Alternative therapy and the hippy in me

You would think growing up in Santa Cruz California I would be all over the concept of alternative medicine. The closest I ever came to that was when I walked into the Cooper House on the Pacific Garden Mall and would stop at the incense store. I also thought this stuff was hookahs pokas. Now I've started to rethink all the alternative medicine.

I have found a woman locally who is a certified homeopathic nutritionist. Leni Felton CCN. She is helping me get my body ready for chemo and endure chemo. The alternative medicine she suggests will be in addition to the chemo regimen and side effect drugs prescribed for me. Her purpose is to have my body and internal organs be able to accept the drugs, process, and eliminate then in a timely and effective manner. She also will suggest a diet that will allow the chemo drugs to be processed and eliminated in an efficient manner with less strain on my body.

I filled out a questionnaire that covered all my past illnesses and surgeries. My diet, liquid intake, bowel movement (cancer and the baggage it brings seems to allow you share everything with everyone), allergies, mental state, etc., etc. She also is asking to have additional blood work info done. She wants to have a blood test done that shows the level and various types of toxins in my blood stream. It seems my fat tissue stores toxins from over 30 some years ago. Interesting concept since maybe this might open more of a reason of why 2 breast cancers in 3 years...but then again if it was this simple to determine breast cancer, we wouldn't get breast cancer.

I have started working on making my body drain, not cleanse but drain. There are certain things I am to do and consume every day to help my internal organs become used to this process and to make my organs  "clean" before chemo starts. I will have to drink 4 quarts of liquid a day. This is a mix of a 1 quart water, 1 quart drainage brew ( 1 quart water, fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon, stevia for taste, and pinch of cayenne (this is to stop after chemo starts)), and 1 quart tea (nettle tea), and 1 quart whatever liquid. That's a lot of liquid and a lot of bathroom stops.

My diet 3 days before and after chemo is to consist of no meat protein. I am also to move away from gluten  and dairy products. All this is so my stomach, liver, kidney, colon, and lymph system can pass the chemo drugs more easily through my body. So what does this leave me to eat? I was getting hungry just thinking about this! Lots of vegetables, legumes, whey protein, fruit, fish. I can drink almond milk for my calcium needs. I already juice with Frank so we will still have our 2 glasses of fresh pressed veggie juice. We juice green apples, carrots, beets, celery, parsley, kale, spinach, 1" of fresh ginger. We add raw honey to keep the enzymes of the veggies fresh...this will stop once chemo begins since the raw honey may have germs that I can not fight off.

Leni has also suggested a caster oil pack once a day. This is where I laugh to myself because I feel like a quack but if it works it can't hurt.... So you get a wool piece of material (purchase at a health food store) and soak it in castor bean oil. Place this piece of material over your liver, layer with a plastic cover ( you can buy this caster oil pack that velcros around your body) and a warm compress on top of the plastic. What does this do? It is suppose to cause the oil to be absorbed into the body and allows your organs and lymph system to drain. How does it work...I really don't know other then I have researched it and it seems to be on the up and up. I am to lay down for an hour while this soaks in. I then am to transfer to my back area or my kidneys and do the same. Where in the day I'm supposed to find time to do this, I don't know but I'll make time right before bed. Weird but I'll give it a try.

Leni has given me mineral/plant derivative drops as well that I am to use. These again work with my body to help my body move the chemo drugs efficiently through. Am I just going to take her word on all this stuff? No. I am going to make a copy of all the minerals and what their make up is and send it to the oncologist. The last thing I want is to do something that inhibits the chemo drugs from working their magic 100% or to cause an allergic reaction. She has suggested the following: Unda 20, Unda 2, Unda 48, Unda 243, and Itires Oral drops.
I also will continue with my tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil and I am now taking probiotic pills. There are so many articles on the web about Flax Seed oil and Probiotics that you can easily research the various reasons why it won't hurt to try it.
Another therapy mentioned is acupuncture. There recently was an article that mentioned acupuncture helps women who are taking Tamoxifen with their heat flashes. There has been some research to show it also helps with chemo side effects. Even though I have birthed 4 children (one being 10lbs, 9oz- my badge of glory) the thought of needles being stuck in me is not my idea of a good time...who knows maybe I will give it whirl.
There also is another alternative therapy called cranial manipulation. It has not been proven to cure cancer but rather help people who have cancer relax. Depending on which website you read, some do swear that it does something to the body and others suggest it's just another "in your head" therapies. Whichever, if it helps, find someone who specializes in it and do it. I have made contact with someone in Lafayette who does this but right now I'm kinda over my self prescribed alternative medicine limit so maybe I'll wait on this one.
Of course the topic comes up, how about getting a medical marijuana card? At this point, I think I'll pass.

There have been some folk remedies that I remember as a kid that are coming back to haunt me as I learn more about the homeopathic way. As a kid both Frank and I remember using a wool sock tied around our throats to make our sore throats feel better...wool is a natural heat insulator. It holds heat better then cotton so the heat on the throat helped a sore throat, or so we thought because that's what our parents said, and that's what their parents told them. Maybe it was because both sets of parents grew up on farms that they were familiar with this type of home remedy and it was used generation after generation. Who knows, but I never did think the sock helped, it just made my neck itch. Another folk remedy I remember as a kid was honey for sore throats.  I remember it soothing the scratchy throat. This did help and I still use it to this day. The woman at the health food store also suggested adding raw honey to our juice to help keep the enzymes of the veggies from deteriorating, interesting fact...
I do have to say, since I have changed my diet, started juicing, exercising more, my hair is really healthy and strong. My nails which used to be brittle are also stronger and growing...to the point I've had to cut them which I never used to do since they would just break. Maybe it was the strong antibiotics, maybe it is my diet now what ever it is I do feel sad that I'm going to miss this feeling of feeling good. Yes the coconuts are an ever present feeling on my chest but even the tightness of them has started to be less noticeable.
I can only hope everything I'm doing now is going to help me get through the next few months of chemo and after that radiation.

I've started "the haircuts". I've cut my hair now in an A line cut. The back of my neck is cold! Next week I go real short and once I start to lose my hair, Grant has called dibs on shaving my head. That will be odd since I'm usually the one shaving his head for swimming. I know my hair will grow back once it is all done. So, on the road to chemo start...