Reorganizing

The day after Christmas was my one-year anniversary of starting chemotherapy.  That seemed a pretty good day to post an update, which I was planning to do.  Except I woke up with the flu.  Again. 

A lot of resting going on
at my house these days.

November and December brought a barrage of colds and flus.  After doing so well this summer, even with the slow recovery, it was disappointing.  Moreso because I still wear the face mask everywhere!  Well, almost everywhere.  And it's the "almost" that got me into trouble.  Every time I didn't wear it, I was sick within two days.  So frustrating.  However, no storm lasts forever I kept telling myself so I was still hopeful. 

Then I hit a snag. 

A lung infection descended December 29th (along with the near-constant sinus infections).  Two rounds of antibiotics and two relapses later, I got it again Tuesday.  So I decided I had to take bigger steps and go see my oncologist (instead of the primary care doc) who could deal with my low immune situation better.  I'm glad I did.

He gave me antibiotics for longer, which have started working right away (thankfully).  But more than that, he figured my immunoglobulins are low.  And they are, it turns out.  Lower than ever.  Without enough of those workhorse antibodies, I was having too much trouble getting over the infections.
 
My immunoglobulins were low when I was diagnosed in 2013, but they got even lower from chemo which finished in June 2014.  And I suppose the immunoglobulins have to also grow back gradually, just like the lymphocytes. 



Some fall color before
the fog and cold set in.

Honestly, the relapses these past 3 weeks have been harder than chemo!  With painful body aches, lung pain, and severe nausea -- I've lost a lot of weight.  Even more than during chemo.  It's kinda strange.  Now that I think on it, I didn't lose any weight at all during chemo, which is fairly atypical to say the least. 

So I voted "yes" for the possibility of having immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy and phrased my question to my oncologist this way:  "Would it be worthwhile to have this therapy, just until I get over this illness, or until flu season is over, or until spring comes, or until I move to a warm sunny beach in Mexico -- whichever comes first!"  My body doesn't like this cold, clammy, foggy weather at all. 

So the good news is I'm going to have some immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy probably starting next week.  That means IV infusions, probably weekly.  Hopefully this will help, and not hinder (with uncomfortable side effects).  We'll see. 

In the meantime, I felt compelled -- as any of you who know me might suspect -- to do some research and see what I can do to improve my situation naturally.  Modern medicine is a beautiful thing, I'll be the first to admit.  But so is what we eat, and all that other natural and good stuff.  Walking both worlds is something I feel comfortable with, so why not use the bounty from whatever source is available.  

So I've added in two new strategies the past two days. 

1)  I was already taking colostrum powder (bovine).  Now I'm taking a heck of a lot more. Yes, it's the stuff that comes from the first two milkings of mammals for their newborn.  Colostrum includes the full spectrum of immunoglobulins, especially the IgG's and other good stuff too like proline-rich polypeptides and lactoferrin.  These are what give newborns their first immunity.  

I know that taking immunoglobulins via colostrum can make a difference (on an empty stomach of course), because in 2013 when I first found my immunoglobulins were low, after taking colostrum my levels increased.  It has to be taken frequently though because immunoglobulins get used up quickly, especially if they're called to action.

2)  Yesterday I started a new "immune smoothie" once a day.  A man name Jerry Brunnetti a few years back healed his own non-hodgkins lymphoma (similar to mine but he wasn't at Stage IV like I was at diagnosis).  Jerry was kind of a rebel and refused chemo but he used modern science to his advantage (being he was a scientist) for his own healing protocols.  This "raw" and "fat" smoothie is one of the many many things he did. 

• Raw milk - full of immunoglobulins, other good immune stuff, and enzymes to name a few.  It's not pasteurized (heated) so it's full of what it came with right out of the cow.  It only lasts about 4 days in the fridge though.
• Raw cream - I have to admit I couldn't bring myself to buy this at the food coop when I saw it was $13.49 for 8 oz!  Okay, so I'll leave out the cream.
• Raw egg - this has to be a "pastured" egg, not just organic and cage-free. An important distinction that means the chickens are actually running around outside in a pasture, eating their natural foods (bugs and things).
• Raspberries and blueberries - full of ellagic acid (cancer fighting) and very high in antioxidants.
• Green superfood powder - full of berries and grasses (phytonutrients galore).
• Coconut oil - medium-chain triglycerides good for energy needs (thyroid)
• Flaxseed oil - high in Omega 3's for inflammation
• Half a banana for a few carbs and potassium.

It actually tastes really delicious!  One note on the raw milk.  I first tried it during my second month of chemo after reading about all it's healing properties (unlike regular pasteurized and homogenized milk, even organic, which is heated and whipped to a frenzy).  I drank raw milk for the first 4-5 days after the chemo infusion for the severe indigestion and nausea.  It stopped all that pronto.  Not sure if it was the great fat in it, or what.  But knowing that I never vomited once in 6 months of chemo (without using any of the powerful anti-nausea meds) is testament enough for me. 

I sometimes wonder (with a half smile) whether some of the things I do with supplements and "strategies" might bring a full smile or even an out-loud guffaw to some of my readers.  If it entertains or amuses, I'm okay with that.  But moreso I share this information in hopes that if you know of anyone with cancer (and these days it's hard NOT to know someone with it) then it might give them something to go on.  Or come in handy in your life at some time. 

I'll probably never forget that when I first got diagnosed, not even 2 short years ago, the one thing I felt starved and absolutely desperate for, was information.  On what the possibilities were for how I could help myself.  Finding information online and in books shared by cancer survivors can be really pivotal, I found.  Some amazing books have been published recently, with more and more blogs out there too.  And now an annual cancer-healing symposium makes it's lectures (by alternative M.D.'s and others) available online.  In the near future, I'll be posting the specifics on some of these resources. 

The Buddha in my
bedroom reminds me
to look for serenity
in this process.

Anyway, as part of the follow-up plan for post-chemo, I have an exam every 3 months and a CT scan every 6 months.  The first 6-month CT scan is coming up next week.  That will show if any lymph nodes have grown since I've gone into full remission.  I realize there's still a ways to go toward full recovery (and getting my blood back to normal), but once I get through these infections, I know that I'll feel some really good progress has been made. 

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

--Adele Sonora
asonora@cal.net