DAY #1
Oh man, what a whirlwind this week has been. Mike and I drove into Phoenix late Sunday evening. Our first day began at An Oasis of Healing on Monday morning, at 11:00 am. I had a nurse's evaluation, and then toured the facility and had a wonderful "Real Food" lunch. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I also started on 2 quarts of an amazing juice that consists of kale, cucumber, spinach, green apple, lemon and ginger. It is so good, so refreshing, and incredibly good for you, not to mention detoxifying.
After that, they did not waste any time and started me on high dose vitamin C like 5000 mg of vitamin C intravenously. This boosts your immune system and cancer cells are destroyed by high doses of vitamin C because healthy cells have a substance that break down the vitamin C with an enzyme called Catalase (sp?), which turns it into oxygen and water. Cancer cannot live in an oxygen rich environment so this is the first line of defense. Since cancer cells lack this enzyme, the chemical reaction of vitamin C on a cancer cell is hydrogen peroxide, which totally destroys the cancer cells. So big double WHAMMY.
Later that day, I met with Dr. Lodi. This man is brillant. We had a 3-hour consult with him. What doctor does that??? He asked a lot of questions to learn more about me and my lifestyle and my cancer diagnosis and so forth. He then spent a lot of time educating us about our bodies, about cancer, disease, health and how to stop making cancer. Positively amazing. Education is key. It really helps when you understand what makes cancer and how to stop it from coming back. When you understand how it all works, it is much easier to follow the protocol. And the truth of the matter is, it will be a life-long change. Dr. Lodi is a very spiritual man and knows the Bible and a lot about the LDS faith, Word of Wisdom, etc., even though he himself is not LDS. He said something very amazing to me. He said "Cancer is a divine tap on the shoulder. Heal with gratitude. It will allow you to fulfill your potential and through your experience, you will teach and inspire others." It was a very profound spiritual moment for me. I walked out of there so hopeful and without question that this is the answer and positively the cure for me. I truly view my cancer as a great blessing in my life. I am not scared of it all, but view it as an incredible journey!
Following that, we were given our evening meal, an amazing meal of raw whole food that was so very delicious and satisfying, topped off with more healing juice. It is so great!!
DAY #2
Day starts off with an exercise class with a personal trainer. I know what you are thinking -- Cancer treatment, sure, sounds more like a vacation. But exercise is a big important part of healing and overall good health. We actually just got to know each other and our stories. I will be blogging the stories of these people. They are amazing stories of healing and very inspiring. This is not just a place for treatment, it is a healing place, a place to heal mind, body and spirit. There are about 15 of us currently at the Oasis of Healing. We are all at various levels of cancer and healing. I would say that at leave 5 of us have breast cancer, one with glioblastoma (brain cancer), two with ovarian cancer both metastatic, one with uterine metastatic cancer, one with liver and colorectal cancer. We are fast becoming friends and there is a real positive energy of healing and support. We see each other every day and are all in a common area that is very comfortable where we receive our Vitamin C or chemo. While it is very professional and clinical when it needs to be, it is also a very relaxed nonthreatening family-like environment.
After the exercise class, we went to a food preparation class, where we are learning about the importance of eating a raw or real food diet, all plant based. They have a raw food chef on staff who does these classes daily and then provides our smoothies and our lunches and dinners. The food has been incredibly good. We had a taco (meatless) salad last night that would give Cafe Rio a run for their money. Tonight we actually had a pizza with nondairy cheese and not baked. It was so delicious and you don't feel guilty eating it. I never thought you could do the things you can do with completely uncooked food. Don't knock it until you've tried it. I have been amazed!!!
Following that, I had another high dose vitamin C infusion. Following that, I sat in on my sister's consult with Dr. Lodi and learned a ton more. Again, he spent at least 2 hours with her. He is incredibly knowledgeable and so very down to earth. He really listens and cares about every individual person and what they are dealing with. (An Oasis of Healing allows each patient to have a guest to participate in the classes and be a support. My sister is way into this sort of stuff and so I invited her to come down. She is interested in just becoming more healthy and will be doing some of the healing modalities and body cleanses so that is why she met with Dr. Lodi as well).
That was the end of day #2.
DAY #3
Today is Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Day started out with yoga and it was so very relaxing and healing. This is a very low key yoga as compared to some yoga classes I have been in where you are turned into a pretzel. Many patients are at various levels of health. Some are stage 3 and 4 and have already been conventional chemo and radiation and are pretty beat up when they get there, so it is more of a healing deep breathing relaxing type of yoga.
Following yoga, we had another food preparation class. We learned how to make breakfast foods with all kinds of grains and seeds (soaked and sprouted, not cooked). I couldn't try any of the things we made as I was fasting in preparation for my IPT therapy and first chemo session today.
A little later, I went through IPT. A very interesting and amazing method of administering chemotherapy. If you haven't watched the videos, please do so, it will explain a lot. In brief, all sugar feeds cancer. Cancer cells have an a ridiculous amount of insulin receptors on them, so when you eat, the cancers consume the sugar first. So with IPT, they have you fast so your blood sugar is low. Then they infuse you with more insulin which acts as a key to unlock the receptors on the cancer cells. The nurses monitor you very carefully so that your blood sugar drops even further, but not dangerously low. At that point, they inject the chemotherapy cocktail, followed by several drugs that weaken the cancer cell and to make it more prone to absorb the chemo. Then they had me start drinking fresh juiced apple juice (yum) and then a healthy raw food dessert which had bananas in it to help bring up my blood sugar. The sugar then pushes the chemotherapy into the cancer cells and this is how cancer cells are targeted, therefore, only 10% of a conventional dose of chemotherapy is needed. The rest of the cells in the body are minimally affected by the chemo, yet the cancer cells got a direct hit. I felt a little wiped afterwards, but that is due to the blood sugar roller coaster. I took a little nap and I have felt great the rest of the day!
I am in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time. I feel so blessed. I feel an incredible peace that can only come from our Savior's love and I am humbled by your faith and prayers. I know they are being heard and I am grateful!!
I am sorry for the epistle. I will try to post daily to avoid this in the future. LOL.
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