably why I am alive, and is absolutely why I have my right arm.

Marty put my story on caring bridge at: www.sherylturneronline.com I asked him not to put up everything, like the docs telling me to put my affairs in order, and if I lived I would be on dialysis because of the acute renal failure. I didn’t want my kids, grandkids, and mother to worry more than they already did.

Believe deep in your heart that God is with you.
He is for you, and he will never let you go.

Sheryl Turner

10 things to reduce the risk of developing cancer… (by American Institute of Cancer)

1. Avoid tobacco products and second-hand smoke
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. It’s also the most preventable. 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by exposure to tobacco smoke. About 3,000 deaths a year are non-smokers due to 2nd hand smoke. Of 45 million Americans who smoke, 30% of male and 21% of female high school students report using tobacco in the prior month. If you smoke, take necessary steps to quit for the health of you and your loved ones.

2. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight: Extra weight increases the chance of developing some types of cancer, including esophagus, colon and rectum, and pancreas. Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 50%, and endometrial cancer three fold. Extra body weight accounts for up to 30% of kidney cancers. Smart food choices, control portions, fill up on fruits and vegetables to manage weight / reduce cancer risk.

3. Get moving: The American Cancer Society recommends exercise to prevent cancer. Regular exercise burns calories and can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Pick something that gets and keeps you moving, like walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, team sports, or dancing. Bike or walk to work, or take a walk during your lunch break. Gradually work up to 30-45 minutes of exercise a day for 5 or more days per week.

4. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains: They’re rich in dietary antioxidants like C, E, and carotenoids that help protect healthy genes from oxidative damage. Research says eating tomatoes may help protect against prostate cancer. Eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower may help protect against bladder cancer. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, which speed transit of food in the digestive system and may reduce absorption of cancer causing chemicals. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables may be the best way to ensure broad spectrum protection.

5. Fresh is best: Until 20 years ago, stomach cancer was the most common cancer worldwide, maybe due to cultural preferences for large amounts of salt-preserved foods like cured meats and pickled vegetables. This finding shows when it comes to eating most foods, it’s best to eat fresh rather than salted, cured, or pickled. In general, the less processed, the healthier it is for you.

6. Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol increases risks of cancers of oral cavity, throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, breast, and possibly colon and rectum. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Besides too much body weight, alcohol is the only other established risk factor. It’s recommended that men who drink alcohol should limit their intake to no more than 2 drinks per day, women to no more than 1 drink a day.

7. Practice sun safety and check for changes in your skin: Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is damaging to skin. The genetic damage it causes can lead to skin cancer, increasingly common, especially in young people. The sun’s peak time is between 10 am and 3 pm. Sunlight can be intensified up to 50-percent if reflected from sand, water, snow, ice, and concrete. When outdoors, cover up exposed areas and wear sun screen with an SPF of 15 or more. Know your skin and be aware of the location, size, and shape of moles and skin spots, and report changes promptly.

8. Reduce exposure to potential carcinogens: Many substances put you at higher risk for developing cancer. On the job, minimize exposure to fumes, dust, solvents, and chemicals. Try to reduce everyday exposure to potentially-toxic environmental chemicals in the home by using green cleaning products. Wearing clothes or sleeping on sheets washed in toxic cleaners is harmful to your health. Your skin absorbs those chemicals. Dust and vacuum regularly to rid your home of toxins attracted to dust. Open windows and use fresh air to freshen and minimize indoor pollution. Filter drinking water to remove pollutants. Use natural, organic bath and skin care products, preferably with nutrients

9. Know your family history and get screened: 5-10% of cancers are due to a genetic link. Family history is a risk factor for breast, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancer. Your physician may recommend genetic testing. For people with an average risk of cancer, the following cancer screening guidelines are recommended:
• Breast cancer: Yearly mammograms at age 40, conduct regular breast self exams starting in the 20’s.
• Colon / rectal cancer: Have one or more screening tests, including a colonoscopy starting at age 50.
• Cervical cancer: All women should begin cervical cancer screening no later than 21 years of age.
• Prostate cancer: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination annually at 50.

10. Choose dietary supplements wisely: Whether it’s D, folic acid, calcium, the antioxidants like C, E, carotenoids, fiber, or emerging phyto-chemicals, nutrition surveys show your diet is not providing all the essential nutrients and dietary factors you need to be your healthiest. Supplement studies have yielded compelling evidence that supplements can help to reduce the chance of developing cancer in under nourished individuals.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the U of Washington published a study 1. that evaluated the link between dietary and supple-mental zinc and prostate cancer in 35,242 men participating in the VITAL cohort, a study designed to evaluate the impact of dietary supplements on cancer risk. In this study, long-term supplemental zinc intake was in fact associated with reduced risk of clinically relevant advanced disease.
National Cancer Institute researchers found among postmenopausal women, the greater total calcium intake from dietary supplements and food up to 1,300 mg per day, they had a lower risk of developing cancer. For men and women, a diet rich in calcium from supplements and food was associated with a lower risk of developing cancers of the digestive system such as colon cancer. These findings are consistent with randomized clinical trials which have shown that calcium supplementation reduces the recurrence of colon polyps, which are precursors to colon cancer.
Dietary supplements play a key role making up nutrient shortfalls in your diet. They help achieve optimal nutrient levels needed to achieve and maintain best health. Sources: 1. Zinc intake from supplements & diet + prostate cancer. Gonzalez A, Peters U, Lampe JW, White E. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):206-15 2. Dairy food, calcium, and risk of cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Park Y, Leitzmann MF, Subar AF.

My nutrition program: By Sheryl Turner

Good: All healing nutritional programs require a powerful multi vitamin, multi mineral, an organic, cold processed protein, pre and probiotics, zinc, C, E, and an immune strengthener. (To balance your immune system.) I used Shaklee: VitaLea Gold, Shaklee 180 protein (great flavors), Alfalfa, A+Zinc, a Optiflora Pre & Pro-biotics, & NutriFeron as a base.

Better: After chemo I added Carotonoids and Flavonoids. I take Vitalizer Gold. It has 80 bio-nutrients in a special delivery system to get the right nutrition to the right place in our body. It also has the probiotic (helps after the antibiotics), extra B, C, E, all of the Omegas, CarotoMax, FlavoMax. I took Herblax & Liver DTX to help get rid of medication / toxins.

Best: I use all of the above, and a system called “RX for a Healthy Life”. It has a polyphenol resveratrol product called Vivix that works at the DNA level. Cells are building blocks and controlled by genetic info (DNA). Vivix helps with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, slows aging, etc. (a lot of us age faster with cancer.) I also take extra B’s, Stress Relief and an occasional Moodlift. A benefit of the RX program is you get a product worth up to $120 for only $10 each time you order it, so I take extra Vivix. I also use organic skin care from Enfuselle it’s toxin free and has vitamins in lotions to help with radiation damage. Sometimes we forget the damage stress does to our family. My husband takes a strong regimen too.

To learn more about or purchase any of the products listed above that Sheryl used, visit www.SwitchYourHome.com.