Cancer Update - July 2003

Hi all!!
I've been trying to attach a scan of an article that I promised some of you I would send out, but Outlook just doesn't want to send it. If any of you have any suggestions, it would be much appreciated. The alternative therapy doctor I'm working with, Dr. Miller, gave me permission to send it out. It's general healthy diet guidelines. Like I said before, it's not rocket science, but it can be difficult to do on our society. We just fight our battles where we can. I think some of what this article says may surprise you. For example, no vegetable juices. The juice alone has nutrients that are toxic without the fiber of the vegetable. It's important that you get the pulp to protect you from the toxicity. Also, she wants me to eat a lot of organic, which is not surprising, but organic whole milk, real butter, no sugar substitutes, real sugar (but in moderation, of course), free range meat, etc. I think you'd find much of this very interesting. I'll keep working on it, I promise. Dumb software. Aargh.
Anyway, I'm more than halfway through treatment now and feeling pretty okay. Treatments #4, 5, 6 and 7 haven't been that bad. I have my chemo on Wednesdays, I'm tired and feeling puny for a few days afterward, but am back in the saddle by Monday. Mom continues to take the kids for those days and she calls me every single day to check on me. The girls love the schedule, Grandma's house is one big vacation. My house is very quiet for those days and it seems to be easier to get back on my feet. The nausea has subsided to almost nothing and there's been no appetite suppression. In fact, I'm putting on weight. For a few days after a treatment, my throat and nose and mouth feel like I swallowed some bleach. There's a definite burned feeling and "chemical" taste in my mouth that doesn't go away. I gnaw on everything in my cupboards to cover the taste. Then I lay around all day because I'm tired. It only lasts for 3-4 days, but it's a deadly combination. The scale hasn't been my friend lately. Here's some good news though....I STILL HAVE MY HAIR!!! In fact, it just keeps growing. I'm convinced it's the enzymes I'm taking. Dean was sitting with me during my last treatment and one of the nurses told me that it was extraordinary that I still had it. I told her that it was thinning still, but only coming out in strands, not clumps. Then Dean asked her if there was a way that we could make only the GRAY hairs fall out. Yes, everyone in the room laughed at the comedian. Sigh. He can't be serious anywhere, not even in a chemo room full of cancer patients. Ha. Ya gotta love him. Since I haven't been feeling as badly as in the beginning, my attitude is back on track again, too. I have treatment #8 this Wednesday, then only 4 more to go, and I'm done. I'm on the downhill side of this, and am starting to see the finish line. I've never wished for winter to come so badly. Ha.
More good news - I've discovered a massage therapist who is working toward a specialized certification in oncology massage. She's taken me on as a case study and gives me a free massage after every treatment!! What a find, eh? I think a professional massage is the ultimate luxury, and I am thoroughly enjoying being her guinea pig.
Finally, here's the best news - I had a CT scan after treatment #4, and it showed that the cancer is ALMOST gone. When they staged the cancer in the beginning with the baseline CT scan, it showed tumors all throughout my lymphatic system - groin, abdomen, chest, between my lungs, armpits and neck. After 4 treatments, it only showed tumors in my abdomen and left armpit, and they were very close to 1 cm, which is considered a normal sized lymph node. Dr. Stewart was thrilled and said my "response has been excellent"!! Needless to say, I'm thrilled, too. I have one more treatment (#8, next Wednesday the 23rd), then we'll do another CT scan and we're expecting it to be completely clear. I still have to do the remaining 4 treatments, "just to make sure". It really stinks, but I really don't want this to come back, so I'm willing.

That's all I have time to write for now. More later...
Love you all VERY much!! Tiff