CALLING ALL SURVIVORS .... AND THAT MEANS ALL OF US
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Before BC I loved cheeses, the stronger the better and red meat, and cakes but also ate a lot of salads, fruit and vegetables. I have now stopped eating any dairy. I eat only organic meat (it is expensive but I eat so much less it works out the same) and then mostly chicken and fish. I no longer eat any processed food including smoked ham/sausages which together with no dairy makes for boring sandwiches for work. I eat a lot of vegetables and try to eat the ones from cabbage (broccoli in particular) and alum (onion, leeks, garlic) family as they have the anti cancer properties. I eat sweets much less but still more than I should. I have occasional drink. I am learning to make more and more interesting meals with the foods that I am allowed which makes the loss of all the food that I no longer eat more bearable. Every now and then I catch myself phantasising about Manchega cheese but it does not last. I really want to be there, if at all possible, for my 11 year old son so my fear of recurrence is a strong motivating force for all these sacrifices. I too spend too much time on this site. It has helped enormously but I think it is time to come here less often (just to prove myself that I can). All good wishes Nena
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bump................................
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i was so happy to read all of the insightful changes everyone has made. i did not know about fish oils containing soy, o the brassica tea,so i am very happy for this thread. i was diagnosed a year ago, and since then my life has dramatically changed. i became a vegetarian, i exercise....6 times a week, was never a big fan of exercise before, maybe for periods in my life, but DEFINITELY NOT a regular... i do rebounding every day for 5-10 minutes (jumping on a mini trampoline to a little exercise routine) very good for lymphatic drainage and getting those cells moving!!! and i have lymphedema which is markedly improved/controlled since i began my jumping career in october!!! i drink water till i am floating down the street, green tea, and i take a few supplements which i researched and most of you have already mentioned, and have been working with a holistic dr and a nutritionist who have been so helpful in my success! i also take something called fucoidan. i see no one has mentioned it here which was strange to me given its antioxidant properties as well as ability to perform apoptosis in certain types of cancer cells. it is a seaweed, and the places in japan where this is abundant in their diets have the lowest diagnoses of cancer!!! if it works for the japanese it was good enough for me... i also eat some of the sea vegetables...kind of gross, but i doctor them up with garlic, sometimes other things to drown the taste out. trader joe's which was mentioned is a great place to shop.... also i don't know if anyone has a whole foods near them but i travel 30 minutes to the closest one to my house...i find its worth it. organic and conventional fruits and veggies are clearly labeled and fresh, they have coolsamples that otherwise i may not have tried, but i try them and they are delicious and good for you too! cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment...therefore if you eat the majority of you diet alkaline......avoid the acid forming foods within the realm of what makes you happy and works for your lifestyle...... when you can eat your veggies raw...DO IT!!!!try to eat at least 50% of your diet raw. i try to do 90% and that works for me, but it wouldn't for everyone. do i have an occasional night where i let my hair down? of course i do..i am only human and this road has taught me that : ) going from the carnivore, sedentary, partying 37 year old girl i was...if i can make these changes, ANYONE can, i guess my kids, 3, 8, and 11 have been a huge motivation for me too!
reducing stress has been instrumental to my mental peace. i have a meaningful prayer life and i try to sit still or meditate for at least 10-15 minutes a day... somedays i am great at it, some days i really stink at it, but i try to ALWAYS showup for it... i am thankful to all of you for your information and hopefully i have been a little helpful... my thought and prayers to go out to you all...
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The first thing I started was walking on a regular basis. Been at that since november 05. I also do my own yardwork. I became a food detective and started eliminating beverages with corn syrup. It's SO pervasive! Now I'm working on avoiding it in my food. This alone has decreased the sweet tooth tremendously.
I dusted off my juicer 13 months ago. Then I learned the importance of juicing green vegetables. Didn't care for that much at all until I hit on a combination I like. That was in august and I've been juicing every day, sometimes twice, ever since. I make 16 oz at a time and it gets greener all the time as my taste changes.
I practice meditation, breathing exercises. I've been eating ground flaxseed with yogurt for breakfast almost 2 years. There's a long list of benefits from eating flax, including omega 3's. But I'm not as devoted to that daily ritual as I am the walking, so I've recently acquired some fishs oil capsules to fill in the gaps of my omega 3's. I also was practicing a thing called abyanga, which is self massage from head to toe with sesame oil. I really like this practice, but I've gotten out of the habit of late. I got a rebounder last may, but somehow I whacked a toe and inflicted myself with ligament damage, which has finally stopped hurting. I'm at square one with that again, and I just do gentle bounces, 100 at a time. It's supposed to be great for the lymph system.
I stopped taking tamoxifen a year ago. I got in 2 years 2 months with it. I thought maybe it was the culprit in my fatigue, but all I got was relief from hot flashes and better sleep at night.
As 2009 crept closer, I passed my 4-year anniversary of dx and 3-year anniversary of getting through chemo, surgery, rads. Fatigue is my constant companion and I now believe I've been hypothyroid all this time. My doctors are worse than worthless on this topic. So, I've been trying to supplement my way to health on my own.
I haven't been a supplement taker in the past, but I have a miniature arsenal now. Thyroid complex from the vitamin shoppe, tyrosine, basics daily multivitamin, phenylalanine, vit D3, coQ10, sublingual B complex, 50 mg Iodoral (iodine), 5HTP (tryptophan), and fish oil on days I don't eat flaxseed for breakfast. Three of these are amino acids, which I learned about recently. There's something like 22 primary amino acids plus secondary ones. Dr Gabriel Cousens writes about correcting all kinds of ills with balancing our amino acids. Sounded great to me, but the tyrosine really gives me heartburn if I don't surround it with food. All of the above are things I've been taking anywhere from the last 3 weeks to 3 months. Fatigue still plagues me, but I'm going to stay this course a while longer. Sorry this is so long, but three years of trying to ditch this fatigue has accumulated a lengthy list.
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I was recovering from a total hip replacement when I was initially diagnosed with bc. I am now exercising on a regular basis (hiking, climbing, yoga, pilates, etc) but don't know if I have changed my exercise habits due my dx or because I can do these things again after spending two years with a bum hip. It feels good to be able to move without pain!
My diet was pretty good before my dx. Lots of veggies, very few processed foods. The only changes I have made are buying organic meat and dairy (I use small quantities) in addition to always buying organic produce. I was advised to avoid processed soy products but I do eat natural soy products on rare occasions. I still drink, but I am drinking less. I take supplements, calcium, vitamin D, and fish oil. I also take tamoxifen.
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This is a fabulous thread! I hope for 2 things: first is that it gets continually bumped so that when I finish chemo (had only 2 of 12 so far), I can even begin to imagine eating any of these things! Right now, all I feel like is rice and soup! Even this coffeeholic can only manage one in the am and I plan on continuing that! Grown fond of green tea-especially since my stomach likes it!
Wish #2 is that I become capable of making the healthy diet changes. I still gag when I smell peas cooking! I love red meat but feel confident about cutting down on that. Once again because this chemo has me not wanting to go near it, A good start to kicking that habit! Just seems so many of the good things are cost prohibitive. Though Trader Joes may be worth the 40 minute trip after all this. Cheese...another downfall...Everything I like! Maybe when I'm done I should start a support thread for kicking the bad food habit. Seems a daunting task once I feel better. Maybe I will learn how to narrow things down. Just as I have my priorities since being diagnosed.
Thanks for letting me vent!
Ellen
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One step at a time Ellen...it will all work out. Now you need to concentrate on treatment and not worry about anything else. When you are feeling good again you can slowly jump in and do the best you can. There are no guarantees here.....we all can just take care of ourselves the best we can and that's that. That "control" we all seek is not in our hands and it's something we will never attain.
Hang in their.....sounds as if you are doing great.
God's Peace surround you Ellen,
Mary Jo
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bump............
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Ellen - I agree with marejo about one step at a time. I finished chemo in December and have just started back to work. I wanted to do many things differently as soon as I finished chemo, but have found myself overwhelmed with all right now. So, I decided to read about what other people do on these boards and make one change at a time, one day at a time. Lucky for me I saw this thread! We have all been through a lot and deserve to be patient with ourselves.
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I've also have changed my diet big time. Take a lot more supplements. Because I know our food chain is not that great in the US. To many toxins, fertilizers and hormones. Not counting we are now importing so much food that has to be picked off the plant/vine way to early to insure shipping will not spoil it. I do blend my juices to get in more greens that I don't really like. (not juice) I try to to exercises more. Drink plenty of water. Do a regular detox of liver/colon. I've have been in chemo for three years and have worked a full time job almost the whole time. I just finish my ninth kind of chemo and treatment number 43 and feel great.
Just a note..For other who say I ate all the right foods etc...and still got breast cancer. If you go to a research hospital for treatment the first thing they do is get you to fill out a questionnaire. The first thing they want to know is where you grow up, where you live now and what kind of businesses have you worked at. This is because many cancer's are caused by environmental poisons we don't know that we have came in contact with. I met a guy when I went to MDA Houston that five people within a six block area came down with lymphoma and they sent some one out to look at the area and found the ground was poisoned from a old dump. We must look at all the area's of our life to see why we have disease. I don't think is ever just one thing.
Flalady
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Oh Man Fla Lady, are you EVER an inspiration! You've have been dealing with this for so long and here you are helping others. And here I am thinking that I am doing this chemo thing once (it has NOT been kind to me) and my chances are excellent that will be it. It is in fact true but if I didn't have that to hang on to...Well who knows? I've learned a lot already as I stamped my feet and swore I would do chemo under NO circumstances and #3 is tomorrow! I am in such awe of you women with all these recur's. I surely believe you have been chosen to guide others. Your comment on the environment is absolutely true as well. Here on Long Island, the numbers are staggering and there has been no explanation yet as to why. It's a combo of toxins that have yet to be specified as a group and even within the Island itself, there are pockets where its more prevalent then others. I grew up here but lived away for nearly 20 years. Back for 12 years b/4 diagnosis.
Also, being HER2+ is due to a gene mutation linked to something environmental but there is just too many zillions of things: was it food, was it living with a smoker, was it perfume, cleaning agents, lawn agents???...I will never know. And moving forward that is frustrating. How am I to pick and chose what changes to make? Can't do it all and some of them are too expensive. Oh well, I have become aware in the process that I'll know what to do.
God Bless
Ellen
Thank you for being an inspiration to me.
Ellen
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Thank you Ellen and God Bless you and yours. Hang in there and this will be soon over for you. But know that you must not stop with treatment. After treatment your body has been handed back to you in worst condition than you gave it to your doctor. You need to detox and repair. After completely treatment really study on how to detox your body. This does not cost a lot but it will help pull out the metals and toxins from chemo and rads. And your right about the expense...but you just have to pick and chose what you feel is important. More importantly...learn to live and laugh more. It drive me nuts we I see ladies who beat this disease to go back to a "normal" life and not know how blessed they are.
God gave you a second chance to receive all the gift's he wants us to have. Grab hold with both hands and hang on. There is so much more to life that he wants to give you.
Flalady
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Flalady -
Can you suggest a detox regimen? I had a forced detox 3 weeks after chemo - 60 hours liquid only diet and colon prep for hysterectomy. What do you suggest -water only/24 hrs or do you do specific products?
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everyminute,
There are a couple of ways to detox. The key is to get the liver and gallbladder and colon all to detox. I have tried a couple different ways and found each to work. Just some better... some not so much. I wish I could remember the first one I did.... But I do know this is the key to a good detox. Stop eating all dairy, red meat or fried foods a month before starting your detox. This is to slow the stress on a already stressed out colon. These items are not well digested and they set in your colon a long time. Not Good! Drink a lot of organic apple juice for the week before the detox. This will help you gallbladder and liver to release toxins when you start your detox. (you can go back and eat dairy & meat etc... hopefully in smaller quantities after your detox. Need to add them slowly back in.
There are a couple of ways to do this inexpensively. I looked and could not find the recipes fast. Look for ones that have grapefruit juice or lemon, olive oil (yucky to drink) Epsom salt will be the main ingredients. Someone posted a good one here a while back. I'll look for it. I waiting to stop chemo to do another one. You can not do this while in chemo because chemo's have metal and this will pull them out. That is another great detox that I have to remember to write down here. The detox is geared to heavier toxins like metals and chemical toxins.
Ladies I will pull my notes. I feel bad I can't remember how to do these. I will get back to you.
Flalady
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I am most interested in detox info. Does any one know if it is ok to do while on hormonal (femara and lupron)? any other meds that would make it not safe--antidepressants, pain meds, blood pressure meds?
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I too thought I was doing everything I could to lead a pretty healthy life.
I'd exercise, eat healthy (red meat once a week), I'd have a glass of wine on occasion, never smoked, regular check ups. I still got bc...go figure.
I still do all the above, but now I take Tamoxifen (not having any side effects, other than hotflashes) multi-vit, calcium and D vit. I try not to sweat the small stuff.
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Where did you learn what to eat/not eat and what supplements to take for your kind of cancer?
I've read conflicting things on the internet as far as what foods to eat or not eat. (Flaxseed or not flaxseed for ER+) My onc just said to eat a healthy diet, avoid soy and exercise. She had no information to give me other than that (and I asked for more specifics).
Supplements, I read one book and the information made my head spin. It didn't give concrete information. I guess I'm looking for something like...If you have bc and are ER+, you should be taking this.... A friend did recommend a book but it was for older post menopausal women and I was dx at age 38.
Am I asking for too much?
I only drank water before my dx. Since my dx a year ago, I also drink 1 cup of green tea a day (I actually don't like tea at all so this is a good step for me), only eat red meat once a month, eat a lot more organic foods, avoid anything with soy and corn syrup, try and eat more veggies (Yuck! They are my least favorite food group.
), using more natural cleaners, switched to a multi-vitamin with no soy and switched my deodorant that ALSO had soy in it. I've been exercising more but now that it's winter, it's only about once a week. I haven't found anybody around here that helps cancer patients with supplements and specific nutrition geared for them. Any advice?
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As far as the cleanse, I think if you are on tamoxifen you are to avoid grapefruit. It causes some type of interaction.
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Iam also doing vegie juicing and taking supplements.I got alot of info from a book called Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick quillin.
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ALERT! Grapefruit interacts with a lot of medications......it is best avoided.
Sam
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One good book on what to do and take with cancer is Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin. There is a lot of info out there. Most will not tell you what to take for a specific cancer. Natural medicine believe you treat the whole body by detoxing it and rebuilding it. You don't treat symptoms. I just kept on reading (over 40 books) and found the common factor they all hit upon. I also looked for a really good homeopathic doctor. (four year degree) Try to find other patients who are doing these things. That why it is so important we have freedom from attack to discuss these things on this website. Mainstream medicine doctor will not discuss anything that the drug companies do not offer them. It would mean they would have to do their own research. Insurance will not cover the cost of vitamins or supplements. This needs to be changed! Insurance will pay for $200 med but not pay for a vitamin that does the same thing without toxins?
The key is now you have to invest money and time on your body. So many of us just thought that our body would take care of it's self. (me included) We spend hours on entertainment and other stressful active but take very little time on taking care of the precious bodies. I've learned my lesson the hard way. I so wish the would spend more time in school with children teaching how important taking care of your body is. Not just weight or diet there is so much more.
Getting off my soap box now...
Flalady
PS: Someone telling you what to do will not make you change major habits in your life. Everyone needs to read and get education then you apply this information with more thought and positive reason why you need to pay attention to your body.
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Get real ladies...the grapefruit juice is done on one or two days depending on the detox. The detox is done once a month for two to three months after completing treatment. After that once or twice a year. This is not a concern against the value of detox. Many things can react to drugs. 90% they don't even know of. My doctor's tell me just don't mega dose anything.
Flalady
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Flalady Just finished reading the same book.It makes sense.Your right supplements are expensive.I just hope this is all worth it.Ican eat healthier take my supplements but I am still to exhausted mentaly and physically to get into an exercise program.
How long have you been following the book?
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I cannot find the link right now, but I read that there is mercury in lot of the High Fructose Corn Syrups... At the bottom was a list by brand name of products and how much mercury was found.
I believe that the food additives are causing an epidemic of illnesses. It boggles my mind that so many young women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. I just turned 63 last Saturday and most of the others at chemo and around the breast cancer center are in their 30's and 40's. That is totally UNacceptable - in my opinion. Not that older women should be getting it either...
I am on Herceptin only, every 3 weeks, until October --- would the detox be better AFTER I am done with it? Do any of you use a water filter? I have 2 Britta pitchers and do my best to avoid plastics in the microwave.
Nancy
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As noted I've read of forty books. I have been to vitamins and supplements for two years with stage IV disease. I do these along with my chemo. I've just finish chemo 43 and have taken nine different chemos so far. I feel great and have worked a full time job almost the whole time. (I worked home one day a week for a while to rest.) The biggest thing that help me was change it diet (I still fight it all the time.) and blending juices. I hope to have a chemo break and detox this next month. My doctor is blown away with how well I do. I has asked me what I do but will not comment on it. Just says keep doing it.
Flalady
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I am going to get that book FloridaLady! You seem so educated on this, that is awesome! Thank you
btw, I hope you do get a chemo break!
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Wow Flalady you are amazing,and an inspiration.If you can handle that much chemo and still work full time you must be doing something right. Which juicing book do you recomend?
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Let me add that I had dose dense chemo before surgery and it zapped my tumor completely. The onco calls me her star patient. MRI, CT, mammo and ultrasound showed Nothing before surgery (lump) - Clear margins and no node involvement.
I tried to eat healthy, but had occasional lapses as I drove pat McD and the cheeseburger called out my name. Congrats, Flalady, you have taken charge and are doing great. And, I have had only one very weak alcoholic drink since last June. Not sure it helped, but I figured not adding that to the drugs I was getting was a good idea.
Do you have any comments on paraben in cosmetics and lotions? My onco says it is controversial, but I read that many breast cancer tumors contain paraben... wonder how it gets there if not absorbed through the skin ???
I know I read too much and tend to obsess over the additives and ingredients - I do drive myself crazy at times...
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The skin is a vascular organ, so it gets absorbed through the skin and travels through the bloodstream.
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Venting here Ladies...
What gets my blood boiling is the fact that there are all these friggin cancer causing agents out there and we are protected from NONE! And now we are supposed to try to figure out what to avoid and it seems to be everything! Particularly for those of us 50 (I'm 53 and it was a year to the month of my last period that I was diagnosed..clean mammo 1 yr previous) and above who have been brought up to eat and use just about everything bad! Since I'm still in early chemo, I can't focus on (or even think of eating) a healthier diet. I know where I need to be focus wise. But I have decided that my cancer HAS to be hormonally related due to timing and 90% ER/PR driven. So I shall start with organic diary and meat products. All those years of drinking reg. milk (loved it) thinking I was doing a good thing. It has to have something to do with what has been fed to the animals and sprayed on our food products. And now make up, perfume, CANDLE fumes (I'm one foot in then because I am a fanatic.) Well, if nothing else perhaps we have been chosen to be the "change agents" for the next generation who will hopefully be more educated and MORE protected by the products available to them.
End of rant...Thanks and wishing you all many blessings.
Ellen
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