natural girls
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Excellent article, makingway. Where did you find it?
I remember reading a long time ago that aspirin would have never made it to market under a provision that animal testing be done first. I'm not very knowledgeable about the different kinds of studies, but it seems to me the ones rooted in observation, epidemiological, are not given enough credence.
Even if animal studies translated perfectly into human applications, I would still find them troubling. They inflict hideous disease on innocent animals and force them to live in deplorable conditions. That's bad enough by itself, but just think about the people who are doing the testing. They become skilled at inflicting disease and then observe the subsequent results.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it, if anyone's ever studied the effects these working conditions have on the PEOPLE conducting the experiments?
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makingway...what a great article. thanks for sharing and caring.now all i have to do is stop smoking,eat my veggies that i hate,give up the sugar that i love and bingo....ill be on the road to recovery.right? i do all the wrong things.thank GOD i cannot eat anything fried.what a eye opener this bc gave me.im tryin real hard. drinkin almond milk ,eating avacados,damn i better do better then that.
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Excellent article, makingway. Can you tell us where to find it or where it was published? I'd like to forward it to a few people, but want to include its source.
grannydukes, don't try to change too much at once, or you may give up. Just make 1 change this week, then incorporate something else next week. Within a few weeks, you'll have made some significant changes. This idea is from Dr. Andrew Weil's book, 8 Weeks To Optimum Health, which is full of great information and little steps you can take that really add up.
DesignerMom, that's great about your DH! Good for him!
Patty, what did you find out at your app't. yesterday??? Deanna
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Granny Dukes: congratulations on the almond milk! That is awesome. No dairy on my end either for over 9 years now (or meat with growth hormones).
DesignMom: Well said! Slowly the medical community is turning around because we are living proof that diet and lifestyle changes do in fact work! How can we still be spending billions on research and not have a cure? Prevention is the answer and sadly there's not much money in telling us to eat a "primarily plant based diet."
Makingway: Keep those posts coming!
My husband reminds me that my no dairy (except organic eggs), no growth hormone meat, and chemical free lifestyle has become my religion and that's okay as long as I don't come off as preachy. Yes, I've had my share of family members that are heavily ingrained and part of the medical community tell me, "you're nuts." I've also had MDs, world renowned oncologists, RNs, nutritioninsts, and cardiolgoists tell me "keep on doing what you're doing."
I didn't post here when I was first diagnosed because there wasn't this forum. I was scared, embarassed and angry that I discovering this connection to diet and breast cancer and everyone else was wearing pink ribbons. Now look what you ladies have created! Thank you!
One last note: Anyone else more than slightly annoyed at all the publicity about the "off label use" of that extremely expensive breast cancer drug for Stage IV.
Many of my friends and family have been asking me what I think . Although I obviously don't know the details but from my humble perspective the only one with something to lose? Roche. It's their number #1 selling drug. Off label is off label and if the compound has not been tested for that specific indication than it should not be prescribed. They are misleading the public and sadly very sick patients. Check out www.ethicalnag.org on pharmas and ghost writing.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. -Hippocrates
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i should have started to do this a while ago.actually i did but didnt do such a good job.im tryin again.i really have to because as of now im not doing chemo or rads and my diag.changes every day.goin for surgery on the 20th where they are removing some cancerous nodes. i dont plan on chemo or rads.sooooooooo i better get my butt going...my immune system is really not too good.my stomach dr.just told me to take align.its working.the sugar is my downfall.im gonna get the book.thanks deanna
luv you girls.
K
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I found that article while looking for something else on a PETA website. I thought it contained good information concerning the 'War on Cancer' and illuminated the fact that many animals are needlessly tortured by experiments in that War. Evidence that cancer is eliminated in mice or another species, does not mean it will behave the same way in humans. We are not mice. Humans are different physiologically. http://pcrm.org/resch/humres/cancerresearch.html
There is an organization founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.
grannydukes- One step at a time...It took me a year to get where I'm at now with my eating habits. I never believed I could eliminate all the sugar I ate, and I haven't entirely. First I tried stevia-hated it. Found agave nectar, loved it, but read it was bad also. I only use a little non GMO unrefined cane sugar in my tea every morning and some coconut sugar for my oatmeal. I'm a 'smoker' as well. And before anyone directs any negative comments toward me-don't. I know how bad this is for me. We all know what we can go without. At this point I can't, it helps me maintain my sanity. I have made a step in the right direction by choosing to buy American Spirit brand without the 200-300 additives. They also sell organic tobacco.
I still drink milk, organic. I know even that's bad becuase it's been irradiated/pasteurized.
Every little step, is a step in the right direction.
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I found that article while looking for something else on a PETA website. I thought it contained good information concerning the 'War on Cancer' and illuminated the fact that many animals are needlessly tortured by experiments in that War. Evidence that cancer is eliminated in mice or another species, does not mean it will behave the same way in humans. We are not mice. Humans are different physiologically. http://pcrm.org/resch/humres/cancerresearch.html
There is an organization founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.
grannydukes- One step at a time...It took me a year to get where I'm at now with my eating habits. I never believed I could eliminate all the sugar I ate, and I haven't entirely. First I tried stevia-hated it. Found agave nectar, loved it, but read it was bad also. I only use a little non GMO unrefined cane sugar in my tea every morning and some coconut sugar for my oatmeal. I'm a 'smoker' as well. And before anyone directs any negative comments toward me-don't. I know how bad this is for me. We all know what we can go without. At this point I can't, it helps me maintain my sanity. I have made a step in the right direction by choosing to buy American Spirit brand without the 200-300 additives. They also sell organic tobacco.
I still drink milk, organic. I know even that's bad becuase it's been irradiated/pasteurized.
Every little step, is a step in the right direction.
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I found that article while looking for something else on a PETA website. I thought it contained good information concerning the 'War on Cancer' and illuminated the fact that many animals are needlessly tortured by experiments in that War. Evidence that cancer is eliminated in mice or another species, does not mean it will behave the same way in humans. We are not mice. Humans are different physiologically. http://pcrm.org/resch/humres/cancerresearch.html
There is an organization founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.
grannydukes- One step at a time...It took me a year to get where I'm at now with my eating habits. I never believed I could eliminate all the sugar I ate, and I haven't entirely. First I tried stevia-hated it. Found agave nectar, loved it, but read it was bad also. I only use a little non GMO unrefined cane sugar in my tea every morning and some coconut sugar for my oatmeal. I'm a 'smoker' as well. And before anyone directs any negative comments toward me-don't. I know how bad this is for me. We all know what we can go without. At this point I can't, it helps me maintain my sanity. I have made a step in the right direction by choosing to buy American Spirit brand without the 200-300 additives. They also sell organic tobacco.
I still drink milk, organic. I know even that's bad becuase it's been irradiated/pasteurized.
Every little step, is a step in the right direction.
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thanks to all my sistas.slow and steady wins the race.is that it??????
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I respect all you ladies who are trying to take ANY steps, not necessarily ALL steps to be healthier. Though I never smoked, I have many friends who said it was the hardest thing to give up. Some studies say it is more addictive than heroin. I saw a story on these little nicotine pouch things that they use in Europe. I think they are kind of like chewing tobacco in a tea bag, but without all the nastiness. The people who were interviewed said it had allowed them to stop smoking. Though they were still essentially ingesting the nicotine, satisfying their craving, the story seemed to say it was still better than the damage to lungs by smoking. Just a thought.
I by NO means am "there" in my endeavor to be healthier. I do think I am moving in the right direction though! I have given up sugar, white flour, white rice, potatoes, beef, pork and butter. I still eat some dairy, mostly cheese and yogurt, so I hope to reduce or eliminate that. My big downfall is exercise. I am just downright stubborn and can't seem to do it consistently. I do walk a LOT living in NYC, but need to do more. Little by little I hope to add things. You ladies certainly are helping to motivate me to do more!
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OMG the list is endless on giving up foods no less the smoking.i only smoke a few a day but have been smoking many many yrs.tried stopping a few times but never lasted too long.
THANK GOD I DO EXCERCISE DAILY.
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The gals are right, take it one step at at a time. Once you see results from one positive change, you move to another because you feel so much better. This leads to one more change, and one more until everything becomes a lifestyle change that you enjoy. That is why diets do not work. You feel deprived and do not change habits. I started out with two simple rules-Dont eat anything white, and only shop the perimeter of the grocery store. The whole key is to balance insulin. The white stuff messes with your insulin and insulin hold onto the fat. Being Italian, it was hard to give up the pasta, but now I do not miss it. Yesterday I made a fantastic chicken broth, with the leftover parts from a roasted chicken. All I added was one ravioli (it was made with roasted peppers) and I was satisfied.
I had tried to lose weight my whole life and never could. I lost 50 pounds two years ago, and have not gained any of it back. I bought a new pair of size 6 jeans today, without even trying them on, and when I brought them home, they fit almost perfect (there was a little extra space in the stomach area, which I hope will shrink when I was them). Yes my stomach is flat again! I could still stand to lose about 5 or 10 more, but I am happy where I am.
As for thermography-what is so great about it, is that you can see hot spots and extra blood flow to an area and then you have a choice. You can have an US done, or you can weight a couple of months and see if it looks any different. Thermography can detect 90% of tumors if done by an exerienced tech. I am fortunate to have a doctor who does US in his office as a routine exam. I will never ever have a mammo again. It did not catch my tumor which was 1.8 cm, So I have no faith in them. I felt the lump, and listened to my intuition. Know your body, that is the best thing. And if any of you newcomers have not checked out the iodine thread, do so. Iodine is one of the best protections from bc.
Althea-funny you should bring up Stand Up to Cancer. I just wrote a blog about it. Check it out.
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RE: High LDL Cholesterol
I thought this was just another example of me googling "out there" ideas and remedies.....like when my dentist, endodontist and oral surgeon looked at me like I have two heads both drooling..when I questioned whether anyone should EVER have a root canal .....BUT this is actually real.
There is a test...don't know how much it costs or if your insurance will cover it.....that checks your LDL to see its ratio of small molecule (bad) LDL or large molecule (good) LDL. If your elevated LDL is due to large molecule LDL then YAY no problem. Small...'nother story.
Anyway, I have been holding my internist at bay for years against cholesterol drugs...just don't want them...prefer to get off my BP patch which I read somewhere "out there" can even cause BC...
Soooo, if my LDL isn't sufficiently down by next spring, I will have my LDL tested before succumbing to drugs regardless of what it costs.
Must be a weird coincidence but my LDL has gone up in direct relation to my D3 going up.
I am doing everything so much better than I was a year and a half ago, so my LDL at the very worst should just be remaining the same...definitely not going up unless something I am taking is triggering it....or if maybe my body is manufacturing more of it because it needs it for some reason.
Anyway...just wanted to let you know in case you didn't.
Interesting (by that I mean disturbing) side note.....my internist said he would gladly refer me for testing if I want...BUT he always just assumes people have small molecule LDL and prescribes chol lowering drugs. WTF? sorry WTH? It would seem to me that even insurance companies would want to know if people who are living healthy lifestyles have large or small. Think of the $ they could save per person over 30 years if they found out the person doesn't need the chol lowering drugs! Seems the insurance companies should encourage this testing at least long enough to see if given our societal bad eating habits if most people really do have small molecule LDL or if there is a significant percentage who do not. Maybe they could just test those with appropriate BMI, non smoking healthy people.
Just a thought:)
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Hi Luna!
Do you know what that LDL test is called? I am seeing my internist on Monday and I'd like to ask her to order that test. I tend to high cholesterol (during chemo it was so high it was scary) and I think it would be helpful to have that test. Thanks for mentioning it.
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Sorry, don't know the name...only just learned yesterday that it is available right now and not some new unavailable but up and coming test like lots of other things I find on google. Yesterday, I learned of 2 docs here in North Florida that specialize in doing this testing, so I'm sure you have plenty in the North East.
I found this on google:
Small LDL particles pose biggest risk
A low cholesterol reading may not mean you're in the clear
The blood tests described below measure not only the amount of LDL coursing through your veins, but also its average particle size. Have your doc refer you to an area lab offering advanced lipid-profile testing; the referral often means a cheaper rate. And check out these seven ways to prevent heart disease.
1. LDL-S3 GGE test
Proteins from your blood are spread across a gel palette. As the molecules move from one end to the other, the gel becomes progressively denser. Large particles of LDL cholesterol can't travel as far as the small, dense particles can, Dr. Ziajka says. After staining the gel, scientists determine the average size of your LDL cholesterol particles. (Berkeley HeartLab, bhlinc.com, about $15 with insurance)2. The VAP test
Your sample is mixed into a solution designed to separate lipoproteins by density. "The proteins in your blood have to find their equilibrium," says Dr. Ziajka. "Small, dense particles sink, and large, fluffy particles stay at the top." The liquid is stained and then analyzed to reveal 21 different lipoprotein subfractions, including dominant LDL size. (Atherotech, thevaptest.com, direct cost $40)3. NMR lipoprofile test
Inside a magnetic field, radio waves charge the lipids in your blood. When the magnetic field is turned off, the protons give off energy, and that energy can be captured. Because energy emissions vary by particle size, this can be used to determine the type of LDL coursing through your veins. (LipoScience, lipoprofile.com, $100)That's all I've got...Google is your friend:)
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I have heard from good sources that having high cholesterol is NOT a bad thing. Have you seen on the Lipitor commercial that although it lowers cholesterol there is NO correlation between taking Lipitor and reducing heart attacks? I thought that was rather ironic...Isn't that why people take it?
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The (Skeptic's) Health Journal is a blog that has several interesting posts on cholesterol, statins, etc. It is written by a medical doctor that "trained in preventive medicine who right after my training went to work at the US Food and Drug Administration."
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/09/is-salt-good-for-you-part-ii.html
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My cholesterol has gone up since I got healthy, so I ignore it. Fish oil and Vit D will raise cholesterol. Read Ray Strand's book, "What Your Doctor Doesn't know about nutrition". He spends a lot of time talking about the whole fallacy of cholesterol, how the number has been used to sell statins,and why immflammation, which is measured with one's homosystine levels is a more accurate determination of heart disease. I also have a good video on my website on the topic.
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Hi ladies. I had a biopsy Monday and had my microcalcifications removed. It was not cancer! Did I say NOT cancer? Whew!
Deanna - I emailed you
Peace, Love and Blessings to all, Patty
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YAY!!! PATTY! I know you are so relieved. whew!:):):)
This ongoing scaryness is a pain. I just had to have a lung CT scan because they saw something on the lung x-ray that they couldn't tell if it was the 7th rib end or a nodule. Turns out it was scar tissue but they did find a nodule on the other side in the lower lobe that they now want to look at again in 4 to 6 months...so now I kinda wish I just hadn't had the stupid chest x-ray. Every time they do a followup, there will probably be something else that we have to watch every few months.
So happy for you Patty.
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Thanks Luna!!! I had a chest x-ray at the beginning of this cancer crap. The x-ray showed I had spots on my lungs. I freaked out but was told most people in Ohio have these spots. It is from the environment
. Yep, just another environmental thing. So if you live near or in Ohio it could be that.After one round of cancer we will continue to worry about every little thing. I have decided it is my new "normal". It sucks but it is what it is!
Patty
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Patty-
You must be so relieved! I'm glad you have one less thing to worry about.
Beth
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Yay Patty. I'm glad you can breathe again... Whew!
I have found a way to reduce my stress associated with imaging..... I don't get the imaging
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YAY PATTY !!! So glad for you that everything is OK
My ONC wrote a script for me to have a chest X-ray and a mammogram before my next visit which is in Nov. That was in May. I still haven't gone. I have very mixed emotions about subjecting myself to more radiation after having had 4 mammos last year when I was diagnosed. And what the heck would I need a mammo for when I've had a Bilat MX !
Terri
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Oh Patty, I'm so relieved for you... I wish my microcalcifications had come back benign too. LUCKY LUCKY YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW - I waver on a daily basis but I'm now thinking maybe I should go ahead and have the mastectomy and be done with it. If my remaining DCIS turned invasive while I was pregnant, I would NEVER forgive myself. So yuck, that's where I am right now.
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Julia- Try not to put the cart before the horse. You can't get back what is taken away...If it becomes invasive take the next step.0
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Thank you to all you wonderful ladies for your congrats! I know that only you girls know exactly how I am feeling. That's what makes this thread so great!
Julia - my heart just aches for you. What do your doctors suggest knowing that you want to get pregnant?
Love to all, Patty
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makingway, that's exactly what my reasoning was, until just a couple of days ago.
But here's the deal:
- I definitely have medium-grade DCIS still in me... no guessing about this... it's there. And the latest biopsy said "multifocal."
- That DCIS is very highly ER+/PR+.
- As much as I can tell myself that the high levels of progesterone during pregnancy would protect me from it running rampant, the fact is that pregnancy is a time of HUGE levels of hormones. ER+/PR+ DCIS is very likely to be fueled and possibly turn invasive. If it turns invasive during pregnancy, 9 months of intensive hormones is likely to make it grow like wildfire.
- My biggest qualms about having a mastectomy were: a) losing sensation in that breast, b) being nippleless or having a faux nipple, c) the idea of having even BIGGER scars (the one I already have is pretty darn big), and d) I hated the idea of my pectoral muscles having to be stretched out for an implant and/or skin/muscle having to be surgically removed from other parts of my body.
BUT, the type of reconstruction I'm going to have eliminates all that. If you haven't read the micro-fat-grafting thread on the Reconstruction forum, it's a very interesting read (and it's "must" reading for anyone with future plans for a mastectomy!) It's a technique that uses your own fat cells (via liposuction from other parts of your body) to recreate an entire breast. It's similar to the fat-grafting that's common today, except that an entire breast is recreated after mx.
There is NO loss of sensation, and no additional incisions (it's all done with needles/syringes). No implant, no muscle or skin taken from other parts of the body, and it looks just as natural (if done correcty) as other types of reconstruction.
I will be doing nipple-sparing mx + this new type of reconstruction, so I should end up looking better than I do now (my boob is pretty caved-in since so much was taken during my lumpectomy). And the fact that there is NO loss of sensation... that pretty much seals the deal for me.
The one drawback is that I won't be able to breast-feed from that breast, but frankly, I wouldn't have wanted to anyway from the DCIS breast! I'll still be able to breast-feed from the good breast.
I am not one who makes decisions based on fear... I would be perfectly happy leaving the DCIS in here forever, if it weren't for two things: my wanting to get pregnant (I really think that changes things when you are ER+), and the fact that my husband would be devastated if someday down the road I was facing early death when it could have so easily been nipped in the bud.
My husband has been against my doing the mx (he's very much alternative-minded like I am and doesn't believe the DCIS would ever turn invasive)... but knowing what I know about pregnancy hormones and ER+ DCIS, and NOT knowing for sure if or when it might turn invasive, AND the fact that there is this reconstruction option that will leave me looking better than I look now with full sensation, it seems like it's a reasonable price to pay.
Patty, my breast surgeon didn't even know I was considering getting pregnant while I still have DCIS in me... he was 100% on board with it assuming he was able to get it all, but I know he'd never advise it with DCIS still in me. My fertility doctor will not treat me without the all-clear from my breast surgeon.
I generally make decisions that doctors would cringe at, but in THIS case, after weighing all the options, I am making the decision on my own that mx is the right decision for me.
(Now, if anyone has any info/data to contradict what I said before, such as DCIS growing/turning invasive during pregnancy, I'm open to changing my mind yet again!!)
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Julia, it sounds like you are making the right choice for you. An additional consideration is the serenity of not spending your pregnancy waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Pregnancy is a naturally stressful time. Those stresses are generally good, but even "happy stress" can amplify health issues. You don't need to add any more stress if you can avoid it by having the surgery before you get pregnant.
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PatMom, yes, that's the other thing. I've lost six babies already. I will already be worried about every little thing. The last thing I need is the other very real worry that I could have invasive cancer brewing inside me!
I'm not one to make decisions for "peace of mind" only, as many who get prophylactic mx do. But this is different... no matter how much I believe in diet and lifestyle to prevent cancer (and I very much do), active multifocal strongly-ER+ DCIS during pregnancy is, I've realized, NOT something I'm okay with.
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