Grappling with reality

[mensana]

@Dee58, @Janine3220 , thanks for all the encouragement and advice which covers a very broad area of coping with cancer. People's individual circumstances, experiences and responses to treatments vary tremendously. But the broad nature of the advice would cover most situations.

On a personal level, I've never smoked and last drank alcohol over 30 years ago. I live on a rural block so there's a lot of physical activity. I've always been active and fit, not too long back walked the Kokoda Trail. Right up to about April/May this year I'd regularly go out and walk about 20 kms bush bashing (off any trails). But May it was all turned upside down.

Just to catch up on what's happened recently, since getting out of hospital things have been reasonably good. Still tire easily, don't sleep enough but dry retching or vomiting is very rare. The other day did some work with the chainsaw, but that was probably a bit too much.

Saw the medical oncologist on Friday. Results of the scan looked good. Cancer has reduced quite a lot. Some of what still looks like cancer could be inflammation, the scans don't show up the difference. He said the next step is immunotherapy but they have to wait a while yet for me to recover from the last lot of treatment. I was booked in for my second Astrazenica injection next week but the oncologist said to postpone it at least another week, until I gained more strength. Don't like the idea of only being halfway on the vaccination. My immune system is right down but when questioning the GP and the oncologist they both became evasive about how long it might take to have it back to normal.

The immunotherapy doesn't have the same drastic effects as chemotherapy. But when the oncologist started going through all the possible side effects it was quite scary. Fortunately most of the side effects have virtually zero chance of manifesting themselves. So I should feel fitter and be more able during the treatment.

[Janine3220]

Hi Mensana

Sounds good! And you sound good. You are doing fine under the circumstances. You are informed and in control : ) and you have a good respectful team behind you. Things are looking up. This is great news.

You will be back visiting the Kokoda Trail in due course.

May I recommend a book for you?   Radical Remission by K. Turner. You can buy it from www.bookdepository.com .  Please read it.

Try to get as much sleep rest and peace as you can. If I may again touch on nutrition without sounding like a broken record:

Our immunity is dependent largely on sleep, rest, stress management, and foods that contain

beta-carotene, vit. C, and B9 (veg/fruit); iron (for blood platelets and oxygen); B12, Selenium and Zinc (in lean animal protein foods, nuts grains and seeds); vit E nuts and olives;  Iodine seafood and seaweed. B2 (eggs, animal protein, milk, almonds) and vital vitamin D (sun, fish, supps). Without any of these specific nutrients, our immunity is on the back foot...

Good to hear from you.

Janine

[mensana]

@janine, I ordered that book. It takes about a month to get here so have to wait.

Otherwise, things are slowly on the mend. I complained about how they kept switching appointments around, usually to the most inconvenient times making multiple long trips for me. They've revised some of the times and bunched them up on the same days. Also said I was sick of being made a receptical for all sorts of drugs when they weren't really necessary. My GP was included in that. So most of the drugs have been cut out. Of course, I now have to tell my GP I'm not taking his prescriptions. Yesterday got my second Astrazenica dose, so glad that's all done. And looks like the immunotherapy starts mid next week.

[Janine3220]

Hi Mensana

You sound so much better. I am glad for you.

Your 'local' library should have a copy of the book.

Keep in mind every day this fact: viruses, cancers, bacteria, fungi in the body do not like oxygen. Exercise and breathing practice in fresh clean air are killer tonics.

Also iodine in fish (no more than 3 serves a week) and seaweed (low salt variety, Coles and Safeway have it in the Asian section or the healthfood section) is a mineral that we are all deficient in. Iodine is a enormously powerful anti-viral, anti-biotic (ie anti-bacterial), anti-fungal, and has anti-cancer properties. Archeologists discovered a medical hut 15,000 years old that had seaweed 'meds'. Egyptians used it, Chinese used it. And we used it to prevent cretinism, goiter in humans and animals. It has myriad applications. It was THE medication of choice for infections and cured syphillis. Big pharma has steered us away and influenced doctors to prescribe chemicals that are not as effective and look what 'we' have done with antibiotics and drug resistance...  If you are interested, you may wish to read: Healing with Iodine: Your missing link to better health by Dr Mark Sircus.  

I don't propose isolated nutrients nor unsupervised usage as all vitamins and minerals and nutrients are powerful. Healthy produce is critical. THeir powerfulness is what kept us healthy until food processing and chemicals (cultivation and food processing) were introduced in the early 20th century. In 1900 Rates of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure etc etc were unheard of in such milions and millions of cases. A comment from one doctor (I've got the quote somewhere) when he opened up a patient and saw cancer wrote to fellow doctors amazed at what he saw and asked them if they had ever seen similar.  So few people had it. Sure cancer happened, but it was so rare. When we exercised, walked, sunned, and ate fresh and natural we were largely fine: we had the micronutrients, oxygen.

You may also wish to take 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice (or cranberry) organic and unsweetened, on an empty stomach, can be diluted with water daily. Ensure there is no contraindication with your meds - read the fine print. I heard Dr William Li (cardiologist and now integrative practitioner) say that a woman (his mum?) had a huge tumour on her kidney? and he suggested she take the pomegranate. She did, one week later (even I can't believe the timeframe but ...) there was no mass on the mri. https://www.urologyofva.net/articles/category/longevity/3108752/04/18/2019/effect-of-pomegranate-on-...

I spoke to a young Oncologist yesterday and she admitted the only tools in her medical box were chemical, radiation and the knife, when I spoke about Iodine and cancer and other diseases. She didn't know anything more than that Iodine is an antimicrobial, antibiotic... But her protocol is fixed. I beg to differ, there are medical doctors that work beyond the scope of pharma-med.  I could go on.

Take good care.

[mensana]

@Janine3220, thanks for those comments. I've been aware of the importance of iodine for quite some time. I replaced most of my red meat intake with fish many years ago. I've been looking around for anything pomegranite but haven't found it. It's difficult trying to find lots of tings here.

Yesterday saw my GP. The x-ray didn't show any sign of pneumonia around the lungs. He said I was doing really well. Today saw the radio oncologist, first time other than over the phone. He was quick to say any issues I had were from the chemotherapy. In less than 15 minutes he was holding the door open for me hinting I should go. This is the thing I'd been complaining about. Spent over two hours driving to an appointment of less than 15 minutes duration.

Tomorrow I have the first immunotherapy treatment. After that a session with the shrink. On Friday it'll no doubt be another "lightning appointment" with the chemo oncologist. Hopefully a nice long break after that.

[Janine3220]

Hi Mensana

You sound great!

A two-hour ride is a bummer when there is short shrift. : ((

If I may the shoving out the door can be viewed from two perspectives: positive or negative. And you are paying for it! Let's start with the negative first:

Negative? disrespect. Clearly that is obvious however. Male to male as you know can be gruff, no emotion, no sentiment, do the job, and finish up. You haven't been 'heard' or given the TLC that is part of medical care and that is insensitive and a demonstration of  low EQ. It's probably not his style to be 'sensitive' with patients or even his own wife! or sons. And it sounds like you front up without a support person, that can add significantly to anxiety and stress.  If the guy is old then that would be typical but not excusable. And don't take it personally - you could imagine what their personal life is like...

Neg/Poz: If it's a young guy, or a woman (oh the variables of behaviour are too many to elicit here) or even an old guy, they could be so under the pump because of funding, they don;t have the luxury to scratch themselves.

Positive? It's all good, take it and leave : ))))) Make a date for a coffee in a nice place with a view and reflect on a successful journey and make plans for the future!!! You have been brave. The journey is very very hard, but a challenge from which we emerge changed to say the least, in the most positive ways.

Next time: Maybe arm yourself with a list of prepared questions that you have numbered in logical order and written down? Tell the Onc you Also have a number of queries that are worrying you and you would like to discuss at the end. Say this  after your G'day. You know how to fit that in.

I've been tarnished with this brush too. The Sword of Damocles will now hang over me irrespective of the outcome of the biopsy. I have my passions, my goals, and have ditched all ludicrous stress and take tremendous relief from the spiritual, seeing life from a different perspective - you know like the very elderly, so patient, so knowing, so experienced in the meaning of the life  journey.

Ah, pomegranate juice, you can substitute with cranberry - unsweetened. If it is too tart just dilute it with water 50-50 or more and eat a banana with it or 1/2 tsp of high strength manuka honey - no artificial sweeteners and no stevia.  The stevia plant is ok but there is nothing on the market that is just stevia - everything has been processed highly and has added 'food-grade' additives. If you think Oz has a problem with additives - we are highly regulated by the Food authorities and the TGA, unlike the USA which still allows bromide which destroys iodine! No wonder the shameful cancer and disease rates in the USA which then big pharma steps in with its chemical 'cures'.

It's great you are doing the fish and veg thing. How's the exercise? Viruses, cancer, bacteria love anaerobic cold environments - they hate aerobic exercise, oxygenated blood and heat (fever, hot baths, exercise) - it kills them. Sweet human revenge on the parasites, fungi, bacteria and protozoa that call us home.

Have a good day!

[helenat]

'HULLO, is it possible to see another specialist and if you do make sure you tell your story and be clear what you are looking for?  Sorry but sometimes rural folk are dissmissed as being not worth the trouble and local GPs are too comfortable or lazy or out of touch.  Did you think of a call to Tracy on Current Affairs or the ABC Leigh Sales 7.30 Report or email the politician with a cc to the State Politicians office? Do not hold back, this is all about you and your family.  I offer this advice based on experience.  All the best.

[Janine3220]

Tell me about it Helen. I am doing a case study on a boy that was 'diagnosed' with epilepsy and apart from an EEG (normal) the doctor never took a holistic approach with the child, didn't enquire about diet, or infections, or health of mother, or breast feeding or gut bacteria or anything else. Misdiagnosed. On meds that thin bones and cause other systemic disorders.

I test GPs now and if they don't know the answer it shows they don't keep up with the literature and as you put it succinctly - don't care.  There's a lot of money involved in treating sick people. Western medicine is largely about, for many diseases and disorders, a matter of managing symptoms, not curing...

[Janine3220]

Re your post, yes 7:30 Report or Current Affair would be ideal.

[mensana]

Thanks for the additional advice @Janine3220 and @helenat. I am feeling better, although progress always seems to be too slow. The other week the GP said I was doing really well. It was good to hear it from one of the professionals. Saw him again today. One concerning thing is the results from the sputum test I did last week. It showed a fair bit of Pseudomonas, but can't recall now which one. Don't really need any of them.

The GP is trying to find ways of reducing my coughing. It's the main thing preventing me getting enough sleep. With that fixed my progress would be much more rapid, I think. I'm going to start pushing the Alan Walker Centre to get me a physiotherapist. Should have really had one ages ago. I've been 'waving' the expression Duty of Care over their heads lately and it's been making a difference. Where there's a will there's a way.