Survivors who used Alternative Treatment

My journey not been idea for someone who chooses alternative only, or after surgery.. I have had three cancer dx,.Each time after researching, I'm the most comfortable with alternative, or trying to fix what broke. I chose to decline rads and tamoxifen. This is my story.

My first lumpectomy was Dec 2007. The rad doctor said that if she was in my shoes that she would get out the cancer a.s.a.p. as it looked micro-invasive. I was clueless to cancer terminology or what she was talking about. The next week, I saw a surgeon. Because of the size of the tumor, they suggested an mx.. I put the brakes on. My head was swimming. Since I was self-pay, I knew that anything more than a lumpectomy was out of the question. I learned that my dx was only dcis, grade 3 the como-ne type. I realized then that the cancer was not invasive so I wasn't really worried about it. After the lumpectomy, I pretty much thought it was over. I didn't look into alternative treatment or change my diet or way of life.

One year later, I went in for a mammogram. The radiologist called me into a room filled with my mammo pictures. She said every time, she saw calcifications lined up like that it was cancer. I again was dx with high grade dcis, como type. I had a different surgeon, who insisted I speak with someone from the hospital (social services) to discuss radiation and tamoxifen. By this time, I had done enough research to know that I wasn't comfortable with the possible side effects of either treatment. Plus, I was still self-pay. I stilled owed money just for a rad/oncologist consultation a year earlier.  

So...December, 2008, I had my second lumpectomy. This surgeon took out a quadrant of my breast. The final pathology reported, high grade 3, como type. removed tissue was also dotted with high grade dcis cells. The margins were .03 m. The surgeon said my breast wants to make cancer cells. She said that if I wasn't going to do rads or tamoxifen that I should be watched like a hawk. I knew she was right.

I then was on a mission to find out why my body wanted to make cancer cells.  I went to see a naturopath. I soon learned that I was hypothyroid. I thought that my thyroid might have been the problem. I began taking vitamin D's and other supplements. I also made sure that I had my 6 month breast screening. If I was to be dx again, I wanted to find it before it became invasive.

I was comfortable with the watch and wait approach. I took the second cancer dx as a wakeup call to eat right and to take better care of myself. Everything was going well until last spring. I began using a mouthwash every morning that kills bad bacteria in your mouth. I over brushed my teeth cutting into my guns that got infected. The good bacteria in the mouth was destroyed by the mouthwash.The dentist gave me a round of antibiotics. After several days, the infection in my mouth worsened. The dentist gave me another round of antibiotics. The whole right side of my mouth was infected. My primary doctor then thought it could be oral cancer. My mouth wasn't healing. After doing a little research on my own, I thought it was nothing more than an oral yeast infection. I went on a yeast free diet, probiotics and a few other anti-fungal supplements. The mouth sores and canker sores began to heal.  I never quite got over it. I felt that my body was acidity. I had a gut feeling that my body was ripe for another cancer infection. To make matters worse last September, my mouth exploded into sores, and thrust. After test, the doctor concluded it was H Pylori, which meant a horrible treatment of two different types of antibiotics. My mouth looked like rot. I was so sick. I lost twenty pounds. I could barely eat or talk. I began to wonder if there is a connection between cancer and yeast.

After much prayer, yeast free diet, probiotics and more supplements the infection was gone. But...I knew that I wasn't out of the woods. I felt there was something really wrong with my body and immune system. I had a yeast antibody test done, which showed high levels of a yeast infection, past and present.

In December, I asked for an MRI. The mri test was faulty due to a lot of movement. Instead of another mri, I had an ultra-sound that show up a suspecious area.  I soon learned that I had mucinous cancer, stage 1. It was small and a less aggressive cancer. After learning more about that kind of cancer, I saw no need for radical treatment. I even considered forgoing surgery.

During surgry, IV antibiotics, which caused my mouth again exploded into thrust, canker sores and more. I'm now on anti-fungal med's and a horrible yeast free diet.

I'm now wondering if the yeast, low immunity and infections are why I have an autoimmune disease, Hashiminto, thyroid problem, and why my body is making cancer cells. I'm serious about getting rid of the yeast in my body.  After the anti-fungal med's and diet, I'm being tested again for the thyroid, hashiminto, and yeast antibody infection. If it's normal, I will have learned why my body  broke. Maybe yeast is the culpret.  If not, I will continue searching and  learning more about alternative cancer treatments.

I'm not comfortable doing anything that weakens or destroys my immune system. I believe that a strong healthy immune system is the answer to health. I want to do whatever I can toward naturally aiding my immune system. I have the most peace about this kind of alternative treatment.

hi irish,

yes, enjoy the journey-- whatever they say! thanks for sharing your story,

how did the medical onc know that the cause of your cancer is environmental.. for my mother it seems to be environmental as well..as she has never taken HRT or birth control pills or DES. she has been very selective with her food choices...

we have learned it was environmental because of the unusually high levels of arsenic in her body.. she was asked to take selenium and zinc because of it.. however it was'nt the medical onc who pointed it out-- it was her endocrinologist.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/03/does_alternative_medicine_use_result_in.php

I am afraid that it is going to be hard to find a answer to your question on someone using "Alternative Only" for his or her cancer.......because if anyone did share around here, they would be ridiculed and who in all honesty wants that?  All I have to say is if u want a good read, then go to the library and check out a book "Knockout" by Suzanne Summers.

Kimberly

I understand the fear of acknowledging alternative only.  The grief  I get from people when I tell them that I have done absolutely nothing since my lumpectomy amazes me.  It's my body and my decision.  I was opposed to mammograms and if not for finding the lump myself, I would never have gone for one.  Again, people were shocked whenever I told them this because of my age.  I am 61.  It's like living in Beverly Hills and never having cosmetic surgery.  If you don't do what is expected of you, you get reprimanded.  I worked at a holistic center and was one of the first women to investigate what is now referred to as PMS.  My husband is a chiropractor and we believe in the body's ability to heal itself.  I can't imagine putting my body through treatments that weaken it and cause a multiple of problems.  I have two grown daughters and they actually survived without being rushed to the doctor for something minor.  Nowdays they prescribe antibiotics like candy because mothers insist that it's the only thing that will help. I think I took antibiotics twice in my adult life, once for urinary tract infection and the other for a brown recluse spider bite.  Thank you Thatgirl for starting this topic. It was greatly needed and I greatly appreciate it.

hi thatgirl

thanks for the warm welcome.. just reading around here.. interesting topics! and quite brave of you to stand up for your decision.

Hi Kimberly,

All of the people who put down Suzanne Somers book on this forum have never read it--by their own admission.  It's a great anthology of some of the best oncology minds of our time.

It's so easy to put down a book you haven't read. I bought it. I don't get what the objection is to buying books. If Suzanne Somers makes $3 a book, fine. Do you know how much of a kickback oncologists get for the drugs they push? Anybody read the NY Times article on that? What are the ethics of recommending treatments you get thousands of dollars from?

That girl, you can start any thread you want but you don't get to make the rules about how people answer. Threads evolve. Please don't type in caps to enforce your point because it's the equivalent of shouting.

Since this forum is overrun by anti-alternative trolls, many people are unlikely to take the time or risk putting themselves "out there." Hang around and be patient and you will observe the women here who are expert veterans of alternative/integrative medicine.

Kimberly, please come back! I miss your cutie sunglasses..