Helping a friend leads Chambersburg woman to write book

March 09, 2008|By JULIE E. GREENE

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Judy Walter doesn't claim to be a medical professional, but a woman with experience selling nutritional supplements who wanted to help a friend that had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

After helping her friend and a few other cancer patients improve the quality of their lives, Walter, 59, of Chambersburg, wrote a self-help guide for cancer patients that she self-published in January.

Walter's help consisted of finding sources of alternative therapies for her friend, Penny Maxson of Chambersburg. One such source is Block Medical Center (now Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment) in Evanston, Ill., where Walter's friend ended up seeking treatment. Walter also helped find less expensive brands of the nutritional supplements recommended by Block officials.

Maxson said she hasn't had breast cancer for more than nine years. Walter doesn't take credit for Maxson being cancer-free, but Maxson said, "I figure if it hadn't been for her, I probably wouldn't be here today."

In addition to finding Block, Walter helped take care of Maxson during her illness and chemotherapy treatment, and found her a cleansing diet of organic and vegan foods.

Walter's book, "Winning the Battle: A Self-Help Guide for Cancer Patients," contains contact information for medical centers that specialize in treating cancer, information about nutritional supplements and recipes for healthy juices and dishes.

While not all of the people Walter has helped are still alive, she said she believes her nutritional plan helped improved the quality of their lives.

Walter, who teaches English at Franklin County Career and Technology Center, promotes a nonprocessed food diet. In her book, she states her preference for organic food and free-range poultry.

While the book is a self-help guide for cancer patients, she said it also could be beneficial for people without cancer.

"The healthier we keep ourselves and the cleaner we keep our systems, the less open we are to invading organisms and mutations such as carcinoma," Walter said.

Walter, who has not had cancer, said she follows the nonprocessed food diet only about 75 percent of the time due to some digestive disorders she has.

In her book, Walter says she received a bachelor's degree in education from Shippensburg University, has done graduate work in humanities at California State University at Dominquez Hills, has done graduate work in special education at Frostburg State University and has studied clinical nutrition at Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy in California.

The nutritional supplement companies for which she distributed products include Shaklee, Carlson and Bronson Laboratories.

"Winning the Battle: A Self-Help Guide for Cancer Patients" is available for $12.95 plus shipping through www.judywalter.com. Walter said the book also is available at Carl's Drug Store in Greencastle, Pa.; Alternative Choices in Greencastle; Park Avenue Pharmacy in Chambersburg; Nutrition Center on Franklin Street in Chambersburg; Northwood Books in Chambersburg; and The Medicine Shoppe in Chambersburg.

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