David Wilding, 47, unashamedly needs your money!
In February this year Dave went to the doctors because of two lumps on his neck and pain in his jaw and quickly got referred to Farnborough hospital where he was diagnosed with terminal, stage 4 tongue cancer. The CT scan showed a tumour at the base of the tongue and that the cancer had also metastasised to tumours in the two lymph nodes, both lungs and a kidney.
As you can imagine this was a massive shock for our family to hear considering he didn’t smoke and seemed a healthy man, albeit a little podgy around the edges! After adjusting to the news, Dave immediately took on a positive frame of mind and started joking about his cancer and his inability to really eat. What followed were some of the most traumatic events our family has ever encountered and hopefully ever will.
The ENT consultant at Farnborough Hospital told Dave and my mum on their first appointment after the scan that “It will not be a nice death with your family sitting around you, it will be horrible and painful”. Needless to say this sent us into a state of upset, anger and shock. We couldn’t believe that a consultant could be so utterly uncompassionate. Dave immediately booked himself an appointment at the Marsden Cancer Hospital in the hope of a different opinion. Unfortunately they confirmed the diagnosis but were so much kinder and said they would do what they could, chemotherapy being his only option.
Dave decided from the beginning that he was not going anywhere. At 47 he realised he had a lot more to give this world and for those of you that know Dave you will understand just how true this is. He went on a ‘cancer diet’ which consists of a pure alkaline diet as tumours can only grow in an acidic environment. Watching him attempt to eat what can only be described as rabbit food was awful, the tumour on his tongue meant that not much food could get past it and he began to lose a lot of weight. According to many of his friends though, this was no bad thing!
He then began the process of chemotherapy. The Marsden had said he was able to have 6 cycles which consist of 5 nights in hospital with a 2 week break before you go in again. Dave put on a brave face but the constant sickness took an awful lot out of him and when he came home he was literally a shadow of the man that had gone in. I am sure though that he changed the life of many in his ward as there was always a very light energy and a lot of laughter coming from bay 3!
After 3 cycles of chemotherapy the Marsden scan you again to see how much the tumours have shrunk. We honestly didn’t think the prognosis could get any worse. The scan showed that the chemo had not worked. The tumours in his lungs had increased and new ones had grown. They had no other option than to send him home, stating there was nothing more they could do. This was a massive blow to us, we honestly hadn’t even thought that the chemo would not make any difference and to hear it had got worse could have sent us all into a very dark black hole. But this is Dave and Dave has never been someone that would give up and his positivity only seemed to get stronger.
Dave found out about a woman called Ginny Fraser whose melanoma had metastasised to her brain, spleen and stomach and whose doctors said there was nothing more they could do for her either. That was 10 years ago and her survival is thanks to a Dr. Callebout. Dr Callebout is one of four of the best-known "alternative" cancer specialists who appear in the listings in the back of cancer books (along with Julian Kenyon, Fritz Schellander and Patrick Kingsley).
He is a strong believer in using naturopathic medicine to complement orthodox treatment, and often cancer patients come to him when all other options have been exhausted. Because he is often a last resort his regimes - combinations of diet, supplementation, detox practices, and intravenous medication - are known to be rigorous and in his practice he has learnt that the patient´s own attitude to their healing is crucial. “Nobody has the full truth about cancer, but basically what I do is try to make the body cancer-unfriendly at the same time as attacking the cancer directly. I look at all the elements that enhance cancer, and through a whole range of blood and urine tests try to check out what it is in the body that we should correct and what we should leave be.” There is no static "Callebout" programme - it all depends on the results of the blood tests, which give information not touched upon in regular hospital blood tests.
Callebout’s success with advanced cancer is astonishing and therefore we want to get on it with as soon as we can. Unfortunately it is also very expensive due to the amount and the type of supplements needed. And that’s where you come in (did you wonder if I’d ever get there?!). We need as many donations as possible to keep Dave in our lives and I thank you in advance for your time, your thoughts, your prayers and your money!
Dave’s positivity, state of mind and humour through this treacherous time has been nothing less than awe-inspiring. If I could be one ounce of the individual that Dave has become I would be a much better person. Dave doesn’t intend to go anywhere but we do really need your help to make sure his annoying jokes are around for a good while yet!
Jodie
