Defy and Conquer: Surviving Terminal Brain Cancer, Intra-Operative Brain Mapping and the Ketogenic Diet - Softcover

In this book, Mindy Elwell has chronicled her journey from brain tumor diagnosis, through her decision to use a ketogenic diet as an adjuvant therapy and its integration into her lifestyle...She includes detailed information, including hints and recipes [she has] discovered and created.
Defy & Conquer is an excellent resource for brain tumor patients...written from the point of view of a brain tumor patient and, therefore, providing information in a manner more suited to individuals dealing with the unique issues presented by this diagnosis.
Mindy not only provides insights from her own point of view but she also provides information about resources available to help empower brain tumor patients to pursue the use of this metabolic therapy in addition to the standard of care. We highly recommend this book for cancer patients interested in exploring the use of this diet as part of their treatment regimen.
Adrienne C. Scheck, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Neuro-Oncology Research, Barrow Brain Tumor Research Center
Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Leonora Renda, RDN
University of Arizona Cancer Center
St. Joseph s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
As a patient liaison at Barrow Neurological Institute, I often see patients that feel powerless when it comes to playing a part in both their treatment plan and the decision-making process. Mindy refused to give in to fear. Instead, she put together a team of incredible doctors, engaged whatever resources she could find and educated herself, her team, and her family.
Through her faith, her positive attitude, and her willingness to expose the tender moments, she has shown us all that we can overcome the seemingly impossible. This book, and the life lessons it teaches, is a gift from a woman I admire greatly and am blessed to call a friend. I am thankful that she has shared her heart and her powerful story with us all.
Lisa Soeby, Patient Liaison
Barrow Neurological Institute
Mindy shares her powerful story with dignity and humor. Not even the insidious 'C-Club' can stop her from soaking up every fierce, faithful, frightening moment of her beautiful life. Her story of strength and endurance serves as a reminder that life s fleeting moments are valuable treasures to be cherished.
She shares her struggle with candor and wit. Although cancer patients and their caregivers will find valuable support and guidance in this book, readers from all walks of life will be impressed by Mindy s strength and humility.
Shelly Hornback Arizona philanthropist and community leader
Publisher's Editorial:
What started out as a book of survival became a testament to hope. Defy & Conquer began as a book of promise: for state-of-the-art surgery that successfully removed a once-inoperable brain tumor; for the Ketogenic Diet, an adjuvant therapy used to help stem the growth of cancer cells. But cancer is a formidable foe and Defy & Conquer, in the end, defines a state of mind against terminal brain cancer---the refusal of surrendering the soul to disease.
Why publish yet another cancer book? Because cancer is experienced differently with every iteration of medical advances. And because some stories offer so much educational value to the hundreds of thousands of Americans living with cancer, they deserve to be published.
Defy & Conquer offers first-hand candor, numerous tips, excerpts of medical records rarely seen, inspiration that is both endearing and spot-on, and a whole section of diet, nutrition and personal food choices, menus and recipes, from a cancer patient who discovered them, tried them all, and chooses to share their benefits with others. What Mindy Elwell offers in Defy & Conquer is validation to offset the overwhelming gravity of a malignant brain cancer diagnosis---for patient, family and caregiver.
Ms. Elwell's belief in God is also inspiring, and flies in the face of the recently lauded alternative, assisted suicide. With three children and a loving husband supporting her and willing her to live, this was not an option. As she so eloquently states in her book, "Just as a first impression is important for strangers, I believe the last impression is important for the children you leave behind.
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A contemporary take on terminal brain cancer, from a patient who outlived an eighteen month prognosis (October 2013). Mindy Elwell's three-year journey, as told to author JZ Bingham, chronicles a myriad of emotions, procedures, recoveries, and personal growth. Ms. Elwell's honesty is touching and endearing, with a healthy dose of wit, and never shies away from the importance of mental and spiritual growth, rooted in family and God. This unique book includes professional contributions: surgical notes describing intra-operative brain mapping, pathology reports, MRI analyses, scientific and dietary explanations of the Ketogenic Diet, as well as tips, food choices and menus. Defy & Conquer is invaluable for those touched with cancer, seeking solace, validation, and hope against a deadly disease.