Beating cancer includes healthy doses of lifestyle change and prayer

Precisely one year ago from the time of this writing I instinctively knew that I had symptoms of appendicitis. I spent the day completing tasks that needed to be done before a short surgery recovery and headed for the ER.  As the doctor entered the exam room I jokingly told him, “Let’s get this over with.  I don’t have time to be sick.”

Little did I know there was a lot more going on than the average appendicitis.  After the CT scan the doctor came into my room, with social worker in tow, to say, “Well, you do have appendicitis and we will take care of that tonight.  But the CT scan showed something more serious.  You have a large mass on your right kidney and it is cancer.  That kidney is going to have to come out.”

Suddenly I realized that not having time to heal from a minor appendectomy become a non-issue.  I left the hospital minus an appendix, plus a cancerous kidney.  Not quite what I had planned. Now I had something much bigger on my plate to deal with. 

I share this with you because I have learned so many things about cancer, life style and living a healthier life. Though I am cancer free today, going through that experience has completely changed my perspective on how to live a healthier life, not to mention strengthening my walk with God.

Part of what I learned came from local resident and educator Phil Fons, who contacted me and provided a seemingly endless amount of information.  Part of it comes from a book entitled, Eat This and Live, by Dr. Don. Colbert.

There is a direct link between diet and cancer.  Some things I have given up, or at least cut way back on include soft drinks, diet and regular; processed microwave foods; processed sugar and sweeteners; caffeine, “enriched” pasta, rice and breads.

Things that I have increased or added to my diet include fresh fruits and vegetables.  I have even learned to like asparagus. Alkaline water, which helps to kill cancerous cells, is my daily beverage. My doctor told me drinking alkaline water is the best thing I can do for my remaining kidney.  I bought a filter. I purchase more organic foods, cook at home more and eat out less. 

I no longer cook anything in the microwave in plastic wrap or plastic containers, which emit carcinogens. Dr. Colbert puts food into two categories: Dead food and live food.  Live food includes fresh organic produce, grains and healthy oils, foods that remain as closely as possible to the way God created them.

I wash my vegetables in alkaline water to remove impurities.  Dead foods are processed foods, fatty meats and sweets. I do enjoy and occasional ice cream cone or hamburger now and then, but those are now treats-not the norm.

My great-grandmother, two great-aunts, grandfather and two of my dad’s brothers has died of cancer, mostly related to poor life style choices.  I’m the first of my generation to be diagnosed.

I believe cancer is beatable.  But lifestyle change is absolutely necessary to beat it.  If we were to make changes towards healthy living now, possibly within one to two generations, there would be way fewer victims of cancer. Nothing would make my happier.

Rhonda Tommer is a resident of Santa Clara and a member of The Spectrum and Daily News writers group.  She can be reached at r.tommer.writersgroup@gmail.com.

Celebrating the lasts and looking forward to new firsts

This has been a time in my life to celebrate lasts.  With my last child graduating from high school I have enjoyed all the lasts as thoroughly as possible.  In the fall we had the last high school football game.  There was the last marching band competition down Tabernacle.  I enjoyed attending the last parent-teacher conferences, which allowed me to thank teachers who have worked with my kids over the last five years. They became like family. I will miss them.

This winter I enjoyed my last road trip to judge at region and state debate tournaments, despite riding through near whiteout conditions on a school bus coming home from Cedar City. I had to hold myself back from hugging the bus driver when I stepped off of that bus with wobbly knees.

If it hadn’t been so cold I probably would have darted to the ground screaming, “LAND!” like the little girl in Vin Diesel’s “The Pacifier.”

Spring brought us the last music department pops concert, and this week brought the last of our children to graduate from high school and look forward to college. We have brought our two children successfully to adulthood. 

My eagerness to be involved in these experiences to the nth degree could stem from surviving kidney cancer.  Though I lost a kidney I gained a refreshed perspective on how important it is to enjoy each moment of life.  And to have mountaintop and valley experiences.

When I am having a mountain top experience and know that the valley is just around the corner.  And when I’m in the valley I know that all I have to do is look up.  Like the country gospel song says, “God of the mountain is still God in the valley.”

Enjoying the lasts also brought me to a time of reminiscing about the firsts.  When I dropped my oldest child off at preschool for the first time he darted off to play with barely a wave goodbye. As I slowly walked back to my car I waited for that little, “Momma, don’t leave me.” It never came.  Instead I sat in my car until my tears dried enough so I could drive home.

Excitedly I picked my son up after three long hours of waiting for school to end, only to have him cry to stay longer.  I was devastated. 

I thought about the first time I could go grocery shopping by myself after my second child started preschool.  Thinking of all the things I could get done while she was at school.  Things get easier with the second child.

I thought back to the first note my son, now a music education major at Dixie State College, played out of his rented trumpet when he was in the sixth grade.  I remember yelling from the kitchen, “Who let the elephant in the house?”

As we move to the next phase of parenting adults, as opposed to children, I’m reminded of Proverbs 22:6, which reads: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 

In time we will again experience those firsts. Though I’m not pushing it, we will someday have a child get married, and have a first grandchild.  It’s called the cycle of life. 

Rhonda Tommer is a resident of Santa Clara and a member of The Spectrum and Daily News Writers Group.  She can be reached at r.tommer.writersgroup@gmail.com