What changes did you make after treatment to improve your chances of cancer not returning ?

phrannie51 said:

First and foremost....

chuck out any of those sites that say rads and chemo are a scam.  There are millions of us "living" folks who are cancer free.....we never get to hear from those who tried to eat their way to health, or take some supplement in lieu of standard treatment that died trying it. 

I really didn't change much in my habits after cancer.....I had dentures to start, so don't have to worry about my teeth.....I also have a sweet tooth, but after rads, sweet was the main "taste" that never returned.  I still eat some icecream everyday (just in case it comes back ).....plus I can use the calories.  Basically my diet changed because I can't eat and enjoy some things.....like meats (especially chicken) are hard to swallow.....not enough spit.  I eat a lot of hearty homemade soups.....so I'd say my diet has become healthier just by elimination of what I can't taste, or don't have enough saliva to eat comfortably. 

During treatment you can't be taking antioxidants.....I was told to give up all supplements during treatment, and I did. 

What's your name on Facebook?  There are 2 or 3 other Head and Neck survivor groups on there.....but they are private, so you have to be invited.  My name on FB is Jackie Larrick Stevens.....if you want to befriend me, I can invite you into the other group.

p 

Facebook

Phrannie,

I'll send a friend request too!

Supplements

My personal experience is that I eat organic, non-smoker, rarely drink and normally take supplements. I'm not at all in the high risk group for oral cancer. When I was first diagnosed, I started to take Curcumin, Green Tea extract, L-Glutamine and several other supplements. This was during the time I had surgery. 

No more. My rad Onc told me to stop all supplements as they have the potential to interfer with chemo and radiation. The only supplement he approved is a probiotic. 

I do not think there is sufficient scientific evidence to support many of the natural remedies that are floating around cyber space. I do think there may be a place for supplementation but not during treatment. I would not turn my life over to unproven theories because after all, it's your life. Why risk it? 

Im going within the treatment recommended by doctors who have successfully treated this condition. And who have many patients that have been cured. Please be very wary about what you read on the Internet. 

BunnyMom

 

Hi Robyn

It is good that you are thinking about ways to remain as healthy as possible.  Many people think that they can take a pill and do nothing to improve their health.  I fully believe we need to be proactive and do all we can to contribute to our well being.

Follow your treatment recommendations regarding supplements and then do as much as you can to live a healthy lifestyle.  

The Anticancer book is great and if you do not have it I highly recommend it.

Before my cancer (HPV+), I was a non-smoker, occasional glass of wine drinker, exercised daily and ate organic food.  I still eat organic as much as possible, very little dairy, I love ice cream and have to limit that as even organic ice cream has sugar in it.  I do use raw honey and agave sometimes.  I try not to use any processed and sugar or corn syrup laden foods as I believe they do not promote health.  Heart disease and diabetes runs in my family and I do not have either.

Since treatment and I am only 6 mos post rads, I continue the above.  I resumed supplements when I could swallow, and take a B complex, calcium/mag, multivitamin, probiotics, curcumin, and turkey tail mushroom (aka host defense).  

I drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water a day.

Most people who meet me cannot believe all I have been through so I guess I look healthy.  I do think I healed fairly quickly from each surgery and the radiation, but I did not do enough to protect my teeth.  The prevadent irritated my gums so I did not use it as much as I should have.  I now have 5 cavities to be filled!

Best Regards, PJ

donfoo said:

None.

Currently living a reasonably healthy lifestyle but light on regular exercise. Eat healthy foods 80% but a nice rib-eye or burger slips in now and then. So does a couple beers to wash it all down. No supplements before, none now. Blood work, heart, blood pressure all fine. Do waterpik everyday. Try to drink lots of water, humm does beer count? I'm all good then. :-)

As the saying goes everyone is different so you need to do what puts you in the most beneficial mental and physical zone. As I have no history with drinking and smoking and HPV p16+ cancer, consuming beer in moderation is ok in MY book. If I had smoked and drank and have HPV negative cancer, I would never touch a single alcoholic beverage.

Same thing on all the post txt oral care options. If your saliva is less than 100% then what is right for you is different than someone who got ti all back.

It all depends.

 

"whats seldom is wonderful"

As opposed to the less enlightened "the road of excess leads to the palace of enlightenment". I agree with the former virtuous comment in the title. We have survived to live so if something is not injurious to our health we should be able to enjoy it. IM looking forward a few beers don. IM in overnight on last night of treatment tonight and look forward to some simple pleasures. Radio and chemo are proven treatments. Any other food or excercise which can only benefit you are not replacements for co

 

If you cantnventional treatments. Anything that makes your quality of life better is great. IM told that if you eat sugar swill immedately but don't brush for about 30 min.

Celebrate Life

I was stage IVa, base of tongue, HPV+. non smoker, non drinker, ate an OK diet, got some exercise and tried to watch the 'forbidden' foods.

After I was diagnosed, the nutritionist put me on the 'un-diet' for the duration of treatment, getting calories, especially protiens was essential.

Post treatment was a struggle to recover.  I spent almost two months before I could eat anything besides soup or liquids.  Taste recovered gradually and now the only thing that is bothersome is anything especially sour.  I was a sucker for lemon candies before but now can't tolerate them, perhaps a couple but even then, they aren't what they were.

I started exercising again, walking for an hour each morning and worked up to my 4 mile normal.  Once I was healed enough from the post radiation neck dissections I started playing golf.  It took me most of the next summer to get back to playing 18 holes, walking the course and carrying my clubs.

I didn't make any dietary changes, I eat what I did before but need a sip or two of water with every second or third bite.  I eat veggies and fruits, meats, bread, skim milk because it is what I like, not what some wholistic adherant decides is right for the rest of us.  Like Phrannie said, those who chose to eat the anti-cancer diets are not around to let us know how well it worked.  Chemo and rads are scary, it's understandable that you'd want to find altenatives as the stereotypes of the treatments scare most of us at the start.  I was scared, I didn't want to do it, but I found strength in my family and my H&N family here, knew that I would come through it and now have my life back.  Sure, there are going to be lingering side effects and my life is more of the new "Abby - Normal" but the bottom line is

I AM ALIVE.

I have my family and they have me.  I appreciate them more than I ever did and I no longer get upset at little things as I used to. 

The best thing to do to keep it from coming back?

 

LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Robyn64 said:

Thanks everyone

Thank you everybody for your comments. I have never been one  for living "a healthy lifestyle" but not a terrible one either, I am not a smoker , very rarely drink alcohol, that maybe once or twice a year at a party and the same goes for drinking coke. I dont drink much soft drinks at all but was a real sucker for cakes , any cakes and lollies. I have no problem in cutting that down, I have done so in the past to lose weight. I have bought 2 anti cancer cook books, not to go overboard, but to get better knowledge of good foods to add to my diet and less processed foods. I never really thought I would see the day I would actually be writing that lol. 

I just want to know what good foods that I can eat more of that will benefit my health and recipes. I had a garlic mayonaise I used to make years ago. Apparently garlic is a well known cancer blocker and good for the blood, I just have to go searching for my recipe again. I just hope I dont overdo the garlic and start stinking of it and losing friends :-(

Im not looking for a miracle cure food wise , I just want to be better informed, I ate way too many sweets and cakes.

Thank you everybody for your posts.

 

Robyn

Hey Robyn

Just an FYI  about the man who wrote the anti-cancer book.  He had traditional cancer treatments (chemo) and his diet was a complementary therapy if you will.  He had a serious brain cancer (glioblastoma) which normally causes death in a short period of time.  He managed to live well for 10 years which is unusual for this type of cancer.  

 There is room for both  traditional cancer treatments and complementary treatments.  I do not personally believe there is a miracle cure of food or herbs out there, but do believe healthy foods exist and some things like curcumin and turkey tail mushrooms have been used in cancer patients to boost the immune system and contribute to apoptosis.  MD Anderson, NIH, and several other studies have shown there are benefits to these and there are probably more out there I have not heard about.  

And lastly yes garlic is good for you, just give it to everyone you are around, haha.

PJ

robyn, i was a smoker (2 pks

robyn, i was a smoker (2 pks a day) for 43 years.  since cancer, i stopped, by the grace of God.  it was the hardest thing i've ever struggled to do.  it was not easy, even after being told i had throat, larynx cancer.  but i'm 2.5 yrs smoke free now and very happy about that.  i've not changed anything else altho i could afford to change my eating habits as i really like the sweets too.  oh well, i don't want to stop everything i enjoy :0)

live on, friend,

dj