One More Week To Go . . .

I have made it through another week.  The time seems to be going by faster I suppose.  I have been feeling pretty good most of the time.   I am tired by the end of the day, and sleep is not my friend on IPT days because they give me dexamethasone, which is a steroid and that keeps me up, and when I do fall asleep, it is short lived, so that only perpetuates the problem.  It is a pretty common side effect.  High dose vitamin C therapy has its up and down days, mostly up, but some days it can make you really tired and not feel so well, which is really weird because you would think that vitamin C would make you feel good, but to put it in perspective, I am getting 100,000 mg of vitamin C, which not only kills cancer cells, but it has high detoxing effects and that is what can make you feel a little off.  Coming off the juice fast has been harder than anticipated as it takes a while for your digestive tract to get back into action.  Food has lost its appeal.  Nothing sounds good and I have to be careful about what I take in so as to not make my gut unhappy.  Fruit does okay, but I have to be careful about what types and how much because fruit has sugar and too much is not good because cancer thrives on sugar.  Even though fruit sugar is better than refined, I still have to be careful. 

I have learned a lot and am grateful for the journey.  I have so appreciated the journey I have taken with other patients at the center.  Their stories are all stories of inspiration.  Rodney had great news this week.  He came in with stage IV myosarcoma which had metastasized to his lungs.  He had five nodules on his lungs. He has been undergoing treatment for six weeks now and his PET scan showed that he had only one lesion left.  This is positively amazing because his doctor back home told him there was nothing that he could do for him and said that chemotherapy would do nothing for these lesions.  It is so exciting to hear such great news, which just confirms to me that more people need to know that there are cures for cancer outside of the conventional methods, which don't destroy the immune system and actually build the immune system. 

Today happens to be my birthday and Mike came out for a work-related visit.  It was really great to see him again.  Mike, Joyce and I went to Sedona on Saturday and had a great day.  It is beautiful in Sedona and it is nice to do something different for a change.  Weather has been beautiful, like in the 70s.  I am going to have a major climate shock when I head home.  Mike flies back on Friday and we leave for home on Saturday, November 20th.   

When I get back I will undergo a PET scan.  I have no doubts that my cancer is gone, and I have learned much about what I need to do to maintain a state of good physical, mental and spiritual health.  This is not a destination, but a true journey, a journey that will continue for the rest of my life.  In my first consult with Dr. Lodi, he said that cancer is a divine tap on the shoulder, and to heal with gratitude.  Throughout this process, I have had some really tough days, but I truly feel my diagnosis has been a blessing.  The Lord knew it would take something like this to shake me to my core and it has made me teachable, and I am truly grateful for the things I have discovered about myself and the things I need to change in my journey to healing. 

My heart is full for the thoughts, prayers, text messages, emails, birthday cards, flowers, meals for my family, and the help with my children by friends and family.  To all of you who have extended yourself so selflessly, please accept my sincerest appreciation and thanks. 
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Healing with Gratitude

This week has been a great week. I have felt good every day this week.  I think I turned a corner as far as the cleanse was concerned and that has helped tremendously.  It was an amazingly humbling experience in which I discovered and learned so much on an emotional, spiritual and physical level.  It truly has been a healing journey on many different levels. I feel so grateful for what I have learned and for my healing.

I have now completed three weeks of treatment, which has included six IPT/chemo treatments, along with eight high-dose vitamin C treatments, along with many additional healing therapies which strengthen the immune system and continue to detox the body.

The staff at an Oasis of Healing are amazing and it feels like we are all family here.  There are about 15 patients here at any one time and we are always together during our treatments and we really feel the love and support for each other.   I have made a couple of close friends here that I know will be friends for life.

There are patients from all over. We have one even from Turkey, one from Canada, several from back east and from various other states.  I would say that currently there are about six of us with breast cancer receiving treatment.  There is great success with this type of therapy and I want to tell you of some amazing successes.  There is one fellow here with a glioblastoma (aggressive brain tumor) who underwent surgery in May followed by conventional chemo and radiation, to no avail.  He has been here for one month and his tumor has shrunk over a full centimeter as compared to no response on conventional therapy.

Another woman had a three inch tumor in her breast that after five weeks has shrunk down to less than one inch.  One other guy had stage IV liver cancer that had metastasized to his colon and rectum. After three months, his tumor markers had reduced from 3400 down to less than 300 and he is more than 90% cancer free.  These successes are not the exception, but the norm with this type of therapy, and there are other alternative therapies being used that are curing cancer.  If you want to learn more, you need to read KNOCKOUT by Suzanne Sommers.  I guarantee you will be amazed by her story and the information about cancer that cancer doctors reveal to her.  Also, another informative read is called Cancergate.  It will blow you away when you learn what the FDA, AMA, NCI, NCA and the big pharmacy companies DON'T want you to know. Perhaps if more people understood the lies, deception and corruption of this industry, perhaps cancer therapies would change that would actually increase the survival rate of cancer patients.

 

All is Going Well

I am doing well this week. I have felt better.  I am slowly coming off the juice fast/cleanse.  It has been hard but amazing.  First off, the physical detox is no fun at all.  I had no idea how sick you can get when your body is releasing toxins.  Emotionally, it has been very freeing and healing.   Spiritually, it has been so enlightening.  I feel very blessed by the whole experience.  I have had quite a few breakthroughs that have given me great cause for reflection.  

Treatments are going well.  I am tolerating IPT/chemo just fine.  The worst side effect thus far is I don't sleep well after it because they give me dexamethasone, which kind of hypes me up.  Vitamin C is going better.  Staying hydrated is the key.  All the other therapies are very healing and helpful. 

I have met so many great people and have become good friends with several.  The nurses are fantastic, as is all of the staff.  I am learning a lot and know that I am healing more each day. 

I feel much more positive about everything, which I have determined is easy when you are feeling good. 

I am also so grateful for all the wonderful people who are taking care of my family while I am away.  It allows me to focus on my healing without any concern for their welfare.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to family, friends and neighbors for all you do and for all your prayers. 

This isn't easy

I have officially completed two full weeks of treatment, which include four IPT/chemo treatments.  All has gone well, but I just haven't felt very well.  I am on day eight of a juice fast/detox and that has been a trip on its own, not to mention the other therapies.  On the days I don't have IPT I have high-dose vitamin C.  What is weird, is I feel worse on high dose vitamin C than I do on chemo, but it is highly effective.  In fact, I actually have a huge medical journal article showing that the FDA approves high dose vitamin C as a cancer treatment because of its cytotoxic effects on the cell. 

Other therapeutic treatments I have had this week for immume building and detoxing have been colonics, accupuncture, structural integration, infrared sauna, exercise with oxygen therapy, hyper ozone blood therapy, lymphatic drainage, yoga, psychotherapy, as well as exercise and food prep classes.   It makes for very busy days and I come home pretty tired.  It is hard to keep the blog up to date just because I don't want to do much once I get home.

As far as home goes, I was staying with my brother for the first few days, but the drive with traffice was very stressful and challenging.  My sister and I found a condo to rent just five minutes from the center and it is really nice and fully furnished.  It is a much better arrangement given how I have felt lately.  I am not complaining, it is all part of the process and I know it will get better.  Let's face it, this is still cancer treatment and I don't care how you slice it up, it is no picnic.

I ask for your prayers in my behalf more than ever.   I know the power of prayer and faith of many, and feel grateful for all of the thoughts, prayers, texts and messages I have received.  It really brings me up especially on my bad days.   All in all, things are going very well and I know this is for such a short time.  I can do this!

Good Days, Bad Days, Today was a Good Day!

I am feeling much better, thank goodness.  Never would have thought that detoxing your body of all the built up toxins could make you so sick, but once you are able to flush them from your system, it is amazing how much better your feel.   Ive lost 10 pounds already.  I know a lot of that is water, but it is also a lot of toxins.  Today was a good day.  I am learning to truly appreciate that and heal with gratitude.

Today I had my third round of IPT/low-dose chemotherapy and I feel really great!  I also had another colonic treatment which really helps to remove the toxins.  Whew!!

I have met so many amazing people and look at them with great admiration.  Some are very sick and just starting their treatment and others have come a long way and are such an inspiration.  It is a great support group and we are all encourage each other, which is helpful when you are not having such a good day. 

My sister, Joyce, has been great and I am truly grateful she has been here for personal support and help.  It has been a great blessing. 

The Start of Week Two

I think it would be really unrealistic if I was always so upbeat, but truly it is easy to be upbeat when you feel good, but when you don't feel well, then the bottom falls out.  In fact, yesterday I was ready to give up because I felt so rotten and this is not easy, but it is a commitment and it beats the heck out of the conventional route.  I have to keep reminding myself of that.  It is just hard right now because I am really homesick and I miss my family so I am being a big baby.  Sorry to burst your bubble for all of you who think I am so strong, but I guess I am human.  Best you know that now!

I have started on my juice fast and am cleaning the aquarium so to speak and it has been really rough.  I had no idea how toxic I was and how crummy you can feel when you are going through the process.  I actually had a colonic flush today which removed a boat load of toxins and I feel much improved, thank goodness.  I also had a lymphatic massage and drainage and a vitamin C infusion.  I have an IPT/chemo treatment tomorrow.

I so appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and I need them now more than ever.  Thank you to all who have done so much for my family.  My heart is full and very grateful to all of my friends and family.

The Honeymoon is Over and Reality is Setting In.

It has been quite a week, a rollercoaster to say the least.  The first part of the week was so great!  The last part of the week has still been good, but has been very emotional.  It is part of the physical cleansing and emotional healing.  I have been on a very cleansing juice throughout the week, but today starts my official juice cleanse to detox my body of all the chemicals and toxins that have been floating around for a long time that make it difficult to fight cancer or any other disease for that matter. I will be on this cleanse for a minimum of 10 days and hopefully I can make it the full 16 days.  It just depends on when I hit my wall.  I have heard from other patients that you hit a wall and then you know you are done and then they transition you slowly into a solid diet.  Right now nothing sounds good or tastes good, so even though I feel a little hungry, I have no desire to eat.  Another typical response to detox.  One thing that I have found interesting is that each of our cells also becomes toxic with negative emotions.  Our emotional experiences even from childhood imprint themselves on the DNA of each of our cells, so detoxing also releases a lot of those toxins and brings a lot of emotions to the surface.  This has been very hard for me because I am the type of person that tries very hard to hold it together, and I am not holding it together that well, but this is a good thing because it is a great release of a lot of emotional stress, which is very healing and detoxing. What I am learning is that this is a complete mind, body and spirit healing experience and that is why they offer so many healing modalities. 

In addition to IPT with chemo and vitamin C infusions, I have also had structural integration, colonics (not fun, but very beneficial in the detox) psychotherapy, yoga, and physical fitness by a personal trainer.  Next week there will be a new onslaught of therapies including lymphatic massage and drainage, EWOT which is exercise with oxygen therapy, infrared sauna, chelation therapy which helps remove heavy metals from the body which are very toxic.  It makes for a full week and full days.  It starts at 8 and doesn't usually get through until 4 or 5 pm. 

As with any journey, you are going to hit some bumps in the road or as they say it is not always smooth sailing and I am told that I am entering that part of the experience right now.  It will get better and I know that this is where I am supposed to be.  I am grateful that I feel as good as I do from a physical standpoint.  IPT does not cut you off at your knees as conventional therapy does because they are using only 10% of the normal dose and the majority of that makes a direct hit on the cancer cells.  The detoxing is probably the hardest part right now, but I will get through it. 

I miss my family a ton and I am just grateful for the support of my sister who is here with me and also brother.  I appreciate so very much the support my family is getting from everyone in the ward and from family.  I feel so blessed.