Moving So Fast You Can Hardly Think!


Things are happening so fast I can't keep up with them.  I know many of you want to know what's happening and what I am doing now.  I want you to know physically I feel fine, and I am doing very well.

I had a P.E.T. test and 3 MRIs, visited the plastic surgeon, the radiology oncologist, the surgeon, and my regular doctor.  The doctors wanted to do 2 more biopsies; I did not.  They also wanted more mammograms.  After the P.E.T. test it looked as if the cancer had metastasized into my back bone.  The MRI showed lots of small lesions or spots of cancer along my back bone.  It also showed a worrisome (a doctor's favorite word) spot on my other breast.  I knew enough to understand that with cancer in my bones, I would be classified as stage 4 and assumed it would be 4a.  Stage 4 breast cancer has a 15%, 5 year survival rate and patients usually average 18 months.

There is however a 2% group that live up to +20 years. This link is to an example of that.  Katherine Russell Rich's story gives me lots of hope and encouragement.  http://www.oprah.com/health/Katherine-Russell-Rich-On-Surviving-Stage-IV-Breast-Cancer 

The doctors immediately backed off.   The surgeon told me that they will no longer poke or prod me; they just want to make me comfortable and give me the longest possible life--no surgery, radiation or chemotherapy at this time.

I decided to visit both a traditional and non-traditional oncologist.


Traditional
The traditional oncologist in Sacramento confirmed that I was stage 4A.  He has offered to give me one of two drugs.  The first will make me feel like I'm going through menopause but it has a slight risk of causing ovarian cancer.  With the other one I would have to undergo shots or have my ovaries removed, that would force my body into menopause and then I could take the drug.  It has other side effects, but it does not cause cancer.  He feels that if I respond well to the drug, that I may live as long as 10 years.  He also said that he would give me shots to force calcium into my bones--the same drug as they give people with osteoporosis.  The doctors here feel that because I am stage 4A, the most they can do is manage the situation and try to lengthen my life as much as possible.  He did tell me that two of his patients from 2003 are still alive.  I told him I wanted 25 years, so he told me that was in the 2% range and offered me a psychologist.  I guess he doesn't think I understand the limits of my situation.  I do, but I also am not ready to give up and go quietly.  However, I know in the end that after all the work, it is the Lord's decision and I will respect and accept that.

The non-traditional
The non-traditional oncologist is in Reno.  He has a long list of credentials and is board certified.  He founded the oncology departments in three hospitals.  He saw that patients using alternative means did better than his own patients.  He decided to study the methods they were using and eventually received a degree as a homeopathic physician along with his long list of credentials in the medical field.  He has more hope for my situation.  He is running some tests that should be done sometime this week. One of them is called a Chemo-Sensitivity test.  (Susan Summers talks about the doctor I saw here) http://www.suzannesomers.com/Blog/post/Chemosensitivity-Tests-e28093-Why-Does-Big-Pharma-Know-About-Them-and-WE-Done28099t.aspx  It is done in Europe and will see what, if any, chemo drugs will work against the cancer cells in my body.  It will also look at homeopathy and more.  When the test is complete, he will use a targeted chemotherapy using only the chemo that kills my cancer.  He will use only 10% of the usual dose mixed with glucose.  With my sugar level very low, I will be given the mixture.

 It works like a P.E.T. test.  About every 3 months cancer patients on chemo are given a P.E.T test to see if the tumors are shrinking.  They bring their sugar low by eating no sugars and then fasting.  The patient is then given a sugar solution with a radioactive dye intravenously.  After about an hour they are put in a machine that takes pictures in slices of their body.  The cancer cells are all lit up by the dye that they have taken in with the glucose.  Cancer loves sugar and it acts like a Trojan Horse to get the solution only into the cancer cells.

So with the targeted chemo, the receptors on the cancer cells are open looking for sugars in my system to feed on.  They take in the solution while my other cells do not feed on the chemo.  He combines this with immune building therapies and oxygen therapy.  That is done along with diet and exercise, which I am already doing.  I also need some supplements which I am already taking.  His Chemotherapy lasts 3 weeks, for which I will need to be in Reno, although I can come home on the weekends.  After that I am given a low dose in pill form to take for 3 months.  Then we see where I am at.  I will not lose my hair, or feel tired and weak.  His patients usually feel very good.  This is the route I will probably take--just waiting for test results.  He also did a toxin test to look for heavy metals in my system.  If I have any, I will have to detox before the therapy.


 Right Now 


Right at the moment I feel great.  I know everyone thinks I need to rest but exercise and living my normal life is the best thing for me.  I have changed a few things.  I'm going to give you a list of what I am doing and some links if you want more information about them.  I will blog about each of them and post a few yummy recipes that you might like to try.  Giving you the list will at least be more information than you have now.


Supplements and Diet that I am on

• Raw Foods only--no animal protein.  Mostly vegetables, grains and berries.  No other fruit because of sugar content.  Lots of juicing.  http://www.alissacohen.com/ and  http://greensmoothiegirl.com/
• Organic Flax seed  http://www.flaxhealth.com/breastcancerupdate.htm
• Organic Acai powder   http://health-report.co.uk/acai.htm
• Raw apricot seeds http://www.apricotsfromgod.info/nature_of_cancer.htm
• Organic olive leaf complex  http://www.harmonic-health.com/olive-leaf-extract.php
• Organic raw coconut oil  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/09/coconut-oil-its-health-benefits-and-why-its-in-my-diet.html
• Essiac Tea  http://www.essiacinfo.org/
• Only Stevia and Xylitol for sweetener  http://www.asktom-naturally.com/naturally/stevia3.html  and  http://www.xylitol.org/
• Dr. Schulze's super food plus (100% organic) This is a green drink powder with lots of benefits. There are many to chose from.
• Chia seeds http://icreatewisdom.com/chiaseed.html
• Looking into ionized alkaline water
• Vitamin D3 and calcium supplement
• Going out into the sun for 30 min. a day to increases my natural Vitamin D
• Exercise to stimulate my system and get more oxygen
• Looking into a yoga class and the benefits of sitting in a sauna

A Biopsy is not a trip to Disneyland!




I don't like the path ahead!
Now I think I'm in trouble, so I begin to do lot of research.  I start to read and study about cancer.  I want to know what I can do to heal myself.  Like you, I have seen photos of people with cancer.  They are weak, in pain, and have no hair.  That's not the life I want.  Physically I feel great--so what's causing them to look and feel like they do? The answer is the chemotherapy treatments.  It's ingrained in our minds because they have been using these types of treatments since Louis Goodman and Alfred Gillman showed it can reduce tumor size in 1942.  The problem is it will also kill your healthy cells and affect all the organs in your body.  They are treating the tumor which is a symptom.

But what is the true cause of cancer? Can we find it and fix the problem?  A few years back my sister-in-law told us about a book called "The China Study" written by Thomas Campbell II and T. Colin Campbell.http://www.amazon.com/The-China-Study-Comprehensive-Implications/dp/1932100385  That was why my husband quit eating most meat and all dairy products.  The book talks about several studies conducted on lab rats with cancer.  The cancer grows when they have casein in their diet and goes into remission when they do not.  Casein is animal protein taken from milk.  I read about Dr. Max Gerson and his cancer treatments.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShqKk3fasZA  There is some controversy with it but it also has some merit.  I decide to eat only raw organic foods.  I keep looking for answers.

The types of Breast Biopsies.
I do research into biopsy.  There are several types of breast biopsies.  The type ordered for you depends on the spot that they need to biopsy.  Here is a description of what they are.  However, how they are done depends on if they need to use ultrasound or a mammogram to guide the doctor.

• Fine-needle aspiration biopsy.  Your doctor inserts a thin needle into a lump and removes a sample of cells or fluid.
• Core needle biopsy.  Your doctor inserts a needle with a special tip and removes a sample of breast tissue about the size of a grain of rice.
• Vacuum-assisted core biopsy.  This is done with a probe that uses a gentle vacuum to remove a small sample of breast tissue. The single small cut doesn't require stitches and leaves a very small scar.
• Open (surgical) biopsy.  Your doctor will make a small cut in the skin and breast tissue to remove part or all of a lump. This may be done as a first step to check a lump or if a needle biopsy doesn't provide enough information.  
• You may also have a lumpectomy, where the lump is removed and some of the surrounding tissue.

I am scheduled for a vacuum-assisted core biopsy using a mammogram and three core needle biopsies assisted with ultrasound.  They will need several samples from each site.  I am told I can drive myself home but I should rest for 24 hours.  Just a note--driving did not include motorcycles!

I want to get off this ride!
While planning my unscheduled trip to the radiologist for my biopsies, I had to stop and ponder the consequence of having the procedure.  In order to protect itself, our body will usually encase the cancer cells.  If we disrupt the encasement, we risk the cells migrating out and metastasizing in our body, or in other words spreading all over the place.  I begin to think that it would be better to have a lumpectomy and remove the lump from my body intact and then test it for cancer.  Who needs a lump anyway?  They also leave behind little titanium clips in each biopsy spot.  I did some research and while they don't cause most women problems, some have allergic reactions to them.  I prefer not to have little metal objects in my body for the rest of my life or take any risk of a reaction.

I called my doctor.  She was very calm and told me I had time and could meet with a surgeon to get her opinion.  I had the doctor cancel my biopsy appointment.  I would wait for the surgeon's office to call me to set up an appointment with her and go from there.

Get on Board or Else!
It was only a few minutes latter when I got a call from the surgeon.  She had already viewed my mammogram and ultrasound and was calling to tell me to get with the program!  "I can't give you a lumpectomy!  It's everywhere; I would just have to cut off your whole breast--so you better have the biopsy!"  I try to talk to her but she just talks over me. She hears me say I don't want the titanium markers left in my body. "You don't need to worry about them.  I'll remove them whether or not you have cancer. Now I'm calling and resetting your appointment and I expect you to go." With that, my choice is clear; I will tow the line for now so I can try and keep my body intact.

Which is the better route?
I think it is true that the path you take on a cancer journey is one that no one else can decide for you.  Each choice you make you must decide for yourself.  We receive so much information from others and the doctors all try to rush us into things.  You're worried, but it's important to stop and think about what you want and to look at all your choices.  There are choices after all!  Second opinions, that provided you go to a doctor outside of the office you're in, you may even find the opinions are different.

My biopsies all come back positive for cancer.  Now they want to send me off as fast as they can to do the big 3!  Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  But first a P.E.T test.

As Women We All Have Hills and Valleys Because of Our Hormones


A bit about the hormones.
Our bodies need them but they need them to be in balance. If we have too much or too little then our bodies react and we have health problems.  About ten years ago my cycle was all out of whack.  Most of us know our bodies and know if they are not functioning properly.  Sometimes it is frustrating because a health care professional can't seem to see the problem.  I went in thinking I was going through early menopause.  I was laughed at and told to come back in ten or fifteen years and then maybe.  I went to a naturepath and he gave me progesterone to take.  I had a friend going through the same thing and her doctor told her she had a pre-cancerous uterus.  I took the progesterone and after a while my body started to function normaly.  Now being me, I did not go back to the naturepathic doctor; I just quit taking the progesterone.  When we are expecting a baby our progesterone is high and we don't ovulate.  With the sudden drop in progesterone, I suddenly became pregnant.  I believe the pregnancy helped my body to balance my hormonal system.  My friend became pregnant as well--her doctor told her the pregnancy most likely saved her from cancer.  I feel my son saved me too, and besides, he is a sweetheart--a blessing that I may not have had if my hormones were in balance.

Why were my hormones out of whack?
I had been living a vegetarian lifestyle.  I learned that you can do the most amazing things with soy.  I loved soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese, soy ice cream and many more soy delights.  What I didn't understand was the soy is high in estrogen.  I was on an estrogen overload.  If it's not good for women, it's not good for men or children.  We hear all the time to have moderation and that is my message for soy.  Our bodies need to have a variety in our diets.  Too much of one thing is not good.  You will find soy in many products these days.  It is in cereal, granola bars, and even in soap and creams.  I try to steer clear of soy as much as possible.

Why am I telling you this?
"The single greatest risk factor for the development of breast cancer is lifetime exposure to estrogen; normalizing the balance of the hormones in the breast may be an important step in prevention.  Certain thermographic signs may suggest the effects of hormones in the breast." (breastthermography.com)

If you read my last blog you may note that I had gone into my doctor a year ago because I felt my hormones were out of whack.  Some cancer feeds on hormones; that is one of the things that is looked at when they do a biopsy.  Does it feed on estrogen? Progesterone? Her-2? It will help determine treatment options. At this time I am expecting them to tell me that my cancer feeds on estrogen.  I'll let you know if I'm right.

What I tried.
I decided to help myself again and ordered some Amberin www.amberen.com/CouponCode/5years a natural way to get your hormonal system working correctly.  I saw no change.  When we go through a dramatic shift in our life we question everything and Amberin is one of the things I questioned.  Did it cause this?  I don't know.  I looked over my diet, exercise, radiation exposers (dentist, airport, mammograms, etc.).  There is not one single thing I can put my finger on and say, "that's the one cause!"  Cancer cells are present in everyones body, but don't panic!  Our immune system is an amazing gift.  It attracts and cleans out those cancer cells.  It is when we allow our body to become overwhelmed and out of balance that it starts to not see the cancer cells.  Then they can find root and grow out of control in our bodies.  They say cancer is growing up to 5 years before it is spotted on a mammogram.  Thermography may suggest a hormone problem in the breast years earlier.  Then you may be able to get in balance before you find yourself on an unscheduled journey like mine.  One place I would suggest you look into if you think your hormones are out of whack is to Bioidentical Hormone replacement therapy.  You can check out what Oprah has to say about them.   Oprah and Bioidentical Hormones: FAQ women.webmd.com/news/.../oprah-and-bioidentical-hormones-faq  My mom uses a custom made compound and it has worked great for her.

To those out there that have traveled this way before me.
I have to say thank you to all the women who have reached out to me with encouragement and advice!  You are vibrant and beautiful!  You are such an inspiration to me.  Each of us have walked a slightly different path and made tough desitions about our journey.  You have shown me such strength and courage.  I love each of you and appreciate you sharing yourself with me.

The road will be rough at times
It's ok to have a rough day now and then.  Friday was one for me, but as my doctor said, at times like this you must fall back on your faith.  We are told that faith precedes the miracle.  But you and I know that faith requires action.  We must act on our faith or it is dead.  An example is the man that prayed to win the lottery.  His family was destitute and the need for assistance was great.  Each time he prayed with great faith and each time he lost.  When he died and went to heaven he asked "Why didn't you answer my prayer to win the lottery?"  The answer was "You needed to meet me half way and buy a lottery ticket!"

I learned recently of a women who had a blessing (laying on of hands).  She was told that she would be healed.  So she did nothing at all.  She didn't follow the doctor's advice, or try natural means.  She just went about her life as usual.  Don't get me wrong; I know that cancer kills and sometimes inspite of all we do we may not win the battle.  But she lost her battle with cancer because she didn't look at all the wonderful things we have been given to help us heal.  She did nothing.  Win or lose I am doing as much as possible, and I will tell you about each thing I have learned and am using.

Why a rough road?
On Friday I was given the results of my P.E.T. scan.  It showed that more lymph nodes are involved and that the cancer may have already spread to my bones.  So I had a hard day but I went out and worked in my garden.  There is more work to do but it looks great! Then I went to the movies with all my boys.  Fun times!  I know this will be a long road and that there is work ahead but I do have faith! And I know that we have been given everything we need on this earth to heal.

Pack Your Bags and Hold On, Detour Ahead!

What is that?
On March 7, 2012 I found a lump near my breastbone. It was sore to the touch but on the surface and did not look to be in the breast tissue. I wondered what caused it but was not overly concerned. I was however aware of it so I checked on it frequently. Four days later I found a lump about the size of a nickel on the outside edge of my breast. I was concerned but not overly.

How could anything be wrong with me? 
You see I had had an exam and a mammogram only five months earlier and everything was normal. In fact I had gone to the doctor a year earlier because I felt my hormones were off. I had a complete check up with lab work. Other than being a little overweight, the tests all said I was very healthy. They didn't run any hormone test however because I was "too young and healthy to get accurate results." I have no history of breast cancer. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. My husband had been a semi-vegan for years (no meat or dairy, but a little fish) and we ate like him at least 70% of the time. He had just read something and added some meat to his diet a few weeks before, so did we.

Call the doctor but nothing to worry about. . .right?
 I decided to call my doctor to see what she thought. I got the advice nurse because by then it was the weekend, there was a three hour wait time. She called back in the middle of the District Pinewood Derby and told me not to be concerned and to hot pack the area every four hours until Monday. If it did not go away, call and set an appointment with my doctor. They didn't go away but I have a busy lifestyle and didn't call my doctor. By the afternoon her office called me and asked me to come in. I was busy and put it off to Friday morning. When she examined me she said that the first lump wasn't a concern, the other was probably a cyst but we should have an ultrasound and make sure.

Just to make sure you're ok.
 Radiology called and wanted me to come in on Monday, again I was busy and scheduled for Wednesday. They did a diagnostic mammogram first and decided to look at both lumps. They both were hard to get on the mammogram because of where they are located. We had to do a cleavage view and many other odd positions, including a magnified view. I then went to ultrasound. The radiologist had became concerned with two additional areas. There was lots of coming and going and more pictures in between. I knew then that it was not as expected or in other words "not good." The radiologist came in and said that there were four areas that were very worrisome. She went over the ultrasound with me and showed me the other two non-palpable areas. There was also the presence of blood--never a good sign.

You want me to do what?
She wanted have me in biopsy right away. It would be long with 4 biopsies to complete, around 2 to 3 hours. The first appointment time they could find was on the following Tuesday at another location with a different radiologist. She felt time was of great importance; I felt it could keep until spring break. It would require me to come home and rest for 24 hours. I was busy; I was the district dinner chair for my BSA district and the dinner was on Saturday. My son was in a play that week; my older children had exhibitions at their school and I needed to give them rides to their internships and to the college for classes. I had also scheduled to chaperone a harvest trip with the high school. There were 3 people in the room urging me to drop everything else and get the biopsy done right away.

STOP What You Are Doing and make a complete U-Turn, NOW!
 I decided that if my husband missed work to drive kids around, I could work it into my pre-break schedule. I scheduled the biopsy. My hour and a half appointment had gone over. I hurried to meet up to purchase the food for the dinner. I was going to be late, and I also had to feed and drop off kids on the way. My emotions were a wreck and the rest of the day would find me about 1/2 hour behind schedule. My hour and a half appointment had gone over and it was now noon.
It happened to me, could it happen to you?

• Just a note, you can have a thermogram instead of a mammogram. A thermogram will not give your body added radiation, it will not smash you and possibly burst a tumor. It will not pinpoint the exact spot size and shape, but will show the area that has a problem. Then you can go to ultrasound and find the exact spot, size etc. If I had had a thermogram it would have picked up the areas on my body that are a problem. It also will not give off radiation.  
• You can learn more about Thermograhy by reading the article in the Huffington post link added.
• www.huffingtonpost.com/.../the-breast-test-the-_b_752503.html
•  Next post "Biopsy"