Liza,

>First of all, I would wonder whether perhaps your sheer _determination_
>to get rid of the tumour might have had just as much of an impact on
>your recovery as the raw foods - who knows - maybe more!

No, because I didn't even know the tumor was there until my body
spontaneously expelled it via my urinary tract shortly after going
100%
raw. I took it to a doctor, who sent it to a lab, and the lab said it
was cancerous.  Instead of seeing a specialist, as was recommended, I
continued to eat raw for several more months, at which point I had
conventional medical tests (yecch) which confirmed I was cancer free.

>Furthermore - I'd want to know what else you "changed" at that
>time..... Did you start to take better care of yourself in general?
>Did you get more sleep? Did you become resolute about taking charge
>of your life? Did you change excercise habits? Did you change a job,
>or clean up a relationship, or forgive someone important, or clean
>out your garage and closets? Did you stop partying and staying out
>late at night and drinking and smoking? Did you get rid of stress in
>some important way? And as far as diet - did you ELIMINATE something
>you had been eating a lot of, that could possibly have been the
>culprit?

All I did was eliminate cooked foods.  No other major changes that I
remember other than a couple of very short (1-2 day) water fasts.  I
think the process of eliminating the polyp/tumor actually started
about a year before, when I did an herbal cleanse (Arise & Shine).
During this time I consumed mostly raw foods and juices in addition
to the herbs.  I noticed during the cleanse that besides ridding
myself of huge quantities of gunk from my intestinal tract, there also
seemed to be a reduced urinary flow and a feeling of incomplete
voiding.
Looking back, I feel that the cleanse probably loosened the tumor, and
that the 100% raw diet I started the following year caused it to break
free completely.  After that my urine flow was immediately stronger.

The urologist who did the conventional tests a few months after I
passed the tumor seemed amazed by my story.  He said in his 25 years
of
practice he had never seen or heard of a bladder polyp, cancerous or
otherwise, being eliminated in this way.  But I have read of similar
stories from doctors like Richard Anderson and Richard Schulze, who
advocate raw foods, juices, and herbal cleanses.

>Yes, this is the raw-food list. However that does not mean that
>messages such as this last one by Ellis, promoting nonsensical,
>possibly even dangerous advice  --  portraying raw foods as being
>some sort of magical cure-all for all ills  --  are not to be

I don't believe JR said any such thing.  He suggested that Andre try
going all raw for three weeks and then adding back some of the
suspected foods one at a time to see if any of them were causing the
problem.  I thought that was a very sensible suggestion.  I
seriously doubt that this would be dangerous for anyone.

>challenged. This is a forum for reasonable and intelligent
>discussion about the merits of raw foods, not some platform for
>someone's irrational personal agenda. Moreover, this particular
>person has been childish and irresponsible in the past, with regard
>to being accountable for statements he makes, continuing
>conversations he starts, answering questions when challenged, and
>so on.

More unsubstantiated and unnecessary personal attacks.  He was only
trying to help Andre, which is something for which he should be
commended, not attacked.  If you disagree with his advice, you would
display more class by confining your comments to his advice rather
than attacking him personally. Your approach only alienates JR, me
and others who value civil discussion. By keeping the discussion on
the issues, there is a possibility of finding common ground or
persuading others of the merits of your position.

>Mark, I would have to disagree with you. I do think that, on the
>internet especially, it's important to raise the issue of the
>credibility of a person who offers "expert" advice. In fact, maybe
>this is even more true on a list like this one, where people's
>health is at stake.

I don't recall JR claiming to be an expert. If he did claim to be one,
and you had evidence that he was lying about it, that would be a valid
point to bring up.  I make the assumption that everybody who posts to
these lists is just a regular human being, struggling to make sense of
the confusion just like I am.  I see this as a forum for sharing our
questions, opinions, experiences, or even secondhand information about
raw foods.  If we have an atmosphere where we can all throw our two
cents in without fear of being attacked, we will all be more willing
to share.  And if someone questions the veracity of what they are
being told or the credentials of the person telling it, they can
always question the person and make up their own mind based on the
response (or lack of one).

>Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to write. If Ellis is a friend
>of yours, my apologies to you for having to criticize your friend
>publically.

I do consider him a cyber-friend, and from reading his posts for the
better part of two years, it is obvious to me that he was not trying
to promote some "agenda," but to offer some friendly advice, which is
what Andre was asking for.  One may quibble about some of his
statements, but remember, not all of us are left-brained scientist
types, armed with the latest studies.  Some of us, like JR, are of a
more poetic nature, coming from the heart.  We have lots to learn from
them as well.

Best regards,

Mark
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