Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Can you spot Exmouth?
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thanks Slyvia
A voice of reason as always feeling better today and try to eat small regular meals to maintain my weight for the taxol. I also had another look at my pathology which mad me feel better. My triple neg was labeled T 1 which I think makes it stage 1 not 2. I had some DCIS that was measured 2 in Nottingham but says completely excised and Ki 67 10 . Still frightened but able to maintain work now after AC ( will see after paxitaxol) and I'm having weekly talks with a psychologist who is very good! They wanted to put me on antidepressants but stay clear of them at present. One foot forward one day at a time. Thanks for being there u make all the difference
Cheers
Kat
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Hello Sylvia, 4everstrong, adagio, hanieh, and all ladies, and Peter and MIchael, ,
I got back from the symposium, was very tired but very elated as well. I cannot even describe at the moment how wonderful it was. Before I got out of bed this morning I was thinking of the positivity I have been surrounded by for the last 4 days, incredible. I will have to gather my notes, and thoughts, and maybe write down experiences day-by-day, it was all a bit overwhelming. There was a total of 45 speakers, I think, if I count Ty Bollinger and his wife Charlene. Ty and Charlene were really the Masters of Ceremony. The speakers were MDs, PHDs, scientists, holistic doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors, nutritionists, imaging specialists, and more. Many of them were all of the above and bore more titles as well. Most of them did 45-minute speeches with a few exceptions. Bear in mind, most of these people are used to speaking for 2 or 3 hours at an appearance, so it was difficult for them to squeeze the info they wanted to share into that time span. However, they all have websites, and most of them have published books. The speakers were informative and inspiring, and there was so much optimism and hope surrounding us the entire weekend. There were about 1500 attendees, we met among them a lovely doctor from India residing in Dubai, a lady from Spain, several from Canada and a couple from Australia. I heard Italian being spoken in one of the restaurants, with most people, I suppose, being from the US. I was also interested to note how many of the people were professionals; doctors, nurse practitioners, alternative practitioners etc. We were also pleasantly surprised by the very large number of young people, I guess I mean in their 30s, I suppose I thought it would be mostly older people, as I am 64 and my sister-in-law 69.
The doctors etc. touched on many health issues, but the focus was really on cancer prevention, and treatment, and the idea that there are other ways to treat cancer besides blasting us with toxic drugs and radiation. Prevention is the best, of course, but we heard many stories of people who were given a very bad prognosis by conventional docs who are still alive and thriving many years later. Diet is so very important, it is really the combinaton of good clean food and water, exercise, trying to keep the environment around you as non-toxic as possible and over and over we were told of the importance of our emotional state, and what a toll it takes on the body to be in a stressful state for extended periods of time, meditation is very beneficial. Spiritual support is very important too, the idea that we are not alone.
I have to add a disclaimer, I suppose. If anyone reads about any of the speakers I will tell you about, you will read about what they do and you might read very skeptical things as well. You will have to make up your own mind about all this, I will tell you what I experienced, and what I thought and how I felt.
I will go through it day-by-day the best I can, I have a dentist appointment today so will have to stop for now.
4everstrong, I am so sorry you were told you have 3 spots on your liver. If I learned anything over the weekend, it is that there is hope out there, no matter what you are told at first. Glad you are so strong and positive!
Talk to all later,
Mary
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Hi Sylvia,
I see Exmouth!
Rhonda
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Hello All
It's been a while since I checked in. Working on my online doll shop again. It gives me great mindless joy. I've been an avid doll collector for decades but the time has come to part with a lot of my babies. My DD came up with the idea of an ebay store and it's been a success so far. More fun has been going through all the stored dolls.
I'm doing well considering the stroke. Stronger each day and and keeping my mind focused on a positive future and trying not to mire my thoughts with recurrence.
Going to a survivor workshop put on by my MO. Will be interested to see what goes on. I go to a very large cancer center and never heard of this until I got the word I was NED, or cancer free.
4everstrong, so sorry about your news, but as many others have said , if I've learned nothing else with this wretched disease is there is always hope.
Katheseward, holding your hand gently as you go through the ups and downs of treatment.
I so agree that diet and mind health are so important.
Thank you so much as always Sylvia, Mary and others for keeping this thread alive. Whether we have good or distressing news, we always have somewhere to come where we are not judged or told to get over it. Thanks so much ladies. I lurk alot but read always.
Val
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hi sylvia,
i posted just to greet and wish you well. thanks for your last post and advice my thread. you really are a wonderful person. yesterday, i've had 2d echo and blood tests, today, i'll be having bone scan. tomorrow, ct scan. results will be completed next week and then back to my MO for assessment and possible chemo sched. my mo told me to put on some weight and i'm trying to eat healthy as much as i can but i stay the same between 104 to 106 lbs. i am not underweight though. my mo told me to reach 115 if possible, in time for my chemo, but i dont think i can gain that much weight In two weeks. my cancer surgeon says its ok coz there is really a delay in gaining weight. im also scared to eat meat coz its a no-no from what ive read in holistic medicine but my cancer surgeon says i should. i dont know which to follow. the only food i can think of is free-range chicken, organic eggs and ocean fish aside from fruits and veggies.
i have an officemate who has had a breast tumor growth (i dont know the size) about 2 years ago and was adviced by a doctor to have it removed. no biopsy was done coz she was too scared and all she did was remove meat and sugar from her diet and turned strictly to juicing and eating fruits and vegetables for about a year and a half. she went back to the doctor after that and found out that her tumor has completely shrunk and she was clear! she is still monitoring her breast every 6 months, but so far so good, according to her. i guess hers can be considered somewhat a success story for natural holistic medicine (at least, from her tumor shrinkage). so, the choice between meat or no meat and overall diet really a big deal for me, especially now that i am recuperating from my recent mastectomy and about to undergo chemo. i am praying hard to God to give me signs as to what i should do next. for me, tnbc is a serious thing especially since i have a family history. i want to be the first in my family to beat cancer and i'll try to do it from all angles, from diet to medicine to physical, psychological and spiritual.
this is all for now sylvia.
i wish you well and include you and all in this community forum in my prayers.
hugs,
gmmiph
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Hello Kath,
It was nice to hear from you and to know you are feeling a bit better today. I think that is how it goes with chemotherapy.
I think it is a good idea if you can keep your work going as it will take your mind off everything. I am hoping that Taxol on a weekly basis will be a lot easier on you.
I am glad that you have someone to talk to.
Keep up the good work.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
It looks as though you had a very positive time at the symposium and I look forward to having more details about what you learned when you feel ready.
I was listening to a brief interview on the television the other day and there still seems to be a lot of hostility to alternative and complementary treatment from orthodox medicine. I hope this will change in time. They cannot keep denying that there are patients who recover from cancer without going through orthodox treatment. It can not all be made up. With my own treatment, during which I had alternative and homoeopathic as well, I do feel they must have helped. I am not saying that I would have survived on them alone. I can only say that I was told by them that I needed the orthodox treatment but they could help me all the way through. All I know is orthodox medicine told me I had a poor prognosis and I am still here over eleven years on!
I still firmly believe that prevention is the answer and that healthy eating, exercise, and trying to steer clear of environmental toxins play an essential role in trying to keep cancer at bay. I feel that stress plays a major part in causing cancer and that too many of us have too much of it during our lives. I took exception to a post I read somewhere else where someone was being adamant that stress played no part in cancer. I believe it does and I believe it makes our whole system go haywire.
That is all for today. I have to go over to Sidmouth, about 12 miles from Exmouth, to run a few errands.
Thank you Mary for the enormous support you give me in keeping the thread going.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Rhonda, Val and gmmiph,
Thank you all for your posts. I shall answer later today or tomorrow.
Wishing you all the very best.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Valstim,
It's good to hear from you again, glad to hear you are stronger every day and recovering well from the stroke. And that you are NED for cancer and starting a survivor workshop. I don't know what that could be, I guess I have only heard of the cancer support groups. Come to think of it, it makes a lot of sense. Survivors need support too, I sometimes think that physically it's harder while going through treatment, but mentally it's harder afterwards. Let us know how that goes.
It's so interesting that you have a doll collection, how many do you have? This sounds like it has been a long-time passion What are your favorite types of dolls? When I was a child I had dolls, among them were some exquisite little china dolls which probably shouldn't have been played with; I did play with them and they didn't survive, but I remember them still.
Talk to you again soon, Val!
Mary
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Hi Sylvia/all
Just thought I would pop on to see how everyone is doing.
Adagio I hope you are having a great time in Australia, I love to travel but have never visited Australia . It makes me so happy to see people having a great time after all the heartache we have been through❤️
Val your doll collection sounds amazing. My daughter had some lovely ones when she was little, I got them all out not so long ago to give them away. I brushed all their hair and gave them a wipe over .... then put them back because I couldn't part with them lol. I had a couple of the China faced ones when I was little Mary , not sure what happened to them but they were lovely.
Health wise I'm not doing too bad. I've just had a week in Gran Canaria and have caught yet another cold, lots of people where coughing on the plane, I feel my immune system is still very low so I seem to pick up everything. Also I still have an aching hip , this seems to be quite common after chemo.
I'm still trying to eat healthy( although I was a bit naughty on holiday ). I wondered for those of you who juice what are your favourite ingredients? They had a juice bar at the airport so I tried a green juice with a bit of ginger ... it was lovely. If I'm juicing at home I normally have spinach , kale, apple etc. Sometimes it tastes like poison but I think it must be doing me good lol.
Hope you are keeping well Sylvia and thanks for keeping this thread going xx
Amanda
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Hi, Sylvia and all,I will start on my first day of the symposium attended by my sis-in-law and I. Ty and Charlene Bollinger (who seem like genuinely very nice people who are passionate about their cause, which is The Truth about Cancer or TTAC) came out and greeted all of us at 8:00 AM sharp. (about 1500 people, I think.) A gentleman came up and led a short prayer, and his 3 sons performed the National Anthem, beautifully, I might add.
The first speaker was Mike Adams AKA The Health Ranger. He is not a doc but is an entrepreneur who built his own lab and does his own investigating and testing. He spoke on the dangers of glycosphate, which is the ingredient of concern in Round-Up, which is a very commonly used herbicide in this country. It is used by homeowners to spotkill weeds in the driveway, and by farmers overspraying their crops. Some seeds are genetically altered to make them "Round-up ready", which enables the user to spray the crops without worry of affecting the cash crop. It is being discovered to cause all kinds of ills, cancer among them. It is widely used in soybean growing, and soy is ubiquitous in processed foods. Adams has a website at NaturalNews.com. He also did a segment on the Harmonics of elements. He has somehow come up with a system of assigning music notes to the elements on the element table. Using that, he used a small piano to demonstrate how the "good" minerals harmonize, and the "bad" combinations are dissonant and unpleasant. (Note: my brother is an engineer, when we told him about this he was rather skeptical, I told him he had to be there!)
After this, the program went to breakout sessions, we had to decide which of 3 simultaneously running speakers we wanted to see. We chose the one by Jordan Rubin and Doctor Nuzum, which was on nutritional supplements. I will add it was very hard to choose sometimes, we could have also seen Dr. Patrick Quillan speaking on Beating Cancer with Nutrition, or a program on Vaccines and Cancer, Is there a Connection? I chose Dr. Nuzum ;because he has put out a line of supplements which are very good, and they were the only supplement that you could actually purchase while at the meeting. He went over nutrition necessary for good health, and emphasized the importance of getting the nutrients either in food or in quality supplements. I am not naive, I know he is interested in selling his product, but he is a very accomplished man, and wonderful to listen to. He was the youngest man ever to be licensed a medical doctor in the US at 20 years of age. His list of accomplishments is staggering, he is only 40 now. He stressed the importance of quality, easily digestible protein which he provides in the form of a powdered bone broth. Minerals, probiotics, medicinal mushrooms, fermented kelp, humic and fulvic acid also in other compounds. He is also partial to the use of food grade essential oils for ingesting, applying topically, and using for aromatherapy.
The next speaker we missed because we had not planned well, we hadn't eaten and needed to go take care of that.
We then returned and had to choose again between Dr. Roby Mitchell (AKA Dr. Fitt, because he is very fit!) speaking on "Inflammation: The Common Denominator in Most Medical Conditions" and two other speakers who sounded interesting also. Going through my scribbled notes reminds me that in Dr. Mitchell's opinion, many people are deficient in HCL, hydrochloric acid. He does some therapy with that and with nutrition. He also thinks many conditions come from fungal infections, and that it is important to keep the body at its' ideal temperature. He is a proponent of the Bali Diet, which stands for Basic, Antioxidant/antifungal, low insulin.
Speaking of insulin, I will add here that even though we heard different ideas from different people, one constant theme was that sugar added to diet is bad for you, I think everyone here knows that.
Note: at some point we who attended this meeting are supposed to receive all the transcribed notes and DVDs of all the speakers. That is good because I am apparently not a very good note-taker, as I realize after going over my hasty scribbles.
I became aware of a law I didn't know about, the "right to try " law. It is law in 31 states here, including mine, it says that if a person receives a terminal prognosis, they are free to try any experimental drug they wish to, even if it hasn't been cleared by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration).
I will add here that only one speaker I heard thought cancer was a disease caused by faulty genes.
Well, I am not yet through my first day, and I am going to have to stop for now. Hope it's not too muddled!
Sylvia, thanks for posting the pics of the maps of England and Australia, and the world. Wow, 2 Exmouths!
Talk to you soon,
Mary
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Hello Sylvia and all
I thought I would share with you some positive news I got yesterday. A recent MRI scan has shown that my tumour has reduced from its original size of 41 mm to 2 mm! This is despite still having 6 sessions of carbo / paclitaxel to go. I saw the oncologist earlier and he is very pleased too. It makes my surgery decision much easier and I am intending to opt for lumpectomy with radiotherapy once chemo is finished.
We had a very interesting discussion about how to stay well once treatment is finished and despite the fact that he is a v traditional oncologist he was very clear that there is huge benefit from regular exercise and a Mediterranean diet - no surprise to anyone here I know. He also told me that he is about to start a trial of the specific value of broccoli in diet ( can't recall the name of the component ingredient) so I thought that was interesting too as I know that many people do try to increase their intake of broccoli by regularly including it in juices. Finally I asked about the use of bisphosphonates ( zometa). This drug is not yet widely used in the uk although it may be in the US. There is strong evidence of its value in reducing the risk of bone mets in post menopausal women. In the uk it is still a post code lottery and so he wasn't able to raise the issue with me although happy to discuss it because I specifically asked . I do intend to take this drug - prescribed twice a year for 3 years.
Mary - thank you so much for sharing the info you got from the recent conference, it's so interesting to hear
Chris xx
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Hello gmmiph,
Thank you for your post and your kind words.
I do hope all has gone well with your various tests and scans. Please let us know the results when you have them next week.
I do not know what to think about your oncologist telling you to put on weight. If you are not underweight why would you be told to do this? You mention your weight, but you do not mention your height and this plays a role in what is considered to be your ideal weight. Chemotherapy drug doses are worked out depending on your weight and height, so it is important to get it right. How tall are you?
I cannot understand what is going on between your oncologist, your cancer surgeon and your weight. If you are your right weight for your height, what is the problem? If you are underweight, I cannot think that trying to put on weight in two weeks is the right way to go. If it is a question of getting the right dose of chemotherapy drug, then surely the way to go is to adapt the dose to your present weight, so that you do not get overdosed.
You seem to be in a bit of conflict about what to eat. If you feel you need to eat meat, have some in moderation, but if you are already not eating meat, and do not wish to, then do not eat meat. We certainly do not need meat in order to live and most of the world eats little or no meat. In the western world there is too much meat eating. If you do want to eat some, try to eat organic and stick to chicken or turkey. The trouble with meat, especially from cows, is the growth factors in them that are considered a risk factor in developing breast cancer. The same goes for dairy products. They have growth factors as well (IGF1). Again, we do not need dairy products to live and they are given too much importance in the western diet and the dairy business is very powerful, as is the meat industry.
If you want to keep sane, do not get into being a pawn between holistic medicine and your cancer surgeon who represents orthodox medicine. Inform yourself and then do what your common sense tells you is the best path for you. I think the Mediterranean diet, also known as the Rainbow diet, is the best way to go. I base my diet on fresh fruit and vegetables, organic where possible, wild salmon, no dairy (but unsweetened calcium enriched Alpro almond drink, Sojade plain sugar free soy organic yoghurt, Provamel plain or coconut unsweetened yoghurt.
I also eat organic seeds and nuts. I sometimes grind these up and use them as a base for a bowl of yoghurt. I have some organic eggs and very occasionally some goats cheese.
I have absolutely no alcohol in my diet, as it is also considered a risk in breast cancer and other illnesses and is an addictive drug.
I keep away from processed foods as much as possible and junk food. Sugar is a no-no as well and it is everywhere in the western diet.
Make up your own mind about what you eat and drink and do not be pressured by others.
I can easily believe what you related about your friend and how her tumour completely shrunk by changing her diet. I do believe these accounts of people getting rid of their cancer through alternative treatment. There are too many of these accounts for all of them to be made up. Orthodox medicine is scornful of this and puts it down to instantaneous remission. Who knows where the truth is? All I know is that I believe you are what you eat and it makes sense to eat healthily and in moderation.
I think you are on the right track with your nutrition and only you can decide what to do about treatment.
I did see a well known herbalist before I started treatment and took astragalus and wormwood before treatment. I then saw a nutritionist doctor who gave me some tips, but told me I needed to go with the orthodox treatment. It was after I saw her that I started drinking lots of green tea and eating bitter apricot kernels and I continue to do this. I was also referred to a homoeopathic cancer consultant by my breast cancer surgeon and I had homoeopathic treatment during my breast cancer treatment and for five years after that. That homoeopathic cancer consultant worked in consultation with my breast cancer surgeon all of the time. The main thing that I took was oral Iscador.
I do hope all this helps.
Today, October 20th, I have now reached 11 years and 4 months since diagnosis. I still take nothing for granted.
Let us know how you get on with everything. Where are you living? Should you not change your receptor status on your profile to triple negative? As I said before, the percentages you have for ER and PR, according to what I was told at the hospital, are negligible.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Val,
I am just popping in to say that it was nice to hear from you and to know that you are making progress.
Keep up the good work.
Fond thoughts,
Sylvia.xxx.
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Hello Mary, Amanda, and Chris,
I have just read all your posts and must say how interesting I found them all.
I shall be replying just as soon as I can.
Fond thoughts to all of you.
Sylvia xxx,
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Hi Silvia and all
I enjoyed reading your post on nutrition and I am very much interested in eating healthier even though I do eat organic and not a lot of beef.I do drink organic milk
And like cheese so I am going to try almond milk and
Limit cheese.I am also about 15 pounds overweight so eating right will help with that.I went through my second
Treatment and besides having to stick me 3 times it
Wasn't bad.We stopped in a cute little town called Katonah NY on the train route to New York.We ate Italian
And I had salmon and veggies.It is really warm here and I am going for a walk today.I told my mo that I was really sick feeling for about 4 days and she suggested taking
Another anti nausea pill and she will prescribe more-no thank you.I think fresh air and exercise will help me.I am
Also looking into acupuncture and Ayurvedic massage.
Rhonda
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Hello Amanda,
It was nice to hear from you. I was glad to read that you are not doing too badly with your health.
I was interested to know you have had just spent a week in Gran Canaria but it is a pity that you have caught another cold. I do hear a lot about people getting very unwell shortly after getting off a plane. Apart from people coughing etc., there is also the problem of really bad air in the plane from recirculated air.
I think it probably takes years for the immune system to pick up after treatment, so everyone has to be careful. I do wonder whether our bodies ever recover properly from the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We should not forget that surgery is also traumatic and anaesthetic toxic.
It is also true that cancer survivors seem to have trouble with pains and aches in various parts of the body. If I analyse my own body I can say quite truthfully that the Taxotere that I had has damaged my feet permanently. There is no cure for chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy of the feet or hands. I also can see that my eyebrows, which disappeared when I was having the Taxotere, have grown back but they are not quite the same as they were and the bony area between eyes and above the nose has remained very white compared to the rest of my face. I live with these things, I do not have a choice and it is a small price to pay for being alive.
I was glad to know you are still trying to live healthily and you should not worry if you stray from time to time. We have to make life bearable and enjoyable and not a chore.
I am not that in favour of juicing, but that is just my own opinion. I think it is much better to eat fruit and vegetables in their natural state. I think juicing fruit on its own is not good, as the sugar content, even natural sugar, is probably too high. Juicing is a form of processing and concentrates the sugar too much. The same applies to root vegetables, such as carrots. If you do want to make a vegetable juice, probably an apple or a few grapes or bits of pineapple will make it more palatable.
I am keeping fine, Amanda, and just still living one day at a time. Today marks exactly 11 years and 4 months since diagnosis.
I do hope you have been able to keep up with thread. I mentioned a book by Karol Sikora, a well known oncologist in the UK, and I have ordered it and am waiting for delivery.s
would you mind putting your treatment details in your profile, so that we can see them when you post. It is so helpful and also gives hope and motivation to the newly diagnosed.
Keep well and keep happy.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
Thank you for your detailed post.
It is good that Round Up (glyphosate) is getting a lot of publicity. It is a known carcinogen. As for soy, we need to buy organic and hope for the best. The soy yoghurts that I buy are organic.
I think on this thread, we all know the importance of good nutrition. Chris Woollams gave us that information years ago and continues to give it.
I would love to find out about whether there is a connection between cancer and vaccines. Goodness only knows what has been put into vaccines. In the UK doctors seem to be pushing the shingles vaccine at the moment and doing it at the same time as the flu vaccine. I do not have either of these.
I think on the thread we should also know that there is a connection between inflammation and all chronic illnesses. I think it is the western diet that causes the inflammation.
I was interested to read about the Bali diet – basic antioxidant/antifungal low insulin.
It is good to keep emphasising how bad sugar is for us and how addictive it is. The western diet is loaded with sugar. We also need to watch out for the high fructose in so many foods. In a supermarket this week I was amazed at the wall to wall bottles of sauces, all probably full of sugar, not to mention wall to wall jars of jam etc., aisles of biscuits, chocolate, cakes and so on. None of this is nutrition. It was much better when we had small shops and no supermarkets. Good nutrition is basic simple food in its most natural state.
I was most interested to read about the law, the right to try. I agree with it.
I was not surprised to read that only one speaker you heard thought that cancer was a disease caused by faulty genes. I tend to agree that it is a minority of cancers that is caused by faulty genes and that genetics has been blown out of proportion.
I am glad you liked the pictures of the maps of the UK, Australia and the World. I think it is important to join up all the dots, so that we have an idea of where we all are.
Yes, fancy that, two Exmouths. I wonder if they are twinned.
Thank you, Mary, for all that work.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Chris and Rhonda,
Thank you for your posts. I am still catching up, so I shall post more later. By the way, we have just passed 8,000 posts on the thread.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello to all,
I am going to try to get through the first day of conference . It is now about 2:30 Texas time, and we go to the meeting with Dr. Leigh Connealy MD. She heads up the Center for New Medicine and the Cancer Center for Healing in Irvine CA. Her speech is entitled "Cancer is Merely a Symptom". Another speech at the same time, different speaker, was "The Autonomic Nervous System's role in Cancer." I would have liked to go to that one as well, but as I said, we are supposed to be receiving DVDs of all speeches so I may see it sometime.
Dr. Connealy's opinion is that the body is already ill if one gets cancer. Here again my notes fail me, but prevention is everything. It is very important to keep the immune system strong with nutrition, and at her clinic she does offer "light" chemotherapy if needed. She also offers many tests to show if one has cancer, which gives one the opportunity to catch it while it's small. She mentioned the OncoBlot, a BioImmune Survey, and a Cancer Profile Test. She also does not use mammograms and some other x-rays containing radiation, but uses thermography instead. This came up many times by many speakers, as they talked about the dangers of radiation from mammograms, CT scans, etc. She has a book out that looks interesting "The Cancer Revolution: A Groundbreaking Program to Reverse and Prevent Cancer". I was somewhat familiar with her before and do find her to be someone I think I would go see if I was in the area.
The next speaker we saw was Dr. Charles Majors. His speech was titled "Cancer Killers-Getting to the Cause is the Only Cure." He did say he himself had Stage 4 bone-marrow cancer that had metastasized to the brain. He was hospitalized but also put himself on a ketogenic diet, which is a very low-carb diet. This causes the body to burn ketones instead of sugar, the cancer cells love sugar and they are not getting any, so they begin to die. He is now 5 years cancer-free, but remains on his strict diet. He is a believer in testing to see what is going on in the body, because he believes that cancer is a result of the body being unable to handle the toxins affecting it. Tests include for : Toxin levels, Vitamin D levels, Hormone and Thyroid levels, Leaky gut and leaky brain, Food sensitivities and Fatty acid ratio. He believes that cancer is secondary, not primary.
Note: almost all of the speakers commented on the importance of a healthy gut, it has to be healthy for the immune system to keep the rest of the body healthy.
Next we saw A.J. Lanigan. He was educated in Pharmacy Medicine, did not receive an advanced degree but went out on his own and explored immunology further. He developed a product called BetaGlucan, a product that enhances the functioning of the macrophage white cell. He did not push this product at all, so I had to look it up later to see what it was about. He is also considered an expert in ozone therapy. His talk was titled "The Human Immune System from Infancy to Old Age." He showed video and slides illustrating in very simple pictures and texts how the immune system develops and operates. And what makes it weaker vs. stronger. I would like to add he is also very funny, and injects a lot of down-home humor in his presentation.
I apologize because when I read over this, some of it comes out very simplistic. We would get engrossed in the speeches and fail to get good notes, so I just wanted to say that most of the speakers were very compelling.
Now we are at the end of our day in "school". There was one more speaker but our brains were full, and my brother had come to the hotel to have dinner with us, so we called it a day. A very full day!
I will get to Day 2 as soon as I can.
Good to hear from all of you,
Mary
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My morning walk!
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Hello Chris,
It was good to hear from you and it is great news about how much your tumour has shrunk during your chemotherapy. Your tumour is almost non-existent now. Have you been having the carboplatin with the epirubicin and cyclophosphamide or are now going to have six separate sessions of carboplatin? I ask this because I am interested to know what carboplatin may have had in the shrinkage if it was used. Did you think to ask about the carboplatin if it was included?
I can understand why you may now be thinking in terms of a lumpectomy. Bear in mind that when a lumpectomy is done and there not clear margins, a second lumpectomy may be done to obtain this. At the hospital where I was, if two lumpectomies did not obtain clear margins then a mastectomy was suggested.
It is good to know that oncologists are at last admitting the big role of the Mediterranean/Rainbow diet and exercise in trying to prevent cancer. They should have listened to Chris Woollams years ago!
It is true that broccoli is said to be very important as part of a cancer prevention diet. All of the cabbage family is important. There is an ingredient in broccoli called sulforaphane which is supposed to be important. There is also a supplement that has been around for a while which is supposed to be good but the name escapes me at the moment. However, I do not believe one vegetable or a supplement based on it will cure cancer.
It is hard for me to know what to say about bisphosphonates, which includes Zometa. They have been around a long time. They are used to treat osteoporosis and have nasty side effects. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer they were used only for metastatic breast cancer to treat it. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis due to cancer treatment and due perhaps to an over active parathyroid gland which was discovered at the same time. My oncologist suggested bisphosphonates to treat the osteoporosis but I refused and I shall never take bisphosphonates. I did mention bisphosphonates to my breast cancer consultant surgeon and she said they were nasty and that she would not want to take them. My homoeopathic consultant said the same. I definitely would not take them as a preventive for metastatic breast cancer to the bone. I have friends who took them for osteoporosis and they did not help and they can cause necrosis of the jaw.
I believe the medical establishment is too ready to medicate as many people as they can, regardless of the side effects.
We all have to make our own decisions.
I hope you continue to make good progress.
Take care. Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Rhonda,
Thank you for posting the photograph of yourself out for your walk. The scenery looks good. Where exactly are you?
My husband and I visited New York many years ago when we lived in Montreal, Canada. We actually drove from Montreal to Manhattan where my husband was going on a business trip. New York was very vibrant and never seemed to sleep. We went on the Subway to Central Park, and the Staten Island ferry. We went up the Statue of Liberty and also went up the World Trade Center. It all seems many years ago now.
How is the chemotherapy going? You look fit and healthy!
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
I can see that you have been very busy again. I shall re-read your post tomorrow and hope that I shall finally have caught up.
I am eagerly awaiting delivery of two books. One is The Street-Wise Patient's Guide to Surviving Cancer – How to be an Active, Organised, Informed and Welcomed Patient, Karol Sikora, a very well known oncologist. His book was reviewed in Vita Magazine.
I am also getting a book entitled How Not to Die – Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease.
I shall talk to you tomorrow.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia,
It wasn't bad but it takes a few days to kick in-I am praying it will be better this time.I am in Palenville which is a hamlet of CAtskill NY.Thomas Cole was from CAtskill
And the mountains are beautiful.We are 2 hours north of New York City.I am trying to walk every day!
Rhond
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Hey Sylvia,
Sorry about info overload! I am trying to get it in while it is somewhat fresh in my mind.
As to info on vaccines, there was a woman who spoke on vaccines, but we didn't go. It was in conflict with another speaker we wanted to hear. Her name is Mary Tocco. The website is childhoodshots.com I have gone and looked at it, interesting. I have a dear niece with an autistic child, and there is stuff about vaccines and autism and much more, for adults and adults with children.
I will wait till later to start Day 2. There are only 3 days altogether.
Talk later, my friend,
Mary
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Hi, Rhonda,
What a nice pic of you and your dog out in the woods, very pretty. I was in your area many years ago. I was in Woodstock but it was a few years after the big concert. I did meet a couple of famous people while there, I was very starstruck! And it's definitely a beautiful area.
Hope the chemotherapy sessions get easier, I was told the effects were cumulative, so the stronger you can keep yourself the better. Everyone is different. You look wonderful!
Talk to you soon,
Mary
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Hi, Amanda,
Good to hear from you, I share your fear of the air on planes! It seems like every time I get back from a trip, I feel under the weather. I'm never sure, though, if it's something in the air or an allergy that's in the air here at home. I spent a long weekend in Texas a few days ago and felt wonderful while there. We were in a huge climate-controlled convention hotel with a glass atrium. You felt as if you were outside even though you weren't. I didn't have a cough or a sniffle, and had lots of energy. I got home Monday about 2 PM and about 3 hours later my nose was completely clogged and I had a headache. Ugh!! I had a few days of knowing what it's like to feel well without an allergy.
In December I am going to Aruba, I am looking forward to seeing how I feel in a dry desert climate. While lying on the beach!
I'm glad you kept your dolls, when you're ready you will let them go.
Talk later, Mary
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Hi, Chris,
It sounds like you have a forward-looking oncologist, better than the norm. My MO told me to stop all supplements while on chemo because I would be protecting the cancer cells. That just doesn't sound right, but at the time I knew nothing and I did as I was told. They didn't care what I ate, and said calories were the important thing. So I was given a case of "Boost", and I didn't drink it because it tasted awful. Now I know that it is loaded with sugar and not that much protein! I definitely lost muscle while losing weight on chemo. Too bad I didn't have more knowledge about what to eat, or take in when I didn't feel like eating.
I have seen an article about the bisphosphonates perhaps keeping metastatic bone cancer away. I really have no opinion, except I don't like unnecessary drugs. If it really works, it's quite a breakthrough. But as Sylvia said, there are side effects as with every drug. I have a friend who was diagnosed with osteoporosis after going through lumpectomy and chemo, she refused to take the bisphosphonate drug and did weight-bearing exercise instead. I am going to check with her about results of her latest Bone Density Test
More stuff coming from conference!
Talk soon, Mary
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