alternative cancer treatment discussion

Mary Ann
Funny, cause I just posted a similar post cause I was sitting here thinking, what the heck was that all about anyway. We have been posting and getting along for years. Sharing of information is a wonderous thing. I was just metioning to Jill that I didn't understand what was going on and that maybe it was cause I was from New York, she and I both are so we get one another. I lived in the city for a bit. I swear, the very favorite past time of New Yorkers is having long discussions about things. You just bring up a random topic and everyone has an opinion. Everyone talks. Everyone listens, there are a few whatevers and we move on with things to think about. There are never any hard feelings and no one shouts at you. You're just exchanging ideas. What's the problem. What I really really didn't get was, if someone doesn't like what's being said on a particular post, there are over 1660 other posts, no one is making them read that one. If someone finds a post where the discussion is not for them, they could just read another post. It's not like there's a road block or anything keeping them from choosing something else to read. I don't read the stuff on neuropathy cause it doesn't affect me. Right. I reallly don't know. Wait and I don't care as I'm moving on. Look. I already posted something else and I'm still thinking.

I'm a believer. Have you read the stuff on epigenetics or seen the referenced video. It is very interesting.

As always thanks for the additional information. I'll be googling those things.

You know I love ya.

Claudia

fuzzytrouble said:

Alternative medicine
Hello to you all, I am going to discuss with you also. I so much enjoy reading all the ideas and lifestyles everyone has brought to this site. I would love to go without the chemicals and the side effects, but I know for me that I am just to scared to let go of them. Without the treatments I don't really know if I would be still here to type this to you today. It's a gamble no matter what you choose to do for the demon in out bodies. I know now that if I had to do it over again I would not want my lymph nodes taken out and I would not have radiation. I also would have had a regular hysterectomy and not the Robotic way. I like the doctors who want to feel inside and look around to get a right dx. I am now on Tamoxifen and I am trying to lose the 20lbs I have put on since my hysterectomy. I believe that eating well has so much to do towards getting to feel better, also more exercise. I am finally feeling better and want to do more, my fluid retention is much better, but of course I need a pill for that too. I am lucky that I only have to take 3 pills a day, and that I getting my old self back. I really listen to the ones who have been a survivor for a long time and give us a hope with all their ideas. I am in awe with the ones who chose not to have chemo and are doing great and have quality in their life. I am going for that now too. So, please keep giving us your diet, exercise and whatever you have to share, I for one need all this. Thanks to you all.
Love from Oregon
Sharon

Hi Sharon
It is so good to hear from you! You have been such a long time warrior in this journey and you are right... New ideas are always helpful. We all have thoughts NOW about how we might do differently were we to start all over! That is the beauty of this site and our own experience... we get smarter!

Best wishes to you always!

Karen

bea-mil said:

Alternative medicine
I came back to this site for open-minded people like you Claudia, Sharon, Daisy (and many, many more). I’m going to share my alternative approaches that I have taken during this last 10 months, books that I have read or new diets that I have found helping me. And I really, really appreciate your interest in this subject. I also find here big emotional help. You are great raising up the spirit. I feel very alone in my alternative journey. There is only one person on this site–Claudia, who is applying just alternative approach, and it is not easy (at least not easy for me) but believe it or not I never had any doubts as per my decision. I also know that even if my cancer will recur (I pray it will not), I will never do any chemo or radiation. I believe and I know I'm doing the right thing.
Every illness is reversible even recurrence after chemo, we just have to believe it. There are people who are coming back to health from last stage of cancer. Who and how can explain that.

Here is the book recommendation: “The Spontaneous Healing of Belief” by Gregg Braden. This author have also many other titles worth to read, just search the net.
Bea-Mil

I am feeling reassured again
I posted the following on the "lemon" thread, but I wanted to share it here, too.


I am really pretty surprised at how intentions get misunderstood. Mistakenly, I deleted some of my posts, which makes it seem as if I am letting Claudia hang out to dry. That is far from my intention.

The information that Bea-Mil shared initially was for all of us to consider and to submit to our own research. I no longer blindly accept ANYTHING; and I find truth in the information about lemons not because of the organization that printed the article but because my own Internet search found an abundance of legitimate studies that supported it.

Let's foster an environment where we feel safe to share ANY information we find that may be helpful to the women here. Part of empowering myself involves knowing that my oncologist is not God, that I have to complete my own investigative studies, and that just because a treatment has not yet become accepted by the medical community does not mean that it's bogus. These days, if my doctors tell me anything--as a simple example, that diet does not matter--I educate myself to make sure that I agree.

I don't think I am overstating things to say that Claudia has helped save my life. Initially, I was not entirely open to her suggestions; but I did my due diligence, and so much of the research she shared is now becoming standard treatment. I firmly believe that she has spent hours and hours on the Internet, Googling stuff and then sharing it with us, because she wants to give us hope. She also suggested something that I found to be critically important: If my body was in a state that allowed cancer to take up residence, then doesn't it make sense that changing my body's environment (through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes) might help protect me against recurrence? Certainly, it's not that easy. I'm just saying that this can't hurt.

As for the all-important HOPE, is it wrong of me to really, really love the women here who are committed to giving that to themselves and each other? To cringe a bit when something or someone takes that hope away? Claudia and many, many others of you give me hope; and I am trying to give that back to all of you, too. I am LUCKY--gosh knows, I am--to be NED almost three years after my diagnosis. Now, my desire is to give something back. My passion is the anticancer diet, and maybe you've gotten some meal ideas from me. However, if you hate my suggestions, there is plenty of other interesting stuff here.

Let's take what we can use and leave the rest. How about that? I've reread this post and find nothing about it that would scare any of the women away.

Much love,

Jill

Rewriter said:

I am feeling reassured again
I posted the following on the "lemon" thread, but I wanted to share it here, too.


I am really pretty surprised at how intentions get misunderstood. Mistakenly, I deleted some of my posts, which makes it seem as if I am letting Claudia hang out to dry. That is far from my intention.

The information that Bea-Mil shared initially was for all of us to consider and to submit to our own research. I no longer blindly accept ANYTHING; and I find truth in the information about lemons not because of the organization that printed the article but because my own Internet search found an abundance of legitimate studies that supported it.

Let's foster an environment where we feel safe to share ANY information we find that may be helpful to the women here. Part of empowering myself involves knowing that my oncologist is not God, that I have to complete my own investigative studies, and that just because a treatment has not yet become accepted by the medical community does not mean that it's bogus. These days, if my doctors tell me anything--as a simple example, that diet does not matter--I educate myself to make sure that I agree.

I don't think I am overstating things to say that Claudia has helped save my life. Initially, I was not entirely open to her suggestions; but I did my due diligence, and so much of the research she shared is now becoming standard treatment. I firmly believe that she has spent hours and hours on the Internet, Googling stuff and then sharing it with us, because she wants to give us hope. She also suggested something that I found to be critically important: If my body was in a state that allowed cancer to take up residence, then doesn't it make sense that changing my body's environment (through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes) might help protect me against recurrence? Certainly, it's not that easy. I'm just saying that this can't hurt.

As for the all-important HOPE, is it wrong of me to really, really love the women here who are committed to giving that to themselves and each other? To cringe a bit when something or someone takes that hope away? Claudia and many, many others of you give me hope; and I am trying to give that back to all of you, too. I am LUCKY--gosh knows, I am--to be NED almost three years after my diagnosis. Now, my desire is to give something back. My passion is the anticancer diet, and maybe you've gotten some meal ideas from me. However, if you hate my suggestions, there is plenty of other interesting stuff here.

Let's take what we can use and leave the rest. How about that? I've reread this post and find nothing about it that would scare any of the women away.

Much love,

Jill

you know girls
long time ago I red discussion board (vegsource.com) where somebody asked Dr. Doug Graham about eating too much fruit. She was asking if it is bad for her chemo treatment. Dr. Doug asked back if is wants to chemo work or if she wants to survive.
I'm NED from May 13/2008, since the surgery and if somebody will say that I need to eat squirrel **** to continue to be NED I will do it.

Double Whammy said:

Anticancer and alternative medicine
Dr. Servan Schribner's book taught me a lot last year. It makes good sense. There must be some reason my body was such a good place for 2 primary cancers to sprout at the same time. I don't think I'm consistent enough with my diet and exercise, but I've made considerable lifestyle changes. My biggest stumbling block is my friends and family - and a husband who refuses (yes, refuses) to do anything healthy. Too many opportunities to slip back into old habits. Whether any of this works for cancer or not, I feel fabulous and it's got to be at least partially attributable to changes I've made.

Re meditation. I've always been interested, but don't know where to start. I'll get a good start in that direction the last weekend of this month. I'm participating in a clinical trial entitled "The efficacy of weekend meditation retreats on blood pressure, heart rate, and stress in breast cancer patients". The assignment is to attend a weekend meditation retreat (free) and let them teach me how to meditate, to feed and house me, and allow them to take my bp, heart rate, and some stress tests. The pink ribbon strikes again! It's where the money is for studies like this.

All this discussion reminds me that I'm having lunch tomorrow with a good friend about to start chemo for UPSC. I just got the Anticancer book off the shelf to take along to see if she's interested in reading it.

Nighty, night.

Suzanne

I know how you feel, Suzanne!
I know how you feel about friends, family etc. I have been a dieter for years and at my diet club, we call them "diet saboteurs" - you know - the ones who say "oh go on - one piece of cake won't hurt" etc etc. But, like you, I keep the anticancer book to hand and try to follow it, although I fall off the wagon regularly. But I get back on and try to have more good diet days than bad ones.

I also remember what Linda says about not becoming "cancer girl" in everything I do - what sound advice that is! So the odd cake, biscuit etc., does slip through, but so do the fruit, veggies, whole grains, green tea, B17 and a whole raft of supplements!

Have I beaten this darned disease? Who knows? Have I made my terrain more hostile - I do hope so! My 3 month regular check up a couple of weeks ago was OK, so that's 6 months post chemo and NED at the moment! Tumour has tested ER+ and PR+, so hormone therapy is in the armoury if needed. Everything crossed for the next appointment in September, but trying not to think that far ahead and just enjoying the English summer.
Take care
Helen

Double Whammy said:

Anticancer and alternative medicine
Dr. Servan Schribner's book taught me a lot last year. It makes good sense. There must be some reason my body was such a good place for 2 primary cancers to sprout at the same time. I don't think I'm consistent enough with my diet and exercise, but I've made considerable lifestyle changes. My biggest stumbling block is my friends and family - and a husband who refuses (yes, refuses) to do anything healthy. Too many opportunities to slip back into old habits. Whether any of this works for cancer or not, I feel fabulous and it's got to be at least partially attributable to changes I've made.

Re meditation. I've always been interested, but don't know where to start. I'll get a good start in that direction the last weekend of this month. I'm participating in a clinical trial entitled "The efficacy of weekend meditation retreats on blood pressure, heart rate, and stress in breast cancer patients". The assignment is to attend a weekend meditation retreat (free) and let them teach me how to meditate, to feed and house me, and allow them to take my bp, heart rate, and some stress tests. The pink ribbon strikes again! It's where the money is for studies like this.

All this discussion reminds me that I'm having lunch tomorrow with a good friend about to start chemo for UPSC. I just got the Anticancer book off the shelf to take along to see if she's interested in reading it.

Nighty, night.

Suzanne

Suzanne
I have a hard time with meditation too...and like you, I am not sure how to "get going". My mind tends to wander. What a wonderful opportunity to spend a week-end learning how to meditate from experts! I will be very interested in what resources they might suggest to "get going".

I am sure it makes it difficult to stay on tract with healthy lifestyle endeavors..I am fortunate as my husband is a big healthy eating guy and exercises regularly. He has provided me lots of positive reinforcement in the changes I have made and is soooo willing to try some of my new vegetarian recipes, some of which are not exactly 5* fare! He still wants some meat occasionally so we try to do organic grass fed when possible.

Am sure your friend will enjoy the book!

Karen

Thank you for the websites!

Thank you for the websites!