Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Pam and all,
I saw this article on a message sent to me, might be pertinent to you.
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/prevent-radiation-...
I did not have radiation, but know it can damage skin, and I noticed you said your skin had split. Maybe some of these can help.
Mary
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To all:
Some nutrition tips, all very readily available, most of us are probably already eating these.
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/nutrients-block-ca...
Mary
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Hello Mary,
It was nice to hear from you. Like you, I take no notice of what the media says. In this country they seem to have completely brainwashed most of the population. I watched Donald Trump making his speech at Boeing and I thought it all made sense. I feel his first duty is to his country and its people.
Here in the UK we have the dreaded Tony Blair popping up and making stupid speeches about how those people who voted to leave the EU did not know what they were doing and of course hints of having another referendum. I cannot believe he has the audacity to pop up. He has caused so much trouble since starting an illegal war on a false premise in Iraq. I think he is trying to get back as leader of the Labour Party or has set his sights on becoming President of the EU. He may have won three elections for Labour, but he did not govern as a Social Democrat. I think the Labour Party has gone seriously astray since Atlee, Wilson and Callaghan.
I am going to do some serious searching about gum disease. I have been reading that book, The Cancer Whisperer, by Sophie Sabbage. I do recommend it to everyone on the thread. I do hope you can find a copy of it. I have it in paperback and it was published in 2017. There are some very interesting chapters, such as Chapter 3, Understanding your Disease, Chapter 5, Stabilising your body, Chapter 10, the Best medicine. I read in one of the chapters that gum disease is a possible factor in the development of cancer. This is not the first time I have read this. It is well known that gum disease can cause heart problems because it causes plaque build up around the heart – not the sort of plaque that forms on teeth!
I need to find the pages again, but there were interesting things about going back through your life and establishing parts of it that may have been a contributory factor in the development of your cancer years later. There is so much in this book and such a lot of information about how to direct yourself from the moment of diagnosis. I hope we shall be able to discuss this book on the thread.
She does have a blog and the link is sophiesabbage.com/blog. You can sign up for notifications of blog posts, free downloads (including her "Trace the roots of your Cancer", videos, questionnaire) and news of future events at www.sophiesabbage.com.
That is about all for today. I always seem to have too much to do these days.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Kath,
What a shock that must have been for you to have the accident! Glad you are okay, the man who saw your wig fly off is probably still shaking. Sorry about your car, I hope you will not have trouble finishing your treatments.
I was driving home yesterday and the car in front of me was behind a truck, pulling a trailer filled with very large round hay bales, about 1/2 ton each. Two of them fell off, with one falling on the car! The lady driver swerved off the road, but the car still got partially crushed. She was traveling with two children, everyone was frightened but okay, except for the car!
Hope all goes smoothly for you from here on,
Talk soon, Mary
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Hello Amanda,
It was nice to see you back on the thread.
I do hope all will go well for the x-ray and for the mammogram. Check ups are always an anxious time.
When is your 50th birthday this year? It sounds as though you are going to do some enjoyable travelling this year. I shall look forward to hearing about all these travels.
Keep in touch. I do like to hear from my UK posters.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Hanieh,
I mentioned in my last post to you that I talked to our parish priest last week, he gave me some counseling and some common-sense advice.
1. Keep a journal. Get an inexpensive notebook, and write down negative emotions and all about how you are feeling at the time, put it all down as best as you can. What set off the feelings? How intense ar they? Write it down and close the book until next time.
2. Meditation. Sit in a comfortable chair, or lie down. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Choose a 4-syllable mantra for yourself. (Since he is a priest, he chose an Aramaic word for God). Repeat the mantra over and over. Your mind will want to wander, just keep repeating the mantra, and do a deep calm breathing until the timer goes off. Do this twice a day. If this sounds too much, start with 10 minutes at a time, working up to 20. This used to be called Transcendental Meditation, I think now it's also called Mindfulness. I had a boyfriend many years ago who did this, always in the lotus postion. I don't think I could sit in the lotus position for 20 minutes right now, maybe later!
3. Welcoming the negative. When the negative emotions come to you, the fear, anger, helplessness etc., do not run from them. Welcome them in, feel them, and then tell the feelings to go out and begone, all while incorporating the deep diaphragm breathing. (Since he is a priest, he invokes God to usher out the negative feelings.) I found this rather profound, since I know in my own life, when the negative emotions come, I try to busy myself with some task so as not to think about it. In other words, I have been running away from the feelings instead of sitting down and trying to deal with them.
Hope this helps, I am going to try them too, actually I have already started. I have been advised many times to do the meditation, just never took the time, too busy keeping busy! This time the advice took hold.
Talk to you later, love, Mary
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Hello Marias,
I had epirubicin and cyclophosphamide for my chemotherapy treatment. This is EC and yours has AC, so you had doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. Epirubicin (Ellence) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin) are the same group of drugs. I did not have fluorouracil (F) but we are all different and we all have slight variations in treatment. Do not worry about this. After that I had docetaxel (Taxotere) every three weeks for three months. In some countries patients have Taxotere and in others paclitaxel (Taxol) both drugs are taxanes, so do not worry about this.
I went for regular check ups with the oncologist before each chemotherapy session and the size of the tumour was measured with a ruler. It shrank a little but not completely. After the chemotherapy and a bit of time to recover, I had a mastectomy of the right breast, seven nodes removed and one only affected. After surgery I was NED but still had radiotherapy to mop up any possible stray cells.
The treatment you are having is the same, more or less, that I had. Chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the tumour is known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. It shrinks the tumour to make surgery easier.
You need to go through all your chemotherapy to the end and then see what has happened to the size of the tumour. Do not worry if has not shrunk completely. The surgery will get rid of the remaining tumour.
Take one day at a time and do not jump ahead. Do your chemotherapy, recover as much as you can, and then prepare for your surgery.
If that were me, I would complete all of my chemotherapy treatment. I never thought of not completing it.
You said you have a My risk test to see if you have the faulty genes, BRCA1 and/or BRCA2. Fill in the questionnaire and the medical team will tell you whether they think you need to see a genetic specialist to be tested for these faulty genes.
I asked to have an interview about all this, but the nurse said I did not need to see a genetic consultant to test for these genes, because of the age at which I was diagnosed. Apparently the younger a person is the more likelihood that they will have a faulty gene. If you want, and can afford it, in the UK you can have this test done privately.
You said that the doctors have told you to eat all your food cooked. This is because you are having chemotherapy and your immune system will be very weak. A weak immune system makes you vulnerable to picking up germs and infection. Cooked food is less likely to cause infection than uncooked food. I was told not to eat any raw food or any seafood while on chemotherapy. You should also stay away from crowded places, public transport and people with colds etc. because you will be very vulnerable.
I was also told to have a flu injection and pneumonia injection before I started my chemotherapy. My husband had them too.
I was also told to have a dental check up and any dental treatment before I started chemotherapy because I would not be able to have any dental treatment during chemotherapy for fear of infection.
Do not drink or eat any dairy products, especially milk.
Do not eat anything with sugar. It is believed that cancer feeds on sugar.
Fruit is very good for you but do not overdo it because of sending your blood sugar level too high. Berries are excellent.
The most important food is vegetables, especially green ones, members of the cabbage family. Do not overdo carbohydrates.
It is better to eat fruit and vegetables in their natural state rather than processed ones.
I did enjoy learning Spanish and I can still read it very well. I did French and Spanish at school and loved them both. I did a lot more French than Spanish. I started French at age 12 at grammar school and did it for seven years, passing O level and A level. At the same time I did Latin because I needed it for university. I did Spanish when I was 16 and did O level in one year and then A level the next year. I went to university to do an honours degree in French with Spanish as a second subject. It was four year French course with the third year spent in France teaching. I did Spanish for three years as a second subject tot the French course. I have not had a lot of opportunity to use it since then, as after university I lived in France and Morocco.
I did a degree in English in France. I have studied a lot of literature. However, all that was long ago.
It looks as though we do a lot of the same things for food. I have flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia, and hemp. I also eat quinoa from time to time.
I was interested in your work at Valley College. It must be very interesting. I shall look at your link entitled apoyoemocional. I now have three links to look at!
I was most interested in what you said about "public politics". I am sure you will be able to get back to this when this cancer journey is over.
I do hope that reading the thread will help you with your English. You seem to be doing very well. If you do not understand anything we say, just tell us and we can find a more simple way of saying things. I have taught both English and French as a second language, so I am very familiar with the difficult parts of English for foreign students.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Mary,
Thanks for the advice on meditation or mindfulness.This is something that I have wanted to try.I know there are apps that help you to focus on your breathing and quieting the mind.I think being outside helps,too.
Rhonda
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Hello Sylvia, for my headach the doctor take my a TAC, every was good. Since I stopped working on November 3, I did not get a headache again.
My last course in the university was in agost, it was Globalization course. I have some lectures in spanish, but I found one in english that I send to you.
NO LOGO OF NOAMI KLEIN
http://www.tcnj.edu/~allyn/No%20Logo%20-%20Naomi%20Klein.pdf
This clase make me get really sad, because I understand how the governments of the countries are getting smaller and as the multinationals are taking over everything, without any regulation that allows them to abuse the environment, the worker and everything in general.
Remember when I was in Rome in August of 2014, that what I saw around me were people from Bangladesh, they were the ones who sold the tours, those who sold the pizzas, those who took care of business for tourists. People who have left their country, because of the high levels of poverty, exclusion, abuse, slavery and they have to venture to other countries where they are equally excluded. And all for the corruption and greed of the multinationals. These multinationals represented by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund set the conditions for governments to do what they should and should not do. The countries and governments losing their independence and their culture.
At the recent meeting of the most powerful countries in the world, the director of the International Monetary Fund is seen, and no one asks, what sovereign people has chosen her, none, but she is the one who commands.
Another lecture was the world is flat of Thomas L Friedman, I put here the link with the lecture in english too. He is a reporter, and describes what he sees, obviously not an economist or sociologist, so he shows a part of globalization without estimating the impact that it in the increase of the economic gap between countries, society, etc.
http://www.labeee.ufsc.br/~luis/egcec/livros/globaliz/TheWorldIsFlat.pdf
Another lecture was "Globalization and its discontents" of Joseph E. Stiglitz; A great economist who shows the disastrous effects of globalization in the poor countries of the world.
I found this in english is not complete...
http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/tiberg/MPA_Asia_Apr_201...
I need to detail the other texts on the welfare state, but mainly the authors are Spanish.
I have a thesis of a Spanish philosopher who does all the count from the antiquity on welfare, also I am going to put the link.
http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/41693/...
I forgot Manuel Castell. with the text
- The Information Society and the Welfare State: The Finnish Model. Oxford UP, Oxford (2002) (co-author, Pekka Himanen ) this is the link of part of his book in spanish.
- http://herzog.economia.unam.mx/lecturas/inae3/cast...
Receive an immense hug, and I am attentive to your comments.
A hug
Marias
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Hi Sylvia,
Sylvia, I forgot to talk to you about how I use flaxseed. Actually I have found roasted flaxseed without added sugar or salt and I take one teaspoon every night.
Every night I also eat some raw broccoli with cherry tomatoes as I like the combination of both. They taste good together.
Our new year will be 1396. It begins exactly at the beginning of the spring. Today is the first day of our last month and Tehran is very busy with heavier traffic and more crowded streets and shopping centers. It's enjoyable to see people busy with new year tasks.
Love
Hanieh
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Hello Valley
Happy to hear you are going stronger ever day. I'm sure by all your positive energies and faith you can recover well from all that has happened to you.
Love
Hanieh
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lilyp6
Congratulations on your finishing all the treatment. Wish you a lifelong of health and happiness.
Hanieh
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Hi Kath
Sorry to hear you had such an accident but what you said about your wig and the boy s possible reaction made me laugh. I'm really happy that you are fine and wish you get better and better everyday.
Love
Hanieh
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Hi Mary
Thank you so much for your sharing such valuable 3 exercises . I m happy to hear you felt better after talking to him. I sure will practice them too. We must practice such things to achieve the peace and comfort we need to get on with our lives. I try to read as many books as I can to help myself. I read some psychological books . They give me better feelings but I should try to stick to them.
Pains should not scare us. We can be like others dealing with pains without scares and fears. ( right now I am having some strange but mild hip pain.LOL)
Love
Hanieh
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Hi Amanda
Happy to hear from you. I hope to hear the best news of health from you after receiving the results of your xray and mamo. I also have my 6-month checkup in 23 days. Hope everything goes well.
It's really good to have such a support group as you mentioned. Everyone should try to find ways of getting some comfort and peace. No one can really help us but we ourselves.
Wish you all the best
Hanieh
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Hi marias
Thank you so much for your kind words.
I sometimes take zolpidem to sleep but not very often. Its effect usually disappear early in the morning when I wake up.
Also, thank you so much for your positive words about our country. Actually, because of our rich natural resources and oil, our country had been colonised by some western countries in the past. Yet , history is what is always written by those in power and no one can really understand the truth. I appreciate independence, peace and harmony with all the world. We really deserve more and our politicians should try to do more to give us what we really deserve. No one likes terrorism, colonialism and religious or nonreligious extremism. We need the West and the West needs us and there should be a mutual respect between the two. Our politicians should gain the world's trust and the world should build the confidence in Iran. We are not terrorists and what politicians do is not always what we really want. I hope one days all the enmity between the nations end and people live in peace and harmony with the politicians that really care about the people.
Love
Hanieh
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Hi Sylvia and all lovely ladies,
It's lovely to read all the messages gives lot of confidence that we all are doing same things. I am aware about tamoxifen and side effects. Before I was put on tamoxifen my MO explained about side effects and thought even though it is slightly positive it is worth trying. Anyway as it did not suit me I don't think he will re start.
I was more concered about the headache due to the history of disease. Headache are still there not much intense and only on right side.
I am managing just ok. Some days are better than others. If I do not have headache I feel great though once headache started gives me all the negative thoughts. Then I find it hard to deal with.
Recently I have joined mindfulness course which I am staring tomorrow. I also do yoga 4 times a week which has really helped. I have noticed I have got memory loss, takes longer time to remember things and find hard to concentrate.
I am a young mum have two lovely daughters 9 yrs and 20 month old and live in the UK.
I have changed the settings in the profile hopefully you all can see my details.
God bless all
Nili
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Hi Mary and Sylvia,
Thanks for your nice posts and kind words to me. The real life of this thread is both of you. You're perfectly complementary to each other and together, your comments, insights, advices and answers to every questions here are so well balanced and provide a wider view.
A good example is Sylvia's advice on natural foods which is complimented by your advice on meditation. Even in your countries' politics, you seem to have the same wavelenght. When one is missing, the other seem to take over the message posts and vice versa, making this thread active, lively and interesting. I sometimes try to be an occassional clown providing some humor to lighten up the atmosphere but you two provide the main support system and I can see more ladies getting involved in the posts.
I'm glad you're both active on this thread because you help many people. Thank you for that. You must be soulmates. I think you both should have some kind of a tv or radio talk show or something. Lol!
I have just had my blood extraction this morning and the result may come about four hous after. If my counts are ok, then i'll have my last chemo in two days. Fingers crossed.
My son's 5th birthday will be a day after my chemo so i am hoping that there will be no severe side effects that i cant handle. My son will be having a small simple party at school and I have yet to decide whether i'd cook or just order fastfood. Depends on how my condition would be. My DH and Mommy will be on standby to assist me on this.
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Adagio and Valstim,
thanks for the posts, support and kind words. Love you.
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Kath and Rhonda,
Wish you luck on your treatments, we're almost done. May you be safe always and have an easier time with treatments.
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Hanieh,
Contnue to be strong and try to relax so as not to be too stressed about your own pains and those of your friends. Wish you NED too, just like the others.
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For marias, thanks for the links about lymphedema/tamoxifen and that of nordic walking. I will look deeper into them.
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Hello to Pam, Maggie, Amanda, and Nili welcome back.
To all the others, wish you the best.
Love,
Gina
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Happy Sunday Everyone,
Sylvia, Thanks so much for the reminder about nutrition. I haven't "gone soy" with my dairy yet, but I do use almond milk, and the best quality butter and yogurts that I can find. I have been making an effort to choose fermented foods whenever I can as well. I learned a long time ago about the importance of a healthy gut. My latest favorite vegetable is Swiss Chard sauteed with olive oil, orange zest, and orange juice. I'm also doing my best to be patient and to give my radiated skin time to heal.
Mary, Thanks for information about the natural protocols for radiation burns. With the exception of the Silvadene burn cream, I've been using organic aloe gel and Miaderm, which contains aloe and calendula. I even tried to use my aloe plant, but it was just too much work to create a continuous supply of spreadable gel. I'm also inspired to make more time for meditation.
Gina, I hope you are able to have your final chemo, and a great party as well.
Kath, That was a big accident - it's really lucky you had only minor injuries. The part with the wig was hysterical.
Hanieh, Thanks so much for your kind wishes about the end of my treatment. I think we all have the challenge of finding ways to cope with our fears now. At least we can reach out and support each other from all over the world as we move forward.
Nili, I noticed that you are a fellow yogi. I'm looking forward to resuming my yoga practice as soon as my body is ready.
Marias, Thanks so much for the info on the Nordic Walk. I'm looking forward to reviewing it. I will definitely see if we have some pictures from Colombia to share.
Cheers, Pam
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Thanks Pam for you the well wishes and congratulations for finishing your rads treatment. I hope we all achieve NED for life!
Gina
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Hello Marias,
Thank you for your interesting post. Your courses at the university seem very interesting. I would be very interested in reading anything you want to send from your courses in Spanish. Do not send anything that is too long, because I like to print them off and read them. I do not like to spend too much time in front of the computer, as I think this is very bad for our health, not to mention our posture.
I do know about Naomi Klein. She is very well known here and so are her books. I do agree that the world is being run by big business and that our politicians have become just puppets. In the UK there are too many people, especially children, who are living in poverty and are not getting a chance in life. Too many people here are not earning enough money to live properly and the money they earn is insufficient for them to have a decent life. Different governments come and go and they do nothing of any consequence. I feel that globalisation had brought down people's standard of living. Here in the UK we need to control our borders and our authority as a sovereign country. Immigrants are being exploited as they work for next to nothing, and modern day slavery is alive and well.
Thank you for the link to the book by Thomas L Friedman entitled the World is Flat. He is not somebody that I know.
Joseph E Stiglitz is someone who is very well known and very much in vogue at the moment in the UK. His name comes up quite a lot during political discussions. Another name much in vogue is Thomas Piketty and his book Capital. My husband, Raymond, read it, even though it was 700 pages long!!
Thank you for your other links. I shall not have time to read all these books, but they all sound interesting.
I have read a lot over the years, fiction and non-fiction, and I have strong views about what I think is right and wrong in this world. I obviously concentrate more on the UK because this where I have lived most of my life. I think that it is the first duty of any country to take care of its citizens from the cradle to the grave. I think that the 1945 Labour Government under Clement Atlee was the best government we have had since the Second World War. It has all gone sadly wrong since then and we seem to be going backwards. Tony Blair spoilt the Labour Party and I think it is finished now. It has lost its way. Our country is too old-fashioned and too unequal.
I have to end now as I have quite a lot to do.
Concentrate on your treatment and getting through your cancer journey. If you can, read the book the Cancer Whisperer by Sophie Sabbage. It is easy to understand.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I am glad to see that you are all speaking to one another on this thread.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Sylvia,
I did order the "cancer whisperer" on your recommendation. I found 2 old gift cards from Barnes and Noble, they totaled more than enough to buy that book and another and I still have some left. What riches! Our local (30 miles) Barnes and Noble closed down for some reason, so I can only order from them online. That leaves us with only one small local bookstore, and it is locally owned. I would go to it more when I am in town, but parking is an issue there.
I had to smile at your characterization of the "dreaded Tony Blair"! Isn't it amazing that these people can never go away? They just hang about forever in the wings and pop up to make their announcements as if anyone cares. I think our ex-president George W. Bush is the exception, never a peep out of him after he left office, until he did make an appearance to urge people not to vote for Donald Trump. You can see how that worked out! They have an inflated idea of their self-importance!
Yes, it is surprising that gum disease can cause all these serious conditions! I can't believe that the dentists I saw years ago let me go on with it for so long. Of course, maybe they didn't realize the seriousness at the time either? This was in pre-ubiquitous Google days, and it's possible not as much was known about the dangers. Root canals are also not a good idea, it is said that the tooth is always infected when the need for this arises, and killing the nerves does nothing about the infection but only removes the feeling of it.
I will talk to you again soon, we finally got a little rain last night, and we are still unseasonably warm. My lilac bushes have green shoots on them, and it is far too early. We will have more freezes and they will get nipped by cold at some point.
Love, Mary
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Hello Mary,
I was glad to know you managed to buy a copy of the Cancer Whisperer and I hope you find it interesting.
Thank you for your PM as well. This expression "cradle to the grave" should not be taken literally. It was brought in to help those in need and it was based on temporary measures for those that needed help. It was brought in to a country where there was dreadful poverty. The generation of my parents and especially grandparents experienced real hardship and many ended up in terrible institutions known as the Workhouse. Of course, people have to work and earn a living. In this country there has been a lot of abuse of the Benefits system and it has become a way of life for some who just do not want to work. The system has to be blamed for letting this happen. In 1951 Atlee's government was voted out because prescription charges had to be brought in to help finances. It is all compounded today by the EU and open borders where people can walk into our country and get all sorts of welfare aid to which they have not contributed. I have no political allegiance any more, but I do believe the government is elected by the people for the people and that countries should not be run by big business.
I do wonder whether Brexit is ever going to happen. We now have to put up with the Lords messing around and 191 of them making long-winded speeches. There are 900 of them if you can believe it! They are paid far too much, £300 just for signing in each day, even if they do not stay. They also receive huge expenses. I would love to see a democratically elected house and certainly not 900 of them. The House of Commons has only 640 MPs. The dreaded Peter Mandelsohn is in the Lords. He is the great chum of the awful Blair.
I bought an interesting book yesterday in Exeter in a bookshop called The Works. It has books at greatly reduced prices. It is entitled "Illness is not inevitable – Disease Free". It is by Readers Digest and is based on hundreds of medical studies and advice from than 100 top doctors. It further says on the cover "Proven Ways to PREVENT more than 90 Common Health Conditions, Both Major and Minor".
It is a very good reference book, with lots of interesting charts.
This afternoon I was looking at the part that says "Discover the 12 steps to total prevention". I am going to try to put on the thread the chart covering the 12 steps.
Another part is entitled "What causes disease" and there are colourful illustrations of the top six.
1. High blood pressure.
2. Intra-abdominal fat.
3. Depression.
4. Insulin resistance.
5. Bad cholesterol ratio.
6. Inflammation.
I like the format of it which asks "What is it? What causes it? Why is it dangerous? and Top Prevention Strategies".
A large part of the book is an A to Z disease prevention, with illustrations, going from Acne to Yeast Infections. There is also a part entitled Disease Preventing Recipes and another entitled Symptoms you should Never Ignore.
I am going to research more about gum disease, because it seems to be at the root of so many chronic diseases due to persistent low level inflammation. My dentist says nothing can be done except good dental hygiene and periodontal probing. He says the only other solution is to be on antibiotics for life. I have read somewhere else that a patient needs to consult a holistic dentist.
I have also heard bad things about root canal work.
It has been a gloomy day today, but the grounds are looking better as daffodils and camellias appear.
It is true what you say about one should never discuss politics and religion, but it is hard to avoid them. They are part of everyday life and it has always been so. They are the cause of wars, along with territory.
Would you believe that last night people were out in front of Parliament in London protesting against Donald Trump coming here on a State Visit. With all that is wrong in this country, I would think they should be out protesting about the demise of the NHS, lack of social care for the elderly, anarchy in the prisons, child poverty, problems in education, shortage of teachers, problems in the universities with students copying essays off the internet, people sleeping on the streets, and so on and so forth.
That is all for now. It is good to talk about anything we want, so long as we respect other people's rights to have their views. We do not want to identify ourselves by our breast cancer.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Val,
Thanks for thinking I am keeping up with everyone, because this week I have not. Things have just seemed very busy, and I have been out a lot. I am going to try and catch up.
I'm glad you feel stronger every day, some days I feel I have gone a step forward, and then sometimes like a step back. I am getting more of the "You really look good!" things, so maybe that's half the battle? Or maybe they just mean because I have gained back the 15 lbs. I lost during chemo! Which is fine, I was much too thin and I felt very fragile and bony. I would rather feel strong!
Talk to you soon, oh, my lilacs are budding, and so is my Japanese maple, I see trouble ahead when it gets cold again!
Talk soon, Mary
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Hi, Nili,
I have not yet said "hello!" to you, so welcome to the thread!
I don't know what to think about your headache, I hope it is gone by now. Everyone reacts in a different way to these cancer drugs, but most of us have not had Tamoxifen. The clear MRIs should give you reassurance, my doctor also ordered one on my brain after chemo.
I am probably way behind the times talking to you, I am trying to catch up!
You don't have to be silent, we talk a lot!
Mary
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Hi, Amanda,
How exciting to have 2 trips to look forward to, I think it's almost medically necessary to have these holidays hanging out before us! Singapore with a stop in Dubai, and Jamaica later in the year; I think I remember you have been in Dubai before? Have you ever been in Singapore? Sounds very exotic and exciting! And your 50th birthday! Be sure and let us know when so Gina can send you pictures and we all can send acknowledgments!
I am excited to say I am going, with my sis-in-law, on a Mediterranean cruise in May. We just got our flight itinerary and I will actually be on English soil for about 1 1/2 hours, in the airport that is. I will be breathing the English air with you and Sylvia briefly! And then we fly from London to Rome. We are spending an extra couple of nights in Rome and then to the ship. Sis-in-law will be 60 this year, I guess we are celebrating that. Our first trip to Europe!
In late September several family members and I will be traveling to Connecticut on the East Coast USA, for a family wedding. That is all I have planned for now, but I do like having something to look forward to, I just need to learn better packing skills! Any tips would be appreciated!
Talk soon, Mary
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Hi, Marias,
I think most of us here did wear a wig while bald, at least some of the time. I didn't like it, it always felt like a hat I didn't want to wear. I had 2 wigs, my husband really liked one of them, and I think he liked it better than my own hair! When I had hair, that is. He has been gone now for 2 years.
I am sorry to hear about the seeming lawlessness in Colombia, what kind of government do you have? If there has been a law passed "the law of victims", is there nobody to enforce that law? Without laws enforced, there is no security for the law-abiding I am sorry about the student where you work who has disappeared, it sounds like everyone including the media, is scared, and I don't blame them.
Yes, in Germany they are diligent in remembering what happened before, the terrible war that they plunged into following a demented leader.
I do not worry about Trump becoming a despotic ruler; while we do have democracy, what we really have is a representative republic. We are represented by people who are up for election every 2 years. We also have 2 senators per state, their terms last for 6 years. They can be voted out, although it's true many of them have been there too long. I for one was glad Trump won the election, Hilary Clinton is the epitome of a entrenched politician. Trump is a businessman, I think he wants to try that approach on the problems of the country, he thinks it might be more efficient. He is shaking up the usual process, that's for sure. I think it's a good thing, I am cynical when it comes to politicians, I like anything that makes them uncomfortable. I think the people who voted for him do not see him as Messiah, but as maybe a common-sense man in an uncommon time. Not sure what is going to happen!
I think most of our media is reporting their opinion, instead of the news.
I have seen no evidence that USA is going to invade Venezula, but from what I read Venezuela is in bad shape.
It is complex, as you said!! The world is so big, there is good and bad, and everything in between! I am glad you can get away to Cali when you need to, and forget about this sickness. You seem very vigorous and healthy, and you are handling things well.
I will talk to you again, Marias
Mary
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HI, Gina,
I am ready to start the talk show with Sylvia, you can come and be our guest and liven things up! It actuallly sounds like fun, we should be able to do it long distance!
The bones of this thread is Sylvia, she started it and kept it going. It wasn't that long ago when she was wondering if maybe the thread wasn't needed anymore, because there were just a few of us left. Suddenly one day, boom! The doors opened and all you wonderful women came in, she is a wonder at keeping up with everyone, I get lost sometimes in the thread. There were once a few men who posted here, they have all gone, I hope they are okay. I think they were all posting for their wives. Adagio has been here for a long time too.
Do you know how Cocker Annie is doing? I can't keep up with this thread, so haven't even been on TN lately. She is a wonderful woman.
If I help anyone here, that's wonderful; it is also helping me to be here with all of you. This place has been a lifeline to me, starting when things were very dark for me. And it is just a wonderful thing now to picture all of you, everywhere scattered around the world, living your lives and then coming here to talk to others who understand what you're going through.
I hope the treatment is easy, and you have a great time at your son's 5th birthday! Let DH and Mommy take over, and just enjoy yourself!
Talk to you soon, love,
Mary
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