In October 1999, I noticed very small drops of blood on toilet paper after passing stools. I did not think that this blood was serious enough to consult my doctor as I thought that such a small amount of blood was probably only caused by a broken vein or a bleeding hemorrhoid. In the months that passed, the bleeding appeared to stop or perhaps I did not notice any more blood. During this time, I suffered from severe fatigue and experienced migraine headaches but I put this down to job related stress.

On the 2^nd January 2000, my husband happened to be in the bathroom whilst I was there and again I found spots of blood in my stools. He saw this and insisted that I see a doctor as soon as possible. On the 10th January, I had a consultation with my GP, Dr Haughton. When she examined me she found no hemorrhoids or any broken veins but she felt that I should be seen by a specialist as soon as possible for a more detailed investigation and diagnosis. The next day I had a consultation with Dr AJ Louw at the Milnerton Medi-Clinic. He examined me and took my history. He thought that the symptoms did not appear to be serious and suggested that I should return in about 3 months for a further check up. I was unhappy that I still did not know what exactly was wrong with my body. In addition, my husband and I had agreed beforehand that we must obtain a positive and clear diagnosis from the medical experts. Dr Haughton had previously told me about a diagnostic procedure called a Colonoscopy that could give a more precise indication of anything wrong in the intestines. On my insistence, Dr Louw agreed to perform such a procedure.

On the morning of the 12^th January I had a Colonoscopy. In this procedure, a very thin tube is passed into the intestines through the rectum. The tube contains a fiber-optic video camera and a tool to take tissue samples. The results were not good. At least 4 tumors were discovered in different places in my large intestine and 2 of them showed signs of bleeding. I was told that I had about 6 months to live! Dr Louw acknowledged that, visually, the tumors appeared to be quite serious.

I was in shock. In the space of a few days, my whole life was turned upside down. I decided to prepare myself for the worst possible outcome and made up my mind that I would do everything possible to fight whatever disease had invaded my body. That same afternoon, Dr Louw sent me for X-rays and an Ultrasound scan. The X-ray and Ultrasound found no signs of tumors in any of my other organs. I was very relieved with this news because, often, the liver is the next most common organ to develop cancer if colon cancer spreads. Dr Louw explained to me how tumors in the colon are removed and what he would have to do if the extent of the cancer was serious. I immediately agreed to have the surgical procedure to remove the sections of intestine with the tumors and asked that it be scheduled as soon as possible.

In the days that followed until my operation, I summoned all of my power in order to fight the disease. I decided to meditate and communicate with my inner self. I focused on my white blood cells and I imagined them to be soldiers with sharp pins that sought out and pierced the cancer cells that I imagined to be balloons. The soldiers then scooped up the broken balloons and threw them into a fire. Then I imagined my body immersed in a pond under a waterfall and jets of water flushing all the dead cancer cells from my body. I did this visualisation about 4 times each day until my operation. In addition, I prayed to God to give me strength and confidence to fight the disease. I continued to prepare myself to deal with the fact that the confirmed diagnosis might indicate the worst. However, I kept a totally positive attitude at all times. During this period, both my husband and I started a massive educational drive to find out everything possible about colon cancer - facts about the disease itself, its causes, how it is treated and what can prevent it. We mainly used the resources available on the Internet, which we found to be extensive and very informative. This included recommendations on diet and health food supplements that fight and prevent cancers and so on.

I booked into the Milnerton Medi-Clinic on Tuesday 18^th January at 06h30 for my operation. After I was taken into the operating theatre and just before the anesthetic took affect, I prayed and dedicated my soul and body to God. I asked him to grant me one wish: "If you can save me to see my grand-children, I would appreciate it". I was in surgery for six and half-hours. Afterwards, Dr Louw told us that he had a few complications due to the effects of a previous operation on my abdomen, but that he had managed to remove all of the cancer affected parts of my colon that he could see. When I regained consciousness after the operation, I had an overwhelming feeling that I had to heal myself with natural ways only. I had to have liquid mineral drops for 8 days, but I refused to take the painkillers offered to me, although I was in some pain and discomfort. I used my mind to control my body and I forced the pain to disappear. I had to accept antibiotics, as a common problem after such an operation is bacterial infection. However, I did not request or accept any other medicines. The nursing staff referred to me as follows: "You are one strong, stubborn lady and a great fighter".

My "new" life philosophy can be stated as follows - People, who are able to take on the challenge of their illnesses and share the responsibility for their treatment, have chosen the path that leads to peace of mind and healing on a spiritual level. This profoundly effects their ability to be cured physically, as the inner energy, formerly involved in conflict, is set free, and the body's immune system receives a boosted message for "life". God gave us the senses to help us survive the threats from the external world, and an inner sense, our healing system, to help us survive internal threats. Therefore, it is up to each individual to activate this healing process just as we can choose to confront and deal with danger or close our eyes and to do nothing. This explains my desperation not to use any painkillers. Our brains control our bodies and it is possible for our brains to produce natural chemical solutions in our bodies to take away pain. These natural solutions neutralise pain in the same way as a chemical painkiller can. To understand pain relief, we have to think about our inner potential to cure and heal ourselves.

My cancer was confirmed as a stage CII Colon carcinoma and the surgeon performed a resection with a primary anastomosis. This stage of cancer normally requires mild chemotherapy to ensure that all the cancer cells are destroyed and to prevent the spread to other parts of the body. It is especially critical to have additional therapy because, if the bloodstream has been in contact with the cancer cells as I had, then there is always a likelihood of the cancer spreading. Dr Louw strongly recommended that I receive chemotherapy to ensure that all the cancer was eliminated from my body. A few days after I was released from hospital, I developed severe cramps in my abdomen and I was re-admitted to hospital. After scans and X-rays showed no complication from the operation, the doctor concluded that the problem was that I was having difficulty in digesting food. I was placed on a drip until my intestines returned to normal functioning. Fortunately, this only lasted for two days and I was soon home again.

The day after I returned home, a friend introduced me to AIM International nutritional products, specifically their food supplements called the Garden Trio. This consists of Barley Green (now called Barley Life), Redi-Beets and Just Carrots. This was especially fortunate because my diet had to consist of liquid food until my intestines had healed sufficiently. After only taking these supplements for a short while, I was surprised to find that I regained my strength quickly and I was soon out of bed. My digestive system began to function normally again and I was soon eating solid food. After only a week, I started to feel better than I had felt for many months. The research that I had done on cancer prevention had brought to light the critical importance of eating "cancer preventing" foods and the importance of re-assessing one's whole lifestyle. I realised that the AIM health products fitted in perfectly with the diet one should have to prevent cancers. Because of my decision to heal myself with natural methods, I also investigated many of the alternative treatments offered to treat cancers. One of these that I thought was worth pursuing is Rife Treatment. I started it 1 month after my operation, for three times a week, 40 minutes a session for a year. In addition to the AIM Garden Trio, I also used AIM Renewed Balance cream (for hormone balance as it contains natural progesterone), AIM Flora Food (for digestion), AIM Proancynol (to boost the immune system and for its anti-cancer properties). Also AIM Corbicula is known as food for liver and I took this for 2 months. To boost my immune system I took 10ml of Colloidal Silver solution twice a week and 1 teaspoon of concentrated Olive Leaf Extract every day. I also added to my daily diet, AIM Cellsparc 360 with Q10, 3000mg of Vitamin C and 1000iu of Vitamin E. It is absolutely essential to have a boosted and healthy immune system and to have a strong and healthy liver to protect against and fight cancer. It is also important to cleanse the digestive system regularly to ensure that maximum and proper digestion can occur.

One month after the operation the oncologist contacted me to discuss chemotherapy treatment. I asked the doctor, that if I used the AIM products and continued with the Rife treatment, would she agree for me to decline the chemotherapy. Fortunately, she knew about both the AIM products and Rife treatment and she agreed to let me treat myself, as described above, as long as my blood test results indicated no out of specification cancer antigens.

In July 2003, I had follow-up Ultrasound and X-ray tests and the results were negative for cancer. The lungs, liver, biliary tree, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, pelvis and bladder were normal, and there was no adenopathy (free fluid). I also had the first check up of my colon with the Colonoscope. The result showed no cancer growth, polyps or any abnormalities in my colon. I continue to have periodic blood tests and the results remain well within the normal limits (2006). My health is better than I can ever remember and there are no signs of any cancer in my body. I am cancer free!

God willing and with his blessing, I look forward to many, many more healthy years ahead. A special "Thank You" to Dr Haughton, Dr AJ Louw, Rife and Aim. Thanks of course to my daughter, Ligia M, and my son, Michael J, and of course to my darling husband, John, all who have always stood by me and given their support in every possible way.