The fight continues

If you've been following my blog since its inception, you'll remember that I was diagnosed with Stage 2B Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on June 5, 2014. On July 9, 2014, I had both breasts removed as well as 6 lymph nodes (because the cancer had traveled from my breast into my lymphatic system through one sentinel node) - 4 in the right arm and 2 in the left. The type cancer I had was fed by both Estrogen and Progesterone and was not fed by the Her2Neu hormone. (If you are familiar with medical staging, my diagnosis is listed as pT2, pN1a, MX, ER/PR+/Her2Neu-  (That, in a nutshell, means exactly what I told you from the first sentence to the last.)

After my surgery, I went through therapy which consisted of 28 rounds of radiation. My Oncotype DX, the test used to determined the probability of recurrence, was a 7 out of 100 which indicated a very low recurrence rate although my cancer was very agressive. I took that specific number, the number 7, as a sign from God that my dealings with cancer were complete (because 7 is the Biblical number of completion) and I was sure that my medical treatments were over and God had completely healed my body.

My Oncologist wanted me to start on the routine post surgical chemo treatment and prescribed Arimidex to be taken daily. Although I believed my cancer to be already completely gone, in order to be proactive, I followed doctor's orders and started taking the medication. I took it for 2 weeks and became extremely ill. Every bone and joint in my body felt like they were on fire and I could barely walk across the room. I instantly knew that medication was not going to work for me and told the doctor. He promptly prescribed the old tried and true breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen, and asked me to take it for a while. (I was told I'd be on chemo meds for the next 10 years. In the past, treatment was only given for 5 years but recent research, it was found that 10 years offered more protection from recurrence.) Once again, I followed doctor's orders and took the Tamoxifen. After two weeks and countless side effects, I decided to stop taking the Tamoxifen and take a more natural route to proactive treatment for healing. I told my oncologist about my decision and cringed awaiting his response. Instead of berating me and telling me to find a new physician, he smiled and said he'd support me in whatever I decided to do. Thus my quest for natural ways to combat cancer began.

I began pouring over internet articles, medical journals, and holistic healing manuals. I read countless blogs and real life accounts of other breast cancer survivors. I took every bit of information I could and recorded those various tidbits in a journal. One by one, I researched them. I discarded the "off the wall, way out in left field" treatment suggestions, and I've kept the documented, "proven" options.

In March, after completing the trials of chemo drugs, I began my journey to better health by also making drastic changes to my diet. After reading "Beating Cancer with Nutrition" by Dr. Patrick Quillen, I discovered many documented nutritional supplements that not only promoted good health, but possessed cancer fighting properties. I'd like to share those with you in hopes that they will bless someone else as they begin their own cancer journey.

One of the main things I learned from reading Dr. Quillen's book is that SUGAR FEEDS CANCER CELLS. Oh how I hated to learn that fact. My oncologist agreed with Dr. Quillen's research and said since the cancer I was diagnosed with was fed by Estrogen, I would have to be diligent in losing as much weight as possible. When I asked him why, he told me that fat cells produced Estrogen and Estrogen fed the cancer. And where do you think fat cells come from??? Fat cells are formed when we ingest TOO MUCH SUGAR! The body stores that extra sugar or glucose in our cells and those expanded cells show up on our bodies as, you guessed it, FAT. So, as much as I love ice cream and brownies, they were going to have to disappear from my diet.

When I returned to see my oncologist the following month, he sat down with me and we discussed what I was doing to stay healthy. I watched his face as I rattled off each supplement, each nutrient, and each weapon I was using in my fight. I think he was impressed that I'd done extensive research. Many of the tools I'd chosen were ones he was very familiar with but then, there were a few he was unfamiliar with and wanted more information on.

Some of my family members were concerned that I'd chosen to "go natural" in my approach to fighting cancer and others were behind me 100%. For me, it only made sense to follow a holistic approach. I'm a firm believer that God has given us everything we need for healing of any disease or malady through His gifts in nature.

Below, you'll find a list of things currently in my arsenal. While these things are currently working for me, I want to add a disclaimer here and encourage you to discuss any natural healing therapies with your physician should you wish to include any of these in your own health regimen.

My daily cancer fighting regimen:

• Organic Matcha green tea (green tea has been used for centuries in China and Japan for fighting cancer)
• Supplements - Vitamin C (tricks the cancer cells into thinking they're getting glucose but helps destroy the cells instead of feeding them), Vitamin B 12 (for energy), Vitamin D and Calcium, Fish oil (helps line the cell membranes and lower blood glucose by making insulin more effective) Probiotics and Greek Yogurt (helps create and maintain healthy bacteria in the stomach and intestines), Chlorophyll capsules, Ashwaghanda capsules
• Water and lots of it! (filtered of course) Lemon added helps flush toxins from the body
• Protein (60-100 grams of lean protein a day)
• Deep colored fruits and vegetables (if not organic, I wash them well in a vinegar/water solution and try to eat all with outer skin intact instead of removed because this is where the nutrients and vitamins are located.)
• Cinnamon added to foods helps stabilize blood sugar levels 
• Exercise (walking is my exercise of choice but anything that allows your body to take in more oxygen the better. Cancer cells are anaerobic so the more oxygen you can pump into your system, the more the cancer cells don't like it!)
• Tomatoes (they contain Lycopene which helps suppress cancer growth.)
• Berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries (they contain Ellagic acid which helps kill cancer cells)
• No sugar! Instead, I use Stevia which comes from a natural plant. Honey and even Raw Cane Sugar turn into glucose in your body.
• Fiber (I try to eat as much fiber as I can naturally but when I can't, I take a daily supplement like Citrucel or Metamucil.)
• Garlic (it contains natural antibiotic properties so I use it in most of my cooking and even eat it raw)
• Spices that help fight cancer: Curry, Ginger, Mustard
• Good oils: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Evening Primrose Oil
• Eliminate stress (if you can't remove the stress from your life, remove yourself from the stressful situation! Stress is a cancer instigator!)
• Detox (I try to Detox my body by fasting at least one day a week or if not for a full day, for at least 2 meals of the day.)
• And last, but by no means least, prayer. Praying and focusing on God are my number one weapon against cancer, but I listed them last so you'd be sure to remember them. 

I have to give you a little science/history lesson before I end my blog post today. Hippocrates was a Greek physician of the Age of Pericles, and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the "Father of Western Medicine," and is famous for the "Hippocratic Oath." He learned medicine from both his father and his grandfather. He believed doctors should analyze symptoms on a case-by-case basis, instead of having blanket causes and/or cures for each disease. Hippocrates is known for many famous quotations. Among them are these two: "It is necessary for a physician to know about nature, and be very eager to know, if he is going to perform any of his duties... what man is in relation to what he eats and drinks, and in relation to his habits generally, and what will be the effect of each upon each individual" and “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

My great Aunt was a Naturopath so I guess the study of natural healing is just in my blood. Doesn't it just make sense to use food to heal our bodies? After all, God made our bodies complex, with all of the wonderful, marvelous systems in place, so we would be able to process and digest food while taking in all of the valuable nutrients from what we ingested. If we lived back in Biblical times, when people lived as hunter/gatherers, we'd have the most natural form of fruits, vegetables, and the most organic forms of meats and fish. But today, with all the chemicals and pesticides that smother our produce and poison our water sources, it's no wonder we face a myriad of diseases and illnesses. We must be responsible for our own health, to the extent we can be.

For the breast cancer survivor, it seems scary to step out of the regimented routine of medical advice and trek out into the world of natural healing. For some, it may seem impossible but for others, like me, it makes the most sense of all. As Cicero once said, "Suum Cuique." (Which means: to each his own.) Each patient/survivor must carefully consider his/her diagnosis and discuss options with his/her physician to make the most informed, best choice that can be made. I'd like to encourage those traveling the breast cancer journey to consider taking the natural route if it's at all possible for you. I am so thankful I realized I had a right to make the choice I made. You have a right, too. Do your research. Ask questions. Don't just feel like you have to accept the standard, routine method of treatment. It's your body. Once again, in the famous words of Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be they food."

May you live long and prosper (thanks, Spock!)

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Researching alternative methods

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you know that many weeks ago I decided not to take the conventional prescription medications prescribed by my Oncologist. I did not make this decision lightly. I spent much time in prayer seeking God's wisdom and direction. I did not want to make a mistake regarding my healthcare.

Unsuccessfully, I tried two different prescription medications at the advice of my doctor. Both of those medications affected me adversely. The changes were drastic and ones I was not willing to continue experiencing. I called my doctor's office and shared my decision. His nurse documented my medical records and I'm sure has shared my decision with Dr. "F" by now. I haven't heard anything from his office so I'm taking that as a sign that he respects my decision. I'll see him on Tuesday and I'm sure he'll want more details but in the meantime, I've been doing my homework.

I am determined to live until God calls me home, please understand that. Many of my friends and family don't think so because they can't understand my refusing to follow doctor's orders. I can sympathize with them. In fact, I've always been one to immediately do exactly as my doctor instructed but this time, it's different. After my brush with breast cancer, I feel I've been given a second chance at life and I'm going to be responsible for medical decisions based on what I think is best for me. My compass is my faith in God. I am trusting Him with each decision I make.

I've watched many people in my family die from various types of cancer. I know the evil ugliness it possesses. I know it is serious business. I've seen it decimate the lives of ones I love and I know I face a fierce battle. Taking the natural route to healing should be the preferred course of treatment, shouldn't it? But instead, doctors prescribe chemicals that poison and radiation that kills healthy cells along with the unhealthy ones. I don't want to settle for that. I know there's a better choice.

There are many unconventional treatments for cancer. Just do a GOOGLE search and you'll find thousands of them. But there are natural methods that make sense and those are the ones I'm going to implement into my healing process.

I've already eliminated sugar and processed foods from my diet. I'm focusing more on raw fruits and vegetables...kingdom foods. There are so many preservatives in processed foods that we don't even know what we're eating unless we take a magnifying glass and read the labels. Sugar is proven to feed cancer cells so it only makes sense to eliminate it from my diet. Why would I want to consume something that is going to cause cancer to flourish in my body?

My research has led me to two additional discoveries. The first one is the benefit of Matcha Green Tea. Green tea is a drink made from the steamed and dried leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant, a shrub native to Asia. Some researchers believe green tea may protect against certain types of cancer because it contains antioxidants. Compounds taken from green tea can be useful in humans.

Green tea contains chemicals known as polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties. The major group of polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, and the most important catechin seems to be epigallocatechin gallate (sometimes called epigallocatechin-3-gallate or EGCG). EGCG may help cause certain types of cancer cells to die in much the same way that normal cells do. This effect is important because cancer cells are different from normal cells in that they do not die when they should—they continue to grow and spread.

The Chinese have been drinking green tea for at least 3,000 years, and it has been popular in some other Asian countries for at least 1,000 years. In recent years, scientists have begun to study its health effects more closely in laboratory and animal studies and in observational human studies.

Many laboratory studies have shown green tea acts against cancer cells in cell cultures. Test tube studies have suggested that compounds in the tea may help stop new blood vessels from forming, thereby cutting off the supply of blood to cancer cells.

The second discovery I made while searching for natural alternatives to prescription medications for cancer is the Ayurvedic herb, Ashwagandha. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says "ashwagandha is often used in formulations prescribed for stress, strain, fatigue, pain, skin diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and epilepsy. It is also used as a general tonic, to increase energy and improve health and longevity and topically as an analgesic. Ashwagandha is rich in iron. Ashwagandha also reduced growth of breast, central nervous system, colon, and lung cancer cells without affecting normal cells. It was shown to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in mice. In a small study of breast cancer patients, ashwagandha alleviated chemo-induced fatigue and improved the quality of life."

These are natural remedies that I've decided to incorporate into my daily routine. I will be diligent to record any unusual side effects and discuss those with my medical team but I'm also going to be keeping detailed notes on the benefits I receive as I continue with this course of action. In essence, I'm making myself into a human guinea pig. It is my hope that something I discover will help someone else.

As I step forward in faith regarding these choices, I am trusting God to guide and direct me. If at any point, I feel His leading to discontinue any of these remedies, I will stop immediately. I have not happened upon these discoveries coincidentally. It is my belief that in answer to very specific prayer, God has led me to the exact supplements He's prepared for me to use.

I am not opposed to conventional medical procedures or medications but I do know my body. I know what I can and cannot handle. I know what I will and will not accept regarding anything that adversely affects my quality of life.

I'm sure there will be some who think I've gone off the deep end. But please don't judge until you've walked a mile in my shoes. For me, this is the right choice.

©bonnie annis all rights reserved