So, here's the question--what if you had a heart attack, and your doctor told you there was nothing

california_artist
california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
edited April 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

differently to have prevented your heart attack, and there is nothing you personally can do now to keep from having another one????? I'm thinking you might have been out the door looking for a new doctor with more information on things you can/could do have done. Well, generally, there are things that you did in your daily living that allowed cancer to get that new blood supply, that's the one that without it, cancer can't grow big enough to harm you, and be a pain in your proverbial butt. The good news is, there are things that you did that allowed your cancer to grow big enough to mess up your happy life, even though you don't know what they were right now. But, the great news is, there are things you can do today and tomorrow and the day after to make it really hard for cancer to keep growing in your body. So yippie!

A huge thing is cut out all artificial sweetners, you can do this today. Good. That was sorta easy, right?

Exercise, you don't have to get crazy about it, just do some if you weren't, and more if you were. Alright.

This one is a really hard one--reduce stress. What, are you crazy, you ask. Well, the jury is still out on that one, but here's the things about stress. Stress and that adrenaline rush it inspires are put there to make our bodies ready for the WORST. Guess what folks, the worst is already here, cancer. What happens when you are under stress is your really mostly smart body takes away the focus from daily repair and disease fighting, like the immune system fighting off those pesky cancer cells and puts all its energy into getting ready to fight some outside enemy. So--stops fighting cancer. When I put the stress theory together I got the strength to tell my friends and family that, while I truly loved them, I just was off things that caused me stress til I got this cancer thing under control. Took a few times of mentioning the cancer/stress relationship but they eventully got it and good news, still love me.

I understand that there is all the typical stress of daily life, if you can't avoid much of it, that stuff  in the form of other people telling you their problems, that's the stuff in the above paragraph, but rushing to work and all that, well you just may have to do that, so, here's the good news about that, simply take a minute or two to breathe really slowly and deeply. There, you just convinced your body that the enemy is gone and your immune system can start eating those cancer cells again.

Please read the post on some things you can right now for some other helpful hints on long-term survival along with whatever other options you are doing.

So, here's the point I am trying to make: if after all the surgery and chemo/radiation you go thru--if you continue to do the things you did that allowed cancer to gain a foothold in the first place--what do you think the results will be when all the chemo/radiation is over and you back to your old life--that one that let you get cancer in the first place. I don't know about you, but I thought I might just get some form or cancer or see the recurrence of this one. Let's stack the odds against cancer coming back. Let's all change some things. You be in charge. You guide your future with your present actions.

I love you all

Well, as I used to say,

 

I'm just sayin'

 

Health and happiness to us all,

Claudia

Comments

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #2
    Thanks Claudia

    It finally occurred to me that we do all we can to kill off the cancer we were diagnosed with and to prevent it from reappearing, but we don't particularly pay much attention to "managing our terrain" (as Dr. Servan-Schribner liked to say) in order to prevent a NEW cancer from thriving.  Your advice is appreciated.  This environment I call my body found a way to grow 2 distinct primary cancers and while I believe those cancers are gone, there is no reason to believe my body could not grow another one - unless something changes.  Like most things in life, we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results. 

    Suzanne

  • artist49
    artist49 Member Posts: 87
    #3
    diagnosis

    AgaIN,  can you please tell us what stage and grade you were at diagnosis. When  hearing about a lengthy remission

    such as yours, it's important for all of us to know.   Thanks in advance.

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #4
    artist49 said:

    diagnosis

    AgaIN,  can you please tell us what stage and grade you were at diagnosis. When  hearing about a lengthy remission

    such as yours, it's important for all of us to know.   Thanks in advance.

    Garden variety - Type 1

    I had Stage IA Grade 1 adenocarcinoma.  Clear nodes, and wash, 30% uterine wall invasion, 3 cm tumor.  Did not need adjuvunct treatments.  Only follow up exams which are now down to every 6 months, and only a little over a year to go.  That was 2010.

    Other primary cancer(diagnosed 4 days later)  was breast.  While that was also early stage (1B), and also low grade (2) I had a high oncotype score (test done on women with early stage low grade  ER+ breast cancer to determine chances of recurrence and whether chemotherapy, in addition to hormone therapy,  would be helpful).  Turned out I had a high chance of recurrence on Tamoxifen alone and would benefit from chemo, so I did it.  That was 2010.

    I feel very confident (now almost 4 years later) that surgery took care of the endometrial cancer, and surgery, chemo, radiation and Tamoxifen took care of the breast cancer, but as long as I still have the same physical environment (and both breasts), what's to say another cancer can't flourish? I feel relatively safe as long as I'm on Tamoxifen, but it just doesn't seem to be a good idea to provide such a fertile environment for any nasty cells.  I exercise regularly and eat healthy 90% of the time.  My Vitamin D levels are back up where they're supposed to be and I'm currently about as healthy as I can be at age 66.   

    I am indeed very lucky to have had 2 cancers at the same time and to have had both of them successfully treated.  I sure don't want to do that again!

    S

      

  • california_artist
    california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
    #5
    Double Whammy said:

    Thanks Claudia

    It finally occurred to me that we do all we can to kill off the cancer we were diagnosed with and to prevent it from reappearing, but we don't particularly pay much attention to "managing our terrain" (as Dr. Servan-Schribner liked to say) in order to prevent a NEW cancer from thriving.  Your advice is appreciated.  This environment I call my body found a way to grow 2 distinct primary cancers and while I believe those cancers are gone, there is no reason to believe my body could not grow another one - unless something changes.  Like most things in life, we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results. 

    Suzanne

    Suzanne

    As always, it's lovely to see your smiling face, and hear your realistic attitude on things.

    Sorry to hear about how you discoverd your second cancer and so soon. That must have been just so incredicly hard. Thanks for sharing.

    Hugs, good health and happiness to us all,

    Claudia

  • Hybridspirits
    Hybridspirits Member Posts: 209
    #6
    taking control of your life

    Thanks Claudia for posting this.  I couldn't agree more.  Stress does a number on our lives.  My oncologist is wonderful and on first meeting me she could tell by our conversation that I was a go getter and gave me the lecture about stress.  To learn to let things go. I took up yoga right after diagnosis and have found that this has helped.  I highly encourage the practice of yoga and mediatation as a wonderful way to give something back to  yourself

     

    i would also like to share an article from me.  THere was a request for cancer survivors to tell their story and i submitted mine.  Never thinking I would be called by a reporter.  I made it through the reporters interview and found out in February that they seleccted my story for the ASCO March patient corner.   (American Society of Clinical Oncologist).   

    here is the link.  Happy reading

     

    http://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-15,-2014/cancer-has-allowed-me-to-put-my-goals-first.aspx

     

    Everytime someone at work tries to push my button for leaving at 4 I remind myself of this and put my life in perspective. 

    I am too working with a naturopath that specializes in oncology and love all the changes I have made in my life.  I have never felt better. I would be happy to share if anyone is interested

    Our oncologists help us rid of the cancer presence and our naturopath dr's teach us how to take care of ourselves to our bodies will not let us down the next time. 

     

    The most important thing is to try to stay positive as much as possible as even my oncologist says attitude helps our immune system

     

    talk to all later

    Sharon

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,678 Member
    #7
    Hybridspirits said:

    taking control of your life

    Thanks Claudia for posting this.  I couldn't agree more.  Stress does a number on our lives.  My oncologist is wonderful and on first meeting me she could tell by our conversation that I was a go getter and gave me the lecture about stress.  To learn to let things go. I took up yoga right after diagnosis and have found that this has helped.  I highly encourage the practice of yoga and mediatation as a wonderful way to give something back to  yourself

     

    i would also like to share an article from me.  THere was a request for cancer survivors to tell their story and i submitted mine.  Never thinking I would be called by a reporter.  I made it through the reporters interview and found out in February that they seleccted my story for the ASCO March patient corner.   (American Society of Clinical Oncologist).   

    here is the link.  Happy reading

     

    http://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-15,-2014/cancer-has-allowed-me-to-put-my-goals-first.aspx

     

    Everytime someone at work tries to push my button for leaving at 4 I remind myself of this and put my life in perspective. 

    I am too working with a naturopath that specializes in oncology and love all the changes I have made in my life.  I have never felt better. I would be happy to share if anyone is interested

    Our oncologists help us rid of the cancer presence and our naturopath dr's teach us how to take care of ourselves to our bodies will not let us down the next time. 

     

    The most important thing is to try to stay positive as much as possible as even my oncologist says attitude helps our immune system

     

    talk to all later

    Sharon

    Great job, Sharon.

    I enjoyed reading your article.  Hopefully it will make  folks feel empowered to question and to stand up for ourselves.

  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #8
    Hybridspirits said:

    taking control of your life

    Thanks Claudia for posting this.  I couldn't agree more.  Stress does a number on our lives.  My oncologist is wonderful and on first meeting me she could tell by our conversation that I was a go getter and gave me the lecture about stress.  To learn to let things go. I took up yoga right after diagnosis and have found that this has helped.  I highly encourage the practice of yoga and mediatation as a wonderful way to give something back to  yourself

     

    i would also like to share an article from me.  THere was a request for cancer survivors to tell their story and i submitted mine.  Never thinking I would be called by a reporter.  I made it through the reporters interview and found out in February that they seleccted my story for the ASCO March patient corner.   (American Society of Clinical Oncologist).   

    here is the link.  Happy reading

     

    http://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-15,-2014/cancer-has-allowed-me-to-put-my-goals-first.aspx

     

    Everytime someone at work tries to push my button for leaving at 4 I remind myself of this and put my life in perspective. 

    I am too working with a naturopath that specializes in oncology and love all the changes I have made in my life.  I have never felt better. I would be happy to share if anyone is interested

    Our oncologists help us rid of the cancer presence and our naturopath dr's teach us how to take care of ourselves to our bodies will not let us down the next time. 

     

    The most important thing is to try to stay positive as much as possible as even my oncologist says attitude helps our immune system

     

    talk to all later

    Sharon

    Sharon. I agree with Connie.....Great Job

    Nice article.   Your are an inspiration.  Good lck in continuing on your path of making a healthy terrain.  May you remain NED for a very long time.  May you continue to remain positive and feel well.  In peace and caring.

  • Hybridspirits
    Hybridspirits Member Posts: 209
    #9
    ConnieSW said:

    Great job, Sharon.

    I enjoyed reading your article.  Hopefully it will make  folks feel empowered to question and to stand up for ourselves.

    thanks guys

    I agree,  we all need to feel empowered.. Unfortunately unlike our parents generation where we had doctors that were part of your lives, the  medical profession has changed dramatically.  They are one piece of the puzzle and you are the puzzle maker.  You need to be intotal cotnrol and question and seek other answers whenever there is an element of doublt.

    just recently my naturopeth and I discussed MRI and cat scan.  Came time for the 6 month pictures and I asked about an MRI.  Oncologist said she agreed MRI was better but insurance calls the shots. I said how do we know unless we ask.  She agreed and we are going through the approval process now,  haven't heard no yet and will be following up today as it isn't until June.  But here is an easy example of does it hurt to ask and I might just get what I want.

    keep questioning and seeking answers as it is our body not the dr's

     

  • california_artist
    california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
    #10
    Hybridspirits said:

    taking control of your life

    Thanks Claudia for posting this.  I couldn't agree more.  Stress does a number on our lives.  My oncologist is wonderful and on first meeting me she could tell by our conversation that I was a go getter and gave me the lecture about stress.  To learn to let things go. I took up yoga right after diagnosis and have found that this has helped.  I highly encourage the practice of yoga and mediatation as a wonderful way to give something back to  yourself

     

    i would also like to share an article from me.  THere was a request for cancer survivors to tell their story and i submitted mine.  Never thinking I would be called by a reporter.  I made it through the reporters interview and found out in February that they seleccted my story for the ASCO March patient corner.   (American Society of Clinical Oncologist).   

    here is the link.  Happy reading

     

    http://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-15,-2014/cancer-has-allowed-me-to-put-my-goals-first.aspx

     

    Everytime someone at work tries to push my button for leaving at 4 I remind myself of this and put my life in perspective. 

    I am too working with a naturopath that specializes in oncology and love all the changes I have made in my life.  I have never felt better. I would be happy to share if anyone is interested

    Our oncologists help us rid of the cancer presence and our naturopath dr's teach us how to take care of ourselves to our bodies will not let us down the next time. 

     

    The most important thing is to try to stay positive as much as possible as even my oncologist says attitude helps our immune system

     

    talk to all later

    Sharon

    Good morning,Sharon

     

     

     

    Wonderful messages. I don't know how active you've been here or what you know about posting here, but in light of the highly informative article link you have here, I would recommend that you create a post with that article copied and pasted for everyone to find easily. You may have to give credit to the original publication and a link also just to avoid copyright issues. Some of the others here may know more about that, but I would think they would all agree that your message would be an addition to all of our lives at this time.

     

    As always, health and happiness to us all, I'll be in and out off and on just to check in, but want to say so very nice to hear from you,

     

    Claudia, a uterine papillary serous carcinmona, a six year survivor, so there's hope for us all'

     

     

     

     

     

    w

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