My good fortune continues

Hi my friends,

I want to share my story on this last day of 2005 with you all to hopefully inspire you that you can kick this **** in the arse. It is going to be long because a 2 plus year journey is long. History, dx Feb 2004, stage IV with 2 mets to my liver and 1 to my lung. My colon had perforated 4 months earlier. I got a "tempy" colostomy bag then but they missed the rectal tumor. I started chemo the end of March 2004 (folfox 6 with avastin). Surgery was not an option so chemo was it for me. I did it for 8 months and got to the point where I felt like it was killing me. I had been reading and researching for alternatives and got the nerve to find a clinical nutrionist that also has a homopathic and naturopathic license. I chose to stop chemo last November with all 4 tumors still showing up on the CT scans. They did shrink some at first but were not any more. November 15, 2004, I started juicing, and over the next 2 months completely changed my diet to an all natural organic one. I took vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements recommended by my new doctor. I got rid of all the negative people in my life and minimized my exposure to toxic "environments". I also kept seeing my oncologist and getting the quarterly testing. April of this year, the CT scans did not show the rectal tumor anymore and the lung tumor was fading and was not even considered a lesion anymore. In July, my CT scans report actually referred to me as a 50 year old (old fart that I am) with a history of rectal cancer. THEN, I heard the wonderful word NED for the first time. One of the 2 liver mets was gone and the other just looked like a fatty spot, not a lesion. My oncologist and I were very curious about the primary rectal tumor so I had a flex sig the first of August. 7 biopsies showed no signs of cancer. I did get a scare from the July scans, my right ovary was enlarged but the oncologists (GI and GYN) did not think it was cancer. It became very painful, so I have laproscopic surgery to remove my ovaries Nov. 3rd. Everything came back negative and the doc poked 3 other holes in me and looked around with his camera and saw nothing. I then got my nerve up to schedule having my colostomy taken down. I met with the surgical oncologist 2 weeks ago, but he wanted to make sure he didn't need to do anything else while "in there" so he ordered an MRI since it picks up things smaller then a CT scan does. I had that Thursday of this week. Yesterday he called and said I had 3 teeny tiny spots on my liver that he was not at all concerned about. My pelvic are looked great (his words, not mine).

SO, I have surgery Tuesday (Jan 3rd) to reverse my colostomy bag. He will also resect the part of my rectum where the tumor was and remove the lymph nodes just in case. I will become an "official" semicolon at that time.

Folks, you can beat this monster if you put your mind and body into it. Listen to Emily!!!!! Find a clinical nutritionist to help you. They are very different then a regular nutritionists since they study the healing powers of foods and natural supplements. Read Dr Patrick Quillin's book "Beating Cancer with Nutrition".

I have gone on long enough but I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2006!!!!!! Mine certainly is starting out with a bang.

Lisa P.