My (Shirley) battle with Wegener’s Granulomatosis and healing through Fasting
I am suffering from a deadly and “incurable” autoimmune illness and almost died December 2016 because of massive hemoptysis (Lung bleeding). The life expectancy was stated as 3 months to 1 year if Chemotherapy and Steroids wouldn’t show effect.
I went through emergency open lung surgery and was diagnosed with Wegener’s Granulomatosis. This was end 2016 beginning 2017 and I am still alive and thankful for it.
So I was put on chemotherapy and a high dosage of steroids to prevent my body from liquifying and destroying my inner organs. My bleedings stopped but I gained 45 pounds in a few months, a typical effect steroids have on the body.
Early summer 2017 my specialist called me and told me to reduce my new immune suppressant medication immediately by 30 percent . My blood work had taken a turn to the worst and she was very concerned about the possibility that I might slide into leukaemia, also my liver had 3 times the highest excepted value.
While researching how to help my body to get through all of this poison I had to swallow and got through IVs I came across Intermittent Fasting (IF) and read the books from Dr. Jason Fung a nephrologist from Toronto. I was so impressed and all this gave me so much hope that I started IF.
I had started fasting at the same time my meds had been reduced. We, Ed (my husband and I) had fasted in our earlier years when we were still living in Germany but had neglected fasting when we had moved to Canada.
Over 8 biweekly blood tests we had noticed that every time I fasted 20/4 (20 hours water only and 4 hours of feeding window) my bloodwork showed improvements but when I went for vacation and dropped IF as low as 12/12 (12 hours fasting and 12 hours eating) my blood work did not show the same effect.
So at my last consultation with my specialist she had told me that it was puzzling to her on why IF (intermittent fasting) might have such an influence but I should “keep doing what I am doing there…”
She gave me 4 more weeks or I would have to stop the meds to prevent me from getting leukaemia if things would not get better.
I was fasting mostly 20/4 or EF (extended water fasts for several day at the time) and my last blood work improved continuously … I am out of the danger zone in my WBC, Neutrophils and Lymphophils. and I have lost 65 pounds in the first 7 months fasting.
My Specialist agreed to my wishes to take me off all medication for a trial period of a few months of ONLY trying to re-set my immune system and heal myself through fasting and therefore autophagy ! (this was at the end of 2017 and to this day I am still off ALL medication Wegener’s Granulomatosis , Lupus and even my asthma meds )
If I could have done it safely I would have celebrated with a glass of champagne , but that would have jeopardized my liver and it is not worth the trouble. I have posted this also in the other IF groups I am a member of .
I am sharing this very personal experience because I hope it will inspire others who fight the same or a similar illness or just want to improve their overall health. If there is only one person who will now try to fast for their own health , it’ll make this write up all worth it.
Thanks for reading and I wish you good health!
Update April 2019 – I received a call from one of my doctors that they had found cancer cells (early stage) in my left breast tissue.
I therefore did increase my fasting days to 21 every other month. And I will investigate to implement medical and supplementary treatment of cancer which is stated in “Chris Beat Cancer” by Chris Wark as well as “How ToStarve Cancer” by Jane McLelland
Update 08 April 2022 – I thought an update was needed. After we have moved 2 more times with lots of renovations on the 2 houses the had followed, I had become “lazy” in following my intermittent and extended water fasting regime, I had a relapse in fall of 2021 (Wegener’s Granulomatosis – lung bleeding) , meaning my lung bleedings had started again. Not as server as in 2016 but enough to have my Rheumatologist very concerned and she wanted to to get another round of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and also a daily Prednisone medication. I declined . I was not ready to give up on my self healing and going to poison my body again. So we had long discussions that (as she told me) I had to do something or It could end deadly. We agreed on one 2 IV treatments of Rituximab (A sort of “BIO Chemotherapy” a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases) this was supposed to work as an immediate intervention to stop my lung bleedings by suppressing my autoimmune attack and it worked. But I did not agree to a long term Prednisone (steroid) treatment. Instead I am trying to get my fasting regime back on track. As of today I am in my 3rd day of another water fast.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS MY VERY PERSONAL DECISION AND NOT A MEDICAL ADVISE IN ANY WAY OR FORM. YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ! AS I DID
We ask you to read our comprehensive information – I am sorry but I will not be able to reply to email questions . We also will not be able to give supervision or answer questions by phone. We sadly had to experience that the phone calls for support and questions became too overwhelmingly time-consuming . Thanks for your understanding !