Aronia berries are not erroneous

It started with an ugly, triangle-shaped red blotch on the side of my head. Ginnie said I'd better go to dermatology. I did and they took a biopsy. Dermatology informed me that I had a “neuroendocrine carcinoma” and that they were sending me to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City for treatment.

Uh, oh. I Googled “neuroendocrine carcinoma” and read everything from “Don't sweat it” to “Terminal.” The fact that Dermatology was sending me to not only Dermatology in Iowa City, but also Otolaryngology (Head and Neck) was disconcerting.

I have a farmer buddy who raises aronia berries. If you don't know what aronia berries are, they are popular in Europe, especially Poland. Aronia berries are very high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. My farmer buddy gave me two gallons of aronia berry juice, and told me to take two shots daily. He does this and hasn't had a cold in years, or COVID. I did what he told me to do.

Ginnie and I both noticed the red blotch slowly fading. By the time we got to Iowa City one month later, the red blotch had all but disappeared. The doctors in the Dermatology and Head-and-Neck clinics were a little taken aback.

We told them that we had been praying and drinking aronia juice. They asked, “What is aronia juice?” We told them and they listened politely, but also went ahead with a full-body PET scan and, to be on the safe side, took three biopsies of where the red blotch had been. The PET scan came back 100% free of skin cancer, but there were a couple of suspicious lymph nodes and a tiny spot on my liver that they didn't like. Ok.

Then the biopsy report came in. Of the three biopsies, two were clear, but one still showed a trace amount of “neuroendocrine carcinoma.” The docs in Dermatology and Head-and-Neck said, “We're turning you over to Oncology.”

As I write this, I have an appointment with radiation therapy. I'm asking for your prayers. I'm not shy about saying I have cancer and asking for prayers, because I know that the more people there are praying, the better the chances are of whipping it.

At the same time all this was going on, Ginnie went to her OBGYN. There is an ultra sound scheduled for some female issues Ginnie is having. She may have cancer also. We might be in the awkward situation of both of us having cancer at the same time. So, include Ginnie in your prayers, also.

I have full confidence that both Ginnie and I are going to come through this with flying colors. Our conditions are in the early stages and very treatable, especially with prayers, and drinking aronia juice. The fact remains that once we started drinking aronia juice, the “neuroendocrine carcinoma” all but disappeared. I have a feeling the same is going to occur for my diseased lymph nodes and the spot on my liver. Along with modern medicine and prayers, the Big C doesn't have a chance.

So why haven't aronia berries caught on as a health food in the United States? Good question. My understanding is that it all has to do with markets. As my farmer buddy, who has a number of acres devoted to aronia berries found out, a market for aronia berries has not developed in the United States. And major health food producers won't invest in aronia berries because there aren't enough aronia berries being grown. We need to fix that.

Ginnie and I have a number of aronia berry bushes growing alongside our driveway here on the Empty Nest Farm. They were planted as a windbreak. The berries are ripe. Anyone who wants to pick them, can have all the aronia berries they want. Hurry, before the birds get'm! They make great jelly, jam, wine and juice.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him a curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.

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