nutrition and supplements

traci43
traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had really thought that the HIPEC surgery last year would have gotten the cancer once and for all. Since it didn't, it's pretty obvious that my body just can't take care of it without help. To that end I'm changing my diet, removing sugar and going towards vegetarian. I think it's slowed tumor progression as my CEA level is climbing much more slowly than pre-HIPEC. I've also been reading about integrative cancer therapy to learn more about this. Problem is I just don't know where to go, what supplements to use, etc. I found a Doc at UCLA in their integrative cancer treatment program that will do a diet and supplement consultation for you. So that's my next step. My appt is November 22.

I'm an avowed carnivore and veggie hater, so it's been quite a change but I'm fighting for my life right now and am willing to try any reasonable thing. I've found some veggies I like and some not so much. Curry is wonderful and covers a lot bad tastes. It's also good for fighting cancer, from what I've read.

Am hoping that I will get surgery/chemo to get rid of current tumor and then use the diet/exercise/supplements to get healthy enough to fight off any more recurrances.

Comments

  • dgarr90
    dgarr90 Member Posts: 9 Member
    #2
    Vegetarian

    Hi Traci, Hope all is going well for you and your husband. I have one question. Are you still a vegetarian? Heidi has been vegan at times, (except the days on chemo - she craves things and doesn't want to do 'vegan only' on those days). Anyway, It takes so long to find what I am looking for on this site, I thought I would write. I will be leaving soon to head for her house, as this is her week for chemo - Monday at CARTI and Tuesday and Wednesday she wears a chemo fanny pack. She is staying positive, thank God. I will take my laptop with me, but I don't get on it much.  I wondered if you felt that a vegan diet worked for you. 

    Thanks,

    Dianne (Heidi's mom)

  • traci43
    traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
    #3
    never made it to vegetarian

    Dianne - I tried but I couldn't do it.  Funny you should bring up this post.  I've always been an avowed veggie hater.  During chemo, I frequently craved different foods, sometimes it was red meat.  I usually had at least a small amount of it figuring my body was telling me I needed it.  I did go sugar free for about 2 years and that was great!  Unfortunately the stress of my mother-in-law's passing and a viewing with nothing but sweets, shot that to heck.  I had a hard time controlling sugar, but am back to minimal sugar intake, which is good.  I hope Heidi does well with her remaining treatments.  Traci

  • kristasplace
    kristasplace Member Posts: 957 Member
    edited April 2017 #4
    dgarr90 said:

    Vegetarian

    Hi Traci, Hope all is going well for you and your husband. I have one question. Are you still a vegetarian? Heidi has been vegan at times, (except the days on chemo - she craves things and doesn't want to do 'vegan only' on those days). Anyway, It takes so long to find what I am looking for on this site, I thought I would write. I will be leaving soon to head for her house, as this is her week for chemo - Monday at CARTI and Tuesday and Wednesday she wears a chemo fanny pack. She is staying positive, thank God. I will take my laptop with me, but I don't get on it much.  I wondered if you felt that a vegan diet worked for you. 

    Thanks,

    Dianne (Heidi's mom)

    Vegan, Macro, sugar...oh my!

    Hi Dianne! I'm glad I popped in tonight and caught this post. I don't come here as often as I'd like to.

    The diet thing is something I've been experimenting with most of my life, but went whole 'hog' after cancer treatments failed to cure me. I tried so many things in the beginning it would make your head spin, and it was hard to tell what was helping and what was useless because I kept getting recurrences no matter what i did.

    It's such a long story I can't get into it all right here, but what ended up saving me was a total lifestyle change that included specific diets and ditching the standards of care. Going vegetarian, or even vegan isn't good enough. I was a vegetarian/occasional vegan for twelve years at diagnosis, and a lot of veg-heads end up with this specific cancer (some believe the high-gluten typically involved with these diets is the culprit). It's a lot better than a host of other diets, but I don't believe it's curative.

    The sugar thing...Traci is soooo right on. Cancer thrives on it.

     

    Good luck to you and your daughter!

    Krista

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