Supplements?? What should we do??

LesleyH said:

You are doing a lot. First of all, I guess you will need chemo because of your Her status. Yes? The oncs usually advise no supplements during chemo and radiation - in case the supplements protect the cancer cells as well as the body. I think your diet is excellent. I always recommend Diana Dyer's website and book. The URL is www.cancerrd.com

I read all research avidly. I think your exercise is terribly important. I have a pedomenter and walk 5 miles outside every day - even in the snow. I take everything you take and a couple more. The vitamin E I take is Isomer E. I know it is controversial (and I am ER+/PR+), but I eat soy every day. Not supplements. Soy milk, miso or tofu. I eat no red meat at all and organic chicken very rarely. I mainly eat salmon (wild caught not farm raised) and sardines. I eat broccoli or cabbage every day. I also eat/drink lowfat yoghurt and lowfat milk (organic). I eat mushrooms almost every day (including Shiitake mushroom at least once a week) and I eat beans every day. I eat about 15 servings of fruit/veggies a day. I eat olives every day and only use olive oil. (Most olive oil you buy is not really olive oil. Put it in the refrigerator. If it doesn't cloud over, it's not olive oil.) I also add wheat germ. wheat bran, rice bran, flax, prunes, 2 Brazil nuts, and other frozen, fresh and dried fruit to my oatmeal. Like Diana, I believe that diet is more important than supplements. Nevertheless, I also take (beyond those you mentioned) astragalus, pycnogenol, Evening Primrose Oil, CoQ10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, B-50. I am sure that I take too many and will probably start cutting down as I get stronger. For now, that is what I find useful.

I take melatonin when I can't sleep.

Hope some of this/any of this helps.

Hugs.

Lesley

Ah, Lesley and you say I have a great post??? THIS is FANTASTIC!!! I am headed to radiation...allergic to aloe vera...any thoughts on skin treatment?
Hugs, Kathi

Just my perspective. I searched high and low for something that I felt was totally natural and I come from a 28 year career in Manufacturing. I have learned that it is easy in the natural health product to say things and not have to prove them. Governments are forced to spend millions trying to find out the truth to have some harm reduction over time. Not everything is good for us as we have found now that suppliments and vitamines have been around for 40 years. Man has thought allot of things about what the body does with the vitamines it takes in and after years of study have proved allot don't work and our bodies aren't doing what they thought all these years. Not every company has high natural standards either, in this day and age it is more about money/profit than it is about the human well being.
Yes find something that helps you but don't take a false sense of security from any of it since there are no gaurantees and we must listen to the voice of our bodies and minimize our risk factors.
Yes I do take a natural health product and have since doctors felt there was nothing more they could do for me and I was still suffering. I had to do something to try and free this body so that I could find out what it felt like to have alittle of that Quality of LIFE. I searched for something that had independent scientific studies on it and was being studied in an University for understanding of this fruits healing properties. I couldn't find another product that went that far. I am a real researcher before I do anything and that includes buying a car. I read and look in papers and go around many years and often am forced to buy something in the end because I haven't found what I was looking for. I am a Quality Control freak and have learned so much about the greed of man and how far they will go to turn a profit.
Tara

LesleyH said:

You are doing a lot. First of all, I guess you will need chemo because of your Her status. Yes? The oncs usually advise no supplements during chemo and radiation - in case the supplements protect the cancer cells as well as the body. I think your diet is excellent. I always recommend Diana Dyer's website and book. The URL is www.cancerrd.com

I read all research avidly. I think your exercise is terribly important. I have a pedomenter and walk 5 miles outside every day - even in the snow. I take everything you take and a couple more. The vitamin E I take is Isomer E. I know it is controversial (and I am ER+/PR+), but I eat soy every day. Not supplements. Soy milk, miso or tofu. I eat no red meat at all and organic chicken very rarely. I mainly eat salmon (wild caught not farm raised) and sardines. I eat broccoli or cabbage every day. I also eat/drink lowfat yoghurt and lowfat milk (organic). I eat mushrooms almost every day (including Shiitake mushroom at least once a week) and I eat beans every day. I eat about 15 servings of fruit/veggies a day. I eat olives every day and only use olive oil. (Most olive oil you buy is not really olive oil. Put it in the refrigerator. If it doesn't cloud over, it's not olive oil.) I also add wheat germ. wheat bran, rice bran, flax, prunes, 2 Brazil nuts, and other frozen, fresh and dried fruit to my oatmeal. Like Diana, I believe that diet is more important than supplements. Nevertheless, I also take (beyond those you mentioned) astragalus, pycnogenol, Evening Primrose Oil, CoQ10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, B-50. I am sure that I take too many and will probably start cutting down as I get stronger. For now, that is what I find useful.

I take melatonin when I can't sleep.

Hope some of this/any of this helps.

Hugs.

Lesley

wow, you do alot! i take a multi (centrum silver - it has more anti-oxidents), a b complex, essential oils, coq10 and calcium. your diet is alot stricter than mine - i low carb and i eat meat almost every day. red, white, fish, whatever. i also try to have an apple and some red grapes everyday. i put peanut butter on the apples - i read that peanuts have reservatol like the grapes do. i try to have more chicken than red meat because of the fat. i found some pretty good soy chips - i have them a few days a week. i also put a green tea extract in one bottle of water a day.

LesleyH said:

I totally agree with you, Tara. That is why I research everything. I only rely on good academic research studies for my information. Medline is my favorite - I subscribe through the university (I have 2 Master's degrees and almost a PhD.) I know that most of the research has been done in test tubes - but we have to take what we can get. If it works in a test tube and will not harm me then I am willing to try it. I think news reports about medicine and drugs are positively dangerously deceptive. I understand statistics and go over all the statistics really carefully. I never rely on information I find on random websites, anecdotal evidence, or books by quacks. (Have you read any of that QUACKERY from Gary Null? I was so annoyed I looked up his PhD - it's one of those that don't require a systematic study. Uh huh.) I would never choose supplements over an FDA approved drug. I know others do, but I would not. I feel it is irresponsible to promote that. I think that is what you were trying to emphasize. And I completely agree.

Hugs.

Lesley

that's good that you do all that - there is sooo much info out there it's hard to say what is good and what isn't. i also don't want to deal with all of this again - twice was enough!! :-) i do add alot more veggies & fruit to my diet than i used to eat. i also think that stress had alot to do with my illness - when i got it in 2004, i was working at a place that was horrible - the people there are awful, management is just plain evil and the pressure there was tremendous. i got laid off in august and diagnosed in september. at the time i had a real big case of the why me's but now i see that losing that job was the best thing - i didn't have to worry about the hassle i would have gotten trying to get time off for surgery, dr appts and treatments. now i am working in a small company with the most wonderful people. i can't believe how lucky i was to find this job - a little less money, but ALOT less stress!! :-) kat

katcam said:

that's good that you do all that - there is sooo much info out there it's hard to say what is good and what isn't. i also don't want to deal with all of this again - twice was enough!! :-) i do add alot more veggies & fruit to my diet than i used to eat. i also think that stress had alot to do with my illness - when i got it in 2004, i was working at a place that was horrible - the people there are awful, management is just plain evil and the pressure there was tremendous. i got laid off in august and diagnosed in september. at the time i had a real big case of the why me's but now i see that losing that job was the best thing - i didn't have to worry about the hassle i would have gotten trying to get time off for surgery, dr appts and treatments. now i am working in a small company with the most wonderful people. i can't believe how lucky i was to find this job - a little less money, but ALOT less stress!! :-) kat

The change in environment can only be a good thing. If nothing else, so you can focus more energy on your health and less on work stress. I am reading a book by Bernie Siegel about cencer patients. I don't like all of what he has to say - parts are really annoying. Anyhow, one part got me really thinking. He claims tha only about 15-20% of patients are willing to make life-style changes after a cancer diagnosis. If this is true, and if it applies to you then CONGRATULATIONS! You are exceptional.

Hugs.

Lesley

KathiM said:

Thanks, Lesley and Cindie, I will check this out!
Of course, I got told ALL the stuff that's going to happen (my rad doc knows I like everything laid out), and am a LITTLE nervous about it...but it has to be done!
Hugs, Kathi

When does rads start, Kathi? I want to be with you in spirit. The weirdest thing happened to me during rads. I started to feel terribly nauseous about 2 hours after the first one. Then every day - about 2 hours later. The rad onc said it was not from the rads. But, seriously, 2 hours later only M - F? I knew it had to be. Then I went to see my medical onc. She said that the radiation people never admit that rads can cause nausea - but it can.

Here's wishing you smooth sailing with the only hassle being that you have to go every day.

Hugs.

Lesley

katcam said:

that's good that you do all that - there is sooo much info out there it's hard to say what is good and what isn't. i also don't want to deal with all of this again - twice was enough!! :-) i do add alot more veggies & fruit to my diet than i used to eat. i also think that stress had alot to do with my illness - when i got it in 2004, i was working at a place that was horrible - the people there are awful, management is just plain evil and the pressure there was tremendous. i got laid off in august and diagnosed in september. at the time i had a real big case of the why me's but now i see that losing that job was the best thing - i didn't have to worry about the hassle i would have gotten trying to get time off for surgery, dr appts and treatments. now i am working in a small company with the most wonderful people. i can't believe how lucky i was to find this job - a little less money, but ALOT less stress!! :-) kat

You know, kat, there is research being done about stress causing colorectal cancer, too...that's My other "pal". All research aside, doesn't it feel GOOD to work among friends??? I had a client (computer consultant here) that actually offered to have me bill AHEAD because of all the time I had lost with my 2 cancers' treatments!!! There ARE some angels in this world.
Hugs, Kathi

KathiM said:

You know, kat, there is research being done about stress causing colorectal cancer, too...that's My other "pal". All research aside, doesn't it feel GOOD to work among friends??? I had a client (computer consultant here) that actually offered to have me bill AHEAD because of all the time I had lost with my 2 cancers' treatments!!! There ARE some angels in this world.
Hugs, Kathi

yes, i have heard that. and when i think back i remember that while i worked at the other place i used to have this weird throbbing pain in my right breast and guess where they found the cancer....right breast. it does feel sooo good to work with friends - i don't even miss the extra bonus money i used to make, not even a little bit. we are both very lucky to work with angels!! :-) kat

LesleyH said:

Next Monday. I have marked it on my calendar. Those tattoos are my badges of courage. I asked for butterflies, but all I got was little dots.

Hugs.

Lesley

Hehehehehe....thanks for the smile!
Hugs, Kathi

In addition to everything else you're doing, I take seaweed pills.