Need Some Suggestions

webaur · April 2001

Hi Everyone!!!

It is quite late and I am running on only 4 hours of sleep from last night (will tell you all about it later!) and have to get up and take my husband to the airport in another 4-1/2 hours.

Anyway, I was wondering if I could get some feedback on how everyone who has ben on A/C faired in the blood count department. I had my third dose of A/C last Tuesday followed by 3 days of Neupogen shots. My white count was lower today than it has been in the past. The chemo nurse said it was o.k --probably a cumulative effect from the chemo. My brain understands the logic, but emotionally, I feel like there is something that they aren't telling me!! Well, I am just about falling asleep here, so I will go and write more later.

I guess my other question is for Pam.....I got some of the Novine Colostrum, but I am confused about how and when to take it. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Does is boost the white count? How long does it take to show up in the blood work?

Can't even think straight to ask my questions.....so it is off to bed for me. I WILL write more tomorrow when my head is clearer. I do need some guidance on the taking of supplements and just how safe they are. Any help you can give would be appreciated!!!

Blessing and hugs.....Wendy

pamtriggs · April 2001

Dear Wendy
When I am not on a radiation treatement I take 4 a day on an empty stomach. If on a treatemnt I take 8 a day also on an empty stomach. Try taking half first thing in the morning & the other half last thing at night when dinner is digested. Should start showing resukts in a few days. Best of luck. LOL Pam

jane38 · April 2001

Hi Wendy. When I was on A/C and 5-FU, my white count stayed very low. I had to take a lot of Neupogen. One time it was low enough to be hospitalized, but I had other things going on at that time too, like cellulitis in my foot, sores in my mouth, and belly pain like I had never experienced before. It turned out I had gallstones, the ejection fraction on the HIDA scan (I think this means the amount of bile being allowed to flow through to the stomach) was only 6%. My surgeon said he had never seen one so low. I had my gallbladder removed after my blood counts had stabilized and the thrush and cellulitis had cleared up. So, take your Neupogen shots. And just keep on plugging, do what you can, rest all that you need, try to eat whatever you feel like, it'll be over soon. Much love to you. Jane

24242 · April 2001

Hi Wendy,
Glad to hear your still marching along like a real trooper. I think the only thing I can make you try to remember is the white cell trash count, as I called it was just what they wanted. The low cell count without killing you. I think that the only time it becomes a concern is if you end up with an infection, which I did. The chances of that actually happening are quite small when looking at the treatment as a whole. It is just a few unfortunate individuals that having a low count caused an infection to rage out of control. It took months to get my cell count under control. You are on the shots that sperns the marrow into action so it produces the needed cells, it works.
I'm sorry I have no info on suppliments because I have only ever taken one thing Tahitian NONI Nectar because it was all natural. Best to you and your's,
TARA 24242

tiger · April 2001

24242 said:
Hi Wendy,
Glad to hear your still marching along like a real trooper. I think the only thing I can make you try to remember is the white cell trash count, as I called it was just what they wanted. The low cell count without killing you. I think that the only time it becomes a concern is if you end up with an infection, which I did. The chances of that actually happening are quite small when looking at the treatment as a whole. It is just a few unfortunate individuals that having a low count caused an infection to rage out of control. It took months to get my cell count under control. You are on the shots that sperns the marrow into action so it produces the needed cells, it works.
I'm sorry I have no info on suppliments because I have only ever taken one thing Tahitian NONI Nectar because it was all natural. Best to you and your's,
TARA 24242

HI Wendy, the boivine colostrum will take a few days to kick in, but it really does work. My counts never were low and I dont know if it was from the colostrum or because I am just healthy. But you do need to make sure you get sleep, that will go far in getting your counts up. Get a sitter for the babe for a few hours and snooze away!! Nothing like a good cat nap to brighten your mood when you are feeling grumpy. Take care and behave yourself!!
Hugs and love from Tiger

bdean · April 2001

Dear Wendy: I will share with you what has been passed on to me about supplements, by friends who have survived cancer for many years--so they know this works without side effects. All agree on mega doses of Vitamin C--1500 to 3000 mg. per day (you know you are taking too much C if you get diaharra (sp?). If you do, just cut down on amount--start slowly and build up. Also the Vitamin Bs (come in one tablet).

I have had two miraculous testimonies on drinking Essiac Tea (it is expensive & comes from Health Food Store) you get it to make yourself, long process, or capsule form. One lady could not take chemo, and had an inoperable cancer tangled up in her chest wall. All the drs. could do was keep a drain in chest and pain meds. She started drinking the tea, and 6 months later she had no tumor (this is from a lady I know--not someone advertising for the company). The other lady is my age, and her matastasized cancer was starting to invade her pelvic bone and hips so badly she had to go into a wheelchair, the outlook was very dire. She began the Essiac Tea, Green Tea, Vitamin C, Bs,A, E; coenzymeQ10. She had no more chemo--that was 10 years ago this fall. I saw her not too long ago, and she said she had faithfully kept taking these supplements every day since 1991; and had never felt better--hadn't even had a cold. Of course, there were many, many prayers prayed on her behalf; and she is a very strong Christian lady. A young man I have known since he was 10, reminded me the other day that he had cancer at the age of 28; and was given 6 months to live; he said he dove head first into all these vitamins and the apple cidar vinegar thing because his grandmother pushed him! After all that horrible chemo he took (non-Hodgkins lymphoma) he was able to father a child about 10 years ago. His dx was in 1985. With these testimonies, you can imagine the line of Vitamins and herbs sitting on my counter. I have had good cbc reports even during chemo. Never had to take anything to boost white/red count. I assume it is because of vitamins/herbs I took every day. This worked for us. Of course, you must do what you feel best about.

Your are in my thoughts and prayers everyday, as is your family. God bless you and give you the strength you need for this journey. Love ya, Brenda in Ga.

jeancmici · April 2001

bdean said:
Dear Wendy: I will share with you what has been passed on to me about supplements, by friends who have survived cancer for many years--so they know this works without side effects. All agree on mega doses of Vitamin C--1500 to 3000 mg. per day (you know you are taking too much C if you get diaharra (sp?). If you do, just cut down on amount--start slowly and build up. Also the Vitamin Bs (come in one tablet).

I have had two miraculous testimonies on drinking Essiac Tea (it is expensive & comes from Health Food Store) you get it to make yourself, long process, or capsule form. One lady could not take chemo, and had an inoperable cancer tangled up in her chest wall. All the drs. could do was keep a drain in chest and pain meds. She started drinking the tea, and 6 months later she had no tumor (this is from a lady I know--not someone advertising for the company). The other lady is my age, and her matastasized cancer was starting to invade her pelvic bone and hips so badly she had to go into a wheelchair, the outlook was very dire. She began the Essiac Tea, Green Tea, Vitamin C, Bs,A, E; coenzymeQ10. She had no more chemo--that was 10 years ago this fall. I saw her not too long ago, and she said she had faithfully kept taking these supplements every day since 1991; and had never felt better--hadn't even had a cold. Of course, there were many, many prayers prayed on her behalf; and she is a very strong Christian lady. A young man I have known since he was 10, reminded me the other day that he had cancer at the age of 28; and was given 6 months to live; he said he dove head first into all these vitamins and the apple cidar vinegar thing because his grandmother pushed him! After all that horrible chemo he took (non-Hodgkins lymphoma) he was able to father a child about 10 years ago. His dx was in 1985. With these testimonies, you can imagine the line of Vitamins and herbs sitting on my counter. I have had good cbc reports even during chemo. Never had to take anything to boost white/red count. I assume it is because of vitamins/herbs I took every day. This worked for us. Of course, you must do what you feel best about.

Your are in my thoughts and prayers everyday, as is your family. God bless you and give you the strength you need for this journey. Love ya, Brenda in Ga.

Hi Brenda,

I found your info on vitamins very interesting because I have for a number of years taken a lot of vit C and B's etc. But just after I got dx, I continued to run into warnings about taking too many vitamins during chemo - ESPECIALLY vit C. Seems many experts now think that cancer cells thrive on vit C and other antioxidants because they protect the cancer cells while the chemo is trying to kill them.

I have compromised by taking a multi-vitamin ALMOST every day!

Thursday is my fourth AC - my WBC counts have gone done each time but I have not needed any shots - yet.

Best wishes, Jean

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