Survivors who had chemo etc and are into Complementary medicine

ruthbru

Great news, deenah!

Sandeeonherown

Deenah. Congratulations...great news!

Barbara. I was taking grape seed oil a few years ago...when I was going off 'the' pill and was trying to figure out if I was permenopausal or was missing periods because of the low dose pill. I hink it is time to make an appointment with my naturopath. Thanks for all this information. I am going in armed!

lago- no one, including me, ever suspected I would have a problem with blood clots. While there are heart issues in my family background, I do not likve the same lifestyle and am very healthy so we had no idea!....but once bitten , twice shy...nothing that has heart issues as a main side effect is going in this body of mine again.

Thanks for the info. ladies

BarbaraA

Deenah, wonderful news!!!

Sherryc

Dennah that is wonderful news, CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omaz

Hi, I finally got my vitamin D tested and it was 31.  My onc PA wants me to start taking vitamin D3 at 4,000IU to get the level up to around 50.

I found another good website for checking out supplements fron the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which appeas to be a part of NIH.

 http://nccam.nih.gov/health/eveningprimrose/

Omaz

Isn't our immune system supposed to catch and kill any body cells that turn cancerous?  Wouldn't building and supporting our immune system be one of the most important things to do?

BarbaraA

Omaz, that is my theory and I am sticking to it!

painterly

Finally had my colonoscopy today. Clean as a whistle!  Phew!

Wonder if it was all those prunes I eat.

ruthbru

I'm sure they had something to do with it, seriously!

Here is something somewhat off topic of complementary medicine but I was reading an advice column in magazine while in a waiting room; the questioner asked about the cleanliness of public restrooms. The person giving the answer said that flushing the toilet and opening the doors aren't really problems because those areas are cleaned often, but never, ever use the air hand dryers, they blow germs all over the place. "If an air dryer is your only choice, wipe your hands on your pants."

MaryNY

I would think the newer Dyson-type hand driers where you place your hands down inside the drier would be less likely to blow germs around. If the user of the drier has washed his hands with soap and water prior to drying, there shouldn't be an issue with germs from the user's hands being blown about. I suppose the issue might be that the air currents created by the drier circulates air around the restroom area. If so, this would be an issue for everyone in the area, not just the user of the dryer.

Snopes have looked at this issue, which they say have been circulating as an e-mail for a couple of years. However, they haven't been able to either prove it or debunk it. See Hand Dryers Spread Disease.

Sherryc

BarbaraA I sent you a PM the other day with a question hope you can answer it for me.

BarbaraA

Sent you a PM.

LtotheK

Omaz, my general sense of this is that you can't reduce BC to an immune dysfunction per se.  They just don't know enough about it, but the general consensus it is the body's inability to recognize the bad cells to begin with.  What causes that--stress, diet, environment, combos of the former--is the question.  And no one has the definitive answer...yet.

This is why, if I understand, that anti-oxidants have been shown in some studies to literally feed cancer.  It's not as simple as shoring up the immune system to fight off invaders, or so I understand.

Omaz

Thanks LtotheK - Can't be simple! 

Sherryc

Barbara thanks it was a big help.

LtotheK

Omaz, in my heart, I know they will figure this out one day.  And I have hope it is in our lifetime.

Omaz

Hi - had some news on the cast iron cookware we were talking about a while ago - since we aren't supposed to use soap since it can damage the finish I have found that if stuff is stuck to the pan I can put about an inch of water in the pan and put it on very low heat for 10 minutes or so and the stuck stuff loosens up enough for the brush to remove it.

SAOIsenberg

Omaz & all - also if you use a little baking soda, it's abrasive and will get gunk off your cast iron pan, w/o any chemicals . . . you can also heat water + baking soda and that'll get really tough stuff off. And FWIW, there are two schools of thought re soap and cast iron - I use soap to clean mine and it is as non-stick as any Teflon-coated pan you can find!

Sarah 

Omaz

Sarah - do you oil it each time after you wash it?

ruthbru

I hardly ever oil mine. I do leave a little water in the bottom, put it back on the burner on high and burn the water off.

edited to add, and try to remember I have the burner on, so that I don't burn down the house

tedwilliams

ruthbru:

I have been there...... 

Sherryc

I usually put water in mine and heat to get the stuck stuff off. Kinda like deglazing.  I have strick orders from DH not to use soap and just wipe it clean.  He clams the cast iron is his even though I am the one that cooks with it.  But he use to collect all kinds and did outdoor chuckwagon cooking.  Even though he does not do it much anymore and has sold most of his stuff he still claims the cast iron.

SAOIsenberg

Omaz - depends on how it's looking - I do dry it immediately after washing and then if it's looking dry, I'll give it a swizzle of oil and rub it around w/a paper towel. Usually no oil though for the older pan - it's been in constant use for about 5 years. My newer smaller skillet requires more up-front TLC.

Sarah 

Omaz

Sarah - I have only had my pan for about 3 months so it still needs oil I think.

SAOIsenberg

Omaz - I'd say so - cannot hurt to oil it, and if you take care of it, you will be richly rewarded! Love my cast iron. Bon appetit!

Sarah 

Anonymous

Where did this lively thread go?

Omaz

I don't know!!

ruthbru

Does anyone have any really good recipes for fish that don't involve frying?

sewingnut

I layer any boneless fish in a pan and put a can of Rotel tomatoes on top and bake about 20 minutes until flakey.  Serve it over rice.  We like it spicey so the Rotels is great.

SAOIsenberg

Ruthbru - I have several recipes for fish on my blog - here's the link:

http://www.semisweetonline.com/?s=fish

Let me know if you need more ideas!

Sarah