“I have an amazing story for you,” Melissa tells us.
Her carnivore journey started in 2016 when her daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was at this time that she found Dr. Baker.
Despite Melissa’s best efforts, her daughter chose not to combine carnivore with conventional cancer treatments. Sadly, Melissa’s daughter passed away in January 2017.
Three months before her daughter’s death, Melissa started to bleed heavily, even though she was postmenopausal. In July, she had a full hysterectomy and was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Her doctor recommended radiation; Melissa said “no.”
Melissa went carnivore. She admits, though, that it was her version of carnivore—three weeks carnivore and then she would “eat every donut in a 20-mile radius. I just kept going back to carnivore.”
Melissa says she’s a “gutter-level sugar addict.” Her addiction began at the age of 5 when she stole money from her father to buy candy. Her addiction made it hard for her to stay on track with carnivore. Melissa learned that as an addict, she needed to avoid certain things. “I can’t go to CVS’s candy aisle.”
To stave off cravings now, she keeps cooked meat in the fridge “ready to go.” When cheating thoughts come, she eats meat and stays on track.
Melissa says she goes for fat and focuses on meat. She enjoys a strip steak for breakfast and a ribeye or bacon omelet for lunch. Often, she doesn’t eat dinner.
Her energy has improved since ditching sugar and eating meat. At 66, she’s up at 4 am and operates her dog boarding daycare all day.
Several years into her carnivore journey in January 2022, Melissa’s husband, Tom, hurt his back. An MRI revealed two compressed vertebrae with spots around them. Tom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
He had surgery for his vertebrae and chemotherapy. When he left the hospital, he couldn’t walk, was in agony, had lost 20 pounds, and was on painkillers.
Melissa told Tom he “starts a full carnivore diet now or she’s leaving.” He was too sick to argue.
She fed him bacon, eggs, ribeyes, strip steaks, and some lamb.
Within five weeks after his surgery, Tom was off every painkiller. At 6 weeks, he tells Melissa he’s “bored and is going back to work.” “He felt that good,” recalls Melissa.
Since his surgery, Melissa and Tom have been full carnivore.
Tom recently got an echocardiogram, and the doctor said he is in great shape.
Today, almost six months after surgery, Tom’s regained all his weight and muscle strength. He has no back pain or problems with his vertebrae.
Melissa says Tom is in better shape now than before his diagnosis; she attributes this to the carnivore diet.
As a carpenter, Tom had knee problems and other joint issues, but no more. “He can’t believe how good he feels at 66,” Melissa says.
“I think our lives have improved enormously since he is doing this with me.”
