Archived from Howard Straus' gersonmedia.com website

Contributed: 1993

“My Story by Lawrence K.:

During my annual physical in the fall of 1993 the doctor “felt” something in my abdomen that he thought might be an aneurysm. The ultrasound technician could not get a good picture because something in my stomach kept getting in the way.

By the summer of 1994 I had lost about 20 pounds and my wife noticed that I had lost a lot of energy. I went to see Dr. Braun, the family doctor, on the last day of August. After several tests he thought GI ‘scoping’ would be helpful. Dr. S performed an upper and lower GI scoping and provided me with some pictures of red spots in my stomach. He prescribed medication to reduce my stomach acid. In a few days I started having stomach pains and went back to Dr. Braun. A CT scan was performed on November 2. This is the radiologist’s report: “An abnormal, irregular 5 cm mass is seen arising from near the junction of the head and body of the pancreas. This mass is contiguous with the superior mesenteric artery and superior vein. There is abnormal edema or engorgement of the mesenteric venous structures and infiltration of the fat at the root of the mesentery.” Dr. Braun immediately called and had me come to his office. He pulled out the foot of the examination table, sat down, and while looking down at the radiologist’s report, he said, “You have pancreatic cancer. It cannot be removed by surgery, chemotherapy does not work, and radiation does not help. All I can do is help you find an oncologist.

For a few minutes the thought flashed through my mind that I would never see my grandchildren. It was 16 days before I could get an appointment with Dr. Wolfe, a surgical oncologist, who worked at St. Luke’s Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. This turned out to be a very important 16 days.

As soon as we got home, my wife, Ruth gave me two books by David and Anne Frahm, “Healthy Habits” and “A Cancer Battle Plan”, to read. Eight days later I called Jim Forehand, a former Gerson patient and within a few minutes he came to my office with a copy of Dr. Gerson’s book, A Cancer Therapy. He said, “You need to read this book and go to the Gerson Clinic.” I was beginning to believe there was a way to cure cancer before I saw the oncologist.

Dr. W scheduled a second CT scan for November 21, this one at St. Luke’s. A needle biopsy was performed and they kept me on the CT machine for a second needle biopsy. Neither biopsy was specific. On November 28, Dr. W said that he needed to do a surgical biopsy to determine the exact diagnosis before he could provide a treatment. He said it was possible that uncontrolled bleeding could occur and that he would need to open the abdomen to stop the bleeding. If that happened he would try to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and that he might need to remove part of the pancreas, stomach and intestine.

I returned home late that Monday night in a state of shock and confusion. While my wife was gone to get the medicine I needed to prepare for the surgery the next morning, I called the Gerson Institute and talked to Norman. He told me about the Gerson Therapy and during our discussion he told me not to give up my organs. I learned that there were openings at the Mexican Gerson Clinic. When Ruth returned with the medicine, I told her that we were going to Mexico. Early the next morning I called the hospital and canceled the surgery. Dr. Wolfe called at the time of the scheduled surgery and told me that I had to have the surgical biopsy to determine the proper treatment, because “broccoli never cured cancer.”

Before I left I talked to Jim E. (another former Gerson patient) and was told to go to the clinic and do what the Gerson doctor told me. Ruth found a lady to take over her Christian book business; we made travel arrangements and arrived in Mexico on Friday, December 2, 1994.

Ruth and I spent 18 days at the Gerson clinic learning how to do the Therapy after we returned home.I took extended sick leave then retired to devote full time to the therapy. Ruth organized a support group to help us. The produce manager at a Whole Foods store 35 miles across Houston agreed to accept a FAX, fill our order and have it ready for our son or Ruth’s brother and his wife to pick it up on Saturday morning and deliver to us.

By the end of January I had lost about 50 pounds, down to 123. After that time, I very slowly gained energy and weight (about 1/2 pound a month for the first year). After a year I started gaining weight more rapidly for several months.

I urge all Gerson patients to look for some positive signs during the early days of the therapy. As I progressed into the first several months, I realized that the migraine headaches that had plagued me all my life had not occurred since December 2nd. I also noted that a pre-cancerous spot on my cheek was healing. Not having a weekly migraine was enough to keep me thankful and fully committed to the Gerson Therapy.

After 20 months on the Gerson Therapy, I had a CT scan made. I noted on the questionnaire that I had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and needed a follow-up CT scan and that I had not had surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. The nurse was sent out two times to question me about the treatment and time since my diagnosis.

We could see the radiologist looking through my records then peering through the window at me in disbelief. The CT scan found no evidence of the tumor on the pancreas, the swollen lymph nodes were normal and the fatty infiltration of the liver was gone. All organs looked normal.

I continued to consult with Dr. B and she continued to modify the therapy. She kept telling me to listen to my body and I would understand what it needed. I had another CT scan after 5 1/2 years. No evidence of the tumor was found. After 6 years I injured my back. The doctor thought the pain was from the cancer returning, but an MRI was normal and a later body scan found a fracture of the T11 vertebrae.

Then 8-years, 1-month and 20-days after I arrived at the Gerson hospital to start the Gerson Therapy my first grandchild, Caroline, was born. I thank God for leading me to this healing therapy.
I am thankful every day that I learned from friends about the Gerson Therapy. After a few months Ruth was able to continue handling her book business. We deliver Christian books to several hospital gift shops including St.

Luke’s Hospital and the Anderson Cancer Center and do book fairs at private schools. I have also built a small organic garden, where I enjoy raising a few organic vegetables. I continue to consult with Dr, B. occasionally.

Now, at 64 years of age, I have learned that I feel better when I do several juices per day and follow the modified Gerson therapy.”