Alternative Treatments- My great experience

suzieq60

Lily - what I mean is what I said - I have one friend who was node negative and is now Stage IV. Cancer does not only spread via the lymph nodes you know. She is not the only woman I've seen in that situation. So with positive nodes - chemo would make perfect sense to me.

flannelette

About tinctures - I don't have a link, although Susun Weed does have a website and if you searched there you'd likely find how to make various herbals preps. ok - sorry this is long but I'm quoting from one of her books:

Alcohol-based plant preparations are called tinctures or extracts. tinctures are concentrated sources of alkaloids (powerful tonic and potentially poisonous compounds) and other phytochemicals. they last indefinitley if protected from heat, light and evaporation. She prefers to make her tinctures from fresh plants but also uses dried roots, berries or seeds.

You need the highest proof vodka you can buy or even 100 proof alcohol if that is available and glass jars of any size with good-fitting lids.

To make a DRIED root, bark, berry or seed tincture (as in Milk Thistle=seeds, Astragalus=roots) Fill any size glass jar one-quarter to one-third full of DRIED berries, seeds, cut roots or bark. Then fill the jar completely with the alcohol. Cap it well, affix a label or write with an indelible marker the ingredient and the date, store in a place that is away from light and heat for at least 6 weeks, preferably 3 or more months, and as long as a year. Then decant by straining it out, throw the seeds/berries onto the compost, keep the liquid, capped well. It will last for years.

When I go to use, I pour tincture into one of those little brown jars that tinctures come in with a rubber squeezy top atop the bottle cap and a dropper that fits down into the jar. - you could buy a tincture first then when used up use that bottle.

To use, suction up the tincture by squeezing the top then, into a weensy liqueur glass into which you have put about a couple teaspoons or so water, count the drops of tincture as they drop out of the tube into the water. Each preparation has a certain amount of drops you can use usually 3 times a day. some taste awful, and if you have chemo mouth they can be so horrific (like astragalus) I couldn't drink them. Milk thistle wasn't too bAD. i would have a chaser of orange juice or something i loved - like blueberry cheesecake - to immediately follow to get the taste out of my very sensitive taste buds.

My bottle I bought from the same organic herbalist where I also buy the milk thistle seeds says take 15-60 drops 3 times daily. For use during chemo Weed suggests 30 drops right before or not later than 15 minutes after chemo. (I felt a bit odd doing this so snuck mine in & downed it soon as nurse left after chemo)

I have no idea if it did anything to help me, but only once did my white blood cell count dip low enough to stop my chemo, then a day later count was naturally up. I understand they now have neulasta for this? Apparently milk thistle protects the liver from damage partly by occupying receptor sites so hepatoxins (liver damaging substances) can't fit in. I guess somewhat like AIs blocking estrogen receptor sites. of course, you are also hoping that, while you are trying to protect your liver, you are also doing nothing to lessen the efficacy of the chemo.......and I honestly don't know who would really know about that........but i did it.

Anonymous

thx flannelette. I don't drink, but brought a large bottle of Vodka years and years ago as I was going to try and do some tinctures. In the end I just never got around to it and so still have it. I THINK its about 47% proof. As far as Im aware, thats the highest we could get. I did 4 rounds of FEC and after the 1st one I landed up in hospital neutropenic but that was 4years ago.

Someone said a few posts back about getting something (milkthistle???) from Japan. I wouldn't touch anything from Japan with a bargepole. I'm very surprised there isnt more said on the Forums about Fukushima. I regularly follow whats going on there and its a NIGHTMARE. Somewhere recently I saw a video where the farmers are selling food that they won't eat themselves. One more earthquake and that tilting plant will cause an utter catastrophe. Already the Pacific ocean is being systematically poisoned. With all the dodgy and growing numbers of storage tanks which are springing leaks and now spreading up the hillsides, this makes Chernobyl look a walk in the park. The mainstream media is NOT telling the full story. At best you're getting a watered down version.

Anonymous

exbrnxgrl - good to know you were in touch with her. I remember Athena also being so concerned about her. Tragic, just so sad, so young, with young children, and she made such a tremendous effort to do what she thought was best. Didn't realize she was Her2NU +, that's so aggressive, especially without Herceptin/chemotherapy.

I know what Suzie says is true too. I've known many early stage DCIS, or Stage 1 node negative going on to Stage IV too. Although the Oncotype DX does give us more information than they had even a few years ago, it isn't all the answers about how the disease may progress.

Also, thanks Flannel, great suggestion about the tinctures.

planetbananas

yes, nattygroves, that does answer my question. I was thinking that you meant someone who was newly diagnosed but I just wanted to clarify so thank you very much.

I have features in the cancer that I had that are spread through the bloodstream so even if I did not have a positive node it could still metastasize from left behind microscopic cancer cells that travelled through my bloodstream.

exbrnxgrl

wornoutmom's memorial service will take place on Sunday, December 1. Anyone wishing to make donations in her memory may make them to Camp Kesem, at her family's request. Camp Kesem is for children who have a parent with or have lost a parent to cancer. Her children attended and loved it and she herself got a great deal of support from the Camp Kesem community. PM me for further details.

Caryn

pipers_dream

For those who want to make tinctures but avoid alcohol, I've also heard that you can use vinegar. Thanks for reminding me of Susun Weed, Flannelette--going there now.

SelenaWolf

Yes, vinegar is a good base for tinctures.  And, keep in mind, that if alcohol is used - vodka is the preferred alcohol for tinctures because it tends to be relatively tasteless - that the application of heat to the liquid will burn off the alcohol or a greater portion of it.