Early Stage Natural Girls!

I think a good question to ask would be "what is the percentage of recurrance difference if you elect not to have rads?"  A co worker of mine asked that question and the difference was 5%.  She didn't think that was worth putting her body through the additional trauma of radiation.  In the end, it's your decision, not the doctors decision.

I hate conflict, so I hope I don't have to deal with doctors who try to push me into a treatment that I don't want.  I'm 71 years old, and I don't want to go through all that at my age.  Someone said if you are over 70 chemo is off the table, due to the SE's, so that is a relief.

Gee my Dr's had their boxing gloves on as well and rushed me into surgery before I knew what was happening and did not know that I had options.  BS told me on Monday I had cancer and scheduled me for surgery on Thursday and told me I needed rads and sent me there the following Tuesday.  I had no idea that if I had had a MX I could have skipped rads.  My tumor was 1.6cm.  I would much have preferred to have surgery than poisoning my body with rads.  Not to mention the permanent nerve damage that rads has caused and I am in PT because it has screwed with my pec muscle as well.  Although I don't think that will be permanent but I finished rads the end of Jan. I have all kinds of things going on in both breast that put me at a high risk for local recurrence and yet my BS and MO think I should get scanned every six months and not worry about it because when it comes back it will be early and they can take care of it.  I'm like no way I am having these babies removed whether they like it or not. BS is much more insistent about no MX than MO.  MO just does not believe in MX for most cases.  I already fired my first MO and for the most part I really do like this one we just don't agree on the MX.  As for the BS I just had another surgical biopsy and went for the result yesterday which thank God it was B9 but after that visit my DH said you are not going back.  I had already consulted with a PS and he thinks I need diep because of rads damage.  DH said we will get a 2nd and 3rd opinion to make sure we are doing the right procedure.  So lined up a 2nd opinion today and I have a friend that is personal friends with a PS and I am going to see him as well.  I think it is horrid that Dr's can play god with us and mess with our emotions.  I had already planned not to go back to my BS but this lump showed in my scans and everyone seemed to think it needed to come out regardless because of my history and my risk factors.  So it is done and now i will take my time to find the right fit for me in a PS. 

Sorry for the rant but the PS that I have seen says I have too much damage to be able to use implants and I am too thin for diep and will have to gain weight which I do not want to do. BS seems adamint that I can have implants even though I have rads damage.  Makes me mad that had she given me my options in the beginning I would not be having these difficulties now. So I don't know I guess the other opinions will give me the answers

Princess thanks for the article that was very interesting.

PS

Forgot to mention that my doctor is Dr Leigh Erin Connealy who recently participated in the Cancer World Summit broadcast.

Princess123,

I read that same article you posted a few weeks ago and had steam coming out of my ears!! Made me angry that my docs preyed on me in a moment of weakness, making me have rads. I am mad at myself for not sticking up for myself better, too!! Aghhh.

 On a side note, went to the dermatologist yesterday and the small thing on my auerola that I thought was a mole was actually a BLOCKED PORE. She basically squeezed it for me!! Ewwwwwww.   Moment of grossing out and embarassment, but she said it happens anywhere and everywhere.  

Princess,

Thank you so much. I have been starving for someone to be truly interested about my protocol. So far Dr. Connealy is supporting my decisons to not biopsy or have surgery. My understanding is that surgery reduces the tumor load thus freeing up the immune system to work on any scattered or migrating cancer cells. However, since I committed to the very daunting regimen listed above I seem to be holding steady and not getting any worse. My first visit with Dr. Connealy she spent an hour with me, added some supplements to my regimen and ordered some blood tests. Her first prescription was for me to "get right in my head." Meaning to deal with any emotional/psycological issues that might be contributing to my cancer. She recommended a therapy called "Recall Healing." based on research by a German Dr. Hamer who believes that all illness is caused by some emotional trauma that was never fully released. I have been saving money for this treatment and will be starting it in the next month. The second visit was also an hour where we discussed test results and yet again--more supplements. Coffee enemas!! hmm. I first started doing water enemas as part of the juice feasting detox protocol listed on their website. I read about coffee enemas in all of my research but decided they were too woo woo for me. When Dr. Connealy told me to do one every day I reluctantly agreed. Now I don't feel good without them. The theory behind this treatment is not that the coffee helps release what is in the colon, it does, but more importantly that the caffiene and other compounds in coffee are absorbed through the portal vein in the colon and goes right to the liver, stimulating the liver to release its bile and dump toxins. Toxins contribute heavily to the load on our immune system and coffee enemas help release these toxins on a daily basis. It takes me 45 min every day including making the coffee and the clean up. I use a standard old fashioned enema bag that costs $10. It's the organic coffee that is expensive.

Sherry,

Thanks for your comment. It is a real trade off for me, but one I have chosen. I am not working right now so that I can focus 100% on healing and my husband is self employed. That means we don't have health insurance and I have to scrimp and save for Dr's appointments. What I get in return is time, I spend about 5 hours per day on my BC regimen. If I were working I would feel the same as you. If I only had the weekends to do coffee enemas however, I would still think they are beneficial.

Cindy:  Welcome to the thread...you will find many friends here who will support your decisions and offer options that you might find of value.  I haven't received my dx as yet, but am scheduled to have a stereotactic biopsy on Friday for an 8mm spot that showed up on mammo but not on us.  I wish that I had gone the route of thermography, but I had already had mammograms and us and was well into the process before I found this thread and began reading about alternative treatments.  I have also started an anti cancer diet along with supplements.  I have met with a holistic doctor and will coordinate any dx and treatment options through him.  I was very impressed with the doctor you have chosen to work with...listened to her on the health forum.

All the best to you...keep us updated on your journey to wellness! 

Paintry, your rad doc sounds controlling. I would find someone who is a little more open and respectful. I used to walk in the doctor office with an helpless attitude. After learning that docs aren't God, and they make mistakes, I don't swallow everything hook line and sinker. The bc surgeon, whom I saw today said that she could tell that I've done research, and said it was obvious I knew what I'm facing. And she had an appreciation for holistic alternative medicine. She said I was intelligent and savvy. I could see that she respected me, and considered what I had to say. That was huge in deciding if I would keep her or not. The good ones are out there...keep looking until you find someone who is approachable and open.

Eve,

I had insurance when all of this started but then quit my high stress job which I believe was a contributing factor. I kept up the $1300 per month Cobra for a while and then I realized that it was not going to cover the treatment that I wanted and decided that money would be better spent in other ways. I mentioned in my first post that I can get all of the conventional treatment for free through my county hospital if I choose. Thanks for saying that I am brave, but I'm not sure it's true, I'm just following the path that feels right for me, which is still scary. I say this not to offend you or anyone else on this post that has chosen surgery, because reaching out to all of you has been such a blessing for me--I see the tumor (cancer) as a symptom of the problem--like a swollen tongue from a food allergy. I'm not going to cut off my tongue, I'm going to try and find the source of the problem. I have stressed my body and spirit so much from my lifestyle choices that my immume system could not keep up and thus created a symptom. Now my goal is to bring health and balance back to my body and spirit. Juicing and supplements have been my best dollar investments although the money spent for Dr. Connealy has provided me with much needed validation. Thank you for you support and comments. I hope that I can have ongoing conversations with all of you out there.

Princess,

Thanks for the suggestions. Honestly I have not spoken to a lot of other BC patients but I would would think that all feel some fear about the path they choose at some time. I have never made any major decision in my life without some element of fear, it is usually there just to get me to ask myself the right questions--marraige, motherhood, career changes, moves etc. 

 I think you are absolutely right that I need to see Dr. Connealy more often. As soon as I read your post I felt it was true and has maybe been lacking for me. I have made that my first order of business for tomorrow. Dr. Connealy did not say whether or not she supported biopsies and/or surgery per se and I did ask her that directly, she responded by asking me, "What does your gut tell you to do?" and we went from that place with an agreement to regular monitoring. This encounter told me that Dr. Conneally places a high premium of the innate inner voice of her patients, something many posts in this thread have addressed a lack of in their doctors.

Research is something that is never ending for me, I spend part of each day reading books, websites, watching informative movies, etc and always try to remain open to additions to my regimen whether physical, mental or spiritual. There are many things that I want to add that I have not yet incorporated as it is always a work in progress and there are only so many hours in the day.  I thank you for the link for Dr. Goldberg, I have heard him speak before and listened to the entire World Cancer Summit program a few weeks ago. I realize that there are differing and often controversial views even under the unbrella of Integrative/Alternative care. This is why I feel it is so important that we each listen to our own voice and hear the truth that resonates with us.

This page is listed as Natural Healing under the Alternative Medicine thread--am I in the right place to glean knowledge from other's experience with alternative healing and to share what I have learned in the past year?

Cindy, I'm about to get a blmx due to being dx 4 times. So far all I've done is try to find the root cause to why my body is broken or making cancer cells. The biggest concern I have in trying to become healthy or the reason for cancer is the now idc with the her2+ gene will spread elsewhere before finding the cause of my cancer. I don't want to end up with a worse problem than I already have. I don't want mets. I'm been seeing a naturalpath, trying to stabilize my thyroid, trying to get rid of yeast, diet, and get a healthy colon. Still, I'm making cancer cells.

If there is a way to keep my breast, I want to. I don't want to lose them. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Sherry,

I'm thrilled for you that you have a DR that listens to you. Thanks for your comment.