In 2008, a month before my last chemotherapy cycle, my mum was talking to Jo Boyce, a pastoral musician whose concerts we had gone to for years. Jo told us about nutritional supplements.
Although my mum felt very positive about me trying them, my anxiety meant I had some concerns. However, we decided together that it was worth discussing. There was nothing to lose from just talking and I was open to ideas as at this point. I was feeling awful, going through the cancer treatment, and Jo was someone who I knew and trusted.
Jo explained how she originally trained as a biochemist but her calling was in music ministry. Doing the job she does, travelling around the UK and Europe running her music business, was incredibly tiring, even though she loved it. She explained how she had been struggling to carry on and how she had been looking for a solution to help her. An experienced teacher and play therapist friend, Jo trusted, introduced her to the concepts and products. Jo has found that taking the USANA nutritional products has made a significant difference to her body, stamina and recovery.
Jo and Clair went through my worries and answered my mum’s questions.
They explained to me that not all nutritional products are manufactured at the same standard and you need to be really careful what you put into your body and on your skin, as I also had bad eczema.
At the time, I was taking a lot of medication so even though they were just supplements, to me they were another tablet I had to take, something I struggled to do bearing in mind I was 12 years old at the time. Jo and Claire explained to me how to take tablets more easily and reassured me that with time it would become easier.
I also asked about any side effects the supplements could have on me, and the effects they would have on the other medication I was taking. They explained that at first I might have detox symptoms but these would soon subside and I just needed to drink lots of water.
My doctor reassured me that supplements would not interfere with my standard medication. This was really helpful for me. I wondered how much of a difference supplements could make to me and with them listening and talking through my concerns it calmed my thoughts down and stopped me from getting overwhelmed.
The products I was taking were checked by highly professional scientists and were proven to be the best, cleanest ones you could get in the world. I saw solid evidence of how they compared in quality to the ones you can get in the shops. I decided, with my Mum, to take the plunge and give it a try – I had nothing to lose and it would be interesting to see what I might gain.