Leukemia - lots of questions

[Sarah Thompson]

Hi,

I haven't been around in a while.  Lots of major changes in my life, which are wonderful, but I guess maybe a little stressful for my body!  Just had some bloodwork done and the counts look pretty weird.  I am in to see an oncologist this afternoon and I will know more.  However, I know that the primary treatment is chemo and maybe radiation, and I want to hit the ground running with another approach.  Can anyone talk about their experiences and point me in some good directions?

Thanks,

Sarah

[Sarah Thompson]

Okay, great. So I should be a bit gentle with the vit. C. I thought vit. C combated bleeding. Now I am confused. I think as long as the water is below 200 it is okay. I have been making mushroom infusions, but I wasn't eating the mushrooms because I wasn't sure about the fungal stuff.

I am beginning to think you have a point about the cleanse, though. If the detox paths don't work, I am just mobilizing the stuff. hmm.

[Pat Robinson]

This year I learned that we "should" not eat mushrooms uncooked. ?? I've always eaten them cooked and uncooked. But, apparently, there is concern about some chemical component in mushrooms (dont' have quick link) which is problematic but is denatured by cooking it and that cooked mushrooms have medicinal benefits.

Here is a comprehensive article about vit C: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitamin...


This is the research I recall about vit C reducing clotting. However, subsequent research indicates that this effect is inconclusive.

Personally, *I* believe that food sources of vit C are TOTALLY different than supplemental sources. For instance, there was a study (I do not have the link, although I've searched for it), that had participants eat an apple (known vit C level of about 85mg) and they measured vit C blood levels (as best we can) and compared the blood levels to participants who took 1000mg of synthetic vit C supplement. The people who ate the apple had higher measurable (bio-available) blood levels of vit C than those who took almost 12x the mg dose in supplement form.

Food heals.

Milk thistle is great for helping detox. Plus the Phase I and Phase II foods. Make a list of foods from each and those which overlap, I'd focus on adding more into your diet. I know it feels overwhelming. But, focus on a few simple foods:

Green smoothies, Nettle infusions, Milk thistle, fCLO, liver, kefir, I'd do some legumes (for the molybdenum, necessary for heavy metal clearing), Brazil nuts for the selenium (binds mercury, important for thyroid and immune fxn), etc. the others on the 14 steps list.


Pat

[Pat Robinson]

Sarah, check this out too: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/resveratrol-inhibits-proliferat...

The food with the highest concentration of resveratrol are the purple and red varieties of grapes. Other dark berries, such as cranberries and mulberries, also contain high levels and peanuts.

Pat

[Sarah Thompson]

I've been really pushing grapes. The only issue is that I need to make sure they don't have any fungus on them, and they mold so fast! Should I rinse everything in a mild GSE solution?

Also, I think if mushrooms are dried and soaked they are okay, right? I am taking teas, not eating them, but I feel like the medicinals are probably different from kitchen button mushrooms.

[Pat Robinson]

From everything I've read, it is preferred to add dried mushrooms to a tea or soup.

Pat

[Sarah Thompson]

Update - I am in the hospital. By Friday I was going over a cliff. By Sat am, before they started chemo, my wbc was in the 200s and my neutrophils were 0. I needed two bags of blood just to bring my pulse in normal range. I am glad to be here - it is all part of the gift. I will let the allopaths treat the symptoms, and then I go home and cure myself of cancer, without being afraid to die in front of my children.

I finally spiked a fever and they gave me antibiotics, but I have held them off the tylenol so far. They are letting me have all my own food, which is wonderful. What can I do to bring my temp down so they don't give me tylenol? I know I shouldn't reduce a fever, but I can't convince them of that, so I need a trick or two. Would motrin be marginally better? Can I sneak a homeopathic in (is it aconitum?). Are there cooling foods I can have on hand?

[Pat Robinson]

Oh Sarah, I'm sending you strength and love. You sound like you are very strong!

If the fever went up quickly, homeopathic Belladonna will help to address it.

Here are more homeopathics for supporting the fever to heal the body. Select the ones which are most like your symptoms.
http://www.wholehomeopathy.com/Homeopathy%20for%20Fevers,%20Coughs,...
http://health.hpathy.com/fever-symptoms-treatment-cure.asp
http://homeopathy.suite101.com/article.cfm/treating_fevers_with_hom...

Here is more about fevers: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/children-and-fevers

I'd focus on Epsom salt baths, magnesium to clear toxins. Preformed vit A to fight viral stuff (liver). B-vit, vit C, sunshine!, Omega 3 to decrease inflammation. Probiotics, but they may not allow that now. They don't want you eating raw on chemo, I believe.

Black seed oil (nigella sativa) helps with chemo symptoms.
http://www.newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Mar_00/cancer...
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/cancer-and-nutrition
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nigella-sativa-black-seed

Here are homeopathics for nausea/vomiting. http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/pregnancy/mornsickhomeopathic.html

Where are you located?

Pat

[Gilla Weiss]

Sending you prayers and healing thoughts.....lot's of strength to you and your family!!!!!

[Sarah Thompson]

I am in Maine, in Portland. They are actually letting me have all my own food! It's really wonderful. I have a mini-fridge, and they just ask that things be carefully washed. I can't really get outside but I am taking some D and my fCLO; I can't supplement with SA because of the chemo but I can eat all the fresh fruit and veg I want. I'll look up those homeopathics and the nigella sativa oil. Thank you.

I am rooted in the earth.
The salt of my blood is the salt of the sea.
I am whole.
I am well.
I am on a journey to my higher self.
I am healing.
I am weak like the water; I flow.

[Sarah Thompson]

I get confused about boosting my immune system, because this particular cancer is in my immune system. the chemo is killing all my white blood cells on purpose, so i don't think i should boost them? but maybe if i only use food forms and not extracts, my body can regulate it a little bit?

[Pat Robinson]

I love your mantra!

The chemo implications are out of my league. Here is some info about helping chemo to be more effective naturally. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/category/pharmacological-actions/chemos...
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/resveratrol-reverses-doxorubici...

30 Studies related to AML: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/node/aml

Garlic - Ajoene, a garlic compound, has profound therapeutic activity agains...
Feverfew
Resveratrol
Molasses
Black hellebore (Helleborus niger)
Rosemary
Willow leaf extract
Extracts of aloe vera
DHA (fish oil)
A combination of crocodile egg extract, ginseng root and Reishi mus...
Lacotferrin - Human colostrum ("first milk") has the highest concentration, followed by human milk, then cow milk (150 mg/L)
Amygdalin (laetrile) is antiproliferative and induces programmed ce...
Olive leaf extract
Wogonin, a compound found within Chinese Skullcap

Vit C: l-Ascorbic acid may be of clinical benefit in Acute Myeloid Leukemi.... (food source is best, imo)
Vitamin D
Tannic acid (strong tea, green tea is generally suggested, from my reading)
Vitamin K2 (fermented CLO, and other food sources)

All of those listed above have research studies in the GreenMedInfo link.

I also saw several Chinese herbs whose origin/names I was unfamiliar about. I'd get to a Classical Homeopath (not an N.D. practicing homeopathy as one of many modalities) and a TCM/acupuncturist for support.

You will be 'told' those are 'untested', etc. I want to encourage reading the product insert for any chemotherapy agent which one considers having administered into their body. Look at the sample size of the research studies. Look at the actual research full text on PubMed, Medline, ncbi, science direct. (I can help you to find it.) When we reviewed the contraindications, age of the subjects, degree of tumor staging, side effects and outcomes for the chemo suggested for my mom, the studies were disturbing. Consider the likelihood of side effects of the treatments for the side effects. They say, that the malnutrition kills faster than the cancer.

The oncologists can only offer what they know: chemotherapeutic agents which are FDA approved. Which means the chemotherapy agent is now in "post-marketing research" on the public.

Traditional Nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, Ayurvedic Medicine--- these have hundreds and thousands of years more research and experience than modern Westernized medicine. I was a critical care nurse for too many years to believe in the infallibility of the medical paradigm.

Furthermore, black seed (nigella sativa) preparations may have a cancer chemopreventive potential and may reduce the toxicity of standard antineoplastic drugs.


You are strong, whole and well!

Pat



Sarah Thompson said:
I am rooted in the earth.
The salt of my blood is the salt of the sea.
I am whole.
I am well.
I am on a journey to my higher self.
I am healing.
I am weak like the water; I flow.

[Sarah Thompson]

The team has actually been really supportive of my "alternative" approach. One of the many reasons why I am happy here, and not getting rushed off the Dana Farber or Sloan Kettering (apparently there is a raging debate among the extended family about which one I am going to - I told my mom that that's completely fine and part of their process, but they should remember to come here if they want to actually visit me:). They like to know what I am taking, but they haven't batted an eye. I am easing into it - just D and fCLO for now. Having a friend look into nigella sativa today, and having a bunch of bone broth and green tea sent down from home. My DO has been by to visit a bunch and has connected with the homeopath; she is going to come in for a consult.

I am mostly of the mind that the right foods will not hurt me, that they will go the healing places and that my body will know where to keep them away. Isn't it hilarious that 1000s of years of Chinese medicine is "untested"? My system is certainly in shock with all this, but I am looking forward to getting through the first course and getting home so that I can really start to work with the food and herbal supplements.

One problem is that, with the mucosis, I can't eat anything acid or harsh. So the fermented salads aren't working, no tomatoes, etc. My juicer should come in the mail today so my sister should be able to start whipping up some juices - the smoothies aren't going down comfortably so I am going to listen to my body there. I don't actually like the pureed greens all that much most of the time, so I am looking forward to juicing them. Goat's milk yogurt is feeling good, so I am eating a lot of that. Not doing any other dairy, but that feels right. I have water kefir grains in the fridge at home, so I will try to reactivate those and start with the kefir. Is it REALLY okay that it gets all that sugar?

I am getting SO MUCH LOVE! It comes in through the walls in waves, and when I oriented the room (I have a lovely view of a ventilation shaft), I realized that it was all coming from the directions where I have people. Sunday mid-morning, when I suspect that a number of my relatives were in church and having prayers said for me, I suddenly felt this huge wave of energy - awesome!

I'll start a little reading while I am here, but not on the chemo drugs. I am going to wait to really wrestle with the implications of the toxic chemicals until after they aren't flowing into my body actively. I need them to save my life right now, but then I can put them back in their place!