Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
-
0 -
0 -
Hi, Sylvia
I'm glad your snow has vanished, I'm sure it's still chilly. We have had a very stiff wind and snow flurries, but the snow won't amount to anything.
I'm glad the stitches are out, it must be a very deep cut. I hope your muscle gets back to normal, it's very interesting how everything seems to take at least a year to really heal.
I have been told by my GP to take B6 vitamin. After he told me that he tested me at one point, and I had way too much B6 in my body. Apparently that is the one B vitamin that one can get too much of, and what it causes is......neuropathy! It's enough to make me pull my hair out. So now I take B6 sometimes, but not all the time. Probably since I eat a fairly good diet, I get enough or near enough. I did have to supplement with Vitamin D after a test last year, and then that level returned to normal and my bone density test came back normal as well. So I keep up with taking the D, we had a long, gray winter with very little sunshine, I'm pretty sure you did as well.
No, there are no good answers about my knee pain. I feel rather forgiving towards the pain doctor, I was thinking it must be a very difficult job. Pain is so subjective, what is horrible pain to one person might be like a headache to someone else. There is not a diagnostic test that can tell him how much pain someone is feeling, and I'm sure they have people coming in who just want drugs, thus all the questions about drug and alcohol use. I could tell he liked to do his nerve block on necks, apparently he had a lot of success with that, but he didn't seem too crazy about doing knees.
I have not read over the Chris Woollams post at length because I had a lightning strike Sunday night that damaged my Internet connection. I had 2 men here yesterday for hours and when they left I was able to get a connection on my phone and tablet, but not my PC. I took the PC to my local repairmen today and he fixed it, but halfway. Now either my phone and tablet will work, or my PC will work; not all at once. I do most of my reading and writing with the PC because it's so much easier to see what I'm doing. Later I will plug in my router so PC won't work, but the other things will, I have to unplug one thing and plug in something else. The funny thing was I was sleeping so soundly Sunday night I missed all the drama of the thunder and lightning storm.
I did read one of the short articles while squinting at my tablet, it was about what to Avoid when One has Prostate Cancer. I think perhaps that's what you were talking about when commenting on the changing news about nutrition. The first culprit mentioned if one has prostate cancer, and is trying to avoid more of it, is eggs. After that were mentioned poultry and beef. Well, I'll tell you I am not going to stop eating eggs. I will take my scant comfort in the facts that I am not a man, and I do not have prostate cancer. Although in a few months there may be a news alert that there is now a cure for prostate cancer that is derived from eggs!
I will tell you what I had for breakfast this morning. A slice of flourless sprouted grain bread topped with half an avocado, some tempeh lightly sauted, and kimchi. Yes, I found tempeh, finally. I like it a lot. I missed lunch, but had to make a stop at the grocery store and got a big bag of air-popped popcorn, very low sodium, among other things. I ate some of it, I guess that was lunch.
As for supermarket shelves, it is the same pattern here. If a storm is called for, everyone rushes to the store as if the power would be off for weeks on end. And I guess it could happen, and it probably will sooner or later as our power grid keeps aging.
I hope your stitched area heals quickly so you are ready for March 29 appointment with lymphedema clinic, that seems like a quick reschedule, that's good.
Closing for now, love
Mary
0 -
Hi, Val
I see you are celebrating a milestone with the end of your stroke therapy. You certainly accomplish a lot for having had the stroke on top of everything else that has come upon you
What is wrong with your knees, are you a candidate for knee replacement? I am not, I do have arthritis in them, but not enough for surgery, not yet anyway. I always get the impression from docs that my knee pain is not bad enough for me to be complaining about, it's quite irritating. My opinion about BC treatment re: knees, shoulders, etc. is that the treatment caused my body to become weak, I know I lost a lot of weight and muscle. Thus I no longer had the muscle structure to properly support my joints, and when I tried to return to my previous activities I was injured because of it. The neuropathy weakness I have in my legs stops me from doing a lot of exercising that will totally build my muscles back, so I am left to do the best I can. The bout of flu and lying around for 2 weeks also did me no good whatsoever. Back to square one, it seems like, but I have been keeping busy since and suffering at night because of it. I would still rather be up and moving with some pain than lying about feeling useless!
I did not know the extent of your lymphedema problems, I'm glad you found ways to deal with it, but wow! I think you may win the dubious title of having the most adversity to deal with after becoming a survivor! Once again, I know how accomplished and talented you are, and it's so wonderful you keep up with all that while dealing with the things you have to deal with.
Sylvia deserves the credit for keeping the thread going, I am so glad she does. To me it's like coming here and meeting up with my friends, she does reach out to everyone who comes looking for help.
Hope the weather is better in the South,
Love, Mary
0 -
Hello Val,
It was nice to hear from you and thank you for your very kind words about the thread. I really believe that these threads should be about support and information, as well as doing our very best to get through what is a very difficult journey when we are diagnosed with breast cancer,
it was good news to know that your stoke therapy is coming to an end and that all has gone well.
I think that there are quite a lot of long term side effects from our cancer treatment. Even if we find the treatment not too bad, we are left with all kinds of side effects about which we are not informed before treatment. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are all very damaging and we only get to find out when they happen to us.
I was interested in what you said about lymphoedema and that you were diagnosed right after radiotherapy. In my case I noticed that my right hand was a bit puffy about two months after I had finished radiotherapy. I mentioned it to my breast cancer nurse and she said it sounded like lymphoedema. She referred me to the lymphoedema clinic where a specialist measured my hand and arm and said I had lymphoedema and she recommended a compression sleeve and exercises like gentle massage of the arm. I declined the compression sleeve on the advice of my GP, who referred me for some physiotherapy exercises. I had a couple of appointments at the lymphoedema clinic and a couple at physiotherapy and then did my own thing, mainly lots of gardening. The lymphoedema disappeared. I was shocked when I realised it had come back after over eleven years. I went through the same procedure again and am doing manual lymph massage and exercises to keep the lymph moving. I do have some compression sleeves that I do wear. It has been difficult this time around because of having to have a mole removed on the same arm. I hope it will all come to an end soon. I have had only one appointment at the lymphoedema clinic. I find I am managing it all by myself.
My right arm is not that swollen in most places and I have no pain at all.
May I ask what class sleeve you have? I have a class 1 and a class 2, but I find the class 2 too tight.
Your machine by Tactile Industries sounds very interesting.
I have bought and read a most useful book on lymphoedema. It is entitled Let's Talk Lymphoedema – The essential guide to everything you need to know by Professor Peter Mortimer and Gemma Levine. I have found it most helpful. I learned from it that all types of surgery can cause lymphoedema. I found chapter 4 What Causes Lymphoedema? most interesting. Lymphoedema is basically caused by damage to the lymph system which makes it unable to flow and drain. The basic headings to this chapter say it all – Immobility, Old age, Obesity, Accidental Trauma or Surgery, Cancer Treatment – It is the treatment of cancer rather than the disease itself. With reference to cancer treatment, chemotherapy also causes lymphoedema. To quote the book: "It appears likely that taxanes, a widely used chemotherapy agent, increase the lymph load by making blood vessels in the arm release more fluid. This can overwhelm a lymph system already weakened by lymph gland removal and so cause lymphoedema."
Radiotherapy cause lymphoedema. "Radiotherapy has an effect like sunburn and causes inflammation of the breast and overlying skin. Lymph flow through the skin is reduced, and that combined with the removal of lymph glands in the area causes fluid to build up in the breast."
All this is a lot to deal with when we have gone through cancer treatment and heave a sigh of relief at this. Little do we know all that can happen in the ensuing years.
What are your plans for spring and summer? It will be so good to have the winter behind us.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Kath,
It was nice to hear from you and I am sure we all understand how you are feeling. Let us know how you get on with your appointment with the oncologist. Try not to have dark thoughts. You will deal with anything that you have to. I read a good statement yesterday, FOFO – it means Fear Of Finding Out. It was used in the context of men and prostate cancer and of the cancer being found late because men will not go to the doctors. Remember these check ups are there to help you. We all get worked up before them, but it serves no purpose.
Any symptoms that you have that worry you, just mention them and get them sorted out. Keep your mind on the positive things and steer it away from the bad ones.
Thank you for the interesting photograph from your daughter. May I ask what KL stands for?
Thinking of you and wishing you all the best.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary,
Thank you for your post. I shall answer it after I have taken a break.
You might want to look at my latest post on the thread Hyperparathyroid disease and breast cancer. I am wondering how many people are wandering around with undiagnosed hyperparathyroid disease, which can do a lot of damage to the body and which some research says is associated with breast cancer disease.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary,
I have finally sat down to get back to you in reply to your post on March 6th.
The weather is back to normal now, but I do not think the country is! Stocks are still very low in the supermarkets.
I am hoping that my arm will get back to normal but I have been told it will take twelve months. I like to be very active so I am going to have to be very careful.
I was wondering whether, like me, you are beginning to get fed up with all these contradictions and differences about what we should eat and drink. I think we should enjoy our food and eat and drink everything in moderation.
I was interested in what you said about the B vitamins.
I have always read that you need the B vitamins only in small doses and that you should not take them separately but only as a B vitamin complex. In fact, I have read that only minute quantities are required. I have a good medical book here by the British Medical Association (BMA) entitled New Guide to Medicines and Drugs. At the back of the book there is a section entitled The A-Z of vitamins and minerals. It gives a lot of information about each one, but I tend to use it for looking up the dietary and other natural sources of vitamins and minerals. I am hoping to find the time to go through it and just post the best dietary sources for each vitamin and mineral etc. You will be interested to know that liver is the best source of vitamin B12. Almost all animal products, as well as seaweed, are rich in vitamin B12 but vegetables are not.
I prefer to get my vitamins from food as I am not entirely confident about vitamin supplements. I think there are all sorts of bottles of supplements around now that they are going the way of all the medications.
As you know, I do not think there is anything that will cure neuropathy. My oncologist told me that it was caused by the taxane chemotherapy drugs and that there was no cure. This is echoed by my podiatrist. I look on peripheral neuropathy in the same way that I look on a damaged lymph system. It cannot be repaired and was permanently damaged by all three breast cancer treatments, surgery, chemotherapy (again the taxanes) and radiotherapy. It is probable that we were all affected to a different degree.
I do think we all probably need to take vitamin D supplements in climates where we cannot have regular periods of time in the sun.
I do agree with you about pain and that it is subjective. As for knee pain, I know plenty of people who have had problems with pain in the knees, and nothing seems to work and that includes knee surgery.
I think we have to remember that orthodox doctors will either want patients to swallow pills or be put in the hands of a surgeon.
I have had a quick look at the Chris Woollams email, but have decided not to go into most of it in detail, because I just feel we are being hit by too much information. I am not convinced about egg yolk and prostate cancer. I think prostate cancer, much like hormonal breast cancer, is something to do with hormones going wrong.
I have printed off the information about chronic fatigue syndrome but I have not read it yet. I have got to thinking that it could be connected somehow to hyperparathyroidism. Apparently there are a lot of people probably going around with an overactive parathyroid that is not being diagnosed because the parathyroid does not figure in regular blood tests, so the parathyroid hormone is not checked. In addition, calcium levels play a major role in hyperparathyroidism and a high calcium level or one just slightly elevated, can be a sign of hyperparathyroidism. Most doctors apparently do not question high calcium levels or even slightly elevated ones. Hyperparathyroidism is a dangerous and debilitating condition and can really mess up your body, according to what I have read. Some research finds a connection between hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer. I feel lucky that my own hyperparathyroidism was discovered by my oncologist and I was cured through surgery.
I read your tale of the computer etc. after the lightning strike and I do hope it is all sorted out now. I find that computers are forever causing problems.
I think, as I said previously, food is meant to be enjoyed and there will never be a consensus about good food and bad food. It is all very confusing when it comes to fats.
I did think your breakfast sounds delicious and I am glad that you liked tempeh. I buy it regularly now and have it in a stirfry. I also love avocados.
That is about all for now. I know you like to be informed and I think you would enjoy the short little book entitled Excess Calcium Disease – What you should know about high blood calcium, parathyroid hormone and hyperparathyroidism by Peter A Galbraith, somebody who went through it all. It is only 116 pages long and is very simple to read.
It feels more like Friday today.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello, Sylvie,
I see my oncologist for the first time next Monday so I don't know what the next move is. Meanwhile, I am having a little machine fitted under the breast to speed up the healing. I have no idea how that works but shall ask the nice young man who is fitting it tomorrow.
0 -
Hello everyone. It looks like I have a LOT of catching up to do. We just got back from a glorious nine days in Mexico on a wonderful little Island called Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) off the coast of Cancun, five miles long by half a mile wide. Did lots of walking every day, and feel great. After I finished radiation I was told to protect my breast by putting on sunscreen before getting dressesd, so there was no going in the water for me. Even being out in open sun for very long made my breast burn and sore, so spent as much time in the shade as possible and, in fact, we were both so exhausted, we made sure to have an afternoon siesta every day, which we never seem to have time for at home. Hope you all are managing okay and wishing you the best
0 -
Hello Susie,
I do hope all will go well when you see your oncologist on Monday.
I was intrigued to read about the machine you were having fitted under your breast to help with healing. I must admit I have never heard of this and was wondering if it was something new.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Nancy,
I was glad to know that you had had a really good holiday in Mexico. You must be feeling really good now.
I was also glad to know that you had been careful about the sun. We need it in small doses but need to be careful when we are going for cold climates to hot ones.
Thinking of you.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello everyone, thank you very much for your words of concern and support.
On February 7 I went to the clinic for the treatment of iodine for papillary thyroid cancer, I was placed 150 units,
I was in the isolated clinic for three days, and without the Eutirox medication for 6 days, so it was a secondary hypothyroidism, this gives me a feeling of fatigue all the time. I was also on a diet of zero iodine and zero salt during that same time.
After that, one week I had a scan to show traces of the diaper on my body. This showed accumulation in the area of the throat and in the micro nodules in the lungs, assuming metastasis in those places.
I have been going to all possible doctors and on March 20, 6 weeks after treatment, I will return to the nuclear medicine doctor to tell me what the next step is.
I am improving strength, dynamism and appetite.
I had enrolled in the university to start in February, I have to see 3 subjects this semester, but the first one I already canceled, because I could not go to class or catch up on homework.
With all these hard news and my bad spirits, I decided a week ago, from 25 to 28 to go to the Atlantic coast, to a place near Santa Marta, to a hotel that is on the beach, to be able to go to the sea, buried in the sand, and share with my sister and my niece who traveled from Bogotá to share those days.
the trip was wonderful, I was very tired, but not as much as here, I walked more, like being at sea level, it makes me very good.
Now I am with high sugar so I must start the diet as fast as possible.
also I have a small injury in the breast and we do not know what it is, they sent me metasona, to see if it disappears, if not, in 15 days they take a biopsy,
I trust you all are getting better and full of peace and love
Hugs
Marias
0 -
Hi Sylvia, Mary and all
I finally pulled my energy back to come here. Maybe I'm more suffering from mental fatigue. I had my fifth injection last Wednesday. One more to go. My hair has early signs of growing back. Yet, it may seem ages until I get myself again.
I don't want to be negative here. Maybe if the side effects of taxtore and Carboplatine leave me I can be who I have always been.
Sylvia, Mary, Maria's, Pam you are all in my thoughts and prayers.
New year and spring are coming and better days that I hope for everyone and myself.
Love
hanieh
0 -
Happy Sunday Everyone,
Maria, I was so glad to see your post, and to hear that you were able to go on a wonderful trip to the hotel near Santa Marta. I'm sorry that you have to spend so much time going to doctors and hearing about possible micro metastases. I truly hope there is something they can do to treat it, and that maybe it's good that they caught it early. It's good that your strength is returning. You've been emotionally strong for so long, and I know you will keep doing everything that you have to do.
Hanieh, Only one more injection - that's great news. If your hair is returning, that is a very good sign, I'm sure. Your body is bouncing back. You are also very much in my thoughts. I'm wishing you a beautiful new year.
Adagio, I hope you had a magical trip to Mexico. I haven't been for a long time, but I love it there. Feeling better is wonderful, and getting enough sleep is everything. I'm not sure if you've been to see your oncologist yet, but it's encouraging to hear that you might be released soon.
Sylvia, I'm glad you enjoyed the picture with the daffodils. I've had the plates on my wall for about 20 years. I bought them at a Japanese store where they always have great plates and patterns. The snow pictures that you posted were beautiful, but I'm glad that it's gone. Hopefully it's easier for you to get out and about again now. I hope your arm is healing well. And I agree that it seems that we are pretty much on our own with lymphedema. Thanks for posting all of the info about the Dental Diet, so we can see it if we don't have time to read the book.
Mary, I understand completely about just pushing through, one day at a time. That's what I tried to do. I just focused and tried not to think about everything all at once. Sometimes it came down to a simple question, "is anyone hurting me right now?" Which meant, am I having to go through an uncomfortable procedure right now? If not, I was just forced to live in the moment and try to appreciate that. After it's over, you realize what a massive thing you have struggled through. I'm glad that you see your core of determination. It's encouraging to hear that the bluebirds are finding a way to build their nests, too.
I had a misadventure this week, in that I carelessly sprained my ankle while walking down my own stairs. It doesn't seem too serious, but I've been using a "knee scooter," at work, which is a kind of rolling cart, so I wouldn't put weight on the ankle while it was healing. I once again got a lesson in humility and appreciation for what disabled people put up with on a daily basis. Logistics for getting to and from my car and in and out of elevators and restrooms were pretty tricky. And this was only a temporary situation. With luck, I'll be walking normally again this week.
Love and warm thoughts to all of you,Pam
0 -
hi everyone
Take it easy Pam sprained ankles really hurt! Just had my 3 monthly visit to onco. He checked my FBC and LFTs which were good listen to my chest and checked my breasts and said see you in 3 months. Wasn't interested in the tight back said that it was osteo and my tickly throat and said see you in 3 months! Not sure how I feel!!!!!!
Cheers
Kat
0 -
Hi, Sylvia
Yes, I am tired of hearing conflicting reports on foods; I think we know what foods are good for us and what isn't and it's a matter of balance in our diets, and eating fresh foods. But then here come the reports, if you eat too much of this thing it can cause prostate cancer!!! Too much of this and heart attack!!! To make it all worse, the news will change every few months or years. Coffee is good, then coffee is bad, now coffee seems to be good again. Eggs are a frequent villain, sometimes they have a moment in the sun of approval, now they are suspect again. I remember hearing about white flour, it is bad because it is stripped of all its' nutrition in the processing. So if one eats whole-wheat flour it should be good, right? No, it's not good either, because wheat isn't the same as the wheat grown 150+ years ago. So what if I eat rice flour? No, rice has high levels of arsenic, and is very dangerous. Perhaps it is our own fault for reading all these articles, but I do like to be informed, there just doesn't seem to be anywhere to go to get a definitive answer on these issues. So I have come to the realization that you have, to just eat a good, clean as possible, balanced diet and hope for the best. Otherwise, there is no joy left in eating, or cooking, and I have always enjoyed those things. (I am going to continue to read some of the articles but will take them with a grain of salt, iodized or not!)
I think too that we probably get most of the B vitamins we need in our diet, that is if we eat well. Now we can get tested easily for all these vitamins, probably not a bad idea. Minerals too, being low on magnesium, potassium, and selenium among others can cause problems. As "experts" have said, our soils are depleted and do not contain enough of these minerals to get into our food. I do take a B12 supplement frequently, I do not eat liver often enough to count on getting it there. Seaweed seems to be almost a miracle food, I am far from any ocean so only see it in the grocery store in the form of flat little chips. I read an article over the weekend on the importance of iodine and the reason why people are no longer getting enough of it. It is very important for a healthy thyroid, as you know. I can link to the article if you would like, it was posted by Ty Bollinger and even links iodine deficiency to breast cancer. I might post that article, you may ignore it if you don't want to read any more! I noted your reference to the importance of Calcium and the book on it you are reading, and that it is also linked to thyroid problems, which may aid in the development of breast cancer.
I think I have my computer sorted out again, it took a couple of trips to our local computer experts. I had to get a new card in my PC and a new router to pick up the signal. In the last couple of weeks I have had to buy a new router, a new weed-eater, a small cordless drill, and a new coffee-pot. I have had a steady procession of things reaching the end of their mechanical lives, part of the price of maintaining a home, I suppose.
Does it seem like the weeks are flying by? It's Monday, and the week stretches ahead, but in a blink or two it will be Friday again, I can't seem to catch up.
Marias and Hanieh are back, that's so good to see. I will talk to you again soon!
Love, Mary
0 -
(Yes, I am aware of the irony of complaining about all the food warnings and then posting another article on food. I pasted it mostly because of the link to breast cancer, and pasted it instead of linking to it to spare you all the other scary articles on food that are on the page.)
The Importance of Iodine and Iodine Deficiency Symptoms
Iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions worldwide over the last 10 to 20 years. How did this happen? More importantly, how does a deficiency in iodine affect your health and the health of your family?
The most common consequence of low iodine levels is hypothyroidism. However,low levels of this essential mineral can set the stage for a host of other health conditions. Read on to discover important information about iodine deficiency that even many family doctors aren't aware of.
The CDC's Stance on Iodine Is Confusing
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately two billion people worldwide are deficient in iodine. In the U.S., however, the "official" stance regarding iodine can be confusing.
The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that "iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) such as goiter, cretinism, stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, and retarded physical and intellectual development have been virtually eliminated through the iodization of salt."
A consumer reading the above may think that iodine deficiency in America is a thing of the past. In fact, similar statements may have caused you to dismiss iodine deficiency as a factor for what may be going on with your health. It also doesn't help that most conventional doctors don't give iodine deficiency a second thought.
The Reality: Iodine Deficiency Is a Major Health Issue
Being healthy in a world of confusion requires you to look beyond the rhetoric. When you do, you will see an entirely different picture about the state of iodine deficiency in America and how it may be affecting you.
First, let's consider the "Recommended Daily Allowance" (RDA) for iodine established by the U.S. National Institutes of Medicine. Like current recommendations for vitamins C and D, the iodine "allowance" was established in the 1940s to avoid the most serious consequences of deficiency. The RDA for vitamin C, for example, was created for the prevention of scurvy.
In the same vein, the standard adult RDA for iodine today is 150 μg/day (micrograms per day), 220 μg/day for pregnant women, and 290 μg/day for lactating women. This was established over 75 years ago for the prevention of goiters and severe complications during pregnancy.
For the most part, studies based on the RDA conclude that iodine deficiency in the U.S. is a "problem solved." An increasing number of voices outside the box of conventional medicine, however, say that "subclinical" iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions.
The biggest clue as to the reality of iodine deficiency in U.S. can be seen in a series of surveys conducted by the CDC itself since the 1960s. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys are designed to track the overall health of American children and adults.
A quick comparison between NHAHES I (1971-1974) and NHANES III (1988-1994) shows that Americans' average urine iodine concentration decreased by a whopping 50%.
At the same time, iodine levels of below 5 μg/dL (micrograms per deciliter) increased more than 4-fold. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a mean urine iodine concentration which should exceed 10 μg/dL) for overall health.
There was no change in iodine levels between NHANES III and NHANES IV (2001-2002). The problem continues and the consequences for health are staggering.
Table Salt: Not a Viable Option for Iodine
There are specific reasons why iodine levels in the United States and other parts of the world have declined so much since the 1970s. An increasing toxic load, as well as damaging policies from government and manufacturers, are largely to blame.Let's take a look at salt. In the 1920s, the U.S. government responded to a high number of goiters (swelling in the neck from an enlarged thyroid) in the American upper Midwest by issuing a health mandate.
Since 1924, iodine has been included in the commercial salt supply. To this day, table salt is the main source of iodine for most Americans and the majority of the non-Asian world.
Two things happened beginning in the 1970s that led to a decline in commercial salt uptake, however.
First of all, consumers en masse began responding to allopathic health warnings about sodium's connection to high blood pressure by significantly cutting their salt intake.
Secondly, health-conscious individuals began avoiding commercial sources of salt because of the toxins used to produce it.
Indeed, unlike in the 1920s, today's table salt is actually bleached sodium chloride that has other harmful halidessuch as fluoride sodium bicarbonate added to it. Most holistic health experts recommend skipping commercial salt altogether and reaching for sea salt or Himalayan pink salt instead.
Toxins Cause Problems with Iodine Absorption
The 1970s also saw an increase in toxic chemicals, which block iodine uptake. This unfortunately has dealt a "one-two punch" to iodine levels overall.
Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide are health-damaging chemicals that happen to share the halide chemical category with iodine. As such, they are able to mimic iodine in the body, even replacing it within iodine receptor sites. During the 1970s, American bread manufacturers also replaced iodine with bromide as a dough softener for their products.
Bromide is particularly dangerous since it has the ability to replace iodine in the thyroid. Studies have shown that when iodine levels are low, bromide can induce hypothyroidism. This includes impaired ability to synthesize thyroid hormones.
Other studies indicate that excessive amounts of bromide can lead directly to goiters, as well as decreased iodine in the mammary glands and increased iodine excretion through the kidneys. In addition to commercial bread products, bromide can also be found in paint, new car interiors, and pool-cleaning products.
Fluoride found in tap water and dental products is another chemical that blocks iodine in the body. In addition, a chlorine-containing chemical called perchlorate, an ingredient in jet fuel, can also lead to dangerously low iodine levels.
A 2005 study done at Texas Tech University found that the average breast-feeding infant consumes twice the recommended maximum daily level of perchlorate, as established by the National Academy of Sciences.
Common Iodine Deficiency Symptoms
How can you tell if your iodine levels are too low?Look at this list of common iodine deficiency symptoms and see if any apply to you:
- Persistent swelling or soreness in the neck and throat
- Unexplained weight gain
- Fatigue
- Muscle soreness
- "Brain fog"
- Memory loss
- Mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression
- Cyst formations in the ovaries
- Uterine fibroids
- Complications in the prostate
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
- Fluctuations in heart rate
- Feeling colder than usual
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Gastric issues, such as colitis
- Autoimmune conditions
- Thyroid, breast, prostate, and other reproductive system-related cancers
Some of these symptoms may seem familiar to you, since they are also indicative of low thyroid function, otherwise known as hypothyroidism. This is because iodine is literally the "food" for the thyroid. Key hormones created in the thyroid, such as thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), cannot be created without it.
Other symptoms may come as a surprise. For example, did you know that in addition to being utilized in the thyroid, iodine is also housed and used in the salivary glands, breast tissue, gastric mucosa, ovaries, and the choroid plexus, the grouping of cells in the brain responsible for creating cerebrospinal fluid?
Iodine plays a part in every function in the body, and when you are deficient it affects every organ. According to National Cancer Institute statistics, thyroid cancer rates have risen 3.8% every year for the last 10 years. Rates of breast, uterine, prostate, and digestive system-related cancers have also been on the rise.
Finally, other ailments possibly related to iodine deficiency, such as autoimmune diseases and gastric system conditions, continue to affect almost everyone. Their rise began around the same time as iodine levels began to decrease in the United States as a whole.
Coincidence? Probably not.
How to Increase Your Iodine Levels: 4 Ways
Knowledge is power. Now that you know the facts about iodine deficiency and what causes it, you should also know that there are many things you can do to make sure you have adequate amounts in your body.
Here are 4 quick tips you can start today to ensure you're not iodine deficient:
#1. Test Your Iodine Levels
You can do this on your own through a skin test or through an iodine loading test. While you are at it, get your levels of fluoride and bromide tested as well!
#2. Flush Out Toxins
This involves boosting your liver and kidney function as well as taking measures to get rid of bromide, fluoride, and chlorine in the body. Milk Thistle is a gentle yet powerful detoxifying herb that strengthens both the liver and the immune system.
#3. Reduce Exposure to Harmful Halides
Choose filtered water free from fluoride. Opt out of the use of fluoride toothpastes and dental products. Limit your exposure to chlorine and bromide in swimming pools. Choose organic sources for bread the next time you shop. There are dozens of actions you can take to limit your exposure to harmful halides. Choose one each week and stick with it!
#4. Increase Intake of Quality Iodine
You can start with your plate. Some foods high in iodine include quality fish and seafood, seaweed and kelp, cranberries, strawberries, and green, leafy vegetables.
Because of poor soil and increased toxic load, obtaining your iodine strictly from what you eat is often not enough. In this case, a high-quality, super-absorbable, and organically-sourced iodine supplement is the way to go.
Are You Getting Enough Iodine?
Every cell in your body relies on thyroid hormones for proper metabolism. And your thyroid relies on one essential element to produce these hormones… iodine.
The challenge is most people aren't consuming enough of the right kinds of food that are rich in iodine.
0 -
HI, Marias
It's so good to hear from you, and you have certainly been busy. I am glad the testing is over, it sounds very rigorous. Also I'm sure it was hard to hear all the unpleasant news. I hope when you go back on the 20th you will find an effective treatment for the problems that seemed to begin with your thyroid. And it looks like your breast is being treated for a skin condition, I hope that goes away very quickly.
I'm so glad you got away to have fun with your sister and niece, it must have done good things for you. I have more energy too, when I am at sea-level and in dry air.
I'm sorry that you missed your classes but right now your health is all-important, and you will be able to make up the missed work later.
It is cold and gray here today, but spring is right around the corner, we hope!
I will talk to you again soon, thanks so much for letting us know how things are going. I think of you and Hanieh so often, and here you two posted to us on the same day at almost the same time! That's quite a coincidence!
I hope you hear some good news soon. Love,
Mary
0 -
Hi Hanieh,
I think that the chemo treatments are hard on everything, our mental and physical selves. Since you are young and strong, I am hoping you will recover quickly but it will still take some time. My hair started to grow back while I was on the Taxotere drug. Before I was diagnosed with BC, I would get my hair lightened frequently and I really had no idea what my natural color was. After it fell out and regrew, it came back gray and silver and curly. Now, almost 4 years later, it is its' natural color, with no tint, and I can't see any gray in it at all. It is no longer curly but wavy, mostly in the back. I thought the gray color was permanent, but I guess it was not.
I understand that you don't want to be negative, but please remember that we are here to support you if you need it. We all understand those darker days of going back and forth to the clinic, and all the fears that come with it.
Yes, spring will be here very soon. My doctor told me that will do people more good than anything. We have had so much Influenza here this winter, he has been very busy! Only a couple of weeks away. Thanks for posting, I think about you a lot and always hope things are good for you, and your family. You have all gone through a lot this past year.
Talk to you again soon, love
Mary
0 -
Hello Marias,
I was so glad to find your post today, Monday March 12th. I have been very worried and concerned about you and just hoping that all was progressing as planned.
It must have been difficult for you to spend three days isolated and then without your medication for six days. I am not surprised that you felt very fatigued.
I was sorry to read that a scan showed accumulation in the area of the throat and micro nodules in the lungs. I do hope there is good treatment for this.
I do hope that you will have good news on March 20th when you go to see your nuclear medicine doctor. I am hoping he can find good treatment for you.
Take good care of yourself while you are waiting for March 20th. Waiting is always a very difficult time.
I was glad to read that you are slowly improving in strength and with your appetite and feeling a bit more active.
I am sure you will gradually be able to sort out your studies at the university. I would think that this semester must be coming to an end if it goes from January to the end of March. How will you be able to catch up on the subject that you had to cancel? I would be very interested to know what the three subjects are that you are going to be studying.
I was very glad to hear that you decided to get a break from all the problems that you have had with your health. I am sure that the sea air will have done you a lot of good and it would have been therapeutic to be with your sister and niece.
I do hope you will be able to get your high sugar level down.
I do hope the small injury in the breast is nothing serious and I do hope the medication works, so that you will not need a biopsy.
We are all thinking of you here and wishing you only the best.
Abrazos.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Hanieh,
I was so glad to find your post. I have been concerned about you and Marias and how your treatment was going.
I was so glad to know that you had managed to find the energy to come and say hello to us. Many thanks for that.
I would not be surprised that you are suffering from both physical and mental fatigue after this long journey on chemotherapy drugs.
Keep going, Hanieh, five are behind you and just one more to go. You can do this. You are bound to be tired because the effects of chemotherapy increase as the treatments increase.
It is good to know that your hair is showing signs of growing back. Once you finish the chemotherapy and get some good food into you the hair should start growing more quickly.
You are a strong young woman and you will get through this and let us hope that Taxotere and carboplatin will not leave you with too many side effects. Whatever they are, you will learn to cope with them.
I am sure that better days are going to come your way and that you will be able to enjoy your New Year and Spring.
Thinking of you and sending all my love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Pam,
It was nice to hear from you. I was interested to know that you had bought your plates in a Japanese store.
I was glad to know you enjoyed the pictures of the snow here. I hope to take some more photographs soon as Spring starts in earnest here.
I agree that with lymphoedema we are on our own and we have to do the exercises and wear our sleeve as necessary. Going to the hospital is not that helpful. All they can do is measure the arm. I have to go on Monday March 19th and hope to sort out how to get my sleeves in the future and tell them that I do not want to keep coming to the hospital. I would also like to know whether an impaired lymph system means we are immune compromised and/or considered to have a disability. My own intention is to try to send this lymphoedema packing as soon as I can.
The scar is healing well but I have been told it will take a year for the muscle to recover, which seems a long time.
I do hope your sprained ankle will not take too long to recover. I can understand how difficult this must be for you.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Kath,
It was good to know you had had your three monthly visit and that all appears to be in order. You must now be positive and relax and enjoy your seasons. I see that it is still hot in Australia.
I was interested to know that your FBC and LFTs were all good. I sometimes watch a drama here called Casualty and they are always using these abbreviations. I figure FBC must mean full blood count, but what does LFTs mean?
Keep up the good work.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary,
It is true we shall never get the definitive truth about the food we eat. I like to be informed, so I do read all the information but I make up my own mind. I do not think there is any one food that is the cause of all our chronic diseases or is a magical cure! I do not really believe in superfoods.
I would not be at all surprised that there is a link between breast cancer and thyroid deficiency. I think in our modern world with processed foods there are probably a lot of deficiencies in the body and that our organs are not working properly. There appears to be a link between parathyroid problems and breast cancer, so why not between thyroid and breast cancer?
With iodine, we have deficiency causing thyroid problems.
With calcium we have any of the four parathyroid glands having benign tumours (adenomas) growing on them for some reason, and these cause too much calcium production and cause it to leach out of the bones and into the blood, causing high calcium levels in the blood and osteoporosis in the bones.
People mix up the thyroid and the parathyroid, but parathyroid just means 'located near the thyroid' and the parathyroid glands should really be called the calcium glands because they control calcium and make sure it goes into the bones. As I have said before, GPs do not seem to know how to read correctly calcium levels in blood tests.
I was glad to know you have your computer sorted out again.
I know how you feel about having to buy all those new things. Raymond and I have periods like that as well and it is a nightmare. We say they often happen in threes.
Like you, I am constantly trying to catch up, but I never quite manage it.
I shall certainly read everything you post. It is good to have Marias and Hanieh back.
By the way, salt here in not iodised. That was stopped long ago and iodised salt is very hard to find. I think there is only one brand doing it. Salt was a favoured demonised product by the 'experts' and everybody was told to cut it out or die a thousand deaths! I think it is still out of favour!
That is all for now.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary, again,
Thank you for pasting the article on food, breast cancer etc. I shall read it all in more detail tomorrow and tell you what I think.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary, again,
I am reading through the article you pasted about the importance of iodine and iodine deficiency symptoms. I have read before about how iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions in the last ten to twenty years.
Before I go any further I have to explain that the thyroid gland and whether people are suffering from hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid) or hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) has no connection to the parathyroid glands (four of them, very tiny, and sitting on the thyroid gland). These parathyroid glands can cause hyperparathyroidism (over active parathyroid) or hypoparathyroidism (under active parathyroid). These glands should really be called calcium glands, as they control calcium in the body. They were called parathyroid glands by the medical establishment and the word para means near.
People are forever mixing them up. These parathyroid glands have nothing to do with iodine.
I cannot understand why any doctor would think that iodine deficiency is nothing to worry about.
As for salt, as I have said before, the medical establishment has made it an enemy, just like all the hype about how you must be on a low fat diet. All the hype for not having salt was about having strokes and high blood pressure.
It looks as though, once again, introducing dangerous chemicals such as bromide messed up the natural functioning of the thyroid gland causing hypothyroidism (under active thyroid).
It looks as though bromide has messed up bread and the only way to eat healthy bread is to make it yourself. Most of the bread on sale in supermarkets does not even look like bread.
It is very worrying about fluoride in our water and toothpastes and yet dentists swear by it. I have noticed that in my natural food store fluoride-free toothpaste is often on sale. Do you use fluoride toothpaste?
I looked at all the symptoms that can indicate an under active thyroid knew quite a few of them. I would think most people would have quite a few of those symptoms. For all of us on the thread and indeed on the forum, what is of the greatest interest and the greatest concern is this connection between thyroid problems and indeed parathyroid problems and breast cancer. This has been an ongoing discussion here on the threads for some years and it is still going on. Symptoms of iodine deficiency and low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) seem to have the same symptoms and we know why, lack of iodine.
I do wonder about the thyroid test that is part of the routine full blood test. I think they test thyroxine (T4) but I do not remember triiodothyronine (T3) being part of it.
Doctors do not seem to agree on the figures that constitute low thyroid and it seems that labs doing the testing can come up with different figures to diagnose it. People get hooked on these figures but they forget there is a margin of error. I do remember from back in 2009 that my GP and endocrinologist had difference of opinion on these numbers.
I did find the stated ways of trying to ensure you are not iodine deficient interesting.
1. Test your iodine levels.
2. Flush out toxins.
3. Reduce exposure to harmful halides.
4. Increase intake of quality iodine.
I think these four tips seem difficult to carry out. I would not want to take iodine supplements as you cannot know if you are getting the dosage right or what is in them.
I did like the picture of foods. I do eat organic eggs, despite the bad publicity they keep getting, and I was concerned about what Chris Woollams said about eggs, the lecithin content and prostate cancer. I think that breast cancer and prostate cancer are somehow connected, so you do not know what to do.
I do eat fish from the ocean and prawns on the shell from the ocean and avoid all farmed fish and seafood. I use seaweed in the form of Nori green sprinkles that I coat the fish in before pan frying. I put kelp powder on my food and have been doing so for a long time. I eat cranberries and strawberries in season and have some prunes every day. I eat a jacket potato if I have to eat out, but use only small new potatoes at home. I never use a microwave to cook my food.
That is about all for today. I do know and have known people with low thyroid (hypothyroidism) and they all seem to be on thyroxine for life and a lot have weight problems. One of my nieces had over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism) as a teenager and ended up ill in hospital. There was talk of the radioactive iodine treatment but the parents refused it. She was on medication for a long time. I do not know what she does now. She was over six feet tall, very slim and always hungry.
As for parathyroid, I had it and there are lots of women on the thread I mentioned, with it. We have all had breast cancer as well.
I have not yet met anyone with hypoparathyroidism (under active).
That is all for tonight. Thank you for posting all that information.
I am going to catch the ten o'clock news to see what is going on about the spy story in Salisbury.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
ha ha sorry Sylvia. LFT is short for liver function test
0 -
Hi, Pam
I am so sorry that you sprained your ankle, I know how painful that is. I used a knee walker around the house when I had foot surgery, it was a big help, although I never took mine anywhere. I can see that it would be very challenging to maneuver with cars and elevators.
Some years back I was visiting a relative in Palm Desert CA. We had to leave for the airport and on my last trip downstairs with my suitcase I missed the bottom step. My ankle turned under me, and it immediately started to swell and turned black and blue and hurt, of course! Meanwhile, my sis-in-law was trying to wrap it while watching the time because of our flight. So off we went, it was a comic/tragic day of being shoved around airports in wheelchairs and hobbling onto planes, and of course we were diverted to a different airport in the Midwest because of snow and had a 4-hour layover, and when we finally landed where we were supposed to there had been a big snowstorm there too. It was really a rotten time to sprain an ankle, not that there's a good time! I do hope you heal very quickly, Pam.
I gave a friend a bottle of wine I thought he would like for Christmas, he told me that he checked online to read about the winery it came from, and it had burned down in the massive fires that burned so long in CA. I suppose that happened to a lot of wineries, the fires were in the news a lot and then the news reports just stopped, to be replaced by the next bad news.
Are you planning any fun trips?
Talk to you soon, love
Mary
0 -
Hello Mary and all,
I have at last found time to post the information about vitamins etc. and the best source of food for them.
Vitamin A.
Liver (is the richest source), fish liver oils, eggs, dairy products, orange and yellow vegetables and fruits (carrots, tomatoes, apricots and peaches), and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin A is also added to margarine.
B Vitamins.
B12. Liver (is the best dietary source of B12). Almost all animal products are rich in this vitamin. Seaweed is a rich source. Vegetables are not.
B1 (thiamine). Wholemeal or enriched cereals and breads, brown rice, pasta, liver, kidneys, meat, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, wheatgerm and bran and most vegetables.
B2 (riboflavin). Found in most foods. Good sources liver, milk, cheese, eggs, leafy green vegetables, wholemeal cereals and pulses (lentils). Brewer's yeast is a rich source of this vitamin.
B3 (niacin). Liver, lean meat, poultry, fish, wholemeal cereals, nuts, pulses. All these are good sources.
B5 (pantothenic acid). Found in almost all vegetables, cereals, animal foods. Very good sources are liver, kidney, heart, fish, egg yolks. Also Brewer's yeast, wheatgerm, and Royal Jelly.
B6 (pyridoxine). Liver, chicken, fish, wholemeal cereals, wheatgerm and eggs are rich in this vitamin. Bananas, avocados, and potatoes are also good sources.
B9, can also be called B11 (folic acid). Best sources are leafy green vegetables, yeast extract and liver. Root vegetables, oranges, nuts, pulses and egg yolks are also rich sources.
Vitamin C.
Found in most fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by cooking so fresh uncooked fruit and vegetables should be eaten daily.
Vitamin D.
Oily fish (tuna, sardines, herrings and salmon), liver, dairy products, egg yolks. Sunlight is a major source of vitamin D for most people.
Vitamin E.
Some vegetable oils are good sources. Green leafy vegetables, wholemeal cereals and wheatgerm.
Vitamin K.
Green leafy vegetables and root vegetables, fruits, seeds, cows' milk, yoghurt. Alfalfa is an excellent source.
In adults and children the intestinal bacteria manufacture a large part of the vitamin K that is required.
I am going to take a break now but at some point I shall continue with minerals and trace elements that are needed in the body.
My source of this information is the New Guide to Medicines and Drugs, British Medical Association (BMA) published by DK. My edition is 2011, but a new one is due this year. I find this book incredibly useful for all sorts of information.
We all know the importance of a varied and healthy diet with a good mixture of all the food groups.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
0
