Leukemia Recovery by Christina Pirello

Leukemia Recovery
By Christina Pirello

My mother and I were very close. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1982, I thought nothing worse could happen. Then when she died in 1984, at forty-nine, my life was rocked to the core. Her illness and death, ironically, set me on the path I follow today.

I watched as conventional methods of treatment hastened her deterioration. Watching her suffer more with each treatment strengthened my resolve to seek out alternative treatments should I ever find myself in a similar situation.

My maternal family history is checkered with diabetes, cancer, and anemia, so it was no surprise when as a child I was diagnosed with Mediterranean anemia. Every female member of my family was plagued with this disease.

Throughout my teenage years, I seemed relatively healthy, but always had the hardest time healing cuts and scratches. Bruises seemed to appear from nowhere. Stamina was always a problem as well. My menstrual cycle was irregular, and so doctors began hormone treatments which would last for over fifteen years.

At the age of fourteen, I decided to become a vegetarian. I continued to eat lots of dairy, sugar, and refined foods. After my mother died, my fatigue worsened. I thought it was just an accumulation of exhaustion from over two years of taking care of her and dealing with my grief. I felt drained all the time. As the months after her death wore on, it seemed my condition worsened - bruises were appearing everywhere. I felt as though my insides were on fire.

Finally after five months of living in this manner, I decided that a fresh start would be what I needed. I packed up and left Florida and moved to Philadelphia. As I settled into my new surroundings, my health continued to worsen. Bruises appeared from nowhere; minor scratches became infected and would not heal; and I was exhausted. I finally decided to see a doctor who after a battery of tests referred me to a hemotologist/oncologist. I was put through every test they could think of, after which they came up with the diagnosis of chronic mylocydic leukemia.

At twenty-seven, I found myself sitting in a room with five hemotologists recounting my options - as they saw them. With a lymphocyte count as high as mine, they really did not see a sunny future for me. However, they did want to propose experimental chemotherapy and a possible bone marrow transplant. When I questioned them as to a time frame, their response was not encouraging - 3 months to live with no treatment, and 6 months to a year with treatment. It seemed that the only guarantee I could get from them was that I would lose my hair and feel lousy for the time I had left. All I could think of was what my mother went through. I said I needed a few days to digest all of this. I knew I would never go back there.

For about a week, I walked around in a daze. Here I was, faced with this crisis, in a new city with nowhere to turn. Finally I spoke to a friend at work and told him everything. I told him that my plan was to return to Europe and live there until the end came. He suggested that before I do anything quite that drastic I meet a friend of his who ate this strange diet that was supposed to help people recover from diseases like cancer. I figured I had nothing to lose and agreed.

That weekend, I was introduced to Robert Pirello, who had been practicing macrobiotics for eight years, and my life was changed forever. Bob was great. He listened to all my fears and finally agreed to help me as much as he could. The next day, we went shopping. I watched as Bob loaded up my cart with all these unfamiliar foods. I couldn't even pronounce the names - I was going to cook and eat them? But then again, I thought, I had always loved a challenge. What bigger challenge than seeing if I could heal my own illness.

We got back to my apartment and Bob cleaned out my cupboards - throwing away all the old foods and replacing them with this new food. As I watched, I began to get really scared - a challenge was one thing, but this was my life. If I messed this up, there were no second chances. As Bob left, he handed me Michio Kushi's The Cancer-Prevention Diet, telling me to read and cook. I read all night.

We met for lunch every day. Bob brought rice balls or leftovers from his own dinner. We talked and talked, and I read and read. After a few weeks, I had lost weight and had more energy. Then I had a blood test - my lymphocycte count had worsened. Now I was scared. Even macrobiotics wasn't working. I felt hopeless. But with Bob's encouragement, I persevered. I began to cook in earnest. It suddenly occurred to me that only I could make me well.

I continued to cook and eat, and things started to improve. Even my blood tests were beginning to reverse - ever so slightly. But that was enough to give me hope. I thought the worst was over. Discharging began full force. First, the diarrhea lasted a few weeks. Then my skin began to break out. The itching and erupting spread until I was completely covered with a rash. When that cleared (after 8 weeks) I was left with a face full of pimples. Menstrual problems including an ovarian cycst developed. Hip baths and bancha tea dissolved that problem, only to be replaced with yet more discharging.

And so it went. Although the discharge was always unpleasant and nearly unbearable at times, I knew I was improving. Each blood test revealed an improvement in my white blood-cell count. The doctors were amazed. They called it "spontaneous regression" and said it was very rare - and could reverse at any time. I now knew differently. Thirteen months after my practice of macrobiotics began, my white-cell count was declared within normal range, where it has remained for almost seven years now.

When I began my practice of macrobiotics, I was going to eat and get well. The philosophy was of little interest to me. But as my health improved, so did my clarity and judgment.

It is hard for me to remember the person I was before macrobiotics. Bob and I married and have created a wonderful life together. My gratitude to him is boundless - he was my teacher and my support system through the darkest time. We are the publishers of a newsletter - MacroNews - that reaches the entire Delaware Valley. I work as a macrobiotic cook in a natural foods store and have begun to conduct cooking classes in our home. I feel strong and my health continues to improve. Life is a wonder to me now.

People seem amazed when I tell them that cancer was the best thing to ever happen to me. Yet without that trial, I would never have met my wonderful husband to whom I owe my very life. I would never have learned what true responsibility can mean nor discovered the way of life and peace.

Christina Pirello is the co-founder of the magazine "MacroChef," now called "Christina Cooks." She gives macrobiotic cooking classes in Philadelphia, has published several books on cooking and natural beauty, and has an Emmy Award winning whole foods cooking program on National Public Television called "Christina Cooks."