Power packed anti cancer lunch #1

Bean tostada w/ salsa and chopped red bell pepper, onion and lettuce
Desert: fresh cantaloupe drizzled w/ half a fresh lime juice

First let me say that I usually have some type of beans in my kitchen. Today I had pinto beans that had been made with a healthy dose of onion, garlic and black pepper. I just throw them in a crock pot overnight to cook them. I like to fry my taco shells in a small bit of grape seed oil to crisp them up. Then I just pile on the ingredients to my liking. I like my red bell pepper & onion chopped into about 1/8 inch squares. I use about 2 tablespoons. I serve this dish w/ home made salsa if I have time to make it, but today I used one of my favorite store bought types.

The only thing that would have made this lunch better would have been a Synergy Kambucha tea, but I settled for reverse osmosis water from the pretty crystal decanter I keep on my counter top.

There are at least seven healthy anti cancer, plant based, foods in this easy lunch. Also if you don't all ready know, grape seed oil is full of anti-oxidants. Easy to eat a delicious  rainbow and use food as medicine to prevent cancer.

Power packed anti-cancer breakfast #1

I am going to post my power meals. Really your creativity and personal tastes are your only limits to how much power you get from your food. By "power" I am referring to its ability to help you stay strong, full of energy, and fight cancer before you even know you have it.

Steel cut organic oats
1/4 tsp protein powder
hand full of your favorite nuts
hand full of your favorite fruit to sweeten- I like ripe banana for that
organic milk, almond milk  or coconut milk
dash of cinnamon

To this you can add any tincture nutrient such as B12, D3 or glutathione etc.... You can also add seeds of your choice. If you want bold flavor you can add coconut or almond oil (1/4 tsp) when you cook the oats. Be aware that if you use coconut or almond milk there is often sugar added. If you have a rushed morning you can make the oats ahead  of time and store it in the frig.

Serve with a nice cup of organic green tea steeped for 10 minutes to bring about full anti-oxidant power. I usually steep mine while I prepare the oats.

Light a candle and thank the universe for providing you with this power meal

Eat a rainbow to prevent cancer

Red fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigments called "lycopene" or "anthocyanins." Lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit, for example,  help reduce risk of several types of cancer. Lycopene in foods containing cooked tomatoes, such as spaghetti sauce, and a small amount of fat are absorbed better than lycopene from raw tomatoes. Anthocyanins in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and other fruits and vegetables act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage.  Remember it is damaged cells that turn into cancer.

These are some examples of the red group:

• Red apples
• Beets
• Red cabbage
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Pink grapefruit
• Red grapes
• Red peppers
• Pomegranates
• Red potatoes
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Scientific evidence suggests that lycopene may help prevent breast cancer. In an epidemiological study published in 2008 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," more than 84,000 postmenopausal women were followed for about seven years, while documenting their incidence of breast cancer and their intake of lycopene-rich food. The authors concluded that consuming lycopene was associated with a noticeably reduced incidence of breast cancer.

Anthocyanins may aid in the prevention of breast cancer according to a laboratory study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2010. In test-tube experiments, scientists showed that anthocyanins extracted from blueberries helped inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables are usually colored by natural plant pigments called "carotenoids." Beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, pumpkins and carrots is converted to vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Scientists have also reported that carotenoid-rich foods can help reduce risk of cancer and improve immune system function, which when operating at peak will take care of any free radicals that want to mutate health cells into cancer cells. These foods are anti inflammatory as well, which leaves  your immune system free to take care of you rather than use its energy fighting information.

Some examples of the orange/yellow group include:

• Yellow apples
• Apricots
• Butternut squash
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Yellow peppers
• Persimmons
• Pineapple
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Yellow summer or winter squash
• Sweet corn
• Sweet potatoes
• Tangerines
• Yellow tomatoes
• Yellow watermelon

I know it is a lot to absorb right? So much information is often overwhelming. I am trying my best to put it into bite size pieces here so that one can learn a bit at a time. One great suggestion came across  for simplifying what the heck to eat  was to try and have three colors of fruit or veggie with every  meal.

Next Post: Putting it all together-delicious power food recipes

Anti cancer Veggies?

Yes! Cruciform veggies contain a substance called  Indole 3-carbinol (I3C).  They also contain sulforaphane. Both of these substances are powerful anti-cancer molecules. They can detoxify certain carcinogenic substances. They prevent cancer cells from becoming tumors. They also promote cancer cell death. I3C can reduce the bad type of estrogen that fuels breast cancer. Rates of cancer are lower in countries where these veggies are used often.  Just google any of the terms above and you will find a plethora of info on the net.

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage make the short list.
Anyone interested in yummy recipes? Let me know and I can start a folder for them on the blog.

Next: Why are orange and red things good for you?

Spices for breast cancer prevention

When I started looking into way to fend off another recurrence, I was intrigued by the use of spices to enhance nutritional value of meals. Some herbs such as Turmeric are well known, but I wanted to know what else was out there that I could grow and use. Turmeric by the way if you do not know, is a powerful antiinflammatory. I like it, but one can only eat it so often and still be a happy person. So what else did I find that I like? Here is a list:

Turmeric      -antiinflammatory
Mint             -blocks cancer cells from spreading
Thyme         -blocks cancer cell from spreading
Marjoram    -blocks cancer cells from spreading
Oregano      -blocks cancer cells from spreading
Basil            -blocks cancer cells from spreading
Rosemary    -blocks cancer cells from spreading
Parsley        -inhibits  blood vessels from forming on tumors, strong anti-oxidant
Celery         -inhibits blood vessels from forming on tumors
Ginger         -inhibits blood vessels from forming on tumors, strong anti-oxidant
Garlic          -blocks cancer cells from multiplying
Onion          -blocks cancer cells from multiplying
Saffron        -inhibits blood vessels fro forming on tumors
Clove           -antiinflammatory, anti oxidant
Cinnamon    -stabilizes blood sugar
Chili             -antiinflammatory

Now, this is not a complete list. These are just the ones I have incorporated into my diet. Each one can be googled along with the word cancer and you will have plenty to read and learn about each one. I learned a few things that are interesting in addition to the list. For example,  some of them work even better when used together. Turmeric and black pepper for example seem to enhance the positive properties of each other. Garlic and onion should be cut and left to sit before using. It takes a few minutes for the chemicals that are most beneficial to come out after cutting.

Well, that is enough for one day, as this list will keep you busy. If anyone wants me to post a few recipes to demonstrate how I might use these  just ask. In the mean time, if you want to learn more about this Sloan-Kettering has a nice page on this topic. Here is a link:
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/about-herbs

Next Post: Cruciferous veggies- what the heck are they and what do they do for breast cancer?

Breast Cancer .Org members

Here is a special welcome to the ladies from Breatcancer.org. who are coming over to have a look. Thank you so much!

If you are new to breast cancer and have not found Breastcancer.org yet, I would suggest taking a peek as it is a wonderful support forum with over 100,000 member from around the globe.
 www.breastcancer.org.

Glycemic Index and breast cancer

A German biologist won the noble prize for discovering that tumors are fed by glucose. Glucose is a form of digested sugar. Most PET scans commonly use glucose to check for cancer. If an area image shows a high consumption of glucose, cancer is very likely. Glycemic index is the measure of how quickly something turns to glucose after you eat it.

When we eat sugar or things that turn to sugar, foods with a high glycemic index make the blood sugar rise rapidly. This results in the body releasing insulin, which then triggers the release of Insulinlike Growth Factor (IGF). IGF has the job of stimulating cell growth. So sugar nourishes tissues and makes them grow faster. This is why sugar can make you fat.  The other thing sugar does is promotes inflammation which is like fertilizer for tumors. There is a high incidence of cancers in the diabetic population. Studies have also shown that in areas of the world were sugar consumption is the lowest there is also a low incidence of cancer. There are currently trials with medicines that work through the glycemic path. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/compound_that_blocks_sugar_pathway_slows_cancer_cell_growth

Here is the good news. It is not the sugar itself that triggers cancer cell growth, but the IGF.  There are three  things in the diet that can help reduce the amount of insulin produced by the body when you eat sugar and carbohydrates. These are protein, fat, and fiber. When eaten along with even the simplest sugars, these three items help the body to make less insulin in response to simple sugar.If you eat sugar with some protein, some fat, or some fiber, your body won’t produce as much insulin. Eating this other food helps your body process sugar more slowly, and this means that your body does not overproduce insulin. In short, protein, fat, and fiber help your body process sugar in a more healthful way.

Next Post: anti cancer properties of spices.

Dark chocolate- My kind of Medicine

Dark chocolate, the kind that is 70% cocoa, contains a number of anti-cancer elements. It is as good for you, in this respect, as a cup of green tea or a glass of red wine. Antioxidants, proanthocyanidins and polyphenols work to slow growth of cancer cells and limit the spreading of tumors.

A mere 20 grams a day is enough to do the trick. That is the equivalent of about 1/5 of a regular size bar. I have tried several brands and I like Newman's Organic the best. It is important that you by the 70%  or higher because if you buy the ones with a ton of sugar, you will be undermining your efforts due to the fact that cancer thrives on sugar. 70% dark chocolate has a lower glycemic index than a piece of white bread. So enjoy this treat and know that you are doing something good for our body.

Next Post: What the heck is glycemic index and what does it have to do with cancer?

Green tea can beat back the breast cancer beast

Teas: Green Tea and Black tea contain certain antioxidants known as polyphenols (catechins) which  prevent cancer cells from dividing. Green tea is best, followed by our more common black tea (herbal teas do not show this benefit). According to a report in the July 2001 issue of the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, these polyphenols that are abundant in green tea, red wine and olive oil, and protect against various types of cancer.

OK so what does a polyphenol actually do? They neutralize free radicals. OK, so what the heck is a free radical? A free radical is a molecule that circulates in the body and causes damage to cell structure.  Where the heck do free radicals come from in the first place?

Free radicals are natural by-products of everyday processes in human cells. Unfortunately, you can accumulate high levels of them from air pollution, tobacco smoke, UV radiation and other environmental sources. Free radicals contain a rogue electron, making them extremely reactive and destructive. They can trigger cancer cell division.

Green tea has a special kind of polyphenals called Catechins. One of these, EGCC keeps new blood vessels from forming on cancer cells. When you drink green tea EGCC spreads through the body by means of capillary vessels. These capillaries surround and feed every cell in the body. EGCC settles on the surface of cells and blocks the switches or receptors whose function is to set off the signal that allows penetration of neighboring tissue by foreign cells such as cancer cells. It also blocks the ability of cancer cells to create new blood vessels for themselves. Once receptors are blocked they no longer respond to the orders that cancer cells send out through inflammation factors to invade tissue and make new vessels needed for tumor growth. The sneaky little bastards are stopped in their tracks.

Green tea also acts as a detoxifier for the body by activating the liver to eliminate cancerous toxins from the body more rapidly. Some studies have shown that pairing green tea with dark chocolate increases the cancer fighting ability of both green tea and the dark chocolate. Didn't know dark chocolate was good for you? Come back tomorrow and learn why.

Next post: Dark Chocolate as breast cancer medicine?

Anti cancer foods

The first thing you need to know is that much of our food in the US is very toxic. Many things put on food are banned in Europe. Surprised? Let me convince you with soy as an example. Ever notice that soy bean fields don't have weeds? There is an ugly reason why not. Before the seeds are planted they are soaked in a chemical that makes them resistant to Round Up. Yes I said Round Up. Once planted, they are sprayed with roundup and bug spray, harvested and used in a bazillion products. Yuck right? This is just one example of our government FDA being ridiculously lax. This is why it is important to eat as much organic food as you can. Or better yet, grow  your own so that you know what is, and is not, in it. Milk and meat have gross beginnings as well. Cows are fed antibiotics & growth hormones to increase muscle mass and milk production. In addition they are fed with chemically sprayed food. The fat in milk and meat has been shown to hold onto these chemicals. Ever wondr why little girls are getting boobs and menses earlier these days?

You can look at these facts and more at the Environmental Working Group web site. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ They have a list of the top contaminated foods in regard to heavy pesticide use. Eye opening to say the least.

Now let's talk a bit about cancer preventing foods. How do some foods do this? Well there are a few things. First you have to understand a bit about how estrogen plays into feeding breast cancer. I will elaborate on this another day but for now just know that there is more than one type of estrogen, and often breast tumors have what are called estrogen receptors. The tumors can actually use the bad type of estrogen to fuel cell division. Some foods contain the good estrogen, and those are thought to fill up the estrogen sites, preventing the bad estrogen from entering.

High fiber is another way to reduce bad estrogen. It scoops it up in the intestines and does not allow for it to recirculate back into the body. So we will include foods on our anti-cancer list that do this job. We also have to understand the importance of antioxidants in cancer prevention. In short, anti- oxidants prevent cell damage, which is the root of cancer. There are also foods that act as anti-inflamatories which is important as well.

You will notice, that sadly, some of the foods on the anti-cancer list are also listed as the most contaminated by the EWG. It is important to buy organic, or be willing to wash them really well. It is also leagal for food stores to spray veggies and fruit with preservatives in the warehouses to extend shelf life.

Here is a starter list:


green tea
turmeric and curry
ginger
cruciform veggies ( broccoli cauliflower, cabbage etc...)
garlic
onions
carrots
yams
sweet potato's
pumpkin
squash
tomatoes
soy
fish ( if not full of mercury)
flax
Brazil nuts
yogurt and Kifer
berries ( all kinds)
citrus
pomegranate
grapes
sea weed
leafy greens
dark chocolate (my fav)
Spice- I will include a full list later

Notice that sugar is not on this list. Sugar is cancer fuel. Another day I will talk about sugar, glycemic index and how it relates to cancer. Alcohol turns into sugar in you body. Food for thought and later discussion.

Next post: I will pick apart this anti-cancer food list and explain how each food helps to prevent cancer.

Anti-cancer lifestyle

Before being diagnosed with brest cancer, I considered myself a health nut. I thought I was doing all the right things. Eating well, getting pleanty of exercise and such was what I had learned to do to stay well. Now after a crash course in survival I realize that inspite of my best efforts, I was very ignorant to the realities of many things.

For starters, you can eat all the "healthy food" in the world , but if it is contaminated with hormones, pesticides, and preservative you are fueling the division of  cancer cells. Which, by the way, we all have. I would also enjoy a glass of wine (or 3 sometimes) and had no idea that there is a relationship between alcohol use and breast cancer. A 50% increase in risk as a matter of fact.

 Today I plan to share a  list of the things I do each day, and over the next few weeks I will talk about each one and why I do them. I will aslo try to point you to some good research regarding each item. I generally look for what are called peer reviewed journal articles. Just a fancy way of saying that there has been sound research, which has strict requirements for it to be legit, and that a panel of experts have reviewed the research to check for any possible flaws.

I consider myself a life time student in wellness, and have learned a lot about how to keep myself as well as I can. It helps my mental frame of mind to know I am doing everything in my power to head off another terrifying recurrence. There are several aspects to wellness and within each category there or sub-categories. For instance mental wellness includes, thoughts,emotions,  brain function, and beliefs- which enters into the spiritual aspects. Physical aspects include what you fuel you body with, food, drink & supplements as well as movement, which in itself has several different reasons why it is essential. And then you must also consider your environment and the people you spend time with.

Here is the list of things I consider everyday:

Food-organic, and a good dose of those foods known as anti-cancer foods (Look for more on this later. You will be shocked at what I know about our food chain). We will also look at food synergy.

Vitamin supplements ( Later I will explain each one and why they help, and the timing of taking them, in relation to maximum absorption.

Movement- Many reasons, including the essential lymph system will be explained

Light- Sunlight or full spectrum light is essential, especially for cancer patients

Air-I have 78 plants in my house, two aquariums and several fountains for moisture.

Mental-Yoga, meditation, brain exercises, spiritual practices

Skin care- Did you know that toxins also exit through skin?

Cosmetics- You won't believe what is in some of the most common things such as lotion, deodorant and more.

Water- How it has become poisoned, what you can do about it, and how it relates to PH which is very important to well being and avoiding cancer

Environment- Your home is full of toxins, I will talk about how I have been eliminating them one by one.

Medicine-Anti -hormone meds and why they are proscribed to breast cancer patients

Stress-Where do I begin? There is research to suggest that it is a key factor in breast cancer

 Immune system- How does it work or not work in relation to breast cancer?
As you can see from my list there are many things you can do to protect yourself. I encourage people to be proactive, as much as we want a cure, no one actually wants to need to be cured from breast cancer. Prevention is the key, we don't want breast cancer to start with.

Tommorow: Anti-cancer foods

Radiation therapy- a month of sadistic tourture

From the Institute of Image guided radio-therapy:

Radiation Therapy is cancer’s worst nightmare. It uses high-energy X-rays or particles to change the genetic makeup of these cells and take advantage of their rapid growth cycle. So now when they try to multiply, they die. The whole goal of radiation therapy is to damage as many cancer cells as possible, while limiting harm to healthy tissue. Since healthy cells grow and divide much slower than cancer cells, normal tissues have more time to recover and are not as adversely affected by radiation. The majority of normal cells can recover from the effects of radiation and function properly. The method used to deliver radiation depends on the treatment goal and what part of the body is involved. Some methods allow the radiation to penetrate the body more deeply, while other methods are better suited to treat smaller or larger areas. Each treatment plan is tailored to each individual patient. Radiation therapy may be used alone, or combined with surgery and/or chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy, called RADS among those of us who have endured it, is often presented as easy compared to Chemo. Some ladies have an easier time of it but most whom I have chatted with felt it was hell on earth. This is especially true for fair skinned woman.

You have to go every day and climb into a giant machine that has been programed to send beams to and area on your chest that the doctor has deemed at risk for cancer cells spreading. For me, that meant my entire right chest wall, my arm pit and up past my collar bone.  The beams themselves are painless, but after about two weeks, my fair skin looked like I had been scalded.  By the 30th treatment my skin was purple and it hurt to move. I was nauseous from pain and blistered severely.

In the weeks to follow I continued to blistered and peel. I had to sleep on my back and if I turned in my sleep the pain of rubbing a fresh burn would wake me. I was prescribed the same burn cream that 3rd degree burn patients are given. I wondered just how many layers could peel off before I was going to see bone. The flip side was, looking at that mess, I knew cancer could not have lived through that. Nothing could, and I marveled at my own  capacity to recover from so much  trauma.

Since Radiation therapy ended I have been in physical therapy. The skin and muscle were burned enough that they retracted, and everyday I have exercises that are helping regain my strength and range of motion. Like I said before, it is a long road out of purgatory.

Just so ya know. Though I may have been beat down by chemo and radiation, a week after I finished treatment I flew to Tennessee to see my lovely daughter and we hiked up a mountain to a beautiful waterfall. Fuck Cancer! ( insert image of  bird here).

Tomorrow: What else I am  doing to insure my continued wellness

Chemo Brain- What is it?

 Here is a good clinical definition:

By Mayo Clinic staff
Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, cognitive changes or cognitive dysfunction.
Though chemo brain is a widely used term, it's misleading. It's not yet clear that chemotherapy is the cause of concentration and memory problems in cancer survivors. And many cancer survivors with memory problems still score well on cognitive tests, leaving doctors wondering whether chemo brain really exists.
Despite the many questions, it's clear that the memory problems commonly called chemo brain can be a frustrating and debilitating side effect of cancer and its treatment. More study is needed to understand this condition.

Signs and symptoms of chemo brain may include:

Being unusually disorganized

Confusion

Difficulty concentrating

Difficulty finding the right word

Difficulty learning new skills

Difficulty multitasking

Fatigue

Feeling of mental fogginess

Short attention span

Short-term memory problems

Taking longer than usual to complete routine tasks

Trouble with verbal memory, such as remembering a conversation

Trouble with visual memory, such as recalling an image or list of words

Signs and symptoms of cognitive or memory problems vary from person to person and are typically temporary, often subsiding within two years of completion of cancer treatment.

Some addtional things I experienced include the following:

Black outs during active chemo and for a few days after, repeating myself because I could not remember what I had said previously, and forgetting conversations I had with family. I also experienced extreme dizziness and found my face on the cement sidewalk outside my house, without being able to recall how I fell. I could not remember my birthday, my age,  the name of my doctor, the name of the clinic, nor the names of any one I met while high on chemo. I also got lost driving more than once in my home town.

It's been 6 months since my last chemo and my brain if just now waking up. I still struggle with spacial and short term memory, but my focus is much improved. When I asked the oncology staff why I was not told about these side effects the response was, because not everyone gets them. I was aghast that I was not better prepared for such extreme side effects. Knowing  that I could continue to have symptoms up to two years has me a little freaked out,  but everyday I work on improving my brain.

People often think that once a patient is finished with the poison hell called chemo, and there is no other cancer detected, that the ordeal is over. I am here to tell you that is not true. It is a long road out of purgatory, and the exit doors are aflame. They make you stand in them for about 30 days before they let you out.

Tomorrow: Radiation therapy, a month of sadistic torture

No hair, no boobs, where is my feminine?

I think people are naturally curious. Most are also very gracious. When my hair was gone, and I would run into people who did not know I was on chemo, not one person dared mention my hair loss. I think for some, it was just to much reality, for others it elicited a fear that many woman have. The fear  that they themselves  may one day have to endure the side effects of cancer treatment.  One devistating side affect  is hair loss, another is often the loss of one or both breasts.

I remember getting out of the shower bald and breastless one day. I caught a glimpse of myself in the misty mirror. For just a moment I could see myself as a ghost. It was eerie and I said out loud " Holy shit Mer, you are beat up. " I replied to the ghost in the mirror " but I'm still standing mother fucker!"

I realized that I had picked up the sailor language of my late brother who recently passed away from cancer. I laughed out loud and thanked him for inspiring toughness in me as a child sibling. I also notice just how much I looked like him, without my breasts and hair.

I have always been a bit of a tom boy but this day, I felt like I was genderless. Just some creature transitioning through this world. I realized that much of what makes a woman feel feminine had been taken from me by the beast. Cancer has a way of stripping you down to your essence, which I found has very little to do with hair and boobs. Loosing my hair and breasts was humbling beyond words. No one ever thinks that such extreme things will happen to them and when you are wrong,  it is indeed traumatizing.

Trauma changes your perspective and deepens your thoughts about the way you spend  your life.  I have always been  a nurturer and have mothered many kids in addition to my own. My favorite role in life is that of mother. The thought of my children being orphans  strikes a raw nerve in me that makes me cry every time I think of it. It also motivates me to work hard at wellness. It was key in my decision to take a sabbatical from work and try to tweak out a life that is more in keeping with my feminine motherly instincts. They say that when a person looses one of their senses, that the others perk up and make up for it. I dare say, that loosing some of the aspects of my femininity to the beast, has most definitely perked my mothering instincts. I have also learned that darkness is always balanced with light. This, I love.



Tomorrow: The side affect no one talks about, "chemo brain"

Loosing my hair from Chemo- a spiritual epiphany

The first time I did chemo I was very lucky to not use my hair. I felt a bit smug like I had beat the odds.  Unfortunately when I had to do chemo for the second time, it was with a much more toxic cocktail and I was told without a doubt I would loose my hair. I tried to prepare the best I could with a nice collection of hats and scarves, and even a  piece of fake bangs to clip on to the front of a scarf. I thought I was as prepared as I could be, but nothing prepared me for what happened the day it came out.

I woke up to a pillow full of long blond strands. I was afraid to go look in the mirror and it took me some time to get up the courage. I was spotty with clumps still in tact but when I would  put my hand in my hair it would come away full. Looking every bit as hideous as I had imagined, I stood there stunned, suddenly full of my reality.

The wind was blowing outside so I decided to just go outside and shake my head. I went to one of my gardens where a garden angel looks after my plantings. She has hands that cup and I put a huge glob of hair there for the birds to retrieve and use for nests. I thought, something good has to come out of this very humbling experience. I did cry, and asked the universe to help me understand why this was happening to me. I felt I had already had my share of stress and hard times.

It was then that a puff of air blew a good portion of my hair into the wind. I watched it go and a profound thought came to me. If I could let go of past hurts and resentments, it would go a long way towards my total healing. Suddenly I wanted the hair off. I started rubbing my head with all my might and each time I looked up there was hair flying away. With each glance I imagined all kinds of things leaving me, hate, grudges, past indiscretions. All gone with the wind. I returned to the house bald, but with an unburdened spirit.

 I knew in an instant that I had been given a gift. Most people never have the reason to look deeply into their own soul. Breast cancer makes you do that.

Common chemo therapy drugs for breast cancer

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was suddenly faced with making some very serious decisions about which treatments I would select. The amount of information was very overwhelming and most of it written in giant scientific terms that made it hard to understand. This post will simplify the common drugs and discuss the decision making process. Most of them are called by the first initial of their name and will be administered in a variety of cocktails ( more than one at once).
Here is a list:
A: Adriamycin
C: Cytoxin
E: Ellence
F: Flurouracil
M: Methotrexate
T: Taxane

Common cocktails are: AC, TC, TAC, AT, CAF, CMF, EC, FEC

The reason these are used in combos is because each one combats cancer in a different way, and it is believed wise to hit it from several approaches at once. Most times the decision of which cocktail has two factors. The effectiveness of that cocktail, with your type of diagnosis, are weighed against the side effects. Each drug has its own set of dangers, so it is not an easy decision. I would encourage anyone facing these decisions to look up each drug and make some notes. Spend some time thinking about it before you just commit. For example, Adriamycin is known for is high risk of heart damage, yet it is highly effective.

The first time I did chemo I chose CMF mainly based on the fact that this combo is a bit milder than the others and with stage one, I figured good enough. Plus, the chances of loosing my hair with this combo was significantly less that with the others. I was scared to death of loosing my hair.

When I had a second recurrence I was really terrified that the first chemo had not worked and told the oncologist to pull out the big cannons. I decided on the Taxotere and Cytoxin combo. About the strongest combo you can get.
I almost died of the side effects after the first dose, and I did loose my hair.

Tomorrow: I will write about what it was like when I lost my hair. That experience held a secret gift.

I always thought If I got breast cancer I would just get a mastectomy.

When I was diagnosed in January of 2009 with Invasive Lobular breast cancer I did what I had always said I would. I had a double mastectomy. I was very naive and thought that would be the end of breast cancer risk for me.  It was a tall price to pay but the peace of mind it gave me was worth it. I did not do chemo or radiation as my tumor was only 1 centimeter in size. I improved my diet, my life and joined a forum that focused on natural means of cancer prevention. I was a good student and had very good self discipline. I felt lucky, and also a bit smug, like I had dodged a bullet. Recurrence rates were said to be about 1% after a double mastectomy. I knew it would not happen to me.

Much to my shock, 11 months later I found a lump in my near arm pit. A biopsy revealed that it was indeed a local recurrence. I was told that as much as they try, the surgeons never get 100% of the breast tissue during a mastectomy. It was a hard pill to swallow, looking at my chest which was now concave with huge scars. This time the cancer was less than one centimeter. I had it surgically removed and did 4 courses of Chemo. I opted out of radiation as I thought with this tiny tumor, radiation might be over kill. I was trying to take care of the cancer with as little damage to the rest of me as possible.

8 months later my worst nightmare came true when I found another lump hiding in my arm pit.

The reason I decided to write about this is because I don't want anyone else to be as naive as I was when first diagnosed. A mastectomy certainly does not guarantee that you will not have a recurrence. You must stay diligent and do exams on yourself daily. I have two doctors who did not find my lumps during examinations. Neither did they show up on mammogram or thermagram.

The best way to tell if your breasts have a problem? Check um!



Tomorrow: There are several types of chemo for breast cancer. How I made my decisions.

What are The Stages of Breast Cancer

Today I will write in simple terms what the five main stages of breast cancer are as defined by the National Breast Cancer Foundation. (Stages II and III are divided into  sub catagories of A & B depending on what is found).

One goal I have for this blog is to take hoytie-toytie scientific language and put it in simple terms for the average person to easily read and understand.

The following is a simplified list, and I should add, that among the oncology world you will find doctors who may interpret your findings slightly different and therefore may stage your cancer  slightly differently from an other's interpretation. It is not always clear cut, especially if you fall right at one of the cut off points. I have included survival rates as it is one of the first questions  I had. I also want you to know that a diagnosis of breast cancer, even in late stage, is not a death sentance. There are pleanty of things that you can do to help yourself. This blog is about survival and how to "beat back the beast."

Stage 0: Carcinoma In Situ, two types: Ductal and Lobular
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is very early cancer, but if left untreated it can spread.
Lobular carcinoma In Situ is not yet cancer but indicates  an increased risk of developing cancer
Survival is almost 100% for In Situ Carcinomas.

Stage I: Early cancer that is less than two centimeters in size and has not spread to lymph nodes or surrounding tissues. Survival rate is 98%.

Stage II:  IIa means that  the cancer is still less than two centimeters and has spread to three or less lymph nodes under the arm or means that the cancer has grown past two centimeters (but is still less than five) and has not spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.
                IIb means that the cancer is between two and five centimeters and has spread to lymph nodes or  the cancer is larger than five centimeters and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
Survival rate for II a & b is 88%.

Stage III: IIIa means the cancer is between two and five centimeters and has spread to at up to nine lymph nodes. Survival rate for IIIa is 56%.
                IIIb means cancer has spread to other tissues near the breast such as skin, ribs, muscles or lymph nodes beyond the arm pit area. Survival rate for IIIb is 49%

Stage IV: This means that cancer has spread to other organs such as liver, lungs, bones or lymph nodes above the collar bone. Survival rate for IV is 16 %.

Tomorrow's topic: Will a mastectomey get rid of Breast Cancer?

Is stage one breast cancer " no big deal?"

Stage one breast cancer, no big deal right? Caught early, chances of survival are very good. What they don't tell you is the years that follow are going to be very challenging, physically, mentally and emotionally. I am three years out from my original diagnosis of Invasive Lobular carcinoma.

There are several types of breast cancer, this is one of them. What began with a one centimeter lump on my right breast, turned into a 3 year nightmare that almost went unchecked (and would have if I had listen to the first doctor I saw about it.)

I have a story to tell about my experiences and what I have learned. My hope is that I can help others who are faced with this avoid the mistakes that I made through ignorance, misguided advise from professionals and allowing my own fear to run my thoughts.

I will be posting a plethora of topics so check back daily if you want to learn from a real life person who has lived the experience. In the mean time, if you feel a lump get it checked!

Tomorrow: What are the stages of breast cancer and what do they mean?

PTSD what is it?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-a snapshot put in layman's terms

For those of you not familiar, there is a book that therapists use to make a diagnosis called The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

The manual outlines criteria for PTSD in the following general ways.

A. A person has been exposed to a traumatic event that  involved threat of death and involved intense fear.
B.The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced by recall, dreams, feelings, distress when exposed to cues that remind  the person of the event.
C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
D.Persistent new increase in arousal including 2 or more of the following-difficulty sleeping, irritability/anger, difficulty concentrating, hyper vigilance, and aggravated startle response.
E. Duration of B,C, D for more than a month
F. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment of functioning