Survivors who had chemo etc and are into Complementary medicine
Comments
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claire_in_seattle,
Well now I have quite a sight in my mind of that bicycle trip.
I sure hope my rebounder gets my lymphatic system going. Can't ride a bike at this time I just lose my balance and fall off. I sure hope it's not permanent because I love riding my bike.
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Kira yes if they are done at a PT clinic by a LE specialist. My problem is I live in a rural area and it would take me over an hour to get to a PT clinic that specializes in this so that I can pay a $30 copay. I have a massage therapist who is trained in lymphatic massages and she lives here and she charges me $60 and usually does about an hour and 15 minutes on me. She does the complete body I am not sure with a LE specialist if they only do breast or whole body. maybe someone else here might know if they have had it done.
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Thanks hillck. One more question, do I need one of my Dr's to recommend it or can I set up the appointment on my own?
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Clair you crack me up about the sex. Just last night DH was wound up tight, I told him sex would relax him but he just thought he had too much work to do first. Well I was asleep my then. oh well.
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Kira, same as Cindy. My PCP wrote a referral scrip and off I went.
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Wow this thread is really moving along!
Athena - I remember reading about the mafia analogy some time ago and I really liked it - so it was you! Good to know.
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I am finding this thread very interesting. My goal is to not have a second diagnosis so whatever I can do to keep myself healthy is a good thing. But were I to get a second diagnosis, bring on the chemo. I have 3 fairly young children. I owe it to them. I know two women who didn't follow the "traditional" western medicine approach. Both died. In one case, the woman's mother also had BC. She followed the western medicine approach. She just celebrated her 80th birthday.
When I was doing my zaps, I found the exercise really did help. In some ways it seemed counterintuitive but it worked. My boss went through chemo and zaps last year and he continued to play basketball and walk and otherwise exercise. He found it wasn't fun but it wasn't as miserable as he was led to expect.
One thing that I have heard good things about for zaps is manuka honey. With a zapped boobie, you smear it on. With a zapped something else (say throat/oral cancer) you swish it in your mouth. My boss did this with his zaps and he was able to eat almost until the end of zaps.
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Thank you, Omaz!
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Hello 3monstmama,
yes it's interesting indeed having a thread that mixes 'alternative' with 'normal' medical care, isn't it! There is so much information out there, and this thread helps me think more clearly about treatments.Thanks for sharing, especially regarding radiotherapy, I'm getting fairly nervous personally (starting 8 weeks of rads in September..) Funny word 'zaps' :-D
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Medi Honey (Manuka) is great. I used it when I got some really nasty spots during rads. I use it for cuts etc too.
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I got Manuka Honey for my son when he had a really bad ulcerated throat recently, due to a virus for which doctors said there was NOTHING they could give him... helped a lot.
Also sent it to someone whose throat was raw after brainstem rads and she said it really helped (sent it based on a tip from you a few months ago, 3monstmama -- thanks!).
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3monstmama - how did you handle the "no bra" thing and still exercise? I know that some exercise would help me, but with my big ol' breasts flappin' around - it's a no go.
I'm in all sorts of a bad mood...just overall, pissed off. Exercise would help, I'm sure.
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And Manuka honey comes from the land of the long white cloud
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My home Aotearoa
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pejkug - I got a lightweight tank top and wore it under a slightly larger sized bra during and after rads. I wrapped the tank top over and under the breasts and then put on the bra if that makes any sense.0
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I'm not much help on the floppy boobies thing---my boobies are never floppy....never got big enough!!! I suspect that omaz' idea about a tank top might be a good one. Just be sure that what you get is 100% cotton.
Carola30, I was scared too. Its like everything about stupidbreastcancer--the anticipation and lack of control is as bad as the treatment. Have you found a group on this board for women starting rads (I like zaps better--if I can make jokes about it all, I feel better!) in September like you? I found my March group so supportive--I still keep in touch with a number of the women there. Another thing I did was to work through treatment. I cut back my hours a bit but the idea of completely not working felt so scary and made things more serious. [and while I think of it--Lucky You in Paris! a trip to Paris was my reward for treatment. And as luck would have it, we will be going again at the end of summer. I can't wait!]
I will say that the Zap doctor and the Zap nurse said that not wearing a bra --if you can manage it--really helps because it lets the air circulate. The rubbing of the bra--even wireless bands--is hard of the radiated tissues. The other thing that got suggested was taking something like an old fashioned cotton hanky and sticking that between the "girl" and the chest wall--if that makes sense. Seems that even just skin rubbing skin is a no-no. If you are too big to go braless all the time, you can just go topless at home--no bra, no shirt. A number of women in my Zap group did that and it helped alot.
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Good News on SOY! http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/Is-eating-soy-safe-for-breast-cancer-patients-and-survivors-.aspx
can someone tell me how to make a hyperlink in bc.org
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Caerus-Sunflowers -- usually with a link from outside BCO, like your Dana Farber link, just hitting the space bar after you paste in the link will make it a clickable hotlink.
Or (especially if you want to do it hyperlink style with just a word or two) -- highlight the text in your comment that you want to turn into link, then click on the chain-link symbol above the comment window -- to the right of the font icon (the solid links, not the broken links). When you click on that icon, a window opens up. It will show your highlighted text in "name" and you paste the URL into the "URL" box (top box).
(BTW, this is the only way to make a hotlink to another page on BCO, and I usually have to edit my post and do it a second time to make the link work, for some reason...)
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trying again
http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/Is-eating-soy-safe-for-breast-cancer-patients-and-survivors-.aspx oops...space bar approach didn't work...
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Trying too:
Space bar worked for me. Maybe because I have an old version of Internet Explorer???
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Trying this -- Is eating soy safe for breast cancer patients and survivors?
It works as a hyperlinked item but when I pasted the URL directly it didn't work for me either. Maybe because it's ASPX.
Ann, just saw your comment. I was using Firefox and it didn't work for me, so maybe it only works in IE.
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3moms,
I referred to my rads sessions as "zap and gos"
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Caerus--I also had colon cancer! Finished tx right before I found out I had bc! I'm going to pm you.
Still loving this thread ladies. I think of you every time I eat something processed
I have been eating more salads and haven't had any fries in awhile! Keep the good info and recipes coming!0 -
I made roasted sweet potatoes tonight with salmon and my husband and daughter liked them! Me too! I am going to add onions and carrots next time.
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This thread moves fast. I am just going to jump in.
Love acupuncture. I believe it helps for neuropathy, pain, stress, etc.. May not be for everyone, but I think if you are having health issues you should try it, and give it a couple of sessions. For me I feel like it helps to get my body in 'rhythm', it relaxes me, and I have more energy after a session and just feel good overall. When I feel good I exercise more and eat healthier. All positive in my book.
For me, I noticed when I have done acupuncture while going through treatments I handle the treatments better than when I skipped acupuncture. You would have thought I learned not to skip them. So back to see the acupuncturist next week and get back into 'rhythm'.
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Not to change the subject-
I made the zucchini casserole for my family tonight, ruthbru, and they loved it!
Even the 9 year old who "hates veggies."
Thanks.
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Wow lots to catch up on from yesterday.
I actually will eat a small baked red potato, skin & all. No butter. They are also good with some salsa. Can you tell I use salsa like others use ketchup?! Much healthier option.
Another way to cook potatoes is to
1. slice them.
2. Toss them in a bag with garlic powder & olive oil to mix.
3. Next place them on a cookie sheet or foil to bake.
OMG so much better than french fries. You will never look backMy mother actually got medicare to pay for her acupuncture. It was prescribed by a doctor though.
Kira my lymphatic massages were covered but I did have a diagnosis of LE and an order from an MD and an in-network provider.
Good news about soy. I haven't been giving it up. I don't eat tofu that much but I do eat it at times. The soy sauce would be hard to give up. My Estriol (sp) levels are 10< so I guess I'm doing OK.
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OK this alcohol thing is so confusing. I hardly drink at all but I'm so confused. Am I putting myself at risk even with one glass of wine. If I have 2 drinks one night or one week but then have none for 2 months am I still considered safe? linky0 -
My big life changes since diagnosis: no more wheat or dairy. I started this when I started chemo and I dropped 65 pounds which I have managed to keep off! For the first time in my life, I no longer struggle with my weight. I do acupuncture about once a month (wish I could afford more) and I walk at least one hour a day. I DO still drink wine-- a little less then before, and I have cut out all spirits (used to LOVE vodka!). And I take all the supplements I mentioned earlier--
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Thank you Ann for the link about nightshade veggies. I just had an amazing organic ratatouille, which contains aubergine. Before I ate a lot of eggplant, but noticed it got bad very fast and was really indigest (aubergine is part of acid foods too) as I go organic, so I quit buying them. Maybe it's just aswell! And yep, 3monst, I can go without a bra, hehe, A-cup here! I can imagine how much a lace bra would hurt your skin during radiation, eeeek!! The docs told me to wear a sports bra after surgery, no bras with the metal stuff, I'm lucky I don't really need the 'support'. About the rads group, I'll definitely check it out.
About the soy article: Great that the study used BOTH American & Asian women, atleast I understood it that way. The 'old' belief, that Westerners should throw themselves at soy because Asians had lower breast cancer rates thanks to their soy consumption did always seem weird to me, comparing two groups of people with completely different eating and cultural habits. It's not only thanks to soy that Asian have lower rates of cancer if you ask me. I will avoid it a little bit longer, as stated in the article 'leafy greens' works good too :-) aswell as obvious things like exercise and less or zero alcohol.
About alcohol, Lago, I choose to suppress alcohol from my daily life. Even if I live in France we never drink wine with dinner. Haha, you should have seen the French when scientists claimed wine and reservatrol was good for your health. If you drink non-organic wine, what you get is pesticides, grapes are the worst, and some dangerous, heavy metals. Did anyone as much as breathe anything about that in France? Of course not, because wine is not only 'mandatory' in France (like it's strange if you don't drink it for dinner), but there is so much money to be made...
Anyway, I like to think that 2,3 glasses tops for a special occasion once a month really can't hurt. I would never want to experience even the slightest hangover again; sign that the liver is working to hard, and maybe not metabolizing correctly = toxins & bad estrogen in your blood, which I personally would like to avoid! I think it's the 'too often' that is a problem, two drinks here and there shouldn't hurt you.
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Thanks to Anne & the techies for help. I too use Firefox - IE won't work with Macs. Wonder if that's why the 'space bar' didn't work.
Tina
Answered your pm - and think I'll ask this group of wonderful women to think about our common issue. For those of us who freguently have diarrhea - is there a natural food, or type of food that might help us. Both Tina & I have had parts removed for colon cancer - and seem to share a similar problem. I use Immodium, a lot. Well, not as much as during chemotherapy, but still need it more than most folks do.
I know about Bananas. They used to help. Not so much now with less of a colon. Any ideas? Thanks again, this is a wonderful roup of women, really appreciate your good food advice.
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