Pinned Thread About How to Lower Recurrence after Chemo

Thanks, Meggie. I cannot believe I just read this same report and you posted it as early at Aug 2009.               Thanks to a recent "scare" (and I do mean thanks) the threat of a new primary cancer brought me to look at research and not castigate myself for being "obsessional" like some docs characterized me.     Wow!   We really do need to be vigilant is being advocates for our selves.  We cannot trust the docs to keep up on our specific "triple negative" status.      

I thought I read stress was a big factor also (sorry but I didn't read this entire thread yet).  There's stress you have to endure-there's no avoiding it- but you can look at it from a different perspective. I went thru terrible stress my first 5 yrs out. Unrelated to cancer. Now I live for the moment. sometimes just enjoying a good cup of coffee can be such a pleasant moment. 

if anyone has managed to stay with me this far in this post, thanks, I'm hot-flashing like crazy. My problem with exercise is that I have a congenital vascular abnormality in my left thigh. After 9 surgeries, I still cannot withstand much upright exercise w/o distention of the veins. so I bought myself an exercise bike,    compression bike shorts and some wts to lift.       I have typical abdominal fat that actually manufactures insulin on its own.          someone wrote wt lifting won't help but my understanding is that I'll burn more fat bodywise if I have more muscle wt.    Thanks. 

Hi Violet, I too had a blood clot in my arm .... but not my lumpectomy side, on my port side. After treatment (lovenox, port removed, coumadin for 4 months) the swelling in my hand returned and the clot was still there...or never went away. I had blood work looking for clotting disorders and was found to have the most common disorder called Factor V (five) Leiden. I will be on coumadin for the rest of my life.

Just some info that may help you or others,

Kathy

I add a post yesterday into the TN board about eating blueberries, specifically related to TN!

Hello ladies. i am so thrilled to find some specific info regarding "after care" for TN. I have recently been diagnosed. IDC 1cm, DCIS .7cm both TN.Stage 1 grade 3 and stage 0 grade 3. I had a right BMX with expander on the 15th. Had a small lift on the left side. 0/1 node. I will be seeing an oncologist next week to determine treatment. Can anyone tell me what additional tests will be done prior to chemo? Also, is radiation the norm for all TN? I would certainly welcome any advice or tips!!

Bumping as well.  

Getting nervous because after the holiday treatment ends for me, and then I step into a whole new place of being unsafe.

Read something over the holidays about supplementing w/ calcium to strengthen TriNeg bones. I'll try and find the link and post it.

here's what I'm doing:

Selenium/Vit D3/fish oil (omega 3 6 9) daily

Baby aspirin daily

Blueberries daily

Trying for 5 servings fruits/veggies daily (not so successful here)

Exercise on stationary bike 3 hours a week.

I was doing Zometa every 6 months, we'll see if doctor wants to continue that.

Avoiding nitrates and grilled meats.

what I'm not doing:

cutting fat out of my diet. I know I should,  but I'm having a rough time of it. Occasional butter use, lots of olive oil use

Oh my gosh, that place looks great!  But, I'm in California and there aren't any here.

minxie, I have the same problem with cutting the fat out of my diet.  I love my coffee with cream or creamer (and the no fat stuff stinks) and cheese and eggs and . . . well you get the point.  I do try to use olive oil as much as possible, but I'm still having a hard time with getting my amounts to the 30% or lower that is recommended.

I thought I would post this for those struggling with the fruits and veggies.  Pre-diagnosis, I did not eat healthy.  I have always liked fruits, but never bothered.  I have always hated veggies.  Since diagnosis I have been good about eating fruit, particularly in the delicious form of a smoothie, but have struggled with the veggies.  This week I decided to try adding some veggies to the fruit shake . . . it is pretty darn good.  The shake started with 1 c. each of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, lemon juice, and ground flax seed, with some fat free greek yogurt and stevia to sweeten.  I started slow with the veggies, but have worked up to 1 c. carrots, 1 c. spinach, and 1/2 shot of wheatgrass juice.  It smells funny (the wheatgrass) but still tastes like fruit.  Blend it on liquify and the veggies just disappear.  Going to try to add some broccoli next.  If the taste stays okay, then I get all my fruits and veggies in this shake.  Although it is getting so big now that I will have to drink it over 2 or 3 servings.  

Sounds crazy, I know.  But for those of us who gag on veggies, it is a solution to a problem!   

Weety,

I just looked at my carton of Coconut milk creamer;  0 fat. I've only seen it in health food stores or supermarkets that sell organics too, like Whole Foods.

This thread is invaluable.  As TN these tips may be the only things that keep us recurrence-free and therefore alive.  I went crazy trying to find info that would make a difference. 

No matter how attenuated the cause/effect between diet and recurrence (since there is still no consensus among experts according to my MOnc), we don't have time to wait for peer-reviewed, academe-worthy, Nature-acceptable-for-publicaton studies.  I read the diet recommendations of Dr. Keith Block, and some other unassociated doctors/scientists/researchers.  From that I have, at least for this moment, come to similar conclusions as you-all above.  Some of these practices must wait until  I've completed chemo (Gods of the Universe - let me see February 11th!!!), but at minimum I plan to do this:

1.  Vitamin D - probably 5000IU/day for life

2.  Aspirin (dose TBD by my medical oncologist - can't start until after chemo)

3.  five to ten (i.e., 2.5 to 5 cups) cruciferous vegetables daily.  Fortunately, I can't get enough of broccoli and brussel sprouts, and I love cabbage, carrots and cauliflower too.  Great cole slaws - and usually nearly raw.  Dr. Block says tons of these in a nearly raw state make the body's biochemical environment 'hostile' to tumor cells and their attempt to divide and spread.  They are immune system boosters.

4.  Turmeric.  I mixed this into zero-fat greek yoghurt and used as a dressing over kidney beans and chick peas.  What a treat.

5.  No more than 20 grams of fat (plant-based only) daily.  That's ONE OUNCE.

6.  The usual associated restrictions - whole grain, fruit, wild salmon or tuna once or at most twice per week, organic blueberries every morning (5 lb. bag of Wyman 's at Whole Foods is affordable considering what it provides!)

7.  I've run 5-6 miles every day for more than 30 years.  That didn't save me.  Perhaps with this diet, and continuing to run, I might live a decade or two longer.  Whatever.  I suppose I'll keep it up.

What do you think?  What's missing?  Does anyone have any other good sources?  I think the Vitamin D and aspirin might be the real life-savers.

Diagnosis: 12Oct2010; IDC, Stage 1, 1.3cm, Grade 3, 0/7, ER-, PR-, HER2-; left lumpectomy