what a great (if inadvertent) sisterhood here

soromer

Hello, all--

I've been lurking for a few months, checking out the threads on complementary therapies and appreciating the insight and wisdom shared here. Most of the time, I haven't felt "qualified" to jump into the dialogue, so I guess I've been a sort of free-loader for a while. But in the past couple of days--prompted, I think, by a very sobering consult with a radiation oncologist, with whom I think I'm going to have treatment in a couple of months--I finally have a comment worth starting a thread over.

First, some brief background: I was diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinoma, grade 2, clinical Stage I, in January, 2011, after about six months of increasingly heavy vag bleeding & some clear discharge. I was perimenopausal, or so I thought, being 52 and not having reached a year since a "real" period. A transvag US, 2010 in August was unremarkable; D & C scheduled without urgency at that point. But by January, my bleeding was dangerously heavy, and so the initial pathology results didn't surprise me. Unfortunately, during surgery it was obvious that I had some lymph node involvement, so I entered the system in February (so to speak) at Stage IIIC2. Since then, I've had 4 of 6 scheduled rounds of Adriamycin & cisplatin, supplemented all but the first time with Neulasta. My lab results (after a first WBC crash) have been good and my exams clear to date.

I can't say that I have ever been a great fan of allopathic medicine, but it was true that I was terrified and desperate upon getting the staging news, and the chemo/radiation route seemed the "best" to me at the time. However, I have been checking into other treatments, and at present consult regularly with an osteopath about vitamin D levels and other supplements. I also do yoga, meditation, and t'ai chi regularly; I'm about to add qi gong and some other supports.

My oncologist is not a touchy-feely sort of woman, but she is encouraging along with being matter-of-fact. The radiologist, now, was far more ominous to me. Maybe it's just because he was blunt. And so that started me (re)thinking, after a half-a-day's meltdown, about what it is, really, that I am looking to chemo and perhaps radiation to do for me.

What I realized, again, was that I don't believe these treatments will "cure" me in and of themselves. They're tools, rather crude ones at that. What they can do, in the best case, is supplement my body's own healing capacities. Ultimately, whatever health I have is my body's doing, mysterious as it may be. I want all my tools to work; I'm acting in ways to help them work. But I'm also seeking as many ways outside the oncology clinic as I can to promote my own body's resources.

Although my revelation may seem very obvious to many of you already, it took me quite a while to figure it out with this level of certainty. It feels good, oddly enough, even though there are no guarantees. I wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been posting so regularly and sharing your resources and insights for our collective benefit. I'll try to do better about being a contributing member myself.

california_artist

There is good news for you.
Just the fact that your cancer is NOT upsc(uterine papillary serous carcinoma), which is what the majority of us are facing, is a huge advantage in the longer life scenerio. What we tend to refer to as the regular kind of endometrial cancer has a far, far more optomistic outlook, and in the majority of cases, the chemos and radiation treatments tend to be rather successful.

So try not to guage what might be your outcome with all the chit chat here.

We represent only 4 or 5%(ah, or is it 10%) someone else will know, of the all uterine cancers.

Ours is Very poorly defined cancer cells. this translates into, they are so difficult to determine where they originated because they divide before they are mature. That's why, as either evertheoptomis or upsofloating, mentioned that is was not even recognized as a seperate cancer from the pap serous of ovarian, til the 80's.

So, buck up and dig in, there is great hope for you.

Love and something,

Claudia

Your cancer cells should almost all have ER receptors for the chemo to attach to. Go you!!!!

Kaleena

Soromer:
It seems you are
Soromer:

It seems you are doing all the right things, with the exercise and stuff. Always keep that positive outlook (even though at times it can be tough).

I was diagnosed with Endometrial Adenocarcinoma when I was 45 years old in September of 2005. I have the 6 month treatment of gemzar and carboplatin and then 3 bracyradiations in 2006.

I had a recent surgery in February of 2010 for a positive biopsy, but the mass was negative except for one lymph node with had microscopic cells. But I did not have any further treatments. Just wait and see approach with PET Scans. I have had two clean PETS since then.

So stay positive and welcome to the site!

Kathy

daisy366

Kaleena said:

Soromer:
It seems you are
Soromer:

It seems you are doing all the right things, with the exercise and stuff. Always keep that positive outlook (even though at times it can be tough).

I was diagnosed with Endometrial Adenocarcinoma when I was 45 years old in September of 2005. I have the 6 month treatment of gemzar and carboplatin and then 3 bracyradiations in 2006.

I had a recent surgery in February of 2010 for a positive biopsy, but the mass was negative except for one lymph node with had microscopic cells. But I did not have any further treatments. Just wait and see approach with PET Scans. I have had two clean PETS since then.

So stay positive and welcome to the site!

Kathy

soromer
I think you have it figured out very well. You are practicing some powerful energy medicines, have a positive can-do attitude, and are integrating this all with whatever western medicine can provide. Sounds like you are facilitating your healing process very effectively.

Continue to keep us posted here, now that your lurking days are behind you.

All the best, Mary Ann