Breast Cancer and your Immune System

sweetbean

Macygrace, that is cool that the AveUltra helped with bone pain.

kathleen1966

I really appreciate this post.  I am thinking a lot about my immune system at the moment. It was always incredible before chemo.  I never got sick.  And when I say never, I seriously mean never. I was "healthy as a horse".  So I was very surprised when my body failed me.  During chemo, like you, I continued to never get sick.  I have young kids but for the year I was being treated, I did not get an illness once and they got a couple but nothing all that serious. I "breezed" through chemo and I also "breezed" through radiation.  I did not even get burned and I am very fair skinned.  After chemo....and I am almost 1.5 years out, I seem to be picking up everything. I had a cough that lasted for two months (to the point where I marked on the calendar to call by this date if I still had it, that was three months ago), I had pink eye from hell that lasted three weeks...I wonder if chemo can destroy your immune system and do you have to build it up again?  I know this doesn't make much sense, but I am not as strong as I once was.  I am reading a book, beating cancer with nutrition at the moment.  I'm not sure if I should be changing my diet, or what I should do now.  I keep reading, over and over that being over-weight is bad so I need to lose weight and I keep reading about how important it is to exercise.  I have no idea if that will help my future or not. But it is good for you I know...anyway I am rambling.  It is good to hear from someone who has done research and to hear that my immune system didn't really fail me after all...It's soo easy to spend soo much time wondering what happened to cause this.  Especially when you don't really have any of the risk factors, you don't smoke, you don't drink, you have no family history....you breast fed for 6 years....etc...

sweetbean

Kathleen,

I have the same book - it's a good book with a lot of useful info!  In terms of diet, the more I read, the more I think the Blood Type diet is valid.  The book is Eat Right for Your Type - interesting stuff!  I'm A+.  During treatment, I naturally changed to a largely vegan diet, with no meat, dairy, or sugar.  Lots of fruits, veggies, tempeh,  wild fish.  I feel great and look great - I lost 10 pounds really easily. What is your blood type?

kathleen1966

Blood type is 0-

sweetbean

I think it is just O, rather than + or -.  Here is a link to a page about O blood types.  

http://www.dadamo.com/bloodtype_O.htm 

Sorry, you'll have to cut and paste - I can't figure out how to make it live.  

FireKracker

I am O positive.That is the Universal blood type.And i am supposed to eat meat.I love meat and always had meat at least 5x a week.Until the giant monster came.My Dr.Gastro (stomach issues) told me to have a piece of beef once a week at least.So off i went to Whole foods and got the real thing.Chopmeat for a hamburger.While i was cooking it all kinds of weird things were going throu my head.WHAT THE HELL AM I EATING??????

sweetbean

O + people are supposed to eat lean, organic meats and lots of fruits and vegetables - according to Dr.  Adamo.  According to Dr. Block, everyone with a cancer history should try to be as close to vegan as possible.  I'm kind of glad that the A+ diet jives with the Block diet -makes my life less confusing.  

Edited to add: a lot of the alt doctors support Adamo's approach, though.  And I certainly know people who have done very, very well by following the Blood Type diet. 

steelrose

Sweetbean...

I just wanted to thank you for how fair and balanced you are. I was really spooked by the "go back to your chemo lounge and take your poison!" deleted post on the other alternative thread. I am so pro-choice as far as treatments go and would defend anyone's personal choice... but WOW, it's a mine field out there!

I'm just recovering from a bad two week cold, my first since diagnosis, so time to boost that immune system back up! Anyway, I really just wanted to say thank you and let you know that you are appreciated.

Rose. 

sweetbean

Thanks, Rose!  I'm sorry that someone was rude to you - that stinks!  I agree with you - it is a mine field out there.  I believe in the efficacy of many different forms of treatment.  I know a woman with brain mets who was given a few weeks to live this summer. She'd had radiation to get rid of a brain tumor, but it came back three weeks later and the doctors were very pessimistic.   She went to a naturopath that I know who advised her to take homeopathy from Dr. Poonam Jain from India and Young Living frankinsense oil in capsule form.  Her brain mets began to shrink on this treatment - it's now six months later and she is still here and enjoying a good quality of life.   So I have seen alt treatments work for people - I just believe that a really varied arsenal is best for cancer.

Yes, go boost that immune system!  I assume you are taking Vitamin D?

steelrose

Vitamin D yes!! And the comment wasn't directed at me, but I sure got the message!

I am in complete agreement that a varied arsenal is best in fighting this. Glad to read that you're in good health, and may it continue!