Survivors who had chemo etc and are into Complementary medicine
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Carola30 - I also got neuropathy and am now 7 months since my last chemo. My neuropathy is slowly getting better, bit by bit! I was also advised by the oncology nutritionist to take L-glutamine 20-30grams per day. At first I would put it in a smoothy, but taking it so often and for so long now I just put it in a glass of water and chug it! Apparently there are some trials showing a benefit for L-glutamine and some that don't. I get it at GNC. Others have suggested Acetyl_L_Carnitine and vitamin B6 as also helpful for neuropathy. Personally I think it is very important to eat good protein as well which helps all the tissues recover and be healthy.0
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Claire~
I always enjoy your posts...
your food posts always end up making me hungry for healthy food!
I may stop paying my nutritionist and just read your posts.
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Oh no, not at all Patzee! Don't get me wrong, I know chemo is bad, and sometimes wonder if it's the right way to go. In France for example, they don't do the Oncotype test to see if hemo will work on you, which makes me furious. I'm positive breastcancer gets overtreated sometimes, especially in France where the squirrel weel of meds meds meds only goes faster and faster, growing bigger and bigger. But I must admit that stage III and IV get help from chemo to stabilize their conditions, and for myself for reasons mentioned above. Then again, I'm no scientist :-) I believe for example that it's weird taking all these medications, like Tamoxifene if one continues eating bad, push away negative emotions, not opening one's eyes to another way of living than the stressed Western way, where young girls get their periods at age 9 because of xeno estrogens and other environmental horror I won't go into right now.
I'm all for peace and love and understanding. Life's too much of a hazzle anyway to attack people, anyhow it's bad karma.
Lots of zen to all of you!
PS. Barbara, how great that you're experiencing positive things from acupuncture too. It's very encouraging!
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Deanna--Do you live in the Coachella Valley? I would encourage you to report what that pharmcist said to you to the California Board of Pharmacy--they are not supposed to be practicing medicine. It's easy to do. they called me for more information and unfortunately decided that the person that spoke to me was not an employee of the pharmacy but an independent contractor.
I belong to Gilda's Club in Cathedral City and I have heard many stories about cancer patients being browbeated by the people at this pharmacy --they just want to sell their expensive supplements.
Have a joyus day. Vj
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One thing I have learned from all this is to question my Dr's more. When my BS and radiologist told me no chemo, but my Onc said she thought I should consider it because of my age I should have asked more questions. If this beast ever comes back I will ask to see the NCCN recommendations for my stage ect.
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Omaz,
Yes, I've been looking into the L-glutamine too. My acupuncturer prescribed a homeopathic thingy for the neuropathy, the thing is I don't remember the name and French doctors have terrible handwriting so I can't make out what it says!! Only the pharmacists read the prescriptions and actaully understand :-) I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I get myself some extra protein since a couple of days, maybe that has helped too!
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I love my accupuncturist (Chinese trained). Hasn't gotten rid of the neuropathy but has helped with back pain, fatigue, insomnia, maybe a little with the hot flashes. Just really sorry I hadn't met her before starting chemo.
I have a delicious bunch of asparagus, added some cherry tomatoes, olive oil and red wine vinegar with a touch of basil and parsley. Yumm.
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claire: right on!!
and back to our discussion - i find the supplements expensive, and sifting through the options overwhelming. i did see a naturopath for several months, but would rather keep my $50 copay in mypocket (plus driving 30min each way) and teach myself, if that is possible. she was focused on an anti-inflammatory diet, which means no peppers, tomatoes, dairy, peanut butter. I've done really well on that part - the sugar, not so much.
my "Raw Energy" cookbook shipped yesterday- yahoo! will post some recipes here that i think you all would like. i feel more drawn to a raw diet in recent months, but need more education on it.
glad you all liked the mashed cauliflower idea - it does rock. i learned the idea from a friend of mine who does the Paleo diet.
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I had no idea tomatoes and peppers were something we should avoid with an anti-inflammatory diet.
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Acupuncture is something I would love to try. Do you have to have a medical complaint to see a practitioner, or can you just get it like you get a massage?
Early stage cancer is like crossing the Mafia and getting away with it. You live, but must forever glance over your shoulder.
Diagnosis: 3/2009, IDC, 3cm, Stage IIb, Grade 3, 3/8 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-0 -
now i have the giggles......
Athena, you can just go for acupuncture as you would a massage. It helped me greatly with the chemo-induced nausea and fatigue; I could literally feel my body deeply relax! I would get treatment two days after chemo and would go home to a great, long nap. I highly recommend it, although I found the little needles a bit shivery.
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Athena, where I live and insurance in this area, you can go to any practicing accupuncturist you want and pay out of pocked. You have to investigate and decide who you like on your own of course (I got a word of mouth recommendation from another breast cancer survivor). However, many of the insurance companies will reimburse only for a referral made from a physician, and the accupuncturist has to be an MD. The later is kind of hard to find. I did find one, so could have switched over and have insurance reimburse at least part of it, but, by then I had found mine and like her so well I haven't been willing to switch.
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Oh, Athena do try! I have no idea how it works in the U.S though. When I was still on chemo, I missed to make an appointment before the last session, and had a really hard time getting myself together, feeling nauseous and heavy. Atleast it won't do you no harm :-)
My 'guy' also told me that massage is something we should all get more of, especially for eliminating and get the blood flowing (and for the relaxation of course :-) ) . Simple, quite evident stuff when you think about it, so I went for a foot & leg massage last night, divine for my achy post-Taxotere legs! Felt like I was flying a bit walking home.
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@kira: yes, i was surprised too. potatoes are also a big no-no - which is why i was so happy to discover the mashed cauliflower idea. mashed potatoes were a dinner staple growing up and my family loves them at holidays..but Christmas dinner is now the only time I'll make them.
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DH tells me he can look at me and tell when I've done yoga. He says I get a very calm relaxed look. It does make me feel that way. I thinks it helps me so much I've checked out the guided imagry meditation thread and have been giving that a try. I think I've been doing some of it already, just didn't realize that was what I was doing
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I think my insurance does provide some sort of support for complementary medicine. I don't have any bad physical problems (and didn't do chemo) but I am sure it would help given the exercise I do.
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I love power yoga - it is the only kind of yoga that really makes me feel relaxed. It also feels good to know that you can do so many down-dogs for so many breaths - to say nothing of the hovers and the reverse warrior poses.
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Would acupuncture help a frozen shoulder? My insurance covers it.
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Kmmd, I know what you're talking about! When my hubby comes home from swimming, he'll always have me show him different exercises to do for stretching. Yoga postures def procures this sensation of extreme well-being, a little but like drugs I must admit!
Here's a link I found a while ago, which has helped me learn new postures and more about relaxation in general!
http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogabeginnersguide.asp
A good friend of mine does yoga in a heated room (Bikram) with quite hardcore poses, so as to stretch muscles further, too much for me though! I've noticed only 15 minutes a day gives me so much relief, especially when it involves twisting the spine..which makes a cracking noise, but straight afterwards I get this overall sensation of calm.
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Power yoga does get the blood pumping. I have DVD's for yoga ranging from short, gentle stretching, to longer power yoga sessions, and some in between. I can usually find one that fits my mood for the day. In the winter I love doing it in the evening and turning down lights and doing it by firelight. In the summer I love doing it during the day and keeping the windows open and smelling and feeling the breezes and hearing the birds and sounds of summer
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Potatoes is a no-no? For which diet if I may ask? I never eat them, but would like to know why :-) Mashed cauliflower sounds delicious though, what a good idea. I have some cauliflower in the freezer, yay!
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I don't know Blue. I would think it could help with pain related to it but you would need PT to help get flexibility and range of motion back. Just my guess
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Carola, potatoes are in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae), as are tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers.
Any green parts of potatoes should definitely be cut out and discarded before cooking, by anyone. They contain solanine, "a glucoalkaloid... present in nightshade vegetables which is toxic if consumed in large amounts."
Some people may be extra-sensitive to the small amounts of solanine in the white part of potatoes, and in other nightshade vegetables. It may worsen inflammation in some people with arthritis. Here's a link to an article about this: http://www.articledoctor.com/arthritis/nightshade-vegetables-arthritis-1889
Personally, I love potatoes and tomatoes so much I have never considered giving them up! An acne-like response is also thought to be triggered in some people by solanine, and green bell peppers seem to do this to me, so those I avoid. But the red and yellow bell peppers don't bother me.
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If you look at the bad rap potatoes got, you will notice that it's mostly items that are something like a 3:1 ratio of fat:potatoes. So chips and fries. Are we surprised???
Small new potatoes with skins are actually very healthy food. Lots of vitamins and fiber.
Then there is eating something like three small ones as opposed to 15 of them.
I love a nice baked potato as much as the next person. With butter, salt and pepper, and a nice crunchy skin. Just heaven. Unfortunately, I also noticed I can use up a lot of a stick of butter on just one.
So guess what I do? I ROAST them, either whole if small or in 2" wedges. About one tablespoon of butter does enough for about 4 meals, and a lot gets left in the pan.
Just delish, and I even put in salads. - Claire
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Blue, I'm so glad you're back
Yes, to acupuncture. With a BIG YES. Definitely helps inflammation, and there is also evidence, tho' no clinical trials yet, that it helps treat neuropathy. Don't know about "frozen shoulder" but think it might help that too. Definitely worth a try.
Thank you AGAIN & AGAIN SusieQ for starting this thread - on which we ALLL acknowledge we have CHOSEN to have CHEMOTHERAPY, and how difficult choice it can be. (Edited to say maybe "all" on this thread have not had chemotherapy, but we agree NOT to condemn, or scare, anyone who has, or will have it.)
I know there is a thread for ALTERNATIVE ONLY, and if someone wants to discuss that approach, I suggest they use that thread. If someone chooses to make that thread only about pictures, poems, or whatever, then please start another ALTERNATIVE ONLY thread. THIS thread is NOT alternative only. This thread was started to help women who CHOOSE to have chemotherapy, and use an Integrative Approach to their continued healing.
Thanks, Claire, for trying. BTW, I am NOT in anyone's "little group." Now can we please, please continue to have this thread as it has been, a wonderfully supportive & informative place for women who CHOOSE to have chemotherapy, and use an Integrative Approach to their healing. How many times do we have to say this.
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You gals have got me interested in acupuncture. I have some nerve issues from a bad car wreck years ago and radiation therapy aggravated it so maybe acupuncture would help? Would be work a try. I already get massages regularly and have been getting full body lymphatic messages because I still have quiet a bit of breast swelling in my radiated breast. It seems to be helping some, but if not it feels good and I know it is getting my whole lymphatic system moving and draining toxins out of my body.
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Are the lymphatic messages covered by insurance? I seem to have lymph build up in the chest area.
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Sherry......getting your whole body moving is what gets the lymphatic system moving.
Without going into details, I certainly learned this when I rode my bicycle while still toting a JP drain.
Sex works really well to as an overall relaxant. Recommend it, and it's free if you are in a relationshiop.
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Sherryc, I would think it would help. Of course, I'm quite an accupuncture yoga enthusiast so in my book it helps with anything so I'm pretty biased. Now, I took DH to my accupuncturist and he never got into it and didn't think it helped his arthritis pain and insomnia. However, we accept that different medications are metabolized differently and help some but not all people, so, can't see why accupuncture should be any different
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Claire,
You are SUCH an inspiration!!!! Laughing ( with you, for you, in HONOR of you) riding a bicycle with a JP drain. Darn, you are one FINEWOMAN!!!!
Ok, more good stuff about Acupuncture. Even my acupuncturist couldn't believe this, she'd never seen it before, and has been at it for about 15 years. I had colon cancer about 12 (?) years ago - huge, thick, red, ropey scar from pubic area up to about 2 inches above belly button. Aggravated 3 1/2 years ago by gall bladder being "pulled out" ( thought the surgeon what teasing me when she described how it was done arthroscopically?) and seems there's some "meridan" or something in acupuncture right where this HUGE scar was. So, my acupuncturist kept putting needles all around my stomach, the upper part of the scar.
I say "was" - cuz it's now mostly gone! Faint, white, scar, thinner, not at all ropey. My acupuncturist can't "believe" it, and I'm not able to explain it. Just mostly gone. And it was there for more than 11 years - as it was. I go once a month. Has even helped ease my hay fever.
Sorry I can't spell...
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