The Reason For It All!

Those Voices In My Head!

Wow!  If you thought it was tough getting your head wrapped around the fact that you have a terminal cancer...it is tougher to get your head to stop thinking about a recurrence.  I stay really busy and I try to ignore those thoughts, but every time something hurts or does not feel right I think it is back.

I am concerned that if I think about it too much I am going to see it come to fruition.  You know...Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that junk.  I believe that you put your troubles in God's hands and you move on.  This is a tough one to do that with.

It Is Everywhere!

Monday, I got a call from two friends that have been diagnosed with cancer.  I know that they wanted me to give them a silver bullet to kill that cancer, but all I can tell them is that it is 50% diet, 30% attitude & 20% medical treatment.  The medical treatments are the hardest, most visible part.  It can make one sicker than they have ever been in their lives. 

Additionally, I got word that a local acquaintance passed of Ovarian cancer.  She fought it for three years.  That is what I had.  This is just a little bit too close to home. 

I mentor several other cancer patients, with all sorts of cancers at different stages.  Support in fighting this disease is hugely important.  In some case, I am the only person that these patients have to talk to.  My drive home at night is usually spent on the cell phone (I know, I know...) talking to these cancer patients. 

I cry for them and pray for them.  I am so upset for the difficult road ahead. 

MD Anderson Has It Going On!

I just heard this interview with Dr. Depinho, president of MD Anderson Cancer Center.  He talks about your Moon Shots program.  One example he gave was gaining the  knowledge that doing chemo first for ovarian cancer increases the “R0”status from 20% to 89%.  http://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2014/11/07/business-major-blues-lack-of-purpose-and-guidance?elq_cid=1283120 . 

Dr Depinho, skipped over some important details. The patient group he is talking about are those patients with very widespread, non-resectable disease. Those patients are almost impossible to surgically reduce to what he calls "R0", or no residual disease. But, if you give those patients chemo first, the burden of disease goes down and they become better candidates for surgery. And it's much easier for the surgery to be "R0".

Dr Depinho is NOT talking about all ovarian patients, only the subgroup with non-resectable disease. There are a number of papers in the literature that look at this question in a wider group of patients, and the conclusion is that chemo before surgery (neoadjuvant chemo), confers no survival advantage, unless you have non-resectable disease. Many studies have shown this to be the case. Here's an extract from a very recent paper (September 2014 issue of Gynecologic Oncology):

"The impacts of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and of debulking surgery on survival from advanced ovarian cancer"

Highlights:
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with an inferior survival compared to primary debulking surgery.
• Optimal debulking is achieved when there is no visible residual disease.
• Aggressive surgical techniques can contribute to the achievement of no residual disease.

Conclusions:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be reserved for ovarian cancer patients who are not candidates for primary debulking surgery. Among women with no residual disease after primary debulking surgery, intraperitoneal chemotherapy extends survival.

Where Did You Get That Hair?

My hair is growing in like I have never seen it.  I have the chemo curl/frizz.  When I get up in the morning I look like I have an afro.  When I get ready to go somewhere I wet it and then put a handful of goop in it.  I then twist it all over to create beautiful curls.  Everyone tells me that they love it, but I am not thrilled with it.  I remember the days of the long straight hair that was put up in a pony tail when it was not cooperating.  This mess takes a lot of work.

Most people want to know if I will keep it short.  Heck! No!  I am not sitting for an hour or two every few weeks to get a hair cut.  I want it to grow as long as it can.  Since I don't have any grey hair I can grow it out and donate it to "Locks of Love".  They make wigs for children with medical issues.  I did that when I cut it for preparation for chemo.  I am sure that some child somewhere in this world is loving shiny new wig. 

GMOs - Genetically Modified Organisms

Did you know how much of our food is genetically modified with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals? The chemical out put of these genetically modified foods are carcinogenic (cancer causing). 

Here are a few of the foods to stay away from.

" The most common GMOs are soy, cotton, canola, corn, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, alfalfa, and squash (zucchini and yellow)."

 "Cereals, snack bars, snack boxes, cookies, processed lunch meats, and crackers all contain large amounts of high risk food ingredients. In North America, over 80% of our food contains GMOs. If you are not buying foods that are Non-GMO Project Verified, most likely GMOs are present at breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

It is a daunting task to figure out the right way to eat.  You think that you are doing the right thing, but then you find out that your food (veggies) are poisoning you.  We all know to stay away from sugar, fried and processed food, but now we can't eat what we thought was good wholesome food.

Ugh!