Kay Blackburn

YASSSS!!!

My college buddy Val reminded me today that there are people following my story that aren’t on Facebook and aren’t directly privy to the trickle of information from my immediate family. For this delayed update, I deeply apologize.

I am back in Tucson and words cannot describe the complete relief and excitement from the PET scan results this week. The report called the disease stable again; my doctor referred to this as progression-free survival… but honestly the news was way better than that.  Two of the three tumors were about half the size that they were three months ago. The third was about the same. To say that we were thrilled would be an understatement.

This was a pivotal moment for me. The results of this scan prove that all the hard work we have been doing is actually paying off. Things are moving in the right direction and finally I feel empowered to beat this aggressive disease.

Honestly, I was getting pretty tired of kale salad, greens,and beet juices. The week before I left for my scan I found myself starting to indulge a little more than I felt I should.  I was mostly good, ordering kale salad instead of the juicy burger I really wanted.  But I would snag a few fries here and there, savor the warm, salty, deliciousness and then feel guilty as I would mutter the words, “I shouldn’t have eaten that.”

It was a relief to be able to shift my mindset because even though I haven’t been perfect, I was still able to achieve progress.    No longer do I  have to beat myself up for “cheating on the diet”, but instead allowing those little indulgences in order to keep my sanity.

Making such a drastic change in my eating habits has been far more emotionally than physically challenging because I love to eat.  When I was little I used to get so excited when they served a meal on airplanes.  Excited for airplane food… really?  I would sit up extra tall in my seat and I loved that I got a personal table just for me.  Another one of my favorite memories as a kid was going out to eat after church. I would often plan ahead and scribble requests on paper during service requesting to go to Arby’s, Long John Silvers, or A&W. We would always order a side of crunchies at LJS (the fried little extra pieces of batter) and mix tarter sauce and ketchup together to dip our fish and chips… ewww… I know.  But those were great times and I still associate those comfort foods with feelings of fun family times.

I have been doing a lot of things since January: supplements, detoxes, juices, seeds, leaves, teas, etc. But one major difference in my diet these last three months has been a daily dose of a Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese mixture, known as the Budwig Protocol. It sounds kind of gross. spruced up with stevia, organic frozen berries, hemp seed, ground flaxseed, and  walnuts…it actually tastes like a parfait.

Click here to read about the health benefits:

Dr. Axe Budwig Protocol article

I like the article on Dr. Axe’s website, but prefer to stay true to the original recipe below. There is a very specific way to prepare this.  To watch a video on how to make it click here:

Budwig recipe

I highly recommend this for anyone actively battling cancer or other ailments The combination of the two cause a chemical reaction that improves cellular function. And while my doctor may not be convinced that nutrition is what is changing the path of my disease, I believe it has everything to do with it.

I still have work to do. My next scan is in September. I am reinvigorated to make sure we continue to see positive results and so thankful that it’s not just up to the doctors, up to drugs, or up to chance. God has put people in my life that have encouraged me to take action for my health. A huge thank you to Tommy, Shari, Kathy, Pam, Melissa, Delfina, Ryan, Mama B, Papa B, Mom and Dad.  At different points along this journey each one of these angels have all contributed to what I am doing today. It hasn’t been one silver bullet of information, but a multitude of things that have helped me put together my personal healing plan. If you ever doubted if there were angels among us, may my testimony help you to never doubt again.

In the mean time, I have a busy summer with a lot of creative healthy recipes to try.   Brandon is even committed to go plant-based for three months… so he may need some extra prayers … Ha Ha! Thank you for believing with me that I can overcome cancer. I am thrilled to go back and keep doing what I am doing through the summer and pray for another good report in the fall.

Onward and Upward my friends!!

Kay