This post is in response to the week 1 homesteadingchallenge from @kiaraantonoviche who asked us to write an article answering the question "Homesteading is important to me because..." This was easy for me to answer because I believe I'm still walking this earth today because of homesteading. Here's my story.
In the beginning...
It has been about 5 1/2 years now since I got the news for the reason I went to the emergency room one night in excruciating gut pain. After several tests and a couple days I had the answer, stage 3 colon cancer. The doctor said I had a tumor about the size of a tangerine in my colon and it had to come out right away. The doctor seemed a little surprised by the diagnosis as I was only 39 years and physically appeared to be in pretty good shape, but I was not that surprised.
I had spent the previous several years running my own trucking business and spent most of those years on the road, many times eating at fast food restaurants 2 or 3 times a day. As if the eating habits weren't bad enough the sedentary lifestyle of sitting in a seat driving 10-15 hours a day only added to the problem. I knew this was not a healthy lifestyle but I had plenty of energy and wasn't massively overweight so I figured I could maintain it for a few years to make enough money to pay for the lifestyle I eventually wanted which was a homestead on several acres building a self sufficient life for my family and myself.
My Hopes and Dreams Were Over...
Or at least that's what I thought as I was facing a major surgery, several months of chemotherapy, several weeks off work and a draining of our savings as all this took place. I'm normally a positive person but I have to admit I was a little depressed as the thoughts stirred in my mind. The thoughts of not ever getting the chance to walk my 3 daughters down the aisle one day or never meeting my future grandchildren, leaving my wife alone and not growing old with her and enjoying our future homestead. All of this at the time seemed a bit too much to bear. Because of my faith I was never one to be afraid of death but rather what I would leave behind and what I would miss out on.
This attitude was not going to do, it was time to get positive again, it was time to prepare for war! I was determined to do everything I could do to win this battle. So surgery was scheduled and the war began. The surgery recovery was not an easy one as it left me with a 12 inch scar across my midsection, it was a few weeks before I could get up out of a chair with ease. I also had to go in for a surgery to get a port installed in my chest to administer chemotherapy.
After my surgery I had a few weeks of down time and recovery before the chemo was to start and during this time I did a lot of thinking and reflecting. I thought about what lead me here, what the problems were and how to make changes in my life that would keep this from happening again. In my mind I knew the problem and I knew the answer but I just wasn't sure how to fix it.
I knew the problem was lack of healthy chemical free food and lack of exercise, but the problem was the problem. I was now in a position where exercise was out for a while due to my physical condition but I knew that wouldn't last forever and as soon as I was able I could get started with that. Healthy food was a whole other situation, I knew where to get it but to make the radical kinds of changes I needed to make was not going to be cheap, I mean have you priced organic foods.
We were on a path to being near broke by the time I was to go back to work as we were paying our bills out of savings while I was off and also paying a ton of medical expenses, we have insurance but there was still a lot to pay out plus we had to continue to pay for the medical insurance itself which wasn't cheap. I knew growing and raising my own food was the best and cheapest way but we live in town on about a tenth of an acre and definitely could not afford to pursue moving to our dream homestead now. What to do...
The Wake Up Call...
When you don't have much to do as you're laying around recovering from a surgery and your mind is racing, I found it's a really good time to learn. I learned a lot about cancer and alternative treatments. I learned a lot about growing healthy food. Most importantly I learned about what was possible to do right where I was. I came across a short documentary on Youtube called Homegrown Revolution and it changed my mind about what was possible.
The Dervaes family's backyard.
This video was my wake up call, Jules Dervaes laid out the problem with the current food system and his answer to the problem, he was feeding his family healthy chemical free food from a tenth of an acre. It really was the first time I ever considered that my city property could be my dream homestead. So as soon as I felt well enough I built my first 2 small raised beds out of scrap lumber, filled them with soil and planted a salad garden. It wasn't much I know but it was a start and it was hope which is what I needed more than anything.
My first raised beds.
My second phase of raised beds the next year.
The Rebellion
Every good war story has a rebellion, right? Well this one does. I was feeling pretty good after a few weeks of recovery, I had started a daily walking regimen and was getting stronger everyday but now it was time for the chemotherapy to start. I did my first treatment on my 40th birthday, heck of a way to spend a birthday but I didn't want to delay this any longer, after all this is war and there is no time for celebration when you're on the battlefield. Chemo was really hard on me, worse than for most I think, at least that's what they were telling me. The nausea was unbearable and I also started back to work a couple weeks later so it was really messing with my job performance.
During my time off I had mentioned that I was researching a lot of alternatives to cancer treatment and because the chemo felt like it was killing me of course those alternatives were looking pretty good right now. So I made a decision to rebel from traditional cancer treatment after only 3 chemo sessions and try it my way. I had my port removed and made radical lifestyle changes. My doctor was not happy, he bluntly told me he would see me in a couple years and there wouldn't be much they could do for me then. 5 1/2 years later i'm glad he was wrong, I don't say that arrogantly, I say it with gratefulness and with humility.
The New Battle Plan
Chemo was out but what was I going to do to instead? Simple, eat right and exercise. Could it be that simple? I think it is that simple but just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. Growing food and raising animals in a healthy organic way is hard work especially in a town setting where intensive growing methods are necessary to get enough to supply your needs. Growing the food is only half the battle, cooking from scratch was a whole new thing for my wife and I but was going to also be necessary if we were going to get the full benefit from all this effort.
The Greenhouse I eventually added to extend my growing season and grow more food.
I started growing food everywhere, this is the south side of my house.
I guess it was more than just changes in our food. We also began getting rid of some of the toxins in our house by making our own household cleaners, laundry soap and personal items like deodorant and shampoo. We make these things from more natural ingredients and we find they work just as well as the harmful chemical products.
Homesteading Saved My Life, But Not Just That
Homesteading gives me a life worth living. I may have begun because of my health but I continue for so many other reasons which I recently wrote about in a recent post titled "Homesteads Aren't Fueled by Rainbows and Unicorn Farts" I really love this way of life and even though the circumstances that began this journey were not the best to begin under they certainly were motivating.
Ah! Everything is so nicely laid out on your homestead! Mine's a bit more "freeform" lol!😜
On a more serious note, that was an amazing story of rebellion, recovery, and revitalization! It is fantastic what the production and consumption of real food can do for us, and as someone who has flummoxed a Dr. by healing myself with food, all I have to say is: RIGHT ON!! 👏
Thank You. I hope more people start using this method for healing and or maintaining good health, the way things are being done currently is failing miserably and things need to change.
Agreed! People are far more complex than lab numbers, and it's stories and actions like yours that help bring about eventual change.
I am not familiar with the term homesteading. Does it mean growing vegetables in your backyard?
Wao! What an inspiring article! The greener the better for our health! Thanks man. I got your back. You can as well return the favour @emyglo
I wish I can have a farm like this so inspiring 😊
You can!
Wow man, what a heck of a testament! Your amazing battle and recovery story aside (which is incredible), your story is one that rings with a tune of similarity for me. I've been in the Information Technology field for about 10 years. That's 10 years of nothing but sitting behind a desk for 9 hours a day. Add the 2 hour commute, and I sit for 11 hours each work day. I know it's killing me, but we're not to a financial point yet for me to change to a lower paying job. Catch 22, eh? Ah well, that's a story for another post. :-)
I remember when I first came across the same documentary on the Durveas family. It was an eye-opener for us too! We were in a subdivision on .4 acres, but soon got chickens, garden, greenhouse, fruit trees, etc. It was a wonderful learning experience and there existed so much potential! We would have continued that pathway, but life happened... You can read about that here.
From what I see in this post, it looks like you have an amazing setup, and some awesome taste in design. I really like those planter boxes! It's also so cool to see how you've fit so much (with much more room to spare) in your place.
Thanks. The sedintary lifestyle is for sure one that plagues alot of people in todays jobs and it's difficult to overcome. Like you a said, life happens and sometimes it takes you down different paths. We just have to be careful to not let it have such an effect on us that it destroys our health. Best of luck to you.
What an incredible inspiring story! So glad you fought the battle and won. I hope your story encourages many more people to do what you did by taking control of what you eat & exercising. Your homestead looks great.
Thank You. If I can help inspire anyone to make a change that makes their life better in anyway I would consider it one of my lifes greater achievements.
Where do you get your seeds?
Collect most of my seeds from the plants i grow.
Nice no GMO?
No gmo. Mostly heirloom, some hybrid for disease resistance but i don't seed save from those.
Wow. That is an amazing story. I am gardening as much as possible and learning a lot of lessons. I didn't realize how many vegetables I thought I Couldn't stand to eat. I also didn't realize how much better they taste fresh from the garden. I ate more beets yesterday than I've eaten in my whole life. I love the quote by Joel Salatin you have in the post. He is such an icon on the food revolution community. I've raised chickens his way and hope to do more soon. We have to take control of our food. Diet is everything. Thanks for demonstrating what people can do in such a small space.
Thank you. Good taste is definitely one of reasons i love homesteading. Everything in my garden tastes different and better than store bought. I also agree about tractor raising chickens, it's a great way to do it. Thanks for your comment.
You chose health care over illness management. Excellent approach and I wish more folks would catch on to the concept. So glad you're doing well.
Your set up is impressive! Well done!
Thanks. I wish more folks would catch on as well.
Wonderful article! You have been entered into the challenge - thank you!
Thank you. I've enjoyed reading the other entries. Glad you had the idea to do this.
What a testament to the true value of the quality food that is in our homesteads and gardens. Thanks for sharing your story, and I pray that you continue to live cancer free and stay on track to a healthier lifestyle. Now following. Upvoted
Thank You!
Very inspiring story! Thank you so much for being courageous enough to share. Rock on!
Thanks for taking the time to read it and comment.
So glad to read that you have your health back! And that you and your wife found homesteading and gardening so rewarding in your lives. You have such a nice, neat set of garden beds and greenhouse! It's clear that you run a tight ship, lol! Enjoy the fun of watching the plants grow - and great, healthy eating, too! :D -- And congratulations on winning the first Homesteading Challenge, too! :D
Thanks. I wish i could say it's always a tight ship but it does get away from me from time to time. We do enjoy it none the less.
Love this post because I am already into eating whole plant foods and am just starting to want to grow my own foods at home! Thank you for blowing up my interest in homesteading and sharing your story of overcoming cancer and opting out of the killing power of chemo which killed my father three years ago! Would you please keep writing more posts because we would love to continue your journey with you here? I shared this on day 8 of my upvotable posts with my followers!
Thanks Jerry. Sorry to hear about your father but glad to hear your making the necessary changes in your diet.
great job man. i do agree with organic food. you made a really good setup. i hope you are using natural fertilizers. really good job in small area.
Thanks. All organic for sure, only way in my opinion.
Great story, glad you summoned the courage to make it happen. It really is war, isn't it? That winning attitude I think is what drove your results. Looking forward to more posts from you, and those second year beds are beautiful, partially made from pallets?
Thanks and yes they are made from pallets, wrote about it here - https://steemit.com/homesteading/@sthomestead/using-pallets-to-make-raised-garden-beds
Congratulations, @sthomestead! On winning the Homesteading Challenge, on writing such an amazing article, but most of all on having gone through such a horrible experience, AND come out on top! These kind of stories always make me feel like... like we've got the power, way more than we might think.
By the way, in my weird way of looking at the world, cancer is not just cells that grow out of control in our bodies, but the imbalance we live in, how we treat the world around us, how we keep postponing the truly important things further and further, because something less essential takes priority. At some point this imbalance can manifest itself in anything from financial bankruptcy, to psychological disorders, or even cells growing out of control. It is therefor so nice to see that this imbalance can be straightened out if you bring some order into your life.
Thank you for sharing!
Sickness and recovery brought me to homesteading too. Glad your still here. Thanks for the inspiration.
WELL DONE GUYS. Amazing garden btw. :))))
I hope you are okay now and I wish you all the best.
We are thinking about the same way of life,not only for us (me and my husband) but also our kids. We are vegan and we are trying to raise a healthy and strong kids. I will need in the feature some advices. :))))
have a great day :) and thank you for that post :)
This was definitely a favorite read! Thank you so much for sharing your story.
A great story. I grew up on a small farm where we raised most of our own food. I am really glad for that experience, and I really respect someone like you for creating this lifestyle and healing your own body by living in cooperation with nature.
Wow. That is incredible. Your perserverance and strength in not ONLY not giving up, but also to take matters into your own hands is inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
I decided to mention your blog ;)
https://steemit.com/life/@valensia/best-healthy-clinic-ever-i-know-because-i-was-there
Your blog post showed up as a ad on my youtube mobile app. I'm glad it did thanks for writing such a awesome article. God bless.
Came here from an ad