Daylady from the fire zone...

Hi Ladies!  I have not been checking in too much lately but it is a little crazy here!  I live in Sonoma County so for the last week it has felt a little like living through Armagedon.  We have been safe, but my daughter's inlaws were evacuated and are living with her and her husband right now.  We all feel like last night things turned forthe better.  With any kind of luck, the worst should be over by this time next week.  So many people we know have lost everything.

I finally wrote to Dr. Herzog/Germany and told him that I did not think the timing was right for me to come back to Germany in early November.  I have been dealing with thrombosis and edema ever since returning from Germany last time and it is still not clear how they want to treat it which makes me a little nervous about getting on any 12 hour international flights.  It also seems that once the edema surfaced, the Vit. C infusions (weekly) made it ten times worse.  By the time we figured out the connection, the clock is really starting to tick down and still have followup ultra sounds, a New PET Scan and blood work that all needs to be done and has now been canceled because Kaiser in Santa Rosa was evacuated and is still on lockdown.  It just all feels like too much going on all at one time.  Body and soul are in deep need of respite after what they have been through in the first 8 months of this year!

I worry that if I don't return to Germany that I will be thrown to the wolves of conventional treatment yet again, which also worries me a lot.  I have a new oncologist now, who seems very open minded, but so far I'm not sure what that is goingto look like on a day to day basis.  He did confirm for me that there actually IS a policy that says if the stage and age of the patient dictate that the probability of a good outcome for a particular procedure is less than the risk involved, they are not bound to offer the procedure.  That is why I had to go half way around the world to find out about laser ablation and chemoembolization (they actually do both procedures at Kaiser).  He said he doesn't necessarily follow guidelines and he does whatever he feels is in the best interest of the patient.  I'm still trying to take it one step at a time, and fortunately, I still feel good and am able to do most of what I want.

About the only complaint these days is a really low energy level.  (!!!)  But I am discounting some of that as my body gets used to cannibis as an alternative for pain relief.  That has been an interesting adventure!  So much of this is trial and error.  You try getting information out of your regular doctors, or even your naturopathic oncologist (who recommended it in the first place!) and find out right away that they are ALL in favor of your going there, and none of them know anything about it, or how the system works or anything (they'd risk losing their licenses).  I've been at it for a couple of months now and have found several helpful products as well as CBD to THC ratios that work for me.  Had one hilarious incident last week.  My dispensary was burned out in the fires, so I had to find a new one.  Last week I went to one called Mercy Wellness in Cotati.  They could not have been nicer.  They carried the product line I had been using but also introduced me to another product that used a slightly different process so was effective much faster.  All good.  The people behind the counter are all young, and probably not the kind that I would gravitate to if I met them on the street, but I have been so impressed by how caring and patient they are in dealing with their gray haired senior citizen!!  Well, as I am paying for my purchases, they are loading me up with free goodies because I am new and as I walk out the door this girl hands me a cookie which I don't think too much of.  On the way home, I guess I kind of absentmindedly ate the cookie.  By the time I got home I was starting to wobble up the stairs and within 20 minutes I was a complete and total fruit loop!!!  My husband thought it was hysterical.  I didn't.  Lasted about 3-4 hours.  No more cookies for me!!

Anyway Ladies, just wanted to check in and let you know how things are going.  I suspect I am home for the rest of the year.  I won't know if things are going to change as far as treatment goes until after the PET Scan and CA 125 but right now it is hard to even think that far down the road.  Holding the best for everyone!  Hugs! Helen