When I was diagnosed with breast cancer IDC (E+/P-, HER2+) stage 2a, I went with surgery, chemo, targeted therapy and Arimidex. The targeted therapy of Herceptin has been a life saver for those of us who are HER2+. I am grateful for medical research that made these good options for me. Was chemo fun, no, not at all. I have long term effects such as neuropathy, from the chemo. ~Jouska But I am here, living my life as I want. I had a friend who was diagnosed less than two years ago with Triple Negative breast cancer. She chose a “natural” approach of detox, supplements, herbs etc, refused chemo which is always indicated with TN and she died in March. She left behind a beautiful 6 year old daughter and a loving husband.
They are recovering and moving on with life slowly but surely. There are many things that can take us from this world. But breast cancer doesn’t have to be one of them. Early diagnosis, proper medical treatment and our prognosis can be very good. Talk to your oncologist, make sure he/she and you are on the same page. My oncologist was also a doctor of osteopathy and very supportive of things like massage, acupuncture, exercise and other things that helped with the effects of chemo. I think post chemo a more plant based diet can be helpful, but during chemo, you need all the protein and calories you can get. I think you can do both, with a medical-based that is the standard of care for your particular cancer and a wholistic approach towards overall wellness. Wishing you the very best.
Be Brave and take advantage of every kind of support to boost your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Although It isn’t fun and sometimes you will cry, you will discover a lot of good things about yourself and others as you travel this path.
Nothing wrong with natural remedies–iF they are “integrative” or “complementary” (supplementing state-of-the-art/standard-of-care conventional therapies without conflicting with the latter) rather than “alternative.” Those who claimed they “beat” cancer by going fully-alternative either were misdiagnosed, had exceptionally strong immune systems (“freak-of-nature,” not the kind of strength attainable by lifestyle changes) or were among the very few who had inexplicable spontaneous remissions. The latter are unpredictable and not necessarily the result of prayer or strong faith (which are coincidental, not causational).
Have a good heart-to-heart with your entire cancer team: surgeon(s), medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and primary care doc. Explain what in your life is most important to you–both now and on your bucket list. So are you saying that some “natural bio-remedies” are not so good to take? They can be harmful too? So many sites on the internet claim to heal people with cancer by detoxing, using supplements, natural herbs, and also bunch of supplements that I have never heard of, however, they seem natural and less harmful to the body than chemo. I want to build my body up not take something that weakens it. If you take chemo to kill the cancer cells and it kills the good cells ~ than how can it be helpful? I don’t understand if it makes you sick and weaker, your resistance is lowered and your immune system becomes weaker.
Look: it’s a mistake to call alternatives like herbs, “detoxes.” (a scam if ever there was one), “cleanses,” fruits & vegetables, supplements and herbs “remedies.” Something is a “remedy” only if it is proven to work. Nothing wrong with getting as much fresh or frozen produce into your diet as possible, especially if it leaves you no room for refined and processed junk foods.
Watch out for those herb side effects & supplements, though. Not all herbs are harmless (well, maybe if you EAT and fresh ones like parsley, basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, etc. or cook with culinary herbs) — those like kratom & kava kava can be contaminated or poisonous; others like vinpocetine & ginkgo biloba can increase bleeding, especially if you must be on aspirin therapy; Valerian, St. John’s Wort, Devil’s Claw, Black Cohosh, Red Clover and Lavender have an estrogenic effect–not a great idea if your cancer is estrogen-receptor positive and you must know this going into it.
Supplements are a minefield–even worthwhile vitamins & minerals are also totally unregulated as to safety & purity, much less effectiveness; the Fed. gov’t considers them “foods,” not the quasi-drugs they are. (Why? Because the supplement manufacturers are major campaign donors to a certain political party currently in control of our gov’t). Some will clash with your conventional medicines, others, like antioxidant supplements, must be avoided during chemo & radiation–yes, they protect cells against damage, but cell damage is the whole point of chemotherapy & radiation: you WANT to damage & destroy cancer cells. However, just like chemotherapy can’t kill. . . . only the cancer cells and leave healthy rapidly-dividing cells alone, antioxidants can’t protect only non-cancerous cells! (It’s okay to eat reasonable amounts of antioxidant foods–like those fruits & berries, and seasoning with turmeric but stay away from supplements).
A word about “detoxes:” bull$#*t! Your body gets rid of “toxins” via perspiration & excretion (solid & liquid). Not everything that harms the body is a “toxin,” and certainly enemas, cleanses, chelation (except under strict medical supervision, and only for heavy metals) will not “detox you.” However, If you are addicted to alcohol or recreational drugs, yes, “detoxing” is necessary. But that has utterly nothing to do with cancer!
Our instincts often tell us that because our bodies are under attack (by our own cells), we will want to prevent any further harm or pain, however temporary it may be–and too many people think that the way to do that — is to avoid any remedies that may be painful, immunosuppressive, appearance-altering, etc. and instead seek help from Mother Nature. But Mother Nature is part of science–as are climate and disease.
We all want hope. However, some think that hope can come only from prayer and natural substances.
There’s an old joke:
A huge catastrophic storm approaches a town. The mayor, governor, and weather reporters all urge folks to evacuate pronto. But one guy thinks, “No worries–God will provide.” The storm comes, and soon the street on which he lives starts flooding, up to his doorstep, and he can no longer get away using his car. Along comes a good Samaritan with a heavy-duty SUV, and offers to take him to high and dry ground. “Thanks, but no thanks–I trust in the Lord to provide.” When The waters reach halfway up the first floor, and along comes a first responder with a boat. “Climb in,” the responder says, “I’ll take you to safety.” The homeowner says, “I appreciate that, but I know God will save me.” The waters rise higher–he climbs first up to his attic and then, reluctantly, on to his roof. Soon, he hears a loud whirlwind, looks up and sees a rescue helicopter, with a basket slowly being lowered. He waves it away, saying “I survived this long, and I know God will provide.” Eventually, his house is engulfed and the floodwaters are moving so fast that he can’t stay afloat and is swept away to his death.
He finds himself at the Pearly Gates, and complains to St. Peter, “I don’t know why I’m here. I was a man of faith all my life, taught that the Lord always provides. He abandoned me.” Suddenly, from up above comes a deep, booming voice: “Who do you think sent you the people with the bulletins, SUV, boat and helicopter?!”
Think of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and all that other modern medicine has to offer as bulletins, SUVs, boats, and rescue helicopters.
Alternative medicine providers often prescribe supplements which are not good for those of us with ER/PR+ cancers. I wish I had cleared everything with my oncologist and did my research before buying all those supplements because I ended up throwing away hundreds of dollars of supplements. Some are what my oncologist knew about and advised strongly against them and some I researched myself and found that they were estrogenic. That said, food is very strong medicine. I read a book called: the Anti-cancer Diet and follow it fairly closely. I do take some vitamins and supplements that have been okayed by my oncologist.
I was very scared at first and thought there would never be a day when I would be at peace. I am three years out from diagnosis and now have times when I don’t think about cancer. I have made sure that I live life to the fullest and have plans in the works to look forward to at all times. Sometimes it is something little like dinner with a friend and sometimes it is a trip. I look ahead and find activities I want to experience and make future plans. I even did that during chemotherapy and radiation.
One might believe “cancer” does not “thrive on sugar.” ALL cells need glucose, and ALL food we eat other than fat or pure insoluble fiber is converted by the pancreas to glucose. The sugar in the PET scan dye is mixed with a purple dye for visual contrast (PET scans are color) and a radioisotope that will glow when exposed to radiation. Yes, cancer cells do absorb glucose more readily but they don’t “thrive” on it any more than do any other body cells.
The reason refined sugars & starches are bad for cancer patients (except in moderation) is that they cause inflammation. For that reason alone, they’re not great for anyone, cancer or not.
May I suggest that you read (either borrow, buy, or download) one or both of these books: “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book” (the breast cancer bible, updated almost annually, written by the pioneer of late-20th-century breast cancer surgery); and another fine book Dr. Elisa Port’s “The New Generation Breast Cancer Book.” (She’s also the surgeon who operated on Food Network’s–and First Lady of NY State–Sandra Lee). A great site for reference — and support & knowledge from those of us worldwide. Who have had many different kinds of breast cancers & treatments–is Breastcancer.org, founded & headed by Dr. Marisa Weiss, a surgical oncologist.
And also never, ever be afraid to ask questions from those on your care team. Ask if your hospital, breast center or cancer center can assign you a “nurse navigator” who will literally guide you through this confusing and stressful journey. It will be 4 years next month that I completed my treatments, and today I feel that I did make the right decision. My advice to you would be to research diet and nutrition that are helpful before, during & after chemo. Some hospitals offer nutrition counseling or classes for cancer patients that you should take advantage of. And, always stay positive, try to keep your sense of humor on difficult days, and make sure you’re comfortable with your doctors.
Check with your hospital (or the Web) to find out if there is a “cancer wellness center” or and type in your State the equivalent in your area–they give not only nutrition advice but often services such as acupuncture & massage and classes such as yoga, tai chi/qi gong, and guided meditation to help you cope and get back to feeling better.
Remember: when it comes to your health (especially cancer)…there’s no such thing as a “stupid question.” What Next – Read More 🙂
In this Facebook Live episode, Carrie Crary is Joined by Jay Rothman as she shares h0w her quality of life has been impacted by breast cancer and the choices she makes today to be her own advocate for healing from the diagnosis/prognosis. She also explains her back story of what lead to the diagnosis and choices she continues to make to not only survive but also THRIVE!