natural alternative encouragers

Hi Amber,

I also stopped taking tamoxifen this year.  During the time I took it, hot flashes were my number one complaint.  I also didn't sleep well.  Plus, I had relentless fatigue and frequent nausea.  My chemo/surgery/rads all happened in 05, so as 3-year anniversaries came rolling around, it was very distressing to me that I am still so tired and every single time I tried to increase my activity, I'd feel sick to my stomach.  

I didn't really plan on stopping the tamoxifen.  At the time I was becoming more aware of my thyroid and arriving at the belief that rads threw my thyroid out of whack.  Somehow this didn't seem to capture the attention of my pcp, and the fatigue and nausea were beginning to concern me more than the hot flashes and insomnia.  I had a stomach flu in january, and I decided not to take the tamoxifen that day.  Or the next.  All of a sudden, it was 3 months later and I never took the tamoxifen again.  I didn't have to fess up to the onc until june.  I was uncertain how he would react.  I thought he'd offer other drugs, or tell me some new stats on my risk of recurrence.  I got none of that.  He basically said most women can take tamoxifen and do fine with the side effects, and others suffer miserably.  

I took tamoxifen for 2 years and 2 months.  I hold a pretty low opinion of doctors in my community.  I feel like they set the bar so low for standard of care that it's subterranean.  Dont even ask for my list of complaints unless you want to read a novelette!  lol  

On a more positive note, I've been learning about natural healing this year and it has really captured my attention.  In the past I thought I kinda sorta knew about all that line of thinking, but I was mistaken.  I've been walking regularly for 3 years now and forever tweaking my food choices.  It's hard to avoid corn syrup, but I've eliminated a major portion of my intake of it.  I dusted off my champion juicer last year in december and now drink at least 32 ounces of fresh sqeezed juice every day.  And most days I have ground flaxseed, yogurt, honey, and flaxseed oil for breakfast.  I started that routine months before I ever heard of the budwig protocol.  Well, almost.  I didn't include the oil until 4 months ago.  I tried it with the cottage cheese and really didn't care for it.  I think the flax is so much better with yogurt.  I'm hoping I get as much or more benefit from that than I did from the tamoxifen.  

You're probably lucky your onc will even test your liver enzymes.  I have to see a pcp for that.  My onc won't even test my hormone levels.  First, I asked a nurse, and her response was they only do 'cancer-related tests'.  I don't know why I even asked her.  She was the same nurse who answered my question about whether I should get a flu shot while going through radiation, and in her sickenly singsong voice said, "I don't see why not!"  I wanted to say, "you don't see why not???? how about this.... I'm a damn cancer patient in the middle of rads, on the heels of surgery and chemo, how about that for a reason maybe not to get one???"  #*($(#*#&$)  Makes you wonder how some people find their way home at night.  But I digress. 

I didn't see the point in asking this same nurse how could estrogen NOT be cancer-related when my tumor had been FEEDING on it.  I later asked the onc directly, and his response was "the information isn't useful."  See what I mean about subterranean standards of care?  I truly feel like I'm on my own when it comes to seeking my way back to health (locally speaking anyway). 

One thing I like about alternative approaches to health is the way that it really depends on US to create our health.  The effectiveness of the approach is a topic of much disagreement, but I truly do prefer the option that allows me a higher degree of control over my results.  So get those carrots out and juice some of them.  It's such a good habit to have.  You'll get to where you can't be without it.  

Althea - I live in a different state but otherwise I would think we had the same onc and nurses!!  Same reply for Flu shots as I underwent rads in November. My onc does include liver enzymes when ordering blood work propably because they are already included in the chemistry panel.  All other tests I have done by my PCP.  He would not consider measuring hormone levels  but wanted to start me on Lupron shots and Tamox.  I wanted baseline hormone tests done as I was premenopause and 100% hormone receptor positive.  I felt I was not being properly monitored so I got an ooph a few months later after treatments and switched to Femara. My onc never informed me when I started Femara that I would need to take Calcium and Vitamin D supplements or monitor my Cholesterol levels.  Otherwise, it would mean he would have to monitor those values which he refuses.  This is why I spend so much time doing my own research and spending time with you ladies here.  Best wishes Joann