ESSIAC, the herbal tea, reputed to be treatment for cancer,and other sickness, derives its name from Canada's cancer nurse Rene' Caisse (pronounced "Reen Case") a hero to many of us. Outlawed in the U.S. and Canada by the F.D.A., A.M.A. and the Pharmaceutical Giants it has somehow continued to survive.
Derived from an Ojibway, N.N.A. medicine, it consist of 4 main herbs, Sheep Sorrel, Burdock Root, Inner Slippery Elm Bark, and Indian Rhubarb Root.
Many Testimonials exist today , of the effectiveness of Essiac, as a blood purifier, toxin purge, cell repair facilitator and for enhanced assimilation and elimination.
As scientific understanding of human immunology increases and naturopathic medicine becomes widely used. ESSIAC will come into its own light as a safe, effective, legal alternative to Main Stream Medicine.
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I have personally taken Essiac for a number of years. Perhaps this makes me biased towards this wonder medicine, but I've got good reason. A normal visit to my dentist in early 2004, revealed a squamous cell carcinoma, on the oral tongue area.
I had been ill with the flue, (or so I thought), in December.This "flue bug" seemed different than most bugs, for it totally devastated my body, intense purging episodes, both ways, followed by high fever and cold chills, both of which induced hallucinations that were not at all pleasant.
It was especially strange for me, because I had always tried to maintain my health, as well as the health of my two children, by eating a varied diet of whole live foods that where mostly organically raised. As well as living actively, with lots of fresh air and new ideas. Even as a child , growing up I never got the flue, colds yes, but never the flue. The sores in my mouth,I thought to be, symptom of the prior flue bug.
My Dentist was aghast when he opened my mouth, on what was supposed to be a routine exam. He called to the other dentist in the practice to come and verify what he saw, she concurred as well. He immediately recommended a biopsy of the effected area. He offered to do what is called a swap biopsy right there in his office, or I could do a core biopsy with an oncologist. I opted for the latter since, if the swap test came back positive I would have to do the core biopsy anyway. It was a matter of economics, since I did not have medical insurance. Although I was a resident in Oregon and qualified for OMAP it simply was denied me, but that's content for another diary.
The trip home , from the dentist was long and painful. I wondered, why me? is there effective treatment, will I live? Since the first available examination by an an oncologists was over two weeks out, I had to do something, to help me cope with this impending doom. At home I downloaded images off the internet of squamous cell carcinoma. By using a tongue depressor, magnifying glass and mirror, I was able to compare the sore on my tongue and ones in pictures, the similarities where obvious. I handed the magnifying glass to my fifteen year old son, and asked him for an observation, he took the glass and peered into my mouth and then back to the screen on my laptop, back to my mouth then to the screen. On his third dissertation of the sore, deep tears welled in his eyes, magnifier dropping to his side and a slight nod, heralding in a flood of tears. My 12 year old daughter joined us in the room and upon seeing her brother cry wanted to know why. Her brother said, between his tears, "dad has cancer" "Nooo!! daddy !" as she ran and threw her arms around me and sobbed " don't let this be, you can fight it, your the smartest daddy ever, you have helped sick people, you know about medicine, please don't die". Our family has a close relative, who had recently survived a rare form of childhood cancer, with the horror of chemotherapy and surgery.
Later in the evening, while researching on the internet I came across the purported benefits of ESSIAC tea, the information was scattered at best, with the majority of sites disclaiming the curative powers of ESSIAC. I thought this odd, since the teas founder, Rene' Caisse had much touted the curative qualities of this medicine, especially for cancer.Starting in 1922 She handed out her recipe for the tea and distributed it openly and freely. She opened a clinic in Bracebridge, Ontario but it was closed in 1942, amid a period of controversy and inquiry by Canadian health officials. It wasn't until 1959 that she was able to convince a Doctor from the U.S., to study the tea. Although the tests were never published in the medical journals, it led to the development of Flor-Essence, the 8 part formula.
Today, in the U.S., ESSIAC and Flor-Essence is forbidden to be sold as an herbal medicine, it can be only sold as a food supplement. Most Herb retailers will not sell the complete formula, only the individual ingredients. It is verboten to publish a recipe for ESSIAC and make any claims whatsoever.
As I fell asleep that night, I found comfort in the fact that, five weeks prior, I had obtained the ingredients for ESSIAC. At that time I had intended for the tea to be something of a spring tonic, because as mentioned before, it was a real bad flu season.
The following morning I went to work preparing the ESSIAC. It took me all day and into the night, as it is a precise formula, requiring precise measurements and proper handling of the ingredients. After it had cooled and I was decanting the fluid into amber colored glass bottles, I decided to start my therapy in the a.m.
When starting this type of therapy, one needs to be well hydrated and the ability to stay focused on the therapy, as the process of eliminations are enhanced, greatly. I started with one dose a day, which consisted of two and half oz. of concentrate in six ounces of warm, pure water. The taste is not that unpleasant, with earthy/woody overtones. On the third day I increased to once in the morning and once in late afternoon. While the tea does make you feel nauseated and suppresses your appetite, these side affects can be alleviated by another outlawed cancer preventative, cannabis, By the end of the first week,I was feeling much better with less nausea and more energy. The overall feeling in my mouth was better, swallowing became easier and the skin color improved. My tumor on my tongue actually grew slightly in the first week of therapy, but my overall well being improved.
Finally the visit to my Oncologist
The morning of my Oncologist visit found me quite apprehensive, not only because it was over one hundred miles away but I was apprehensive with what they might find. Also its a fear of mine that cancer can spread into healthy tissue by the diseased part being cut, thus releasing cancerous cells into the bloodstream. AS my doctor peered into my mouth he kept taping my tumor with a small tool, much like someone taps a melon , checking for ripeness.
In the meantime, my doctor informed me a core biopsy would not be needed, as the tumor on my tongue appeared to be going into remission. It had new, healthy cells growing on top, not like the ugly white, cuplike sore of a few weeks prior. I was told I was smart for coming in that soon, most procrastinate or don't notice it until to late. As a precaution he advised me to monitor the condition of my mouth and tongue on a regular basis, and go for regular dentist appointments. I enthusiastically told him of my ESSIAC therapy, and explained, in detail, what it was. He politely brushed off my treatment as being out of the realm of current medical fact.
So why is it that our Government conceals alternative medicine like Essiac and others, when we have such a huge health crisis with cancer? Simple answer: very little money would be made of of herbal medicines, that could be easily obtained or grown. Then prepared and consumed by the individual in the safety of their home.