In Memory of Sandi Flood

The spirit of Sandi Flood left her body on January 6, 2008. I met Sandi via a yeast group in 2004/05. Then I dropped off the group to research mercury and came back to find that Sandi had been doing exactly the same thing and had start a heavy metal awareness crusade. To the credit of the yeast group, the owner started a mercury discussion section instead of kicking Sandi out. Sandi had so much more energy than I did and reached out to many, many people in cyberspace. Sometimes I was concerned that she was distracting herself from her own healing by spending so much energy reaching outward, but I see now that it was through all the connecting with all of you out there that Sandi found strength, courage, camaraderie, and a sense of purpose through service.

I am mostly a shut-in, so it is a miracle that I was able to have a best friend in Sandi. She was a kindred spirit in heavy metal research. She had so much energy and fight and optimism. Living in New England, I have never seen the park bench dedicated to my father in Stanley Park and Sandi often talked about how we would both get well and meet there one day. We e-mailed constantly and only rarely spoke on the phone, yet I felt so close to her. I believe it was in 2006 that Sandi lost a family member and also her beloved dog Buddygirl. I know that because of her email name, many of us called Sandi our ‘Buddy girl.’ I had a good laugh when I found out this was her dog’s name! By the time Sandi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in January of ’07, it was very advanced. Part of Sandi’s legacy is the warning that if your gas and bloating persists despite your best anti-yeast program, go get checked. It wasn’t until spring that Sandi told me that she had almost died during her January stint in the hospital. Another legacy is her warning to protect your young relatives’ health so that they never get any silver (51% mercury) fillings to begin with. Sandi had extensive metal work in her mouth and root canals.

I had much less contact with Sandi since May of ’07 due to my chronic fatigue, so I may not have the whole story, but I know that Sandi had dropped out of chemo because she knew it would kill her and after only one month on the Gerson program I spoke with her on the phone and she told me that she felt “fantastic.” In September she gave me renewed hope by telling me about iodine. I don’t know if Sandi’s pain had returned and caused her to go back to chemo or if it was mostly the fear and pressure. (Tumor markers do go up when you are successfully dismantling them.) Sandi was able to find a different doctor who would at least give her chemo without heavy metal in it, but the fact is that chemo is about all a doctor can order. What I do know is that Sandi may have never had a chance to survive either way, but there is no doubt that the chemo killed her. I was under the impression that she was still feeling great before going to chemo, but she may not have been telling me the whole story.

Sandi sent around a news account and some photos of some women sitting behind their Chinese restaurant in British Columbia preparing a large bucket of rats that they were going to serve as chicken. After this, I always joked with her, “Don’t take any wooden nickels, and don’t eat any rat-chickens.” Sandi, you were our Buddy Girl, you were my best friend, and I cannot believe that I will no longer be receiving your messages in my in-box. If we could find each other in this life, then I’m sure we can find each other on the other side. I wish you peace and joy and I know they won’t be trying to serve you any rat-chickens where you are. Your legacy continues in all the people you left behind.

Love, L. Grace