My mom's 4B care crossroads - Complimentary therapy recommendations needed

soromer said:

How is your mother's general health? and a lot of CAM info
Is there a good reason why they're not planning a debulking surgery? (Of course, it carries its own risks, perhaps even of helping the cancer metastasize.)

My central complementary treatment now is Ayurveda. Deepak Chopra is the biggest popularizer of this treatment modality, though I don't think he has an active practice himself. I mention his name primarily so that you can do some investigation into the approach to see if it fits.

I am no more able to explain why the treatment methods of Ayurveda (are supposed to) work than I am able to do so for allopathic medicine. I will say that the appeal of Ayurveda to me is that it's holistic in a way that Western medicine emphatically is not. There are several different approaches that exist in Ayurveda; my particular practitioner stresses herbs and essential oils, cranial manipulation, and breath and energy work. I've experienced some very startling immediate responses to treatment--and while I have no way to know whether it has had an impact on my recovery, I do know that I feel better, calmer, and more healthy in the meantime.

I'm also seeing an acupuncturist weekly. I started there primarily for treatment of neuropathy, but I continue because I think the energy work she does is also helpful. I feel better after every treatment. Sometimes I'm very tired, but that fatigue tends to be in proportion to the kind of strain I brought into the appointment. My neuropathy is virtually gone, I should add, and when it does bother me now I think of it as a general barometer about my energy flow body-wide.

I am also seeing a gynecological oncologist on a quarterly basis, as we see whether the Megace I'm on (plus the other therapies) has been effective. So far, so good, as I mentioned in another comment in one of your earlier threads. My oncologist is fairly open-minded about all of my complementary treatments, I will observe. It's easier now that I don't have to worry about the risk of interfering with chemo. But many of my remedies now would still be feasible while undergoing chemo, I hasten to add!

I have had some limited experience with Reiki. The most profound take-away I had from my sessions was creating a limit on my fear and anxiety (which, as you might imagine, were very high in early September). Somehow, there was an internal wall put in place during the first session, and that relative absence of fear has been liberating, comforting, and empowering ever since.

I've also found meditation and visualization to be very effective. Meditation helps because it's centering and calming, and because through it I've become aware of the concept of lovingkindness (metta), which seems to be very, very important for people dealing with life-threatening conditions. As far as visualization, how one does that also varies greatly. My preferred image is to see the tumor clusters as tangles of hair that I see myself smoothing out (with my breath as the "conditioner"). If they're resistant to detangling, then I'll just cut them out--that is, cut off the blood supply to them. Again, who knows whether this is helpful? I do believe, however, that the other possibilities, imagining a worsening condition for example, are probably counter-productive. Hence, I reason, a more proactive approach can't hurt.

The other practical advice I'd offer to your mother is to beware of the sugar content of her juices. Eating raw/unprocessed food is generally good, I think, but taking in large quantities of sugar in any form is probably not helpful. (I wish I'd really understood that before I consumed very large quantities of dairy and ice cream during this past summer!) I've adopted a largely vegan diet myself, after going through a 5-day raw food detox. That was an interesting experience in itself; I'd say its most durable effect has been to make me more mindful (however imperfectly) of my body's response to food.

You have undoubtedly been on this site long enough to realize the wide range of opinions of the women who participate. I won't say much more, other than to stress that while there is disagreement, there is also sincerity. Everyone shares what she thinks is important, and of course it's up to your mother to decide what's best for her. The biggest trouble with this horrible disease, in some sense, is that it is so profoundly individual. There is no cure-all, and what works for one might not work even for another with the same grade, type, and stage.

Well, maybe I'll say one more thing: after my crisis in September, when I found out that the damned disease had spread, I understood more profoundly than ever that my recovery was up to me. The drugs, remedies, treatments I take are not, in my opinion, the cures in and of themselves. They are all instead intended to serve one purpose--to strengthen my immune system enough so my body can muster the defenses to resist this malfunction. To that end, I believe that what I'm doing combines synergistically to promote my recovery and return to health. It's the best I can do, at any rate, and so far the evidence shows good results.

Oops--I'll add one more "treatment," though I take it so much for granted, it doesn't seem like one. I sing on a regular basis. I used to sing regularly, years ago, and fell away from it for a variety of not-so-good reasons. Now I'm back, and I think it's helpful. It takes me out of feeling apprehensive; it reinforces my vitality in the present moment; it helps connect me to other people. It doesn't have to be done in a group to be useful.

And, honestly, I think that prayer helps too. I saw my gynecologist a few weeks ago, after my bad CT and before my good one; she hasn't been treating me since the diagnosis, but she's the doctor who did the D & C and gave me the bad news. That was one of her main comments to me at the time--about the efficacy of prayer--which to some extent I find ironic, and yet also reassuring. In my opinion, the best doctors realize the limits of their knowledge and expertise.

Again, best of luck to your mother. She is so lucky to have her girls (as if she didn't know that already

willbesurvivor said:

Hi Jennifer, my mum is
Hi Jennifer, my mum is currently on the Gerson Therapy. There is a girl who has been doing it for a couple of years if you want to see her progress www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au. She will need a lot of assistance though.

Tali x

RoseyR said:

Just a Few Suggestions

Sounds as if your mother is doing really well considering all the assaults on her system.

IF you proceed with adriamycin, you might look into the benefits of taking Co-Q-10 with it to minimize any possible damage to her heart.

I recall that my friend's onc also recommended Vitamin B6 during adriamycin. (50 mgs a day)

In addition: If you're not already seeing an integrative doctor and your mom has further chemo of any kind, you might want to consider the protective effects of the following:

ProGreens (one scoop each morning in a glass of water before breakfast)
Fish Oil (two tsps a day--"Fiinest Pure Fish Oil" by Pharmax is a good brand)
Whey protein smoothies (with a banana or berries--Whey Cool or Designer Whey good brands)

The former two protect the intestines and minimize appetite loss; ProGreens also nourishes. Whey is shown in many clinical studies to prevent weight loss and maximize production of glutathione, a vital substance that is often too low in cancer patients.

Best,
Rosey