Bone Cancer – Carla on Gerson Therapy

Carlas Story

By Carla Shuford

Nearly 40 years ago, Carla was given only 6 months to live due to the extensive spread of cancer in her body. Carla lives to tell her story, thanks to Gerson Therapy!

This year, on September 4 1998, I will be celebrating my 40th anniversary – an anniversary of life! I was diagnosed with cancer, and that day 40 years ago, my left leg was amputated at the hip. I had seven months of pain before the tumor was discovered, so when the diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma was confirmed in a biopsy report to Dr. John Preston (the surgeon who had performed the biopsy) – the prognosis was not good. The cancer had spread to the lymph system, and I was given six months to live.

At that time, radiation and surgery were the conventional methods of treatment. Radiation was not possible because of the tumor’s location, and in desperation, the doctors decided to do radical surgery, offering a faint possibility that it could postpone death by 30-60 days.

However, on that same day, and in fact, while the operation was being performed, something seemingly much less dramatic, but far more vital was taking place. My mother was talking to Dr. Max Gerson in his New York city office, making arrangements for me to begin his therapy immediately upon my hospital discharge.

The next five years were to be round-the-clock days of labor, as my parents devoted their lives to preserving mine, Gerson-style. We were poor dairy farmers from the mountains of Western North Carolina, whose livelihood depended upon milking by hand, our herd of 30 Jersey cows, and delivering the raw milk to our customers each morning.

Although it would have been preferable for me to be a resident of Dr. Gerson’s New York clinic, circumstances made that impossible. Because of the extreme demands of time, energy, and the difficulty of acquiring toxin-free foods, along with the thoroughness and exactness that the program required, Dr. Gerson was reluctant for patients to handle the treatment at home, especially in the beginning stages. However, he was impressed with my mother’s intelligence and untiring dedication to detail. For giving his trust, she in turn made him the promise that she would follow his prescribed regimen to the letter.

So began five years of uncompromising observance to the Gerson Therapy bv my mother, my father, and myself. In those days, the Gerson juicer was an enormous, heavy machine (similar to a carjack), with a separate press and linen cloths to press the ground food in to prevent any chance of oxidation. We were all grateful that our arms had grown strong from years of milking cows, as it required great strength to operate this equipment! As the juice had to be freshly ground and pressed with each feeding, my mother barely finished washing the machine and cloths before it was time for the next round.

At that time too, the liver “juice” consisted of the liquid from grinding and pressing a calf’s liver that had never been frozen. Our nearest source for the liver was in Asheville, 40 miles away. My father’s job was to meet the bus at 3:00 P.M. at the local station with our order of fresh liver.

While my father had converted to organic gardening in the early 1950’s, none of the other local farmers had any interest in this pursuit. However, since the quantities of lettuce and carrots required for daily juicing, as well as the various roots and vegetables for the prescribed soup, were enormous, my father needed the assistance of our neighbors. Different farmers agreed to allocate portions of their gardens to be pesticide-free. In those areas, they grew “Carla’s carrots” and “Carla’s lettuce” and “Carla’s whatever.”

The rest is history. Dr. Gerson died in the spring of 1959, less than 6 months after my mother had visited him. The doctors finally grew tired of requiring monthly chest x-rays that were consistently clear. Sloan-Kettering sent out a yearly survey to ask if I was still alive, and each year, to their amazement, it was returned. In 1988, I realized I had outlived their 30 year study!

My father died in 1965. My mother died on January 18th of this year (1998), just three days before her 90th birthday. I am now an official senior, having turned 55 in April.

I eat only organic, unprocessed foods, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I swim a mile each morning, and enjoy good health – other than the wear-and-tear that is attendant to a 40 year life on crutches.

I keep an updated “Gerson Folder” in my bureau drawer, so I will know what to do, should I ever need Doctor Max’s help again. And perhaps most importantly, I look forward to celebrating my 40th anniversary on September 4, 1998, as I once again give thanks to my mother, to my father, and to Dr. Max Gerson for MY LIFE!

Source : From "Gerson Healing Newsletter", reprinted with permission.