Archived from Charlotte Gerson's booklet

Story

   We are always delighted to discover a recovered patient who was
not in our files. We also know that our readers enjoy the stories of
these people and, perhaps, learn from them.
 

   This report concerns Julie Hepner, who has just turned 36. Her
childhood and adolescence were rather uneventful from a health
standpoint: she had never even been in a hospital until her first
problem with melanoma. But there was cancer in her family: a
little cousin, aged 5, had died of leukemia. His mother died some
years later of breast cancer. Julie's father had cancer, but died of a
heart attack before his cancer became life threatening. Julie's sister
was diagnosed with cervical cancer during a pregnancy. Her
physician suggested that nothing be done, since sometimes such
cervical cancers disappear spontaneously during or immediately
after the pregnancy. In fact, that is what happened. Julie's sister
recovered, and had no further problems with cancer.

   When she was growing up, Julie spent a good deal of time at
the beach and had several severe sunburns. She attributes her later
melanoma, in part, to this sun exposure. In 1988, at age 22, Julie
discovered a black mole on her right shoulder. Her sister urged her
to have it examined immediately. It was surgically removed and
biopsied: it was melanoma. The surgeon thought that he "had got
it all," and no further treatments were suggested. In June 1990, a
lump appeared on her neck. Just two months earlier, Julie's dentist
had performed a root canal procedure. Her doctor assumed that
lump was caused by an infection that had traveled to a lymph
node on the side of her neck. He treated Julie with antibiotics.
After two weeks of treatment, the lump did not disappear, so a
needle biopsy was done which showed 'negative' (It is easy for a
needle biopsy to miss malignant tissue; therefore needle biopsies,
when they show 'negative' are not reliable.).

   When the lump was surgically removed, it proved to be a
recurrence of melanoma. The surgeon now suggested a radical
neck dissection. This procedure is very disfiguring, and at age 24,
Julie did not agree to it. A second surgeon felt that it was not
needed, it would be enough to have the tumor removed.

   After this surgery an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
showed another tumor in the brain. So, just two weeks after the
neck surgery in June 1990, Julie had brain surgery.

   Again, the surgeon felt that he had "got it all." Julie made a
rapid recovery but at this point started on an alternative treatment.
After one month of this Greek treatment, a new tumor at
the base of her brain was no longer noticeable. The surgeon
claimed that it had been a "mistake," and that there had been no
tumor. Julie, very angry, demanded, "Then why did you want to
do a total resection and open my brain?"

   One year later, in September of 1991, Julie had severe pain in
her ovary and was told it was a cyst. It was removed, and again it
proved to be melanoma. On December 31, 1991, she noticed a
blob of flesh on her tonsil.

   It was removed: melanoma again. In February 1992, she had
severe pains In her abdomen and was vomiting all her food. It was
a total blockage and, again, she had surgery. About 1-1/2 feet of
her colon were removed. This blockage, too, proved to be melanoma.
In all, Julie had seven surgeries. Right after the colon
surgery, she started the Gerson Therapy. Her mother quit her job
to help prepare the food and juices. A new tumor started to shrink
and became softer.

   For help with the Therapy and ongoing guidance, Julie consulted
a Gerson Doctor several times on an out-patient basis.

   Then the family moved. There was new carpeting and fresh
paint in their new home, and the tumor grew again and pressed on
her thyroid. This tumor was also removed in August 1993.

   Julie stayed on the strict Gerson Therapy, and still remains on a
less intensive Therapy. She says that she feels "great" now, has
good energy and no more recurrences. She still takes some six
glasses of carrot juice daily, and eats all organic food.

   This story illustrates several points:

   1. If absolutely necessary, patients can do the Gerson Therapy
      at home. If at all possible, such patients should have consultations
      with a Gerson doctor.

   2. Root canals can produce recurrence of cancer.

   3. New carpeting and fresh paint can cause serious new
      problems.

   Last news: Julie is well in February 2002 and is working.