December 3, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, I have the privilege of welcoming my dear friend Ben Abell, a remarkable cancer thriver who has overcome stage 4 prostate cancer.
Ben’s journey is nothing short of inspiring, as he opens up about the challenges of his diagnosis and the incredible role faith, integrative medicine, and community support played in his healing. We discuss how mistletoe therapy, personalized nutrition, and prayer became pivotal in his recovery.
Ben also reflects on how his faith, anchored in scripture like Philippians 4:6-7, guided him through this life-changing experience. His story is one of resilience, hope, and purpose, offering profound insights for anyone navigating a cancer journey or supporting a loved one.
Don’t miss this uplifting conversation that will leave you inspired to BELIEVE BIG in your own life!
Suggested Resource Links:
- Radical Hope by Dr. Kelly Turner and Tracy White
- The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley
- Prayer Requests at Believe Big (888) 317-5850
- Email Believe Big at Info@believebig.org
- Food for Thought webinars
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ivelisse Page (00:06):
Hi, I'm Ivelisse Page, and thanks for listening
to the Believe Big podcast, theshow where we take a deep dive
into your healing with healthexperts, integrative
practitioners, biblical faithleaders, and cancer thrivers
from around the globe.
(00:34):
Welcome to today's episode onthe Believe Big podcast.
My name is Ivelisse Page, andI'm thankful to be with you
today.
I am so happy to have my friendBen Abell as my guest on the
podcast.
Ben is a cancer thriver, havingovercome stage 4 prostate
cancer, and has been our BelieveBig Story of Hope this year.
(00:56):
He courageously spoke at ourBelieve Big dinner this past
spring, and his story isfeatured on our website.
I've invited Ben to join metoday to talk about his cancer
journey and give us an update.
In his previous years, Ben hasbeen an executive with Black and
Decker and later heeded the callto become a pastor.
(01:17):
He has recently transitioned offstaff at Grace Fellowship Church
after 27 years and currentlyserves as the director of
Baltimore Prayer Circles andconsults with Christian business
owners on integrating faith,work, and life.
Ben is also one of our faithfulprayer team members that meets
(01:37):
with Jimmy and myself on a biweekly basis to specifically
pray for the Believe BigInstitute of Health.
Ben lives in Baltimore with hisbeautiful wife, Laura, who he
has been married to for 38years.
That's amazing.
They have four kids and tengrandkids.
(01:58):
Welcome to the show, Ben.
Ben Abell (02:00):
Thank you, Ivelisse.
So glad to be here.
It's an honor.
Ivelisse Page (02:05):
Well, we always like to start our podcast with
our guest's favorite health tip.
So do you have one to share withus today?
Ben Abell (02:13):
I do.
I love that you do this.
Uh, I want to dedicate it to mymom.
Uh, she was 97 years old whenshe passed last October and her
motto was keep moving.
So, I remember her doing lapsaround her little tiny porch
with her walker and then goingout to the mailbox and getting
(02:36):
her mail and coming back.
And she just said that herentire life, keep moving.
Ivelisse Page (02:41):
Well, I believe that's why she did so well until
her late nineties.
I mean, that's incredible.
Keep moving.
I mean, that's fantastic.
So Ben, can you start by sharinga little bit about your life
before your cancer diagnosis?
Like what was your daily routinelike?
Ben Abell (02:58):
Yeah, I, uh, love to give you a little context first,
if that's okay.
About 25 years ago, I gotconnected to, uh, some of the
writings of Dallas Willard, andsome friends who were working
with Dallas Willard, and he hada model, Vision, Intention, and
Means, V I M, and I wanted to bemore like the people that I was
(03:21):
around that he was talkingabout.
And so, it's an interestingquestion, uh, to ask ourselves.
The same question that Jesusasked his first disciples is,
What do you want?
What are you seeking?
And so when I answer thatquestion, my vision and desire
to become a more and more likeJesus.
And I was, uh, desiring to bemore joyful and kind and
(03:45):
gracious.
I may not have been all thosethings, you know, maybe 25 years
ago.
I hope I am a little bit morenow.
But what I saw is people who hada vision and intention and
means.
And so I reoriented my life, uh,about 25 years ago to saturate
in the word, pray, worship for asignificant amount of time in
(04:07):
the morning, uh, be a part ofcommunity.
And so that just actuallycontinued on, all the way up to
this journey.
It continues even today, but sothat I could know how to pastor,
be with my family, be aroundBaltimore.
Um, playing golf is something Ilove doing and exercise.
(04:28):
So those are some of the thingsthat was my routine before I got
diagnosed.
Ivelisse Page (04:33):
Yeah.
I love the work of DallasWillard and I have been doing a
certification program on being aspiritual director and the Soul
Shepherding team, they actuallyuse a lot of the Dallas Willard
as a foundation of the work thatthey do and try and instill in
their spiritual directors.
And so, yeah, that VIM processis very powerful and walking
(04:58):
through that is, you know, canbe difficult to try and
determine all those, but howgreat to have that in place so
that you know what, you want foryour future and for those around
you.
So that's incredible.
At the Believe Big Dinner, youshared powerful moments from
your diagnosis.
And, you know, when you firstreceived that news, what was
your immediate reaction and howdid you process it?
Ben Abell (05:22):
Well, yes, I got a phone call from my urologist.
And when he said that I was inutter shock.
Um, and to be honest, he wastoo.
I was 62 at the time, I washealthy, I thought I was living
a life, uh, a healthy life,style, and it was like, okay,
how did this happen?
(05:42):
Where did this come from?
And he was surprised as well,and so, how did I process it?
Laura and I came together, Icalled her right away, uh, we
did a lot of praying.
I didn't panic.
I think a lot of what I justshared a minute ago was some
foundation that was there for meas I was able to not panic.
Uh, we prayed a lot and then wejust started asking the Lord,
(06:05):
okay, what, what do we do now?
Where do we go?
And I have to tell you, therewas so many God orchestrated
moments.
and conversations with peoplethat I was able to get an
understanding of, okay, what arewe dealing with here?
There's one, one fellow in myneighborhood here that actually
(06:26):
was been studying prostatecancer for 30 years.
And I got a chance to spend timewith him and get some
understanding.
And so that was, that was superhelpful to process that.
And so, yeah, it was, it waslike, Whoa, where did this come
from?
Ivelisse Page (06:41):
I think that is a common theme for so many.
And you know, it's a shockbecause you're living your life.
And in your words, you'resaying, you know, I thought I
was living a healthy lifestyle.
Now, looking back, you know,what do you think contributed to
it?
Sometimes we don't even know or,you know, God doesn't reveal
that to us.
And I know sometimes it can takemonths or years till you really
(07:03):
get to the bottom of that.
But have you had some revelationas to why this could have
occurred when you were livingsuch a healthy lifestyle?
Ben Abell (07:12):
Well, it's interesting.
After a connection with you allat Believe Big and beginning to
understand a bit more, and Iknow we're going to talk more
about that, hopefully, aboutintegrative and what all of that
is, I would say I didn't knowwhat I didn't know and there
were a lot of things in our, my,our lifestyle that when we, when
I read the books, um, TheMetabolic Approach to Cancer, I
(07:35):
was able to identify, oh, here'ssome, things about our terrain,
about our practices, about thefood I'm eating that could have
contributed to it.
We, of course, we don't know atall.
We can't pinpoint itnecessarily, but yeah, I, I've
learned a lot and I'm not gonnago back to where it was.
Ivelisse Page (07:58):
Yes, and you even, mentioned, you know, those
are the physical sides, right?
That, okay, sometimes we mayknow or sometimes we may not
know what contributed, andthere's so many aspects to
healing and to health, whetherfrom emotional and physical.
And then you mentioned aboutpraying and how your faith
played a role.
So how did it, how did yourfaith in Christ support you
(08:20):
during the most difficultmoments?
Ben Abell (08:22):
Yeah, it was significant.
Laura and I had a theme versethat as we began to pray and
began to seek the Lord and askhim, okay, what are the next
steps?
What do you want us to do?
How do we move through this?
What we were sensing is thatbecause it was so aggressive,
uh, it was stage four, nine outof 10, nine out of 10 on a
(08:44):
Gleason scale.
And that's what surprisedurologists as well is like, this
doesn't happen very often.
So we said, okay, let's receivethis trial, this test.
So we had a theme verse.
Um, it was Philippians 4:6-7we'd spend time saturating in
it, thinking about it, prayingabout it.
Um, and it says, do not beanxious about anything.
(09:07):
That's hard, that's hard to dowhen you've been diagnosed,
right?
But this is a promise from theWord of God.
Do not be anxious aboutanything, even a prostate
diagnosis.
But in every situation, okay, byprayer and petition.
So we were praying, but we werealso petitioning to the Lord.
(09:28):
What, what do we do next?
Who do we talk to?
And then this word that sayswith thanksgiving.
So in the midst of all of this,he's asking us to give
thanksgiving.
Because one thing we do knowabout, our great God is that he
turns all things to good forthose who love him and are
called according to hispurposes.
So, we knew he was going to turnit to good at somehow, but we
(09:50):
didn't know in that moment.
So, do not be anxious aboutanything, but in everything, in
every situation, by prayer andpetition, with thanksgiving.
Now, present your request toGod.
So we have a God that is,desiring to listen to us, just
like our kids, right?
When our kids come to us, howbeautiful is that?
They give us requests.
And then this is what it says,and the peace of God, the
(10:13):
shalom, the wholeness, whichtranscends all understanding,
like it, you can't explain it.
will guard your hearts and yourminds in Christ Jesus.
So that really just fed us for,and still is, you know, 23
months later that, that thoseverses have been deep for us.
(10:38):
And those, a couple of otherthoughts I just wanted to offer
is that, that those who followJesus, we know from the
scriptures, for us to becomemore and more like Jesus, um,
He, He tells us that we're goingto have trials.
He said, we're going to havetrials.
And so we go through trials, wego through suffering.
We say we want to be more likethe Lord, but no, no, no, no.
(10:59):
I don't particularly care forthose.
Right.
Um, but, um, I love, I love thisbecause Jesus understands
suffering.
Think about how much he had tosuffer in order for us to get to
be in relationship with him,going to the cross.
And it says in Hebrews 12:2, itsays for the, this is amazing,
(11:21):
for the joy set before him, heendured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the righthand of the throne of God.
He saw us, and, and that's whatbrought him joy.
So, How do we can have joy inthe journey somehow?
I want that too.
But Jesus gave us that exampleas he was as he was going to the
(11:45):
cross.
Autumn Hensley (11:46):
Hey podcast listeners.
I hope you're enjoying today'sepisode with Ben Abell and
finding our podcast encouragingand uplifting.
Today is Giving Tuesday and we'dlove for you to consider
supporting cancer patients byhelping us provide resources
like this podcast.
We can't do it without yourgenerosity.
Joining us is easy.
(12:07):
Just text, BELIEVEBIG no spaces,to 53555 on your smartphone.
That's BELIEVEBIG to 53555.
Thank you for Believing Big withus.
Merry Christmas and HappyHolidays!
Ivelisse Page (12:24):
That's beautiful.
And I want to take a momentbecause we have people who
follow Believe Big that comefrom all different backgrounds
and maybe someone's listeningtoday and may not even know what
it means to follow Jesus.
And this is all foreign and newto them.
I think that's one of thebiggest questions that our
(12:44):
advocates get besides mistletoeis how do I overcome this fear?
How do I face death in peace?
And if anyone's listening rightnow and is at a point where they
want to know more about what itmeans to follow Jesus, I would
encourage you to call ouroffice, 888 317 5850 and ask to
(13:09):
speak to Jackie Guidera, who'sthe head of our Spiritual
Leadership and Direction atBelieve Big.
And she'll pray with you andshe'll give you some resources
that can help you along thisjourney and give you peace.
Uh, we have many people that arepraying for our patients, but If
you're just curious, what doesit mean to follow Jesus?
(13:29):
What does it mean to have peacein the midst of cancer?
Then connect with us or evensend us an email at
info@believebig.org and we'll,we'll help you with that.
And so Ben, you mentioned that,you know, you have an amazing,
beautiful family and you have asupport.
So what advice would you give tosomeone who is listening today
(13:51):
who has been recently diagnosedand are unsure or afraid of
doing anything outside of theconventional methods and, and
their family may not even be forit either.
So how did you address those twothings or what would you tell
them?
Ben Abell (14:06):
Yeah, I would offer, and I didn't know what I didn't
know either.
Um, and so I understand.
And then when I got connected toBelieve Big, I got a different
perspective.
And I think that's helpful inthese kind of moments, in these
kind of events.
So I, I would offer that, uh,before adding the complementary
approach, if you're going toalongside conventional, it's
(14:29):
important to get informed aboutwhat, what we don't know and
what we do know.
It's just not known in thebroader public.
So as a part of my journey, Idid a lot of research.
I had some time during myhealing process connected with
Believe Big, a couple of books.
I mentioned one of them,Metabolic Approach to Cancer,
and then also, Radical Hope weretwo exceptional books that
(14:53):
helped me to go deeper and toget some confidence about
complimentary care.
When you have someone writing,uh, like Dr.
Nasha, who's had literallythousands of patients and she's
seen them go into remission, uh,through both complimentary and
traditional.
And then you have someone, TracyWhite, writing a book called
(15:14):
Radical Hope where she'sexperienced the same thing and
the ten practices of folkswho've gone into remission, I
would offer that, uh, uh, animportant part of it.
A second thing I would say is,and I got this from Tracy.
It was so helpful for me.
I think it's one of the mostimportant ones of the ten.
Each ten is important, buthaving a reason to live.
(15:36):
So, you know, as you said, I'vegot four kids, four amazing,
kids who've married amazingpeople, 10 grandkids.
I've got a lot to live for.
Um, and so I just would offer,what is your reason to live and
might there be a broadening ofthe scope of how you might
(15:58):
create an environment, thegreatest environment that you
can for your healing and foryour process of healing.
Ivelisse Page (16:06):
That's excellent.
And, did you have people whowere kind of, concerned that you
weren't sticking just to theconventional or were they very
supportive of what you weredoing?
Ben Abell (16:17):
Well, like family members and maybe friends, I
would say, again, they didn'tunderstand it very much.
And so as I was doing theresearch, I, I was very open and
I shared, what I was finding,with them.
And invited them into, into theprocess with me to engage.
And so they started to beeducated, um, and, testimonies,
(16:41):
resources, and I just was ableto help them come along with me
in the process.
Ivelisse Page (16:48):
That's awesome.
So what role has mistletoetherapy played and continue to
play in your journey?
And have there been any recentinsights or changes in how you
approach what you do now?
Ben Abell (17:01):
Yeah.
Mistletoe was, I think, part, asignificant part of the healing
journey, and as I was able toget connected to a doctor who
could administer that, theinfusions early on, I think,
were part of helping tostabilize the, the cancer.
I, I, I suspect they were, havealso been helpful in the
(17:25):
radiation treatments.
I had 33 rounds of treatments tomy pelvic area and so that I
believe was helpful as well.
And, um, you know, every personwho has cancer and every
diagnosis, and every treatmentplan needs to be different and
(17:46):
every person is different.
Everybody's metabolic terrain isdifferent.
And so I would say, what'shelpful is if you can find an
integrative complimentary doctorpractitioner who specializes in
the modality, they can walk withyou, and make a tailor made plan
for you with both mistletoe,maybe nutrition, uh,
(18:09):
supplements, the things that youmight need that are part of this
other side of the healingjourney.
Ivelisse Page (18:15):
Yes.
And if anyone is interested in,in that, again, you can contact
Believe Big, but also on ourwebsite, if you go to Resources,
there's a tab for IntegrativePractitioners.
And we have vetted those whoare, knowledgeable and know
mistletoe therapy along withmetabolic approach and, and just
an integrative way of helpingyou through what you're, uh,
(18:40):
conventional oncologist may bedoing and can help you through
this process so that you do havea great quality of life going
through something that'sdifficult, not just quantity,
but also quality.
And that's where I see thecomplimentary side to shine.
I see so much unneeded sufferingwhen people are struggling with
(19:00):
the side effects fromchemotherapy and radiation,
whether it's the nausea, thevomiting, the lack of sleep, the
sores in their mouths, orwhatever they may be dealing
with.
And there are things likemistletoe, high dose IV vitamin
C, hyperbaric oxygen, so manythings that can help the body to
be able to heal well and tohandle treatments that may be
(19:21):
more rigorous on their body.
So, you mentioned mistletoetherapy, but what would you say
in your case, and like you said,every case is different, every
person's story is different,what would you say are the top
three things that you feelreally helped you overcome a
stage four diagnosis?
Ben Abell (19:38):
Yeah.
Can I have four?
The first one's prayer.
And I know we have many faithtraditions that listen to this
and, I think we're all prayingpeople.
So prayer and inviting people topray with you.
I would say get informed.
I said that already.
It just opens up a wholeadditional healing space that
maybe you didn't know about.
(19:59):
Number three is engage anintegrative expert, and that's
where you all, again, at BelieveBig, come, can come through.
And at another granular level,it's being able to take the key
labs, that will tell your uniquestory of your unique body so
that you can get a uniquetreatment.
And I think that's what I didn'tknow, and I'm so thankful that
(20:20):
that's out there.
And then fourth, I've, I'velearned that about 80 percent of
our healing journey is connectedto our nutrition and food, and
what we're taking in.
So I also engaged the service ofa nutritionist whose expertise
was in cancer.
And so that, that, those wouldbe my top four, and I would do
(20:41):
that all over again.
Ivelisse Page (20:43):
Fantastic.
Yeah, those are, those are greatones.
And did you work during yourcancer treatments, Ben?
And, and if so, how did youhandle the demands of working
while battling cancer?
Ben Abell (20:55):
I did, you know, I had surgery, so there was some
healing time around the surgery.
I think with what I was doingbeforehand, and some of the
supplements that wererecommended by my integrative
doctor, it all helped me to healpretty quickly.
And I was, I tried to get backup and just even walk on the
treadmill or exercise a littlebit a few weeks, even after,
(21:18):
after the surgery.
So I started to feel and stillfeel, felt great enough to, to
be able to work.
And now I feel really betterthan I've ever felt in my life
because of, I think, thecombination of all these things
that we've talked about.
I also stayed in this routinethat we talked about a little
bit before, prayer, saturatingin the word, community,
(21:40):
exercise, fun.
I had a deeper perspective onlife and was continuing to
engage with the resources ofBelieve Big.
Uh, if, if I could shareanything with your audience,
there are so many resourcesabout nutrition and things that
they can connect with that.
It was, it just inspired me allalong the way, and so that's how
(22:02):
I was able to battle the demandsof the, of the cancer, while I
was working.
And one resource like, um,learning how to breathe.
You know, I love how Stacey, onher Food for Thought did the
breathing podcast.
And it just was so helpful,right in the middle of my time.
Ivelisse Page (22:24):
That's excellent.
Yeah.
If, if anyone would like to justlearn some great information
about nutrition along the cancerjourney.
And even if you just want inprevention, uh, like Ben was
sharing, we have webinars calledFood for Thought that happen
once a month.
And then we also have them allin a library on our website that
you can go back and listen toones that you'd like.
(22:48):
So for example, how does sugarinfluence my cancer or is coffee
okay?
And, and she does an excellentjob.
They're short, they're like 30minutes long and it's question
and answer with nutritionexperts in the cancer world.
And so that'd be a greatresource for anyone wanting to
learn more about nutrition andit's free.
So all of our resources are freeat Believe Big, and that's
(23:09):
thankful to all of thesupporters that give to Believe
Big.
We're 100 percent donor funded,and so when people give to
Believe Big, they give freeresources to patients like you,
Ben, and others who wouldnormally have to pay for all
that.
So we're just so grateful forthose who support Believe Big
and are a part of our family.
Ben Abell (23:30):
And I would just, I would offer just also, Ivelisse,
that somebody gave years ago sothat I could receive the
goodness of the resources thatyou have.
And so I would just encourageanyone listening, the return on
investment is extremely high andit's worth sacrificing for
(23:50):
others so that they can also behealed.
Ivelisse Page (23:53):
Yeah.
Well, thank you for paying itforward.
Now, if you could go back intime, you know, knowing what you
know now, is there anything youwould have done differently at
the start of your journey?
Ben Abell (24:04):
As I think about how I approached it initially, cause
it was so aggressive and wedecided to be aggressive with
it.
I'm not sure I'd do anythingdifferent at the start of the
journey.
I'd love to go back and just saythat if I knew what I know now,
I think my overall health andhow to live a real healthy
(24:27):
lifestyle and seeking thecounsel and wisdom of
integrative practitioners whojust want to help people be more
healthy, I would have loved tohave done that.
Would that have prevented mefrom getting prostate cancer?
Again, as we said in thebeginning I don't know but that
I would, I would do that.
Um, and I'm finding myselfsharing with all my friends who
(24:48):
don't have prostate cancer andwanting them to be as healthy as
they possibly can.
Ivelisse Page (24:53):
That's great.
So how has your experienceshaped your view of the medical
system and what changes as we,as we close this podcast, what
changes would you like to see incancer care moving forward?
Ben Abell (25:08):
Yeah, well for my case, the folks at Hopkins, I
believe they saved my lifebecause it was so aggressive
through the hormone therapy, thesurgery, radiation, uh, and, but
that's not all that I needed inorder to thrive and to hopefully
heal in this journey.
So I feel like I've become anambassador and a galvanizer to
(25:30):
guide people to see that thereis more to the healing treatment
plans that are at our disposal.
So, what I would love to see isthe traditional and the
integrative complementary carecome together as one.
I know that is maybe hard toimagine, but It's really about
the patients.
It's about us getting well.
(25:52):
And so, and understanding theroot cause of why we are getting
this cancer in the first place.
And there are people who canhelp us to do that.
And so, I would love to see moreintegration and bringing it
together.
Ivelisse Page (26:08):
And that's what we are hoping to do with the
future Believe Big Institute ofHealth and, you know, we're so
grateful that you're a part ofthis team that's praying for the
provision, for the land, for allthe aspects of this facility to
come into place where thesethings, as many people who are
listening know is that all thethings that are integrative from
(26:29):
mistletoe to, uh, you know, IVtherapies to all the things that
we're doing, it's all completelyout of pocket and many times
it's not affordable to all.
And so our hope and prayer isthat the Believe Big Institute
of Health will be a place whereeveryone can come of all ages
regardless of theircircumstances or finances.
So similar to a St.
(26:51):
Jude's, but of complimentarymedicine, where people will find
healing, not only physically,but emotionally and spiritually
as well, and a place of rest.
And so we'll keep Believing Bigfor that.
Keep praying for that.
Yes.
And, uh, Ben, I'm just sograteful for you taking the time
today to share an update on yourstory and inspire those who are
(27:15):
listening, giving them hope.
Because I know there are peoplewho are listening who weren't
given very much hope or had avery dire diagnosis like you
did.
And to hear from someone who ison the other side of it,
completely with no evidence ofdisease is miraculous to, to
many.
And that gives people to hope tokeep moving forward, to take
(27:36):
that next step in the healingand to never give up, because as
you and I know, God continues todo what this world says is
impossible.
And we just need to continue tosurrender, to pray, to rest in
Him, and to allow Him to guideour steps.
So thank you for your time andbeing willing to share with us
today.
Ben Abell (27:56):
Thank you, Ivelisse.
It's been an honor.
Ivelisse Page (28:06):
If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to
help support our podcast, pleasesubscribe and share it with
others.
Be sure to visit believebig.
org to access the show notes anddiscover our bonus content.
Thanks again and keep BelievingBig!
Hi, I'm Ivelisse Page, and thanks for listening
to the Believe Big podcast, theshow where we take a deep dive
into your healing with healthexperts, integrative
practitioners, biblical faithleaders, and cancer thrivers
from around the globe.
(00:34):
Welcome to today's episode onthe Believe Big podcast.
My name is Ivelisse Page, andI'm thankful to be with you
today.
I am so happy to have my friendBen Abell as my guest on the
podcast.
Ben is a cancer thriver, havingovercome stage 4 prostate
cancer, and has been our BelieveBig Story of Hope this year.
(00:56):
He courageously spoke at ourBelieve Big dinner this past
spring, and his story isfeatured on our website.
I've invited Ben to join metoday to talk about his cancer
journey and give us an update.
In his previous years, Ben hasbeen an executive with Black and
Decker and later heeded the callto become a pastor.
(01:17):
He has recently transitioned offstaff at Grace Fellowship Church
after 27 years and currentlyserves as the director of
Baltimore Prayer Circles andconsults with Christian business
owners on integrating faith,work, and life.
Ben is also one of our faithfulprayer team members that meets
(01:37):
with Jimmy and myself on a biweekly basis to specifically
pray for the Believe BigInstitute of Health.
Ben lives in Baltimore with hisbeautiful wife, Laura, who he
has been married to for 38years.
That's amazing.
They have four kids and tengrandkids.
(01:58):
Welcome to the show, Ben.
Ben Abell (02:00):
Thank you, Ivelisse.
So glad to be here.
It's an honor.
Ivelisse Page (02:05):
Well, we always like to start our podcast with
our guest's favorite health tip.
So do you have one to share withus today?
Ben Abell (02:13):
I do.
I love that you do this.
Uh, I want to dedicate it to mymom.
Uh, she was 97 years old whenshe passed last October and her
motto was keep moving.
So, I remember her doing lapsaround her little tiny porch
with her walker and then goingout to the mailbox and getting
(02:36):
her mail and coming back.
And she just said that herentire life, keep moving.
Ivelisse Page (02:41):
Well, I believe that's why she did so well until
her late nineties.
I mean, that's incredible.
Keep moving.
I mean, that's fantastic.
So Ben, can you start by sharinga little bit about your life
before your cancer diagnosis?
Like what was your daily routinelike?
Ben Abell (02:58):
Yeah, I, uh, love to give you a little context first,
if that's okay.
About 25 years ago, I gotconnected to, uh, some of the
writings of Dallas Willard, andsome friends who were working
with Dallas Willard, and he hada model, Vision, Intention, and
Means, V I M, and I wanted to bemore like the people that I was
(03:21):
around that he was talkingabout.
And so, it's an interestingquestion, uh, to ask ourselves.
The same question that Jesusasked his first disciples is,
What do you want?
What are you seeking?
And so when I answer thatquestion, my vision and desire
to become a more and more likeJesus.
And I was, uh, desiring to bemore joyful and kind and
(03:45):
gracious.
I may not have been all thosethings, you know, maybe 25 years
ago.
I hope I am a little bit morenow.
But what I saw is people who hada vision and intention and
means.
And so I reoriented my life, uh,about 25 years ago to saturate
in the word, pray, worship for asignificant amount of time in
(04:07):
the morning, uh, be a part ofcommunity.
And so that just actuallycontinued on, all the way up to
this journey.
It continues even today, but sothat I could know how to pastor,
be with my family, be aroundBaltimore.
Um, playing golf is something Ilove doing and exercise.
(04:28):
So those are some of the thingsthat was my routine before I got
diagnosed.
Ivelisse Page (04:33):
Yeah.
I love the work of DallasWillard and I have been doing a
certification program on being aspiritual director and the Soul
Shepherding team, they actuallyuse a lot of the Dallas Willard
as a foundation of the work thatthey do and try and instill in
their spiritual directors.
And so, yeah, that VIM processis very powerful and walking
(04:58):
through that is, you know, canbe difficult to try and
determine all those, but howgreat to have that in place so
that you know what, you want foryour future and for those around
you.
So that's incredible.
At the Believe Big Dinner, youshared powerful moments from
your diagnosis.
And, you know, when you firstreceived that news, what was
your immediate reaction and howdid you process it?
Ben Abell (05:22):
Well, yes, I got a phone call from my urologist.
And when he said that I was inutter shock.
Um, and to be honest, he wastoo.
I was 62 at the time, I washealthy, I thought I was living
a life, uh, a healthy life,style, and it was like, okay,
how did this happen?
(05:42):
Where did this come from?
And he was surprised as well,and so, how did I process it?
Laura and I came together, Icalled her right away, uh, we
did a lot of praying.
I didn't panic.
I think a lot of what I justshared a minute ago was some
foundation that was there for meas I was able to not panic.
Uh, we prayed a lot and then wejust started asking the Lord,
(06:05):
okay, what, what do we do now?
Where do we go?
And I have to tell you, therewas so many God orchestrated
moments.
and conversations with peoplethat I was able to get an
understanding of, okay, what arewe dealing with here?
There's one, one fellow in myneighborhood here that actually
(06:26):
was been studying prostatecancer for 30 years.
And I got a chance to spend timewith him and get some
understanding.
And so that was, that was superhelpful to process that.
And so, yeah, it was, it waslike, Whoa, where did this come
from?
Ivelisse Page (06:41):
I think that is a common theme for so many.
And you know, it's a shockbecause you're living your life.
And in your words, you'resaying, you know, I thought I
was living a healthy lifestyle.
Now, looking back, you know,what do you think contributed to
it?
Sometimes we don't even know or,you know, God doesn't reveal
that to us.
And I know sometimes it can takemonths or years till you really
(07:03):
get to the bottom of that.
But have you had some revelationas to why this could have
occurred when you were livingsuch a healthy lifestyle?
Ben Abell (07:12):
Well, it's interesting.
After a connection with you allat Believe Big and beginning to
understand a bit more, and Iknow we're going to talk more
about that, hopefully, aboutintegrative and what all of that
is, I would say I didn't knowwhat I didn't know and there
were a lot of things in our, my,our lifestyle that when we, when
I read the books, um, TheMetabolic Approach to Cancer, I
(07:35):
was able to identify, oh, here'ssome, things about our terrain,
about our practices, about thefood I'm eating that could have
contributed to it.
We, of course, we don't know atall.
We can't pinpoint itnecessarily, but yeah, I, I've
learned a lot and I'm not gonnago back to where it was.
Ivelisse Page (07:58):
Yes, and you even, mentioned, you know, those
are the physical sides, right?
That, okay, sometimes we mayknow or sometimes we may not
know what contributed, andthere's so many aspects to
healing and to health, whetherfrom emotional and physical.
And then you mentioned aboutpraying and how your faith
played a role.
So how did it, how did yourfaith in Christ support you
(08:20):
during the most difficultmoments?
Ben Abell (08:22):
Yeah, it was significant.
Laura and I had a theme versethat as we began to pray and
began to seek the Lord and askhim, okay, what are the next
steps?
What do you want us to do?
How do we move through this?
What we were sensing is thatbecause it was so aggressive,
uh, it was stage four, nine outof 10, nine out of 10 on a
(08:44):
Gleason scale.
And that's what surprisedurologists as well is like, this
doesn't happen very often.
So we said, okay, let's receivethis trial, this test.
So we had a theme verse.
Um, it was Philippians 4:6-7we'd spend time saturating in
it, thinking about it, prayingabout it.
Um, and it says, do not beanxious about anything.
(09:07):
That's hard, that's hard to dowhen you've been diagnosed,
right?
But this is a promise from theWord of God.
Do not be anxious aboutanything, even a prostate
diagnosis.
But in every situation, okay, byprayer and petition.
So we were praying, but we werealso petitioning to the Lord.
(09:28):
What, what do we do next?
Who do we talk to?
And then this word that sayswith thanksgiving.
So in the midst of all of this,he's asking us to give
thanksgiving.
Because one thing we do knowabout, our great God is that he
turns all things to good forthose who love him and are
called according to hispurposes.
So, we knew he was going to turnit to good at somehow, but we
(09:50):
didn't know in that moment.
So, do not be anxious aboutanything, but in everything, in
every situation, by prayer andpetition, with thanksgiving.
Now, present your request toGod.
So we have a God that is,desiring to listen to us, just
like our kids, right?
When our kids come to us, howbeautiful is that?
They give us requests.
And then this is what it says,and the peace of God, the
(10:13):
shalom, the wholeness, whichtranscends all understanding,
like it, you can't explain it.
will guard your hearts and yourminds in Christ Jesus.
So that really just fed us for,and still is, you know, 23
months later that, that thoseverses have been deep for us.
(10:38):
And those, a couple of otherthoughts I just wanted to offer
is that, that those who followJesus, we know from the
scriptures, for us to becomemore and more like Jesus, um,
He, He tells us that we're goingto have trials.
He said, we're going to havetrials.
And so we go through trials, wego through suffering.
We say we want to be more likethe Lord, but no, no, no, no.
(10:59):
I don't particularly care forthose.
Right.
Um, but, um, I love, I love thisbecause Jesus understands
suffering.
Think about how much he had tosuffer in order for us to get to
be in relationship with him,going to the cross.
And it says in Hebrews 12:2, itsays for the, this is amazing,
(11:21):
for the joy set before him, heendured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the righthand of the throne of God.
He saw us, and, and that's whatbrought him joy.
So, How do we can have joy inthe journey somehow?
I want that too.
But Jesus gave us that exampleas he was as he was going to the
(11:45):
cross.
Autumn Hensley (11:46):
Hey podcast listeners.
I hope you're enjoying today'sepisode with Ben Abell and
finding our podcast encouragingand uplifting.
Today is Giving Tuesday and we'dlove for you to consider
supporting cancer patients byhelping us provide resources
like this podcast.
We can't do it without yourgenerosity.
Joining us is easy.
(12:07):
Just text, BELIEVEBIG no spaces,to 53555 on your smartphone.
That's BELIEVEBIG to 53555.
Thank you for Believing Big withus.
Merry Christmas and HappyHolidays!
Ivelisse Page (12:24):
That's beautiful.
And I want to take a momentbecause we have people who
follow Believe Big that comefrom all different backgrounds
and maybe someone's listeningtoday and may not even know what
it means to follow Jesus.
And this is all foreign and newto them.
I think that's one of thebiggest questions that our
(12:44):
advocates get besides mistletoeis how do I overcome this fear?
How do I face death in peace?
And if anyone's listening rightnow and is at a point where they
want to know more about what itmeans to follow Jesus, I would
encourage you to call ouroffice, 888 317 5850 and ask to
(13:09):
speak to Jackie Guidera, who'sthe head of our Spiritual
Leadership and Direction atBelieve Big.
And she'll pray with you andshe'll give you some resources
that can help you along thisjourney and give you peace.
Uh, we have many people that arepraying for our patients, but If
you're just curious, what doesit mean to follow Jesus?
(13:29):
What does it mean to have peacein the midst of cancer?
Then connect with us or evensend us an email at
info@believebig.org and we'll,we'll help you with that.
And so Ben, you mentioned that,you know, you have an amazing,
beautiful family and you have asupport.
So what advice would you give tosomeone who is listening today
(13:51):
who has been recently diagnosedand are unsure or afraid of
doing anything outside of theconventional methods and, and
their family may not even be forit either.
So how did you address those twothings or what would you tell
them?
Ben Abell (14:06):
Yeah, I would offer, and I didn't know what I didn't
know either.
Um, and so I understand.
And then when I got connected toBelieve Big, I got a different
perspective.
And I think that's helpful inthese kind of moments, in these
kind of events.
So I, I would offer that, uh,before adding the complementary
approach, if you're going toalongside conventional, it's
(14:29):
important to get informed aboutwhat, what we don't know and
what we do know.
It's just not known in thebroader public.
So as a part of my journey, Idid a lot of research.
I had some time during myhealing process connected with
Believe Big, a couple of books.
I mentioned one of them,Metabolic Approach to Cancer,
and then also, Radical Hope weretwo exceptional books that
(14:53):
helped me to go deeper and toget some confidence about
complimentary care.
When you have someone writing,uh, like Dr.
Nasha, who's had literallythousands of patients and she's
seen them go into remission, uh,through both complimentary and
traditional.
And then you have someone, TracyWhite, writing a book called
(15:14):
Radical Hope where she'sexperienced the same thing and
the ten practices of folkswho've gone into remission, I
would offer that, uh, uh, animportant part of it.
A second thing I would say is,and I got this from Tracy.
It was so helpful for me.
I think it's one of the mostimportant ones of the ten.
Each ten is important, buthaving a reason to live.
(15:36):
So, you know, as you said, I'vegot four kids, four amazing,
kids who've married amazingpeople, 10 grandkids.
I've got a lot to live for.
Um, and so I just would offer,what is your reason to live and
might there be a broadening ofthe scope of how you might
(15:58):
create an environment, thegreatest environment that you
can for your healing and foryour process of healing.
Ivelisse Page (16:06):
That's excellent.
And, did you have people whowere kind of, concerned that you
weren't sticking just to theconventional or were they very
supportive of what you weredoing?
Ben Abell (16:17):
Well, like family members and maybe friends, I
would say, again, they didn'tunderstand it very much.
And so as I was doing theresearch, I, I was very open and
I shared, what I was finding,with them.
And invited them into, into theprocess with me to engage.
And so they started to beeducated, um, and, testimonies,
(16:41):
resources, and I just was ableto help them come along with me
in the process.
Ivelisse Page (16:48):
That's awesome.
So what role has mistletoetherapy played and continue to
play in your journey?
And have there been any recentinsights or changes in how you
approach what you do now?
Ben Abell (17:01):
Yeah.
Mistletoe was, I think, part, asignificant part of the healing
journey, and as I was able toget connected to a doctor who
could administer that, theinfusions early on, I think,
were part of helping tostabilize the, the cancer.
I, I, I suspect they were, havealso been helpful in the
(17:25):
radiation treatments.
I had 33 rounds of treatments tomy pelvic area and so that I
believe was helpful as well.
And, um, you know, every personwho has cancer and every
diagnosis, and every treatmentplan needs to be different and
(17:46):
every person is different.
Everybody's metabolic terrain isdifferent.
And so I would say, what'shelpful is if you can find an
integrative complimentary doctorpractitioner who specializes in
the modality, they can walk withyou, and make a tailor made plan
for you with both mistletoe,maybe nutrition, uh,
(18:09):
supplements, the things that youmight need that are part of this
other side of the healingjourney.
Ivelisse Page (18:15):
Yes.
And if anyone is interested in,in that, again, you can contact
Believe Big, but also on ourwebsite, if you go to Resources,
there's a tab for IntegrativePractitioners.
And we have vetted those whoare, knowledgeable and know
mistletoe therapy along withmetabolic approach and, and just
an integrative way of helpingyou through what you're, uh,
(18:40):
conventional oncologist may bedoing and can help you through
this process so that you do havea great quality of life going
through something that'sdifficult, not just quantity,
but also quality.
And that's where I see thecomplimentary side to shine.
I see so much unneeded sufferingwhen people are struggling with
(19:00):
the side effects fromchemotherapy and radiation,
whether it's the nausea, thevomiting, the lack of sleep, the
sores in their mouths, orwhatever they may be dealing
with.
And there are things likemistletoe, high dose IV vitamin
C, hyperbaric oxygen, so manythings that can help the body to
be able to heal well and tohandle treatments that may be
(19:21):
more rigorous on their body.
So, you mentioned mistletoetherapy, but what would you say
in your case, and like you said,every case is different, every
person's story is different,what would you say are the top
three things that you feelreally helped you overcome a
stage four diagnosis?
Ben Abell (19:38):
Yeah.
Can I have four?
The first one's prayer.
And I know we have many faithtraditions that listen to this
and, I think we're all prayingpeople.
So prayer and inviting people topray with you.
I would say get informed.
I said that already.
It just opens up a wholeadditional healing space that
maybe you didn't know about.
(19:59):
Number three is engage anintegrative expert, and that's
where you all, again, at BelieveBig, come, can come through.
And at another granular level,it's being able to take the key
labs, that will tell your uniquestory of your unique body so
that you can get a uniquetreatment.
And I think that's what I didn'tknow, and I'm so thankful that
(20:20):
that's out there.
And then fourth, I've, I'velearned that about 80 percent of
our healing journey is connectedto our nutrition and food, and
what we're taking in.
So I also engaged the service ofa nutritionist whose expertise
was in cancer.
And so that, that, those wouldbe my top four, and I would do
(20:41):
that all over again.
Ivelisse Page (20:43):
Fantastic.
Yeah, those are, those are greatones.
And did you work during yourcancer treatments, Ben?
And, and if so, how did youhandle the demands of working
while battling cancer?
Ben Abell (20:55):
I did, you know, I had surgery, so there was some
healing time around the surgery.
I think with what I was doingbeforehand, and some of the
supplements that wererecommended by my integrative
doctor, it all helped me to healpretty quickly.
And I was, I tried to get backup and just even walk on the
treadmill or exercise a littlebit a few weeks, even after,
(21:18):
after the surgery.
So I started to feel and stillfeel, felt great enough to, to
be able to work.
And now I feel really betterthan I've ever felt in my life
because of, I think, thecombination of all these things
that we've talked about.
I also stayed in this routinethat we talked about a little
bit before, prayer, saturatingin the word, community,
(21:40):
exercise, fun.
I had a deeper perspective onlife and was continuing to
engage with the resources ofBelieve Big.
Uh, if, if I could shareanything with your audience,
there are so many resourcesabout nutrition and things that
they can connect with that.
It was, it just inspired me allalong the way, and so that's how
(22:02):
I was able to battle the demandsof the, of the cancer, while I
was working.
And one resource like, um,learning how to breathe.
You know, I love how Stacey, onher Food for Thought did the
breathing podcast.
And it just was so helpful,right in the middle of my time.
Ivelisse Page (22:24):
That's excellent.
Yeah.
If, if anyone would like to justlearn some great information
about nutrition along the cancerjourney.
And even if you just want inprevention, uh, like Ben was
sharing, we have webinars calledFood for Thought that happen
once a month.
And then we also have them allin a library on our website that
you can go back and listen toones that you'd like.
(22:48):
So for example, how does sugarinfluence my cancer or is coffee
okay?
And, and she does an excellentjob.
They're short, they're like 30minutes long and it's question
and answer with nutritionexperts in the cancer world.
And so that'd be a greatresource for anyone wanting to
learn more about nutrition andit's free.
So all of our resources are freeat Believe Big, and that's
(23:09):
thankful to all of thesupporters that give to Believe
Big.
We're 100 percent donor funded,and so when people give to
Believe Big, they give freeresources to patients like you,
Ben, and others who wouldnormally have to pay for all
that.
So we're just so grateful forthose who support Believe Big
and are a part of our family.
Ben Abell (23:30):
And I would just, I would offer just also, Ivelisse,
that somebody gave years ago sothat I could receive the
goodness of the resources thatyou have.
And so I would just encourageanyone listening, the return on
investment is extremely high andit's worth sacrificing for
(23:50):
others so that they can also behealed.
Ivelisse Page (23:53):
Yeah.
Well, thank you for paying itforward.
Now, if you could go back intime, you know, knowing what you
know now, is there anything youwould have done differently at
the start of your journey?
Ben Abell (24:04):
As I think about how I approached it initially, cause
it was so aggressive and wedecided to be aggressive with
it.
I'm not sure I'd do anythingdifferent at the start of the
journey.
I'd love to go back and just saythat if I knew what I know now,
I think my overall health andhow to live a real healthy
(24:27):
lifestyle and seeking thecounsel and wisdom of
integrative practitioners whojust want to help people be more
healthy, I would have loved tohave done that.
Would that have prevented mefrom getting prostate cancer?
Again, as we said in thebeginning I don't know but that
I would, I would do that.
Um, and I'm finding myselfsharing with all my friends who
(24:48):
don't have prostate cancer andwanting them to be as healthy as
they possibly can.
Ivelisse Page (24:53):
That's great.
So how has your experienceshaped your view of the medical
system and what changes as we,as we close this podcast, what
changes would you like to see incancer care moving forward?
Ben Abell (25:08):
Yeah, well for my case, the folks at Hopkins, I
believe they saved my lifebecause it was so aggressive
through the hormone therapy, thesurgery, radiation, uh, and, but
that's not all that I needed inorder to thrive and to hopefully
heal in this journey.
So I feel like I've become anambassador and a galvanizer to
(25:30):
guide people to see that thereis more to the healing treatment
plans that are at our disposal.
So, what I would love to see isthe traditional and the
integrative complementary carecome together as one.
I know that is maybe hard toimagine, but It's really about
the patients.
It's about us getting well.
(25:52):
And so, and understanding theroot cause of why we are getting
this cancer in the first place.
And there are people who canhelp us to do that.
And so, I would love to see moreintegration and bringing it
together.
Ivelisse Page (26:08):
And that's what we are hoping to do with the
future Believe Big Institute ofHealth and, you know, we're so
grateful that you're a part ofthis team that's praying for the
provision, for the land, for allthe aspects of this facility to
come into place where thesethings, as many people who are
listening know is that all thethings that are integrative from
(26:29):
mistletoe to, uh, you know, IVtherapies to all the things that
we're doing, it's all completelyout of pocket and many times
it's not affordable to all.
And so our hope and prayer isthat the Believe Big Institute
of Health will be a place whereeveryone can come of all ages
regardless of theircircumstances or finances.
So similar to a St.
(26:51):
Jude's, but of complimentarymedicine, where people will find
healing, not only physically,but emotionally and spiritually
as well, and a place of rest.
And so we'll keep Believing Bigfor that.
Keep praying for that.
Yes.
And, uh, Ben, I'm just sograteful for you taking the time
today to share an update on yourstory and inspire those who are
(27:15):
listening, giving them hope.
Because I know there are peoplewho are listening who weren't
given very much hope or had avery dire diagnosis like you
did.
And to hear from someone who ison the other side of it,
completely with no evidence ofdisease is miraculous to, to
many.
And that gives people to hope tokeep moving forward, to take
(27:36):
that next step in the healingand to never give up, because as
you and I know, God continues todo what this world says is
impossible.
And we just need to continue tosurrender, to pray, to rest in
Him, and to allow Him to guideour steps.
So thank you for your time andbeing willing to share with us
today.
Ben Abell (27:56):
Thank you, Ivelisse.
It's been an honor.
Ivelisse Page (28:06):
If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to
help support our podcast, pleasesubscribe and share it with
others.
Be sure to visit believebig.
org to access the show notes anddiscover our bonus content.
Thanks again and keep BelievingBig!
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