Sunday, June 07, 2009

Home Sweet Home!

Bounce

Yes, as you might have surmised, I was hospitalized for two and a half weeks (seemed like years).

At any rate, since I don't have a lap top, and MY hospital, Scripps Mercy Hospital does NOT have a library with computers for patients use, I've been rather isolated.

I was discharged a few days ago, and am now trying to get re-acclimated to my own home, hours, schedule, etc.

When I do; I'll be back here with LOTS of interesting stuff to tell you! Stay tuned...





Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Going for another cbc this morning (went a week ago today also). No more anemia 'sneaking' up on me! Want to catch it BEFORE I need two units of blood!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Sleeping

Am now taking Lexapro 10 mg day (was taking 5 for two months). The 10mg has had GREAT effect on anxiety. However, I'm sleeping all the time (and I don't like to sleep!). I've been taking a morning, afternoon, evening (sometimes till 1-3A and sometimes till morning) naps. Hope THIS side effect wears off soon!





Thursday, April 16, 2009

Cancer Update from John Hopkins

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY-THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells donot show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a fewbillion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no morecancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the testsare unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reachedthe detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will bedestroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiplenutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic,environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing dietand including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cellsand also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow,gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars anddamages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reducetumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do notresult in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy andradiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hencethe person can succumb to various kinds of infections andcomplications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate andbecome resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also causecancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells bynot feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder.By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts.Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in thegastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful,especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds,nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkalineenvironment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Freshvegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthycells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.Water- best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoidit.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot ofdigestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the proteinwalls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFA s etc.) to enable thebody's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplementslike vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death,the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, orunneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger,unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down tothe cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

PLEASE READ ON

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxinsare highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, WellnessProgram Manager at Castle Hospital was on a TV program to explain this health hazard He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat.He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.Instead, he recommends using glass, such as CorningWare, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in thepaper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one ofthe reasons. Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Confirmation at age 63!

Lord,Fulfill your promise.Send your Holy Spirit To make us witnesses before the world.…

—Rite of Confirmation




It's one of those things that I've been thinking of doing for years, and just never got around to the actuality. Well today was the day!

I was blessed to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation Administered by: Reverend Ronald Hebert & Witnessed by Sister Ann, of Sacred Heart Parish, Ocean Beach, CA

It was a joyous occasion for me. I was walking on 'air' all day...

Friday, April 10, 2009

Another Round of Chemo Over

Just finished another week (M-W-F) of VP 14 and one dose of Carbo. Think I only have one more in three weeks in this round before scans.

Had NO pain BEFORE this round (or very minimal anyway), after first dose of VP, suffered agonizing pain in rt hip, lumbar spine, rt pelvis (where major mets are in bone). Got Dilaudid pill dose doubled if needed, (and IV Dilaudid at infusion center)and a couple of times I needed it!

Docs, and very experienced Chemo nurse on unit were actually pleased! Said it meant VP was acting ON cancer cells. Doc went and compared, visually, all x-rays, said it looked to him like original lesion was smaller. And no signs of previous pneumonia. Small lights at the end of a far off tunnel...

The fatigue does not seem so bad either this time, or am I just getting used to being exhausted?

Yesterday, being Friday, was my 'long day', doses of BOTH VP and Carbo and pre-meds, so I missed all Good Friday Observances, just as I will miss Easter Mass tomorrow (but Eucharistic Minister from Sacred Heart of OB will come here), just like I missed Christmas.

I must admit to being almost completely housebound due to being auto-immune compromised is beginning to get to me, but then, I DO NOT want Shingles, or pneumonia AGAIN!

Getting done with that third day of Chemo in a week, and knowing I don't have to go back for three weeks, gives me the feeling of being let out of school for the summer! And I want to go play!

Sunday, April 05, 2009

I have a 'roomie'!

Fantastic

It's been an interesting few days. I've finally found someone to move into my extra bedroom. Her name is Geraldine and she's 50-something.

So now it's a process of getting to know each other (habits, etc) better. But it looks like we are a pretty good match.

Night help for me, and a 'home' for her; I sure hope it's a long term situation!