natural girls
Comments
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Whoa, when I posted, I had missed seeing a bunch of new posts!
vivre: "For those of you who have tried to make comments on the "cause of cancer" thread, beware of the person who's name starts with a B. You know who I mean merrilee. It is our resident troll. Notice that all its posts are in opposition to anything on the alternatives. This person joins constantly with new ID's. Don't feed the troll."
Oops, I guess I fed the troll... I gave her a piece of my mind!! LOL What is she doing on the alternative forum anyway?? Seriously, is it asking too much to have ONE tiny little sub-forum free of flaming because of our choices??
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deni and viv: yes, I knew it was the resident troll. Though I promised myself to ignore her/him completely in the future, I just could not help responding to "their" outrageous statements this time around.
I have tried being nice to this person, being polite to this person, etc... but.....He/she is one of those people that simply cannot learn in life.
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Good afternoon Ladies,
Haven't posted in a while (feeling terrible
) Not sure if I want to go for my last round of chemo.Fairy-I am so glad you are feeling better. I haven't checked out the pics yet, but I will. Thank you for sharing them. I am just in the beginning phase and can't wait to get it all done
.Smallworld- I am soooo sorry about your DH. We are here for you and I agree with what you said about FLA LADY and all of the wondeful ladies on this site. ((((((BIG HUG)))))).
Hi Julie and welcome
. I'm sorry you were scolded, but I REALLY agree with what Merilee stated. By the way Merilee, that was hilarious
.Victoria- WOW, thank you for those wonderful stories. Stories like those really make my day
.PS - UUUGGGHHH is right. I am sorry. Please keep us posted (((((BIG HUG))))).
All of you are AWESOME. I have no idea what I would do without this site. THANK YOU.
I do have a question though? Who is this "D" troll? Can somebody PM and let me know. Are they on a certain forum? Thanks.
Jenny.
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Fairy, I checked out the picture forum and you got some great results! Congrats!
Smallworld, so sorry you lost your DH. I hope you find some new friends and comfort here in this thread.
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Smallworld, The loss of your husband is a hard thing to endure but you are with friends here. You will never be alone, you are a member of our family now. You're a brave woman and you're strong, you'll get through this.........
Terri
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Victoria, thanks for the spirulina suggestion for protein. I have started researching it and found this info:http://www.naturalnews.com/025703_spirulina_food_cancer.html It says we could eliminate some expensive vitamins and take this instead, wouldn't that be nice? It does have a ton of vit a in it. That concerns me because I read somewhere we should not have a lot of a.
Ladies I would love your feedback
Patty
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Ladies, I am practically in tears over finding you!! It is sooo hard to tell people how I chose the first time and will choose again with my re-occurence diagnoses of just this Wednesday, to use alternative methods!! When I called family on Wednesday to tell them my cancer had returned, one of my sister in laws said "well maybe this time you'll listen to the oncologist and do what he says, Im sure it wouldnt of come back if you would of done the traditional methods"!! CAN YOU FRIGGIN BELIEVE IT!! Like that is what I need to hear! I am not second guessing my choices from 3 years ago, they were my choices to make but I found that I was alone and couldnt talk to other survivors who used alternative methods!! Its really hard when someone isnt going through the same thing as you to understand your choices!! I believe the bottom line to anyones recovery is that they believe whole-heartedly in their treatment!! Whether that is the traditional or alternative or a mixture!!
Thank you for starting this feed, Lord knows I have felt alone for 3 years not being able to talk about stuff without being shut down!! I will definitely read through all of it today. I just wanted to say thanks for letting me know IM NOT ALONE IN MY CHOICES!!
Sylvie
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Oh Sylvie, my heart is breaking for you. I am not sure I would have been able to get through the past 2 years had I not had the gals here to help me learn. We are here for you, and hope that we can all continue to learn from each other. Let us know how we can help.
Oh, and start megadosing, C and tumeric and iodine. You will come through this again!
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Oh Sylvie, so sorry to hear your news. This stuff is so scary so say the least. Please tell us your story and what supplements you have been taking. We are all here for you.
Hugs and love, Patty
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Vvre/seaotter:
I will pull out "the file" on the original diagnosis. I was just told on Wednesday that my biopsy was positive. Had a bone scan yesterday and I am having a full body CT scan on Monday so that we can see if it is localized or has travelled anywhere in my body. I am confident that it is localized only because I had an MRI in May of my chest = all clear, and in August on my neck = all clear. My breast doctor is amazing and I trust her with my life. We are keeping fingers crossed that it is localized and I will see what the results show and decide from there. It is so hard because family is already saying "you better do chemo this time", so I shut down and dont talk because my choices are not supported by anyone other than my husband and my mom. I will post back with all the other info.
Thank you thank you thank you....this is not a journey anyone should do without the support of people going through it as well.
Sylvie
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Sylvie, sometimes a local recurrence in the breast just means they missed some cells in the original surgery, despite the fact that the pathology reports "clean margins." Is the recurrence near your incision?
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Hi Sylvie and welcome
! I am so sorry, I am a newbie to this site as well, but I have to say, without the help of these VERY STRONG and INTELLIGENT ladies, I would have felt so alone and unsure of the natural path(except, for my Husband and SOME of my family for support ). Just like Patty and Vivre stated, we are here for you and please don't think you are alone. (((((BIG HUG))))).
Jenny.
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Oh Sylvie, I am so sorry... and you're right, you are NOT alone... love and hugs to you, sweetie!!
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Sylvie - I am so happy to hear that your hubby and mom are supporting you. That would be enough for me. Try not to let the "others" get you down. You have a doctor that you trust and is amazing for you, that is another big plus for you. Also you have our support!!!!!!!
Patty
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Hi, Sylvie ~ I'm so sorry to learn that you're possibly dealing with a reoccurence. But in looking at your oriignal stats (DCIS, Stage 1/Grade 1), I can't see a reason in the world why you would have done chemo the first time around anyway -- even if you'd followed a traditional protocol. Was chemo actually recommended for you back then? And the fact that it appears to be in a lymph node now makes me wonder if they missed something about your pathology the first time, because pure DCIS does not travel. I'm not sure if you told us, but did you have surgery back in 2005? And do you know the pathology (beyond "positive") of what's in the node?
I'm glad you've found us, too. Deanna
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Yes chemo was recommened. It was recommended that I do 8 rounds of chemo, when we questioned why because I did a bilateral mastectomy-the response was "because your young and can take it" right from the oncologists mouth!! I had a lumpectomy in Dec 05, didnt get clear margins so I decided to do the mastectomy in Jan 2006. Jan 2007 I had tram flap reconstruction and removed my left breast (my choice) and they rebuit both breasts. All nodes (17) negative!!
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Welcome Svans! You are not alone here. You will find the ladies here an invaluable wealth of information. Wow, "you're young and you can take it." Amazing. Unfortunately though, I think that is a common occurance with chemo. They are not always sure it will do anything to help you but if they think you can handle it, they will throw it at you. I would have refused it too. Your situation didn't seem to warrant it. And, there are certainly quality of life issues to take into account.
Glad you are here!
Deni
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http://www.preventcancer.com/about/
Check out the cancer prevention coalition in Chicago
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Merilee
I actually talked to Dr. Epstein last week. I thought he would be a good resource for us, but I was very disappointed in him. He was very hostile, that I should be talking to him about prevention because I was soooooo below him in status. I was trying to get him to speak to us, but he said he would not speak because his focus is only about cleaning up the environmental causes and not dealing with the hormonal causes(which he diminished). He is fighting the big business of cancer, which I told him was great, but he was not happy that I would not just hop on his bandwagon instead of doing a forum on my own. As I said, it was very frustrating. I think is having trouble getting funding because of his personality, not his cause. Typical academic if you ask me. Does not know what it feels like to have cancer, so he blows me off because he only cares about what he is trying to do and no one else.
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That is too bad that Dr. Epstein was so hostile. It looks like an interesting site and a great cause. What a shame. Sometimes people don't realize how much they hurt their own cause because they are not positive spokespeople.
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vivre - Remember what Merilee says: God gave us that middle finger for a reason and you should have shown it to Dr. Epstein!!!!!
Is anyone going to help me out with my spirulina quest?????
Patty
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Patty ~ I've never used spirulina, but it seems there's a wide range of opinions on its benefits...
http://spirulina4nutrition.com/ (gives nutritional content, but obviously biased b'cuz they sell it)
And here's a rather lengthy 2005 article that cites quite a few references to spirulina's benefits from various nutrition books: http://www.naturalnews.com/008421_spirulina_cancer_food.html
On the other hand, Andrew Weil thinks it's worthless:
http://longevity.about.com/od/antiagingfoods/a/spirulina.htmhttp://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00407
And here's a spirited debate I came across out of NZ:
http://yoga.org.nz/users/truehealth/Spirulina.htm (be sure to read the rebuttal)
Not sure I'd bother with it, but from what I've read, it probably won't hurt you either.
Deanna
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seaotter
I found a shake mix thru Vitacost. MRM vanilla whey protien powder. It is sweetened with stevia. The large container is about 20.00, which last me a little over a month. I have the shake for breakfast with spinache and frozen fruit in a blender. I use rice milk to add liquid and organic yogurt to add enzymes to my tummy.
I eat meat twice a week which is usually fish.
I use Feta cheese on my daily salads with apples, raisins, organic spring salad mix,( from Sams 3.99 for a huge tub) pecans or sliced almonds.
I love spring rolls made with alfalfa sprouts ( i grow my own on the window sill now) Advocato, Cucumber, belle pepper. Roll up in a sheet of Nori.
I grab a handful of nuts whenever I think I need extra protien. I feel fine! I think I am getting enough protien this way
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Hi Ladies
Just want to get some advise on vitamins .I'm doing chemo at the moment,rads and hormone treat after ,I would like to take some vitamins as well but have heard that some counter act what the chemo is doing ,what would they be ? I'm taking a good multi at the moment, have looked into COQ10 as thats been recommended , and the bottle said its more for the heart ????? ,can some one advise me on this .thanks
Joanne
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Patty, last year I tried a superfood product that contains spirulina. It did me a world of good. At the time I was still having ongoing problems with nausea and indigestion that had followed me since chemo.
From the very first day I used it I felt better. Didn't care for how it tasted much, and a serving size was 2 T and all I could manage at a time was 1 T. It's an acquired taste and gets easier to like with time. My nausea went away immediately and very rarely rears its ugly head anymore. During chemo and the 3 years that followed I'd get major indigestion from anything with tomato sauce. In addition to the superfood, I did a colon cleanse in April and a liver cleanse in August. Finally, I could eat pizza again without indigestion.
I got it at herbdoc.com. There's a whole line of products developed by Dr Schultze. A woman whose screenname was genesis was posting here for many months, singing this guy's praises. I watched every video online of his lectures I could find and read nearly every newsletter he had on his site at the time. I have confidence in the products there. The commitment to quality seems genuine. I changed my mind about getting flu shots based on information I read at herbdoc.com.
That's my experience with a spirulina product and I definitely recommend Dr Schultze's brand. The 2nd and 3rd bottles I got were in tablet form. For whatever reason I didn't seem to be getting the same response as I did from the first bottle in powder form. Then I read Nourishing Traditions where it said B12 that we can assimilate must come from animal sources. One more headspin for the road as I thought I was getting all kinds of B12 from the superfood. Let us know what you end up choosing!
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Spirulina has often been called "food for the soul." Spirulina contains GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) that can be found in a mother's milk. For me, and millions worldwide this immortal life form is at the forefront of nutrition. My goodness, as l mentioned before the DNA encoded in these superfoods is mind-boggling. I personally prefer to take my algaes, with bacteria in powder form, with water for that instant hit. Micro algae's are the oldest "whole food" source, absolutely chocker block with nutrients. "Blue-green algae is often the first life form to colonize a desolate land area - in deserts, in volcanic rocks, on coral reefs, and even in polar regions, working with lichen to fix nitrogen to the rocks to begin life in the tundra."
There is also much research going on in cancer prevention with micro-algae's.
NASA's plans in terraforming Mars include a self-sufficient system to grow enough algae and plant crops to permanently support human life.
"Understanding the role of microscopic algae, "the foundation of life", can help us develop restorative models of personal and planetary health."
Microalgaes are my all time favourite superfoods. This is one thing I would never give up in my quest for optimum health. It's worked wonders for my family and friends.
http://www.spirulinasource.com/earthfoodch1a.html
Algae's and good bacteria are mighty forces for our immune system. And one of our best defences against cancer is to keep a strong immune system.
Victoria0 -
This week has been a very stressful time for me. I have soldiered through some difficult times in my life and always tried to handle matters diplomatically. But when you have to deal with radiotherapists and oncologists that think, you, along with many other patients are just going to go along with the norm - no questions asked...well that's just not on. Some of us are well learned and researched. I did some research on "IONIZED RADIATION" and was horrified. I have spent sometime this week with specialists going over my very intricate planning, and was also taken through the radiation room and shown in detail via my graph plan on the big screen and also shown through the machine exactly how much was being radiated and areas "supposedly" protected.
I was told that a portion of my left lung was going to be in the crossfire and that particular part would not recover, and that l would develop shortness of breath. Although my heart was not directly in the crossfire in would still receive distant radiation. Now let's just think about that for a second, shall we. When you stand in front of a fireplace you may not be directly in the fire but you will still feel the heat, and if you stand a little further back a wider area receives the heat as well. Now the radiated area is getting the full dose and surrounding areas are getting more mild doses..."BUT" after a period of six weeks, all those cells, muscles organs that are not directly being radiated will still be receiving a decent dose of radiation. Not just any radiation "IONIZED RADIATION." (That's the same type of radiation used in the Hiroshima bombings. Right? Since the bombings, Japanese scientists studied Chlorella as a biological response modifier, by boosting the immune response. Intersting...)
Even more upsetting for me was my lymph node situation. All my nodes are clear, and healthy. I was euphoric when l was told that my nodes were negative. Now they want to radiate my axillary lymph nodes: levels I, axillary lymph nodes: levels II, axillary lymph nodes: levels III, and internal mammary lymph nodes. The whole lot! I don't know if that they will recover from this...or if l will develop lymphedema? The nurse said that at least l will still have some nodes up around my neck so it really shouldn't be an issue. Well l guess the nodes that are being radiated won't be of much use to me. Is it worth it?
DNA mutations in cells that survive the radiation, can eventually lead to the development of another cancer (called a second primary cancer). I understand that a cancer resulting from the exposure of radiation can take between 10-15 years to grow. My neighbour had the same type of breast cancer as myself, and the same treatment 12 years ago, and an associate of my fathers also had the same type of cancer with radiotherapy, 15 yrs ago, and they now have second primary cancers. Is this just a coincidence or are some "second primary cancers" the aftermath of ionised radiation exposure?
This week l fought off my breast infection without any antibiotics, which the docs wanted to prescribe. My immune system is strong, but although l fought off an infection, l am not sure l could fight off any stray cancer cells, that may be lurking. That being said l am also very disturbed by the "plethora" of damage that ionised radiation can cause.
I got out the scales of justice and they are tipping against rads.
I have until Monday to decide.
Have a lovely weekend ladies...x
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Lets remember once again that the ideas presented here are not to convince anyone. They are ideas for each individual to go research more on for themselves and then make decisions based on what they want. Lets not assume that the women that come here are mindless robots that will just hear something and go with it without some checking. Thus no need, or even desire, on this thread for the anti-natural police.
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Joanne,
The Naturopath I saw recommended CoQ10 during chemo to specifically protect the heart from the damaging effects of Adriamycin. She increased my dose when I complained of fatigue, and said CoQ10 would help with energy levels, as well.
The product I took was citrusQ10 (http://www.evenbetternow.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CoQ10). I thought the citrus part was there for added nutrition but looking at it now, I'm thinking it's just to make it taste better.. I'm not sure about that part.
I'm not taking Adriamycin any longer - now I'm on abraxane - so I stopped taking the citrusq10 for now.
Hope that helps.
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Victoria,
I am finishing chemo and getting ready to start rads in Dec. The radiologist recommended the same treatment that you described. I had a lot of positive nodes, so I am afraid that if I refuse all rads, I will be upset with myself if I have local recurrence - BUT
I have decided I'm not going to allow the rads to any areas where they did not find cancer. I told the doc "no" to supraclavicular level 3 nodes, and she doesn't know it yet but I'm going to refuse intra mammary nodes, as well. (I just read a study that found that rads to intramammary nodes, whether right side or left, cause more heart disease than has been recognized. I think this was on the Ralph Moss site that deni63 linked us to last week.) Of course the doc is telling me she hopes I will change my mind.
Some of my reasoning:
If it's true that the nodes act as "filters" catching any rogue cancer cells that break loose - then what stops the cells if my nodes are destroyed? (Doc said it's not true that nodes are "filters". I see that my nodes captured a lot cancer cells, so I'm not getting into a battle of semantics with that doctor. )
I did not understand, if I had chemo to destroy any cancer after surgery, why should I need rads, too? Some here have explained that surgery damages blood supply in the scarred areas. Since chemo is delivered via the bloodstream, surgical sites might not get the benefit of the of the chemo. So that is why I agreed to do local rads to diseased sites only.
I know I could get recurrence in level 111 nodes, but the odds were pretty low. Same for intramammary nodes.
I know our situations are quite different. Best wishes in finding the right answer for you.
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