I write about this incredible journey I’ve been on. It has been intense, rewarding, even enlightening, truthfully at times debilitating but a journey I would never change.
The label of cancer has changed so much where once there was leper avoidance from someone with cancer. Now no longer do you need to feel like a quivering bird in the hands of life. I’ve been told that one in three to four people will get cancer in their lifetime. Is this not unreal? But cancer can be stopped.
I write this journal to share this incredible journey I’ve been on for the last 11 months and share with you what I’ve learned. Just recognize each person is different in their treatment with the side effects of chemo and radiation (although I am not doing radiation) but this will be a great guideline for you to work from whether you have cancer or you have a loved one who does. We can beat this! Hopefully this will help you be the best sick person you can be! This will take you through my journey with the consults of a naturopath, a herbologist, a chiropractor, vitamin people and medical practitioners. Whomever you consult, let’s get better. No let’s get healed!
I have colon cancer, that also gifted my liver and lungs. The doc said I had a 20% chance. I said to him I am one of those 20% percent. No matter what the percentage is for you, you can beat this!
Blood chemistry analysis read my blood cancer level at 1200. This brat was not messing around. The great news is it went down to 12.3! I am told by my naturopath everyone has a blood cancer level of about 5% in their body. It depends on our diet if cancer is allowed to grow!
So, if sugar is the most important thing to remove from a diet in battling cancer, NO CONQUERING CANCER, then diet itself is the FOCUS. Once again, no sugar no cancer!!! https://www.cancertutor.com/what_causes_cancer/
Well into my treatment I consulted a naturopath who also has an RN degree. I wish I had consulted her at the onset of my diagnosis for I believe she would’ve made a world of difference in my feeling and healing. She put me on this great diet that really causes me to feel the best I have felt in decades. Seriously! Here I was in the middle of taking chemo and I felt better than I had in years! And rosy cheeks! They beat Heidi’s! I haven’t had rosy cheeks like this since I was a little girl. The naturopath I consulted is Eva Bulow. She has clients (I like to say clients not patients) from all over the world. I can’t recommend her enough. She works with you daily to conquer your cancer. Eva had a client whose doctors told him they could do nothing further for him. He had stage four cancer. He is now a healthy, happy man thanks to Eva. She helps clients with diabetes just the same way.
You can contact her at +46.707.20.69.29 or 1.284.547.8705 or her office +46.866.61.50.03 or her email info@bulowclinic.com and her website is www.bulowclinic.com. I have to mention this consult is expensive but worth it in every way. I just can’t recommend enough a naturopath in your quest of healing. This naturopath’s diet that I am on is simple and basic. When in therapy however avoid eating meat. It takes more for your body to digest meat. Here is the diet plan and guideline!
1.- fruit is to be eaten only in the morning upon rising. Melon such as cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon are to be eaten by themselves and not with other fruits. The reason behind this is that melon is best absorbed into the system on its own. Melon with other fruits Does Not allow the melon to be digested/processed as effectively. Wait 1/2 hour after eating melon before eating other fruit, wait 1 hour after eating any other fruit before eating any other food.
Never drink juices that have refined sugar added even if they say it is 100% juice. Fresh pressed juices are alkaline. Store bought are not. Here is a supplement my herbologist recently recommended. From the Juice Plus website: “Juice Plus+ is whole food-based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 30 different fruits, vegetables and grains, enhancing a healthy diet. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the nutrient gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day. Not a multivitamin, treatment or cure for any disease, Juice Plus+ is made from quality ingredients carefully monitored from farm to capsule to provide natural nutrients your body needs to be at its best. Most of us suffer from a daily fruit and vegetable consumption gap. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, Juice Plus+ products can help you fill that hole in your diet.” Here is the link for Juice Plus (I look forward to starting on them): https://canada.juiceplus.com/jp/
2.- eat protein with vegetables. Or eat starch such as potato, rice and pasta with vegetables. Do not combine meat and starch. I know that sounds odd because we’ve come from years of eating meat and potatoes. But the bottom line is that the body doesn’t process well all the essential nutrients and vitamins when eating meat and starch together. “Your goal is to strengthen your immune system and make it a natural killer, fighting off cancer like gangbusters, while you immerse every non-cancerous cell in your body with beautiful nutrition” Here is a link for some powerful foods to fight the cancer cells – https://naturalon.com/ten-foods-to-protect-from-cancer/
3.- eat only chicken or fish, no shellfish. Do not eat meat at all when on treatment.
4.- do not eat cheese or drink milk. No animals drink milk after they are weaned. Cream, however, is the exception to the rule and can be consumed because it’s primarily a FAT. Yogurt, conversely, can be eaten but only on its own. And only plain yogurt. Greek yogurt being the best.
5.- some well known teas and herbs to cure cancer: Green Tea most specifically Matcha Green Tea.. “The secret in matcha’s abilities can be found in the polyphenol compounds, called catechins. Research has shown that the catechins in matcha tea can not only protect you from the damage caused by the sun’s UV radiation, but they improve the functioning of your immune system. The National Cancer Institute says that they have been proven clinically to protect cells from DNA damage due to its substantial free radical killing abilities. Other compounds in matcha tea – polyphenols – have been found to inhibit tumor cell development. This is a whole lot of cancer protection from one little drink!” I have not had matcha tea as yet as I have just read about its capabilities but I can’t wait to drink it!
Other great teas known to fight cancer are chamomile, chaga, white and rooibos teas. https://naturalon.com/medicinal-teas-beneficial-qualities-infographic/ Ginger, honey, cinnamon and turmeric are also excellent cancer fighting goodies. From CancerTudor.com: “Turmeric is also one of the top herbal treatments for cancer. This website combines turmeric (or curcumin, which is more powerful) with honey. Ginger is also used with honey. Both of these combinations are known to have cured cancer by themselves. And we combine honey with cinnamon.” www.cancertutor.com/what_causes_cancer/
6. no to bread and crackers. They promote leaky gut…and that you don’t want with your intestines…. But you can make crackers, made from nuts! I make the recipe of the seed crackers in the Recipe Links below. So good and good for everyone. 🙂
Interestingly enough, because you are eating and consuming this way and with these food combinations, when you go to the bathroom, what comes out does not smell! Amazing, isn’t it!
My typical day now of eating involving the above is:
1.- I start out with melon; either watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew followed a half hour later by a blended drink of a banana, orange, strawberries, peach and blueberries with a touch of ginger and mint. Mint punches up the flavour of the drink. The minty taste is not there though. The ginger is a natural cancer fighting jewel. Fruit seeds and the whites of the orange are powerful cancer fighters, too. So, if you can, eat fruit seeds, eat especially the seeds in grapes. They are the most powerful cancer fighters. Back to the blended drink, the blended drink is because I got tired of chewing all that fruit, so my cousin suggested to blend it and it really is delicious done that way.
2.- One hour after this drink, I eat a bowl of porridge, around three cups (cooked) with honey, cinnamon and cream. The best oatmeal to get is STEEL CUT. It has no sugar, no additives and is high in fibre. Don’t buy the ready to eat in two- or three-minute variety. It is tasteless. Well not true, I think it tastes like cardboard! Also, adding nuts to your oatmeal is tasty, too. Sesame and sunflower seeds added are great. But chopping up other nuts is great also.
3.- Two to three hours later I will perhaps have two or three eggs; omelet or otherwise.
4.- Mid afternoon, some veggies and hummus or something with vegetables.
5.- And then three hours later a dinner of vegetables and rice, pasta (or meat) and vegetables. Of course, this is just a diet and rules are made to be broken. So, sometimes I will have steak or a little potato in with my meat and vegetables. It’s all about commitment to the correct diet that really counts in the long run! My naturopath however is encouraging me as mentioned not eat any form of meat for now, it is to allow my system optimum strength in fighting this cancer.
6.- After dinner I enjoy some dark chocolate. Just a bit. There is little sugar in dark 70% cocoa chocolate but just a small amount. Thank heavens for small mercies! Another small mercy is non-alcoholic or low alcohol beer. I have found these beers to have even better taste than the alcoholic beers! The two I like the most and I have tried a few, are Budweiser’s PROHIBITION beer, which is non-alcoholic and Molson’s EXCEL low alcohol beer.
The sugar content in the PROHIBITION beer is 2% per can, while the EXCEL is 10% per can.
Conversely pop has close to 40%! Got to keep track of that sugar! But the sugar content in beer is NATURAL sugar, not refined! The same with wine. So, you are fine to drink this beer while on chemo. I have not tried any of the non-alcoholic wine as of late. Tried it once around 20 years ago and it wasn’t my favourite but processing has come a long way since then. While I’m off chemo, I enjoy a glass of red wine. Got to have those perks!
5.- After dinner I enjoy some cancer fighting tea. Camomile, white tea and now changa, rooibos and matcha teas. 🙂
And … PH Balance. The most important thing of all is to get your body in an alkaline state to fight the cancer. ApproachWellness.com indicates “your saliva ph is another important indicator of health and wellness”. “And your saliva can be influenced by factors like: food consumed, drink, stress, physical activity, prescription medicines and nutritional supplements. So instead of taking just one reading, testing several times a day for 3-5 days in a row will be much more accurate.” Want to test your bodies acidity? Your vitamin store has PH papers or sticks. Place one of the papers or the stick on your tongue for a few seconds, then compare the colour of the paper or stick with the bottles colour chart. It will indicate your acidity. The closer to mid day and late afternoon you are the greater your alkaline level will be. It will be more acidic in the evening and morning. This is the natural rhythm of the body. Natural pH is 7 on the test scale. Blood PH is 7.2. Anything below a 6.5 at noon time, you need to get some immediate diet adjusting, not just for reasons of cancer scares but for your general health. And, consuming absolutely no refined sugar will do that. Ph is a strong bench mark for what’s going on inside you. Let’s get healthy!
And… Stomach Upsets. Chemo and upset stomach go hand in hand. Little did I know there were so many types of stomach upsets! They can range from the lower stomach to upper and everything in between, apart from my favourite – heartburn. Augh! and the plain old feeling like your going to be sick to your stomach. There are a few things you can try. Ginger, of course, is the most common. Ginger helps fight cancer as mentioned but I didn’t find it really helped my stomach upsets. What I did find helped oddly enough, were mints! Yup, good old mints. Yes, they have sugar in them but they work. Just don’t use them often nor many. Tic Tac’s are small. At the time I never thought to try mint itself. It most likely works! You can buy products on line too, for stomach upsets. One product line a friend recommended that works for me is ENDOCA CBD chewing gum and CBD oil. You can see all their product information on their website at www.endoca.com.. Email info@enoca.com. The chewing gum I found, works like a charm.
CBD oil is now legal in Canada so either oil can be picked up at your local cannabis store. In Canada, you canalso get the CB oil from www.phoenixtears.ca, Rick Simpson Oil. Where ever you buy it, be sure to buy the real marijuana oil with THC for cancer healing according to my naturopath but I hear that the CBD oil relieves stomach upsets from the chemo and look forward to having that much needed relief. I will try both!
My herbologist has a friend with chronic knee and back pain who has been using this oil for 2 months. She got relief in the first 2 days. This is the CBD product without the THC. A heating pad sometimes helps too for stomach upsets. My cousin also just told me about aniseed oil, which apparently is good for stomach upsets too, available on Amazon in either capsule or liquid form. For heartburn I found good old TUMS was the answer. My naturopath however didn’t want me to take them. She said the chemo was enough pill for my system to digest. But after suffering from heartburn, for quite a while and it was so debilitating, a friend said, “is this the quality of life you would like?”. Well, that changed my mind forthwith. When I needed the TUMS, I needed the TUMS! Do NOT take TUMS within the hour of taking your chemo pills.
TUMS coats the stomach and thus does not allow your chemo to be absorbed as it should. My cousin told me though that TUMS contains sugar. His medical team suggested ZANTEC, which is available over the counter and does not contain sugar. Zantac unfortunately does not work for me. But experiment and see what works best for you.
I tried different plant settling stomach teas as well but for me any of the above worked best. And while those above remedies are starting to work, the status quo, putting your head between your knees helps the pain or upset stomach subside. And counting to 10 or however high you can go repeatedly helps too. But try and do whatever works! But do your utmost to relax. As hard as that may be. This will contribute greatly to feeling better.
And… The Microwave. Another important piece of information that my naturopath shared with me was to get rid of the microwave oven. If you take three plants all the same size and type and water them the same way, except water one with microwave water, another with water from the tap and another with water that has been boiled, within three months the plant that has been fed the boiled water will be fine. The one with tap-water will be fine but not have grown as well or as much as the one that is fed boiled water. The plant that was fed the microwave water will be dead. Try it, it is unbelievable!
And… Vitamins, Oils, Herbs and Lotions. Now about a diet and regime of vitamins, sensual oils, herbs, and lotions. First though, the more you consume natural products the greater you will heal. Again, THE MORE YOU CONSUME NATURAL PRODUCTS, THE GREATER AND FASTER YOU WILL HEAL. Simple as that. The most important vitamin to take when on chemo is vitamin D3 with vitamin K2. It works synergistically with the chemo to get the job done. This combo is a supercharged healer for particularly, lung cancer. My doctor endorsed this combination too. She agreed with any vitamin regime I wanted to be on with the exception of St John’s Wart. If you are older than 50 you probably need vitamin B12 as well because the body does not process vitamin B12 as when you were younger. I use the liquid form. 20 drops under the tongue in the morning and 20 at night as recommended by my herbologist. I take enough pills 🙂 You can purchase this liquid form of vitamin B12 from Natures Sunshine naturessunshine.com. This was the only vitamin regime I was on until meeting an esthetician/vitamin consultant who really streamlined my therapy.
Now what I want to share with you is remarkable. There’s a product that can read your blood chemistry through your skin! Wish I had this from the onset of my treatment! I had to put my hand on a mouse like contraction, slightly larger than a mouse and from there the computer did the rest! It came up with three essential oils that I needed to add to my diet as well as some powder and a few two pills, too. I feel good about taking these products because remarkably enough, there’s a way to test whether your body wants a product or not. Take the product and it doesn’t matter if it’s vitamin pills or if it’s even fruit or some other food; put it in your hands close to your stomach, close your eyes while standing. If you tend to lean forward or fall forward, your body is saying it wants this product. If you lean back or fallback, you definitely don’t need the product. I picked up some omega-3 and did the test. My response was I immediately fell back. My body was telling me, you do not need omega-3. Try it, it works! For some, and only for some, it may not work the first few times but keep at it, it will! And this is a well-known test to try, recognized amongst nurses, doctors, and other health practitioners. Ask around and you will see this is true. Isn’t life amazing?
FYI. The computer came up with these items for me to take or apply: Frankinscense, Lemon, Purity Blend, and Ylang Ylang Oils; Red Raspberry, Olive Leaf, AG Immune (helps activate some of the most powerful immune cells); and Immune Multi capsules, Lym-Mix, Psyllium Hulls and Smart Meal Shake Mix. The oils are to be put on the feet. A dollop. It is here they are the most powerful in fighting cancer. Frankinscense, the most powerful of the three and the oil that targets colon cancer. I used Frankenscence from the onset of meeting my naturopath. I also place this oil on my stomach area, over the liver and where the cancer is in my colon as well as over my lungs. This nutritionist and BIE Practitioners’ contact information if you are interested is Kate Shivers BSc, BEd, R.BIE, kateshivers@yahoo.ca. Tel 1.604.754.2486.
You can pick up most of the items at your vitamin health store but Kate also works with a company that sells these oils and herbs called Natures Sunshine.
Another way to power charge your immune system from my herbologist, besides diet and exercise is to tap on your upper chest three times. You can tap as often as you like but do it at least twice daily; once upon rising and once before going to bed. Tapping three times in the center of your chest stimulates the thymus gland which is part of the immune system. It makes MK (natural killer) white blood cells. These warriors or NK cells go after the cancer cells and viruses in the body. Yes, getting healthy can be easy!
And… Cleanses. I have done two cleanses and will continue to do them regularly; the gallbladder cleanse and the liver cleanse. Although with an increase in my chemo dosage, the naturopath suggests to not do this for now. These are good for everybody to do actually anytime of your life. Then there is the colon cleanse. I have done one and will not do another. It just isn’t for me. These are the three cleanses to do that use all-natural products of course:
1.- Gallbladder Cleanse. Using Diatomaceous Earth or Green Walnut Hull Extract. This will cleanse the gallbladder. Oddly enough, we all have parasites that live in our gallbladder. Interesting and gross! My naturopath indicates doing this once every six months and once every month or so while on chemo. This will help clean out the gallbladder and allow it to work far more effectively at fighting cancer.
2.- Colon Cleanse. This cleanse actually replaces the stuff you drink before a colonoscopy. Tried it once. Not doing it again, just not my forte. But it might be yours. It is done by a herbologist practitioner or other and consists of having a tube inserted you know where with water and the stuff inside of you is flushed out. It’s as comfortable as it sounds.
3.- Liver Cleanse. Using olive oil and lemon juice.
The liver and gallbladder cleanses follow this program:
Day 1:
Start your day with a light breakfast; fresh fruits and tea (green), coffee or water of your choice.
12:00 Lunch. Make a light salad of your choice with a dressing. NO animal proteins!
16:00 Pour 1.75 cups of Epsom salts in a pitcher with 4 cups of water. Put in the fridge. I prefer to have it room temperature. But this is up to you.
18:00 Drink your first glass of Epsom salts, 1 cup
20:00 Drink your second glass of Epsom salts, 1 cup
The Epsom salt opens the bile ducts so the stones can pass to your colon.
21:30 Prepare yourself for the night or earlier if you prefer.
21:45 Now you take a glass jar with a tight lid and pour 1 cup of olive oil into it. Press fresh grapefruit or lemon so you’ll have 1-1.2 cups. Put on the lid and shake it vigorously!
22:00 Take the jar and go and stand by your bed. Drink it standing up, as fast as you can.
After you’ve gone to bed, lie on your back and don’t move for 30 minutes. Pile up some pillows under your head so you’ll have your head high.
The olive oil and the grapefruit/lemon juice shocks the liver to flush out the stones.
(If you have to go to the bathroom, you have to)
After 30 minutes you are free to move in the bed or get up if you want.
Now it’s up to your body if you are able to sleep all night or if you have to run to the bathroom.
Day 2:
06:00 Drink one glass of Epsom salts – 1 cup. Go to bed again.
08:00 Drink the second glass of Epsom salts- 1 cup. Go to bed again.
10:00 You may drink water again.
12:00 Lunch! A light salad of your choice will be fine.
It is important you do this in the order given above. The best oil to use in order to make this easier to get down is cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, from either an Italian or Greek farm. It really makes a difference!
According to CancerTudor.com: “While many natural cancer treatments do very well against cancer, what is missing in many natural cancer treatment protocols is getting rid of the microbes in the organs, which is the root cause of most cancer.” Please see the link here for their website: www.cancertutor.com/what_causes_cancer/
4.- My naturopath also has recommended turmeric for its cancer fighting abilities. It fights a whole lot more too. And when it is combined with honey its powers become even more dynamic. Please see the link for further information on this wonderful herb. Http://justherbalmedicine.com/honey-turmeric-potent-antibiotic-not-even-doctors-can-explain/. Most recently my naturopath also recommended a vitamin C IV of SODIUM ASCORGATE, not ascorbic acid. She says it is very important to get the right kind. If in the pill or liquid form, she says to have the natural form ONLY. NB – People with some types of cancer might be susceptible to vitamin C deficiency. So, take your vitamin C! We need all the help we can get to help protect our cells against the effects of free radicals! And… In With the New and Out With the Old. Yup, throw out those chemical cleaners, sunscreens, hand lotions, dryer sheets and bleach. Manufacturers are coming up green now so it is easier to go green than ever before. Even cleaners with bleach are being replaced with peroxide. Buy organic hand lotions and soaps, and household products, not just food.
And… Feel Good. I’ve covered consulting a naturopath, a herbologist and vitamin people along with your medical practitioners. Now for other suggestions. The most important thing is to make yourself feel good inside and out. Besides diet, to make yourself feel good, is to lather up! COCONUT OIL is wonderful for the skin. It makes your skin so soft and smooth. No more store-bought lotions. They are filled with chemicals. I am 65 and I have never had skin so soft since using oils. The best oil to use on your face is FLAX SEED OIL or JOJOBA OIL (used in a number of expensive face creams) because the skin on your face is thinner than elsewhere on your body.
Also, An Aesthetician Can Help… In the latter part of my chemo treatment, my feet really hurt. I found reflexology to be a wonderful release from the pain. The benefits of reflexology include its ability to “stimulate nerve function, increase energy, boost circulation, induce a deep state of relaxation, and eliminate toxins from the body… This type of massage speeds up recovery after an injury or surgery, reduces sleep disorders, and relieves depression and pain. It also helps ease the treatment of various types of cancer.” https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/benefits-of-reflexology.html Here is a ‘map’ that shows the connection between zones of your feet and hands that represent certain areas of your body that can be adjusted or managed through these zones.https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/334955291010814612/
I also found this wonderful detox foot bath that helped as well. For a savouring half hour, you have your feet put into a small tub with an electric ball and water that eliminates toxins from your body and for the second half hour your feet are delightfully massaged. With the foot bath, your organs particularly the kidney, liver and your lymph nodes are the focus of this clean. The colour of my water initially was dark brown, almost black. This was the liver being cleansed. There was also green foam. This is the kidney being cleansed. And then there was also some white foam. This was the lymph nodes being cleansed. I do this 1 to 2 times per week. And will continue to always have these done, they are that wonderful. Just amazing stuff! The colour of the water now is more of a chestnut colour. So, the baths are doing their job! In Edmonton I get both done at Happy Feet and Hands at the NW corner of 122nd street and Stony Plain Road. Ivy is the owner. Tel 1.780.488.7806.
And… Chiropractor. I didn’t really need it as part of my chemotherapy but the chiropractor was another wonderful practitioner I got great pain relief from and well being. The important thing is just to feel better every which way, inside and out. And this chiropractor did just that. Amazing, amazing woman. I had sciatica nerve problems for almost 2 years and carpal tunnel syndrome for decades. And I have seen a number of chiropractors. These issues are almost all gone. And I know they will be gone due to the incredible healing she has provided. If you are in Edmonton, this remarkable woman’s name is Dr. Jani Pederson and her clinic is on the 8th floor of the Royal Bank Building, 10107 Jasper Ave. Wherever you are, seeing a chiropractor will help make a world of difference, no matter what stage or time of your life you are in.
And…. “Earthling” has body bands that once placed around your arm, leg or waist, will help relieve pain and inflammation! I find it really helpful with my restless legs and, previous to Dr Jani Pederson, my sciatic nerve pain along with my carpel tunnel. Fine condition my body is in! You can find out more about this incredible product by going to earthlingcanada.ca. If you are in the US, the web is earthling.com.
The basis of this product is “When we make direct contact with the surface of the Earth our bodies receive a charge of energy that makes us feel better, fast. When we re-connect with the Earth, balance is restored! Here is a link to find out more information on it – https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farticles.mercola.com%2Fsites%2Farticles%2Farchive%2F2013%2F08%2F04%2Fbarefoot-grounding-effect.aspx&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cfd55cf4269ab4ccd188e08d62186561e%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636733258177316456&sdata=LKeCkZzPXFCEbD%2BDGOLRb2HuWpVUF7pxswN9pwFa5HY%3D&reserved=0 And you can get this product in a pad form too, from small to large for the bed.
And here is another fabulous natural product. I found this when in Kelowna, British Columbia. It is made there but you can order it on line. It is called PAIN BE GONE and the label says it all!
Here is the link. https://getbacktoearth.com/ You may also order it here through Natures Free Markets, live well live organic https://shop.naturesfare.com/health-beauty-first-aid-topical-treatments-topical-pain-remedies/12068-back-to-earth-pain-be-gone-muscle-rub-with-arnica-120-ml-.html and the product is reasonably priced too.
And…. Family and Loved Ones. There’s bound to be a shift with the dynamics of your relationships between family and love ones. It’s scary times for them, just as it is for you. I was 3/4 of the way through my treatment when I opted not to do the IV chemo any longer. The pain in my arm from it was so excruciating for 9 days after the infusion, I couldn’t bear it anymore. The infusion does not bother most people but for me it hits the nerve and no matter where they put this IV in my arm, either arm, I had that horrible pain. Pain that was so intense that when a friend gently placed a sheet over me, I screamed in pain, indescribable pain. So, I opted to look for alternative practises and means to continue with my treatment which led me to my naturopath. A Godsend she was. I still took the chemo pills religiously but just chose not to continue with the IV. My doctor of course was not impressed. But I knew what I had to do. I just felt this was right. But what happened was my friend, dear friend, best friend actually, was furious beyond being furious with me. It temporarily severed our friendship. And my sister was completely annoyed I would disregard the doctor’s medical treatment. Again, remember this is hard on both you and them. Just forget issues like this, put all this aside. It is not important. The most important thing for you to get better is rest, relax and not waste your energy on such issues. It all will pass. This will all come to be just fine. Don’t worry! Also, ask your family or loved ones, depending where you are staying, to come to you and say they are home when they get it. It just makes you feel part of home life and loved. Makes a world of difference!
And… Ask for Help and Update People. I think another one of the most pivotal things I did in my healing process in going through chemo was to ask for help. At the onset of my chemo, I sent a general email out to all the people I care about – family and friends in and around the world. I asked them for their help, to help me get better through prayers and well wishes as well as to send notes and sayings of inspiration. The most touching of these and inspirational for me went on my HONOUR WALL. My HONOUR WALL was at the foot of my bed and hosted these notes along with well wishes and photos of friends and family. And a portrait of the man I love. I am an artist. I painted this portrait years ago. It came to be one of the most poignant things on my HONOUR WALL. I said good morning to him and good evening every night. We were not together at that point physically but I spoke to him almost every day. On this HONOUR WALL, I hosted the most pivotal notes received. Only positive thoughts! Choose what you want for your Wall but these are the ones I found the most inspirational and so great to repeat at anytime! So empowering! No matter what your age or state of health!
Feeling bad is good. (The chemo is working!)
You got this!
You’re in charge!
Eat.
I am stronger than this.
Only in darkness can you see the stars.
The HONOUR WALL helps you feel stronger than one and not so alone in this challenging time. While I was in the chemo chair getting the IV chemo, I took that time to send a general email out to everyone to let them know how I was doing, what had happened to date, where I was going from there and how I was feeling. I was given a drug to help me sleep through the chemo infusion but I never found it useful as useful as getting this email out. That was really therapeutic for me. After sending out these emails, just when I needed it, I would get back all these wonderful positive responses from people that gave me such uplifting feelings and joy. It was embracing being engulfed with such support. The other thing I did was, I asked everyone to please send me how their life is going, what they were doing and what they were going to be doing. I lived vicariously! It was a joy to get these especially when laying in bed when I was feeling really crappy!And… Depression. It’s hard not to be depressed when looking into the face of cancer or any disease! If you don’t deal with this depression though, you will spiral down into gloomy horrid depths. I found a really simple way of getting out of being depressed. Talk to yourself out loud. As crazy as this sounds, it works! Talk to yourself like you would talk to a loving child or an adoring animal. Talk to yourself with kindness, respect, love and adoration. You can do this by saying such
things as “so what do I feel like for lunch today” to “I think I’ll climb one flight of steps today.” Soon thereafter your inner dialogue will reflect your outer dialogue. The last thing you need in fighting this nasty disease is to be hard on yourself. Try this. Really – it works!
And… Set Goals for Yourself. Daily I would set goals for myself. I limited them usually to 3 to 5 a day depending how I felt and my energy level. It is important to get out there and get going and doing something whether just walking up and down some stairs or walking around the neighbourhood or doing emails. Use the microphone if you need to send emails. If auto correct messes up the spelling and grammar, don’t worry the receiver can figure it out. Just get better. You need to conserve your energy! But do things! Just do something so that at the close of the day, you can say and feel you did something to contribute to your world and to others. It feels just so good.
And… Sleep. It goes without saying, sleep is the most important thing to contribute to healing. “Good sleep is for the strength of your immune system, your successful remission from a cancer diagnosis, and your overall health” cancertudor.com. And you will do a lot of it! Think of it as your time for the body to heal. But if only sleep came that easy! I had a hard time sleeping through the first couple of treatments. The doctor gave me sleeping pills but wow did they give me bad nightmares. Aliens were attacking my twin brother! And the pills are also addicting which I did not want to have in my life. So, when I went to see the herbologist she gave me this natural pill that you put under the tongue called Moon Drops.
It is also available in liquid form. It doesn’t put you to sleep like sleeping pills do, it just allows your brain to relax and allows sleep to happen. It works really well. Here is the link for this product called Moon Drops.
They can be ordered on line through HISTORICAL REMEDIES www.historicalremedies.com/lozenges/moon-drops or through AMAZON.
I have tried melatonin in the past but it did not work that well for me. I find a good book will usually help put me to sleep but with the first number of treatments I did not have the wherewithal to read. In fact, my brain was fried! One of the horrendous side effects of the chemo is memory loss. I couldn’t remember a phone number or address I had used for years! Don’t worry! Your body is only concentrating on healing. So, all the body’s energy is going to that. As I progressed through the treatments I was able to sleep better but every now and then in each treatment session I have one night where I can’t go to sleep until three or four in the morning. Don’t worry just relax and enjoy being in bed, having calm and quiet all around.And… Bad Times. Now about the bad times. You could have rough times. Really, really rough times. But just gain the strength from your Honour Wall and stick through it. When you need to count to 10, count to 10 when you can only count to 2, count to 2, just keep doing it. There was a time and I think it was in my first treatment or maybe my second session where I knew I was dying. Not like I saw the light at the end of the tunnel but every fibre of my being was telling me and told me I was dying. (The cancer was giving the chemo a run for all it was worth!) I refused to succumb and kept looking at my HONOUR WALL Yup, that HONOUR WALL is that powerful. One of the most important things you can do is to stay positive. I can’t emphasize this enough. Stay positive! If a cup falls on the floor and breaks, laugh. It happened, so what. Laugh. If you do something wrong, don’t do what I used to do say ‘Donna for heaven sake! ‘. Instead, say whoops and laugh! Laughter will get you through this every time. Just stay positive. And the Honour Wall will help you do that.
And… Side Effects. Different chemo treatments have different side effects. Some effects you will experience, that aren’t even listed in your pamphlet of side effects! Besides the heartburn (for almost immediate relief, have someone rub the upper part of your back with zest), painful jaws and painful soles of my feet, I had foggy vision, tiredness, painful and dry eyes, and temples, dry skin, weight loss, the most interesting colour of pooh (from off white, yellowish, to all shades of brown), difficulty in sitting in a car (the road bends and turns the hardest), sensitive hearing and sensitivity to spices. Remember, your HONOUR WALL and remember, no pain no gain! Words of advice from my ophthalmologist; do not get your eyes tested for new glasses until 5 months after your chemo treatment. Your eyes change while taking chemo. On a positive note, my nails became stronger than ever!
And… Audio/ Video. Having stimuli during this time is so important. For music, I craved soft, easy listening – just not elevator music. Make a playlist for yourself while you are strong. I could not handle rock or heavy music. But play what makes you feel good. And do the same thing with Audio Books. As mentioned, I found reading to be difficult while on the first part of the chemo treatment. Thankfully that changed. TV/Netflix were both good for shows, movies and news. Heck if you fall asleep, you can click replay. Sometimes it took me over three times to see a movie!
And… Being Sick Can Be Fun. How sick is that! But it’s true. When was the last time you were able to just relax, sleep and enjoy the world around you without having to worry about getting up and getting things done? May be a tough way to relax but it has its merits! And get this, people like doing things for you when you’re sick! So, embrace the time!
And… Spiritual Connection. This was and is another important part of my journal and of my incredible journey. It doesn’t matter who your spiritual connection is with, whether it is through God or someone or if it is in nature, just have this connection. Every day thank them for all they give you. Yes, including this disease. I thank God every day for all the things that happen or come my way. I believe and I truly believe, the more you thank God or your spiritual connection and the universe for all that you receive, the more you will get and the more you receive of goodness and positive energy. Just keep saying thank you. And I know this world would be a very positive energized place if we all just said thank you a lot more. At night my prayers are always filled with thank you’s; thank you for everything that happened that day and for everything that was going to happen. I also asked God to please take care of all the sick people and their loved ones that they can all get better and better and be completely healed. Large task, huge. God is there, whoever your God is, God is always there. You just have to ask for the goodness to come your way. I also thank and bless my pills every time I take them! My vitamin guru said that people who kick this thing in the butt have three things in common. 1.- a spiritual belief 2.- a good family and friend support system and 3.- a positive outlook. I add a good diet with no sugar too!And… Hugs. I believe the energy of the hug is so powerful, more powerful than almost anything. One hug can be filled with so much love, compassion, healing, glee and joy. Hugs are just as simple as a smile but the both of them go so far into making everyone including yourself feel on top of the world or ten feet tall. So please, hug, hug, smile, smile, smile! When I was first diagnosed, that incredibly intense hurricane, Irma hit our island in the British Virgin Islands. The island was devastated as much as I was physically and mentally and emotionally. It was a true test. But maybe because it was such a challenge every which way that I took that incredible challenge so seriously. For months we lived like cave people with no water, electricity, and ATMs, amongst other things. Grocery stores were only open for an hour a day due to the looting. Yep too challenging at times. But I made it through with all the things I have mentioned above, especially with the support of family and friends. So, heck, if I can do this, you can too stay on this incredible journey! I am still homeless. But a very happy homeless girl. Just remember to stay positive.
And… It’s Not Over Yet. I still have a way to go. My weight though is now great. I am over 20 pounds heavier than at my lightest weight. And 5 pounds more than I was before this all started.! I can joyfully say I am 116 glorious pounds. The cancer in my colon they say is dormant, (will you just go away please?) and the cancer in my liver too, what is left is the cancer in the lungs. We are just waiting to see what the next pet scan says. I pray the cancer in the lungs are all dormant too and no surgery is needed. What is the difference between major and minor surgery? Everybody else has minor surgery!And… In Closing. So please don’t take this condition sitting down. Run with it, enjoying the hills and the valleys and in conquering it. Bless your chemo pills every day and thank your God for everything. To coin the phrase from my herbologist who has a weekly radio program, ends her program with “remember God has an answer for everything.” So, go ahead and take this journey and have what I call a Flintstone day, every day.
If you’re not old enough to remember the Flintstones, Fred Flintstone started and ended each cartoon program by saying YA BA DA BA DOO DA DAAAAAYYY!!!
Donna Hood