Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
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Hello everyone,
I am finishing off the information in icon magazine.
These are the headlines from Professor Karol Sikora's article. He is Professor of Cancer Medicine at Hammersmith Hospital and Medical Director of Cancer Partners UK. For thirty years he has campaigned for improvements in many aspects of cancer care. His article is under the following headings: The Problem. Under this he has a chart, Table 1, showing five year survival percentage for breast cancer in women and Britain is very low on the list. Table 2 shows why this is. The other headings are The Diagnostic Pathway, The Treatment of Breast Cancer, Surgery, Chemotherapy, Conclusion and What Can I do to Help, Table 3 – a ten point action plan for breast cancer. This is all very important information and is empowerment for the newly diagnosed and those going through treatment.
There is another article by Professor Robert Thomas, a Consultant Oncologist and this article is entitled What's Next in Breast Cancer Treatment? In the magazine it is on pages 39 – 41. More about this latter.
If you are serious about being informed, and helping yourselves, this is another important article.
I hope you all have a good week. The weather is really cold here for late spring and the high winds could knock you over.
Best wishes.
Sylvia.
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Hello everyone,
The following are the headlines for What Next in Breast Cancer Treatment in icon magazine.
A) Research on adjuvant therapies.
i. Radiotherapy for low risk DCIS?
ii. Bone health and breast cancer outcomes. (This starts with Accelerated Loss of Bone Density is common after cancer treatment for a variety of reasons)
iii. Do extra drugs and increased intensity of regimens improve the effect of chemotherapy? This begins with the statement that a course of chemotherapy after surgery significantly reduces the chance for breast cancer relapse. This is especially important for women who have more aggressive features – positive axillary lymph nodes, tumours that are high grade or are HER2+.
Research on metastatic breast cancer.iv. Lapatinib versus trastuzumab = Tyverb versus Herceptin.
v. Search for new drugs. The outcome was a bit disappointing.
vi. Using Herceptin to deliver chemotherapy.
On page 42 there is a very interesting article entitled Taking Control After Cancer by Jessica Richards, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and who, five years on, has a new profession as a mentor to people with cancer. She has also written a book entitled The Topic of Cancer. The main titles to her article are:
1. Diagnosis.
2. Paperwork.
3. Remain present.
4. Water.
5. Diet.
6. Juicer.
7. Chemicals.
8. Choose your hospital or clinic.
9. Relaxation.
10. Team members.
What I found interesting about this article was that this fifty-five year-old woman turned down the offer of orthodox medicine (chemotherapy, mastectomy, radiotherapy) and instead went on a complete overhaul of her diet and cut out all cows dairy foods, increased her vegetables and added high doses of vitamin C. It says that after three weeks of this intensive regime, her tumour had apparently gone to sleep and her blood tests were normal.
Please remember, this is an article that I have read. It is NOT a recommendation. We all have to follow our own instincts.
I do not know if you are following up these headings and reading the rest of the details. If there is anything that attracts your attention and that you cannot find on line or at www.canceractive.com, please let me know and we can expand on them together.
With so few posts coming in, especially from the UK, for whom the thread was started, I am wondering if it has now served its purpose.
Best wishes.
Sylvia.
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Hello everyone,
I was wondering how you feel about all the publicity over Angelina Jolie and her double mastectomy because of the Brca1 gene.We have to remember that these faulty genes represent only 3% of breast cancers. Will this publicity send women into a panic?
Best wishes,
Sylvia.
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Hi Sylvia,
I must admit it is something that I have thought about especially as TN seems to come from nowhere.
They only offer the BRAC test if you are under 50 here but I did mention it some time ago at one of my check ups to the Breast Nurse. She just said that it can create alot of worry especially for your daughter. My family history was an Aunt on my dads side who had 2 different episodes of breast cancer years apart and is now in her late 70's.
I am a worrier anyway and unfortunately so is my daughter. I am not sure what the protocol is in other countries for the BRAC test. Do they keep a close eye on us regarding the possibility of ovarian cancer? As I no longer see an oncologist I have no-one to ask.
I am sure that it will cause a certain amount of panic but I sometimes feel that the whole issue of breast cancer needs a good shake up. Some people think that it is an OK cancer to get because there has been alot of research and I have had people say that to me. The follow up leaves much to be desired and the phrase you know your own body as a monitor is lethal to someone like me who worries over every ache and pain.
Hope that things are good with you.
I have an appointment with the pain specialist on Friday and I have to have a range of blood tests done too.
Kerry is planning on coming for the weekend and we are trying to arrange the transport a s for her to drive with Oskar through Dublin on a Friday evening would be crazy.
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Good evening everyone
I have added a "Patients Stories" page to the JCF website (www.janettecollinsfoundation.org) following a submission from a patient about her illness and treatment. I must say that I think the way she has been treated by her hospital quite neglectful. It is well worth reading. I have also made her aware of this group.
There is also quite a lot of research information on the website that many of you might find useful. I belong to a readers panal for NICAN (Northern Irish Cancer Network). They send me pamphlets before they are published to ask my opinion on the readability. There was an interesting one today on supplements. If I can find a way to scan it I will put the info here.
Michael
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Hello linali (Lindsay),
Thank you for your post. I think that with regards to breast cancer and any other cancer, if you are diagnosed, had your treatment successfully, then you have to put it to the back of your mind and get on with your life. Worry will not solve anything and will probably make things worse.
You have to remember that the faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes affect only 3% of the population and if you have it you are likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age and will probably already have had family members affected at a young age. I agree that knowing you have the faulty gene will cause fear and anxiety for children and grandchildren etc.
Living is risky and you could worry about so many things that could happen during the course of a day. We have to remember that breast cancers with triple negative receptors affect about 15 to 20% of breast cancer cases in general. Although the tumours appear to come from nowhere, my breast cancer consultant made it clear to me when I was diagnosed in 2005 that the tumour had probably been developing for three or four years before. It could be that something suddenly causes it to have spurt of growth. I know I strained my right arm gardening and it was not long after that I discovered a lump. It is all speculation. We shall probably never know what caused our breast cancers and we do not have a crystal ball about whether they will come back. No statistics, no percentages can tell us what will happen in the future for our particular case.
Regarding check ups, there is only so much our hospitals can do for so long, otherwise there will be queues miles long. In general here, after your treatment finishes, you have three-monthly check ups, alternating between the consultant breast surgeon and the oncologist. After two years these go to every six months. After five years you are usually discharged. I have been discharged after nearly eight years from the breast consultant, but the oncologist wants to keep me on for another two years.
As for the physical examinations during this time, the consultants and oncologists would appear to know what they are looking for. Mine told me they are looking and feeling for everything to be smooth. They are looking for rashes along the line of the mastectomy or elsewhere, feeling for lumps in the unaffected breast and for any abnormalities with lymph nodes under the arms and in the neck. Of course, there are also regular mammograms. I have been going every two years. I am sure if anything appears wrong you will be sent for scans. Remember, CAT scans, PET scans and bone nucleide scans are heavy on radiation and I would not like to be subjected to these on a regular basis, as radiation is itself a cause of cancer. I am also wary of mammograms for the same reason. You will also get x-rays if it is thought there are problems.
As for ovarian cancer, I understand there is a blood test, but I do not think it is available to everyone in this country. There are symptoms to look for with ovarian cancer but this is something you should discuss with your doctor if you feel you want to be tested for it.
Breast cancer does get a lot of publicity, especially compared to some cancers. I do not think there can be anything much worse that oral or throat cancers. The surgery is horrific and you end up with feeding tubes and loss of voice or a voice-box inserted in you.
I hope everything goes well on Friday with your pain specialist.
Enjoy your weekend with your daughter and Oskar.
Thinking of you and sending you my best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Michael,
Thank you for your post. I was interested to know that you have added a Patients' Stories to the JCF website.
I have just read that first story. The first thing that struck me was that the patient said she was diagnosed with TNBC. We have to remember, and I find I keep repeating this, that TNBC refers to the receptor status and not the type of breast cancer. What we do not know from this story is what type of breast cancer the patient had. Was it the most common one, IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma), was it DCIS or LCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ). Was it lobular breast cancer or inflammatory breast cancer or a rarer one and aggressive, such as metaplastic breast cancer?
It certainly seems as if there was a lot of delaying, but you do have to push. I would not have left things in the hands of breast cancer nurses if I had had concerns. You need to get straight on to your oncologist or breast cancer consultant, push for an urgent and immediate appointment and not take no for an answer. If all else fails, turn up at A & E.
I think there can be problems with lumpectomies and whether you have really got clear margins. A friend of mine had a lumpectomy, went for results, was told that unfortunately some cancerous tissue still remained and she had to have a second lumpectomy. My understanding is that in the UK after two lumpectomies that have not produced clear margins, you need a mastectomy. I have consistently said on this thread that I would always opt for a mastectomy to feel that everything has been removed from my breast and I would never opt for any kind of reconstruction.
I think the idea of Patients' Stories is a good one, but you might want to check them to make sure you get all the details. I think any patient who feels they have not been properly treated should put in a complaint, seek legal advice and, if necessary, sue.
I was very interested to know that you belong to a readers' panel for NICAN. I would be most interested if you can to have some of them posted on the thread. I would certainly be most interested to know what they are saying about supplements.
How are you getting on with your treatment?
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia.
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Hello everyone,
I thought you might be interested in a short article that I found in the i paper yesterday. It was under the following heading. “Hospitals. An 'alarming' number of cancer patients go hungry, warns charity” by Ella Pickover.
It starts off with “An 'Alarming' number of cancer patients are left to go hungry in hospitals and want to drop out of treatment because of the way they are treated by staff, a charity has warned”. This comes from Macmillan Cancer Support after a survey.
The most frightening for me about this article was the fact that so many cancer patients are also given the wrong drugs!!
If you Google “An 'alarming' number of cancer patients go hungry, warns charity” you will find a lot of information about this.
Best wishes.
Sylvia.
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Hi Sylvia
I contacted the lady who provided the story and she doesn't know anything other than she has TNBC. When someone provides a story for the site I want it to be just that, their story, rather than pursue them for facts which might be off putting. I had hoped that the lady would come to this group, perhaps she will. Maybe I need to put a link on the website and I will investigate if there is a way to allow contact anonymously with the story provider so people can ask pertinent questions.
I went for chemo last Monday and my neturophils had still not recovered but they went ahead anyway. I hope this isn't going to be a recurrent problem. I gave myself Neupogen injections earlier than I did on the previous two cycles so maybe that was the problem. I guess it is a balancing act between counts getting too low in the middle; I suppose it would help if they did routine blood tests mid cycle.
It was actually a nice day here, I couldn't believe it.
Michael
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Hello netty46,
Thank you for your PM. I was very interested to read what your oncologist had to say. I feel that she has taken good care of you and given you all the facts. That 5% should be good and reassuring news to you. You now need to put it all behind you and get on with your life as normally as possible.
As I said before, you need to listen, indeed we all need to listen, to our consultants and go by what they say.
On the threads here we have to remember that we are not doctors, consultants or oncologists, and we are not supposed to give out advice etc. All we can do is relate our own particular breast cancer treatment, the personal side effects we have experienced and our mental and physical experiences. In addition, we can try to support and encourage other women (or men) during their cancer treatment and try to motivate them through it. We must remember that all our cancers are individual and that none of us really knows which way our particular path will go.
I feel that in some ways we may have gone from too little information to too much information, a lot of which we are not really competent to interpret and it gives rise to unnecessary fear and anxiety.
When we are diagnosed we need to know what kind of breast cancer we have, size of the tumour, receptor status, stage and grade, if the lymph nodes are affected, and what treatment we are going to have and why. Even that may be too much for some people to deal with. I remember my medical team telling me that most people just wanted to get on with the treatment and reassurance that they were going to be alright.
Keep well and concentrate on the present.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia. xxxx
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Hello Michael,
Thank you for your post. I was very surprised that the lady concerned did not know anything other than that she had TNBC. I suppose all hospitals work differently.
I was sorry to hear that your you had problems with low neutrophils when you went for your last chemotherapy. Have you felt worse after the treatment because they went ahead anyway. I hope that you are not feeling worse.
It is sunny and calm here this morning in Exmouth and I hope we may have a nice weekend.
Wishing you well.
Sylvia.
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Thank you to all who have supported me and shared their experiences in deciding on radiation after chemo and BMX. I saw a highly regarded radiation oncologist this week and he said he was 99.9 convinced that I do not need radiation!
He called my BS and MO and now all agree: no rads. I am grateful.0 -
Good evening Sylvia
So far I have felt nothing different on this chemo. I suppose the aim is to try and stay away from infection.
All being well I am in Chelmsford Monday to Wednesday. Hope the weather is better there.
Michael
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we are on the same page.... I was about to get an infusion of Zometa last week when I mentioned I hadnt had any dental checkups in a year. they cancelled infusion pending dental exam. in the meantime I have looked more into Zometa and this bisphosphonates generally are just too loaded with side effects... Novartis is making a fortune from this drug and initially said there were NO side effects... there have been many lawsuits. I have stage four breast cancer ++- with bone metastaces to spine and pelvis. no pain whatsoever except when I took oral bisphosphonates... Fosavance..... a weekly tablet which practically burns yer oesophogus. have decided to go the nutrition route. interested in how you gettin on with your supplements..... Zometa cost nearly 3000 dollars a month!!!! and they can afford to pay the few people who complain... cancer patients are sometimes desperate and dont complain....!!!!!! am curently taking calcium citrate and magnesium citrate plus spiralena and Salvestrols.......etc etc. wondered how ya getting on with Strontium\?
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Peggy!
That's great! Good to meet you at the lunch.0 -
Hello PeggySull,
Thank you for your post. I was glad to know that you saw a highly regarded radiation oncologist and that he has assured you that you do not need radiation. As I said before, you do need to get good medical advice.
As we all know, our breast cancers and treatments are all individual. We cannot go by what others do and how they react. Although the basic standard treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, there will be variations on this treatment.
Keep well, look after yourself and keep in touch.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Michael,
Thank you for your post. I do hope you manage to get to Chelmsford and have a good stay. It was always one of my favourite places. It looks as though the weather is going to be good.
Thinking of you.
Sylvia.
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Hello pradapee,
Thank you for your post. I was very sorry to hear that you have stage 4 breast cancer ILC, with metastases to the spine and pelvis, but was glad to know that you have been pain free, except when you took oral bisphosphonates. There is so much information now about the lethal side effects of these bisphosphonates that I cannot understand why anybody would consent to take them. I have read all about the problems with the oesophagus, not to mention problems with the jaw.
You might want to read the excellent book Your Bones by Lara Pizzorno, which I have read recently. Of particular interest was part 2 entitled Why Conventional Medicine is not the Answer for strong bones, and chapter 2 The Bisphosphonate Patent Medicines Prescribed to Prevent Osteoporosis Should be you LAST choice for healthy bones. Some of the headlines in this chapter are Bisphosphonates Don't Build Healthy New Bone – They Cause Retention of Old Brittle Bone. Bisphosphonates Cause Osteonecrosis Of the Jaw (ONJ).
There is a an awful photograph of the jaw of a 43 year old breast cancer patient treated with Aredia and Zometa for 24 months and who had a spontaneous fracture of the lower jaw.
Other headings are:
How Bisphosphonates Cause ONJ
Many Dentists will not treat Women taking Bisphosphonates.
No cure exists for ONJ.
Bisphosphonates promote chronic oral Infections.
Bisphosphonates increase risk for atrial fibrillation.
Other side effects listed are:
Oesophageal Cancer.
Influenza-like Illness.
Myalgia (severe muscle pain)
Deterioration of kidney function and kidney failure.
Symptomatic hypocalcemia (too little calcium in the circulation).
Bone stress fracture.
There is a heading that might be of particular interest to you “Bisphosphonates and Breast Cancer”.
Please try to get hold of this book and read this important information.
I was wondering if you had osteoporosis at all as a result of your breast cancer treatment, if you were taking aromatase inhibitors, such as Arimidex. These are known to cause osteoporosis.
Did you go to have a dental check up and what was the result? Did you have any comments from your dentist?
Do you intend to go back to the hospital for the infusion of Zometa. It says in the book I just mentioned that the IV bisphosphonate zoledronate, one brand name of which is Zometa, has been shown to reduce pain, help prevent fracture and spinal cord compression and improve quality of life in women with advanced breast cancer that has metastasised to the bone. However, it also says that with the increasing use of bisphosphonates for metastatic bone disease it has come to light that these have toxic effects, including ONJ, that greatly promote morbidity in patients with advanced cancer. I would think you need to have a big discussion with your medical team.
I continue to take the strontium citrate, but it would be too early to tell what effect they are having on my bones and the osteoporosis. I can say that I take two of them (680 mg) every morning and at least two hours before I take any calcium citrate supplements and magnesium citrate supplements. I would not touch the calcium ranelate that is the patent supplement prescribed by some doctors, I suppose instead of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. They are all lethal.
I am not quite sure how I am going to know whether the strontium citrate is helping to strengthen my bones. In the UK you have to practically beg for DEXA scans.
I can tell you that I am not aware of any side effects from the strontium citrate. I shall keep the thread up to date.
I have heard a lot of good about spirulina and salvesterols.
Perhaps you need to seek some more advice about how to best treat your metastatic breast cancer to the bone.
I was wondering whether you were diagnosed from the start with stage 4 or whether it was a different stage (1, 2 or 3) and how has now advanced and become stage 4. Remember the difference between the two of us. I am taking strontium citrate, self prescribed for osteoporosis that was caused by having an undiagnosed over active parathyroid gland that was causing calcium to leach from the bones into the blood. That was cured by surgery in 2009.
Please stay with us and let us know how you get on and how we can support you. We do have others from Ireland on the thread, including linali and Mumtobe.
Thinking of you and sending you very best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello adagio,
I hope you are still viewing. I am now confused about my oncologist's statement that my osteoporosis was not caused by my chemotherapy treatment because it is only the post treatment medications taken by some women with hormonal breast cancer, that causes osteoporosis. She said that because I was TNBC and therefore not given these medications, that my osteoporosis was not caused by the cancer treatment. I have just read in Your Bones that there is such a thing as chemotherapy induced bone loss.
What a problem all this conflicting information is!
Have you had denosumab, a monoclonal antibody, brand name Prolia or Xgeva, mentioned to you for treatment of osteoporosis? Apparently it is even worse than bisphosphonates!
I hope you are well and that you will post.
Happy Victoria Day to you and to all our Canadian friends. I do remember the feverish planting of annuals on that day.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I am just posting to say hello to all of you past and present with TNBC. I do hope all is well with all of you post-treatment and to those of you going through treatment. To any of you newly diagnosed, please do not be shy about posting. We can deal with all aspects of your cancer journey here, even if it is not TNBC. We have a lot of information and experience.
It looks as though we may have a bit of summer here in Exmouth at long last.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello pradapee,
You mentioned that you were trying to help yourself nutritionally and I just wondered what exactly you were doing. I was wondering whether you had eliminated meat and dairy products from your diet. You probably know about the growth factors in these products and how there is a school of thought that these are associated with breast cancer. You might want to read the book by Professor Jane Plant “Your life in your hands”. I do not eat any meat or poultry or any dairy products. I get all my calcium through fresh soy unsweetened milk and plain soy yoghurt with probiotics, both enriched with calcium phosphate. I also eat plenty of nuts and seeds, especially almonds.
Do you drink green tea and get plenty of berries?
Wishing you well.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I have just been reading through some of the other threads on the TNs, especially all the new ones that seem to be endlessly created when the answers and information are probably in the existing ones. I feel there is a lot of panic and fear.
When you are newly diagnosed, yes you are in shock, but you need to sit quietly, take stock of what you have been told and then deal with things one at a time and a day at a time.
Today it is exactly seven years and eleven months since I was diagnosed and I am still fine. For all you TNBCs and for all with breast cancer or surviving it, I hope that will encourage you.
Reading the threads I have noticed a lot of posts about neuropathy, which is a numbness in the feet and/or hands that is a result of chemotherapy. I have it in the feet and there is no cure for it, but you can learn to live with it. As for my hands, even nearly eight years after diagnosis, they can suddenly turn very red on the palms. My oncologist told me there is nothing to be done about neuropathy and that in my feet it was caused by the chemotherapy drug, docetaxel (Taxotere). My GP has also told me there is no cure and a consultation with a podiatrist also confirmed neuropathy. She had me close my eyes and prodded my feet with needles. I felt nothing.
There is also a lot of mention about the anti-hormonal drugs Tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors such as Arimidex. From people I know taking these drugs, in the UK it now seems to be to keep them on Tamoxifen for about three years and then, if post-menopausal, to go onto aromatase inhibitors. All these drugs have nasty side effects and the aromatase inhibitors can cause osteopenia and osteoporosis. I have been surprised that some posters who were diagnosed originally as triple negative were later told they had small percentages of oestrogen and went on these drugs.
I am glad in one respect that I was TNBC and do not have to take these drugs.
Another favourite topic is asking whether a person posting should have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. This is something to be discussed with your medical team. They recommend the kind of surgery they think will be best for you, based on a variety of factors. However, it is up to you, the patient, to have a dialogue with your medical team and say what your preference is. You must be in charge of your treatment and decide what you will have and what you will not have and accept responsibility for your decision. Be an informed patient. Remember BRAIN.
B benefits
R risks
A alternatives
I intuition, what your gut feeling is
N what happens if I do nothing
Finally, for today, I am becoming increasingly concerned about pathology reports and the idea of posting them on the threads. Pathology reports are highly personal and individual and, if you are going to have a copy, it seems to me you need to go through them very carefully with your medical team and have them explained in the most simple and understandable layman's terms. We are not trained to read pathology reports and if not explained properly will give rise to unnecessary stress and anxiety, misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Do you really need so much information flowing through your brain?
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia and everybody,
Just want to share some good news with you all - the scan shows that the nodules in both lungs have shrunk - one by 50%, some by 30% and the little ones that were about 3mm are no longer visible (cat scan apparently only picks up things 3mm and bigger). That is such really really good news - my hope was that they hadn't grown, but to have a significant shrinkage is brilliant. So we carry on with the rest of the Taxol - 8 more sessions and then scan again, and I may be on my way to a remission, as per my onc!!
It feels really reassuring to know that the Taxol is working and doing its job - now the rest of the chemo is a case of 'bring it on'!!
Got lots of reading to do to catch up on all the posts, just wanted to share this.
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Hi Carolben, so happy for you, such good news. Keep up the good work.
Best Lola.
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Hello Sylvia and everyone,
I am now 4 weeks past my final radiation and dare I say it - but I feel wonderful. My energy level is fantastic - I am still trying to figure out what supplements to continue with and which new ones to add. I do know that it is best to get all our requirements from our food, but I feel I would be tied to the kitchen all day long if I was to do that - so I do supplement.
Every day I take:
5000 units of Vit D
2 Fish Oil capsules,
500mgm calcium with magnesium, (once this is used up, I am switching to a microcrystalline calcium supplement)
1 Vit k capsule,
Iodine,
50mgm Zinc,
2 Immune 7 capsules (combination of 7 mushrooms),
Astragulus (I started this during radiation and once the bottle is used up, I will quit it)
L-Carnitine (I used this during chemo to help prevent neuropathy - once it is used up, I will also discontinue it)
This week I am going to add a low dose daily Aspirin and Milk Thistle
As for diet - which I believe is hugely important - most days I consume
cow yogurt but it is organic so no hormones, growth factors etc.
one cup of blueberries, banana, avocado, pineapple (all organic)
almond milk in my protein shakes and I am going to try it in my coffee one of these days instead of cream. I only have coffee about twice a week or when I get the craving for a cup (which during radiation, was every day).
organic, grass fed and grass finished beef about once every 2 weeks.
wild salmon about twice a week
70% dark chocolate (6 squares every evening after dinner)
lots of lentils, barley, pinto beans, organic brown rice (and occasional white rice), millet, quinoa
green leafy veggies - especially kale, chard and collards (I grow these in my garden)
turmeric and black pepper mixed with olive oil - I add this to a soup or drizzle over rice.
freshly ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds. I also eat lots of organic almonds on a daily basis - take a bag of them everywhere with me in case hunger strikes.
I try to avoid sugars, but I do sometimes crave a brownie or a cookie and I indulge - but I buy only one (never bake these days at all, since I would be tempted to eat more)
I drink mostly water - occasionally have a glass of wine.
My biggest downfall is cheese consumption - I love cheese, and eat some almost every day. Unfortunately it is not organic - but I do try to eat only raw cheese.
I try to avoid wheat products
I do my very best with diet, and often falter, but I the above is what I do 80% of the time. I got the 80% guideline from my nutritionist - who said that if we eat the right kinds of foods 80% of the time - we can relax for 20% when we have to eat out, or go to potlucks, or when on vacation when we don't have access to our normal foods.
Hope this helps - I would love to hear about other people's food and supplements - always looking for new ideas!
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Hello Carolben, adagio and Lolalee
It was lovely to see you all posting again and I am so glad Carolben that you are doing so well with your treatment.
I shall do a longer post later on today.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Carolben
Thank you for your post and thank you for sharing the good news with all of us. Let us hope that 8 more sessions of Taxol will see them disappear. I am sure that you must feel very relieved to know that the Taxol is working. Keep up the good work and our thoughts are with you.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Lola
Just popping in to say I hope life is treating you well.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello adagio
Thank you for your post and I am glad to know that you are feeling so well and so energetic just four weeks past radiotherapy. Keep it up.
I was very interested to know how you are trying to make sure you keep fit and well.
I am doing a lot of what you are doing and am taking vitamin D3, omega 3 fish oil capsules, 500 mg of calcium citrate with magnesium citrate, vitamin K, and zinc, boron, manganese and copper. These are all in the two Solgar calcium citrate supplements that I take every morning. Two hours before this I take two strontium supplements which give me 680 mg of strontium citrate.
I put kelp on my food to get iodine. I take a multivitamin/mineral supplement and a vitamin B complex as well as halibut liver oil capsule. The vitamin D that I take is also a soft gel capsule.
As for diet I think we also do mostly the same things, except I do not eat any dairy, meat or poultry.
I think that on this thread we all do our very best to keep ourselves as fit and healthy as we can. We may falter from time to time but what would life be without a few treats? I think we have packed this thread full of useful information about food and nutrition.
Keep posting and keep us informed of any new ideas that you may have. I was particularly interested in the calcium that you are going to take in the future.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everybody,
I am still reading my icon magazine and thought you might be interested in the following section entitled Caner Watch – the latest research from around the world.
Cancer Watch is divided into four sections.
1 STAR STORIES
2 YOUR CANCER
3 NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE
4 CHEMICAL WORLD
I do urge you to read all these headings.
Of particular interest to me were
Calorie restriction and diet to improve cancer survival (Star Stories).
Could a simple blood test tell you your breast cancer risk (Your cancer)
Brachytherapy and breast cancer – unproven and with complications (Your cancer)
New research 'paves way' for personalised breast cancer treatment (Your cancer)
“Sodium bicarbonate increases tumour pH and suppresses spontaneous metastases” (Your cancer)
Clinical trials next on dandelion root and cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Red grape polyphenols inhibit progression of breast cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Carotenoids lowers risk of breast cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Rice bran may prevent breast cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Vitamin D and triple negative breast cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Sulphoraphanes kill cancer cells (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Folate-rich vegetables may prevent breast cancer (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Green tea lowers the development of several cancers (Nutrition and lifestyle)
Yet more evidence toxic-chemicals cause breast cancer (Chemical world)
Lead in your lipstick (Chemical world)
There is so much information on this site. All of it is very useful. Please try to read it all.
Michael, you might be interested in reading Aspartame and increased leukaemia and lymphoma risk.
That is all for today.
Best wishes.
Sylvia.
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