Suzanne Somers has changed her diagnosis

Listen, cancer has been around since the time of the pyramids.  If there were 'natural' cures, some group of people, somewhere, would have already found them.

My grandmother and her mother before her both died of breast cancer.  My grandmother ate a far better diet than I probably ever have as they grew all of their own food, completely organic, no added pesticides, or herbicides or fertilizers.  She worked harder, had more stamina and a completely different type of stress than we have today.  BRCA 1 and 2 weren't even known then, nor was it known that breast cancer was a different type than lung cancer, it was just all cancer. The point I'm making is that there is no 'natural' cure.

I chose chemo.  Because there is a family history.  I was fortunate enough to be BRCA negative.  But evidently there is some other gene that still makes us more likely to get cancer.  If it's gene related, nothing you can do 'naturally' is going to change your genes.

Just my opinion 

Great Post Sue-61, my thought exactly and, why aren't they posting on the natural girls threads?

And, non SS supporters have posted on the alternative. 

BTW -- I am NOT a SS supporter.

I have personally read and POSTED legitimate studies regarding the use of antioxidants and their contraindication of use during chemotherapy. Most recently was probably last spring and was in the alternative section of the boards. A quick search using my name and keyword "antioxidants" should bring up the link/study I posted.

I'm not against alternatives at all, but one must use common sense. I worry that someone who has just received a diagnosis and is terrified of traditional treatments may not be fully capable of divorcing themselves from that fear and could be convinced to go with less- or unproven methods like SS espouses because of that fear. Shoot, even now I feel like I've received a "get out of jail free" card if I go in for chemo and my counts are too low or there is some other reason to skip a week. 

This IS true and is something that people using alternatives/supplements along with certain chemos need to be aware of:  Many chemotherapies function by CREATING free radicals. ANTIOXIDANTS are proven preventatives of free radicals. Knowing that, does it make sense to use antioxidants along with those chemos?  Seems to me it's only logical that one would be negating any good that could come from using the chemo.

I would love to have the reassurance that I could experiment with alternatives, but i don't have that luxury. I've not been truly stable since my initial dx (mets from the start). In the past my cancer has been slow-growing, but not slowly enough for me to feel safe to give up 3 to 6 months trying an alternative route.

As to what SS said about Farrah Fawcett and 3 chemos (not sure exacty what it was): I watched "Farrah's Story" and saw that she traveled to Germany and also received RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation) for her liver mets. Not sure if SS mentioned that or even knew it. I also felt it was terribly insensitive for her to suggest that Patrick Swayze basically committed suicide by utilizing traditional treatments. Pancreatic cancer is horrible and a bear to fight because it is usually not caught until end stages. My feeling was that he survived (and seemed to do quite well considering he was working until very soon before his death) for quite a bit longer than one would expect with his dx.

Konakat, I didn't mean it the way it sounded, its just the topic is already on the nature thread why double post? I did post on it but I posted an interview of SS. Someone asked about her dx and I posted it. I think she is both dangerous and cruel, she shots off her mouth about things she knows nothing about. The Patrick Swayze comment was so low she should be crawling on her belly after that statement.

If stage 1 women want to go the natural route than I say good for them but if you are stage 3 or 4 you don't have any option but chemo. She doesnt talk much about her doing surgery & rads, she leaves that out as much as possible.

When she becomes

Suzanne Somers M.D maybe I will listen to her.

http://www.docboard.org/docfinder.html

check this out....docs with education and credentials. 

Konakat..........you are FAB! You have proven that you CAN have your cake and eat it too........Just felt I had to defend myself. I am a kind and caring person, as are you. I hate fighting. I am the oldest of six kids and I can tell you it ain't easy being the peacemaker.........PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL , Sue

PS this BC thing really bites, huh?

I like what Fittwins said some place one big dysfunctional l family.

 Maybe SS had a hand in this....  

Conspiracy theories (just kidding)

I know I am notty Konakat

Wow Denny 15 drains, you must have felt like sprinkler system. At the most I had 4 at one time, the ones on my back drove me nuts.  

Hi ladies, I only came to see what happened on this thread with Dawn and why she is so upset and not posting any longer. Yeah she can be argumentative. But you know what, she has so much to offer on these threads. She is intelligent and is a great contributor. It is just amazing to me that you all argue that living a clean lifestyle has no effect on cancer growth yet constantly talk about drinking wine and martinis. It is well documented that alcohol consumption increases your risk by 51%. There are so many risk factors that you can cut if you educate yourself on what those factors are. For starters, you may want to rethink the drink.

I'll have some popcorn with my BIG GLASS OF RED WINE!

Same here Janis....I was a teetotaler too and for what?......Just wanted to add my two cents' woth regarding SS.....I saw her in an interview on my local station this morning and she said she had "total body chemo" for her bc.....Total body chemo?.....What ?....Is there any "Half body Chemo"????.......

Janis, I'll take a glass of that, please......

Deni63

  Perhaps you didnt read my earlier message on this thread. I see that you are recently arrival to bc.org and it may be that you dont understand the various stages of bc yet. This board is a stage 4 board. This board is for women who have had some form of bc spread. Most of the women on this board are dealing with treatments to keep themselves alive and have far more pressing concerns that do the rest of us.. This is simply not the appropriate place for you to be pushing your agenda. The women on this board have far better things to do than to debate the merits of a glass of wine with you. There are other boards that would be far more appropriate for this and if any of the stage 4 women wish to discuss this with you they could do so there leaving those who do not without this added grief.  Thank you