Okay, what I'm about to talk about now may be considered crazy. If I hadn't spoken with real people who actually did this stuff and received positive results, I probably wouldn't believe it myself.
A few months ago, I was doing some research on alternative cancer treatment and discovered something called Vitamin B17. This is a vitamin (that mainstream medicine will argue is not actually a vitamin) that is also referred to as "laetrile" and contains the same cancer-fighting abilities as "apricot seeds". Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I only wish I had seriously considered this alternative treatment early in my husband's diagnosis. Maybe we'd be through with cancer by now if I had taken it seriously and done my homework sooner. In the last few months I have come to learn that those treatments that the "establishment" vigorously refutes are the ones we need to be paying closer attention to.
Vitamin B17 (or Laetrile or Amygdalin or Apricot Seeds) works like this. And please, do your own research in addition to reading up on mine. This is just a sampling of information that I've found. A lot of what I'm about to say is going to sound far-fetched. But please don't discount it. For the sake of your loved one with cancer, please continue reading, do a little research to connect the dots and then make a decision as to whether this alternative treatment is for you. Believe me, I wish I had done that a year ago before my husband had a second surgery on his cancer. If we had, I'm convinced he would have been cancer-free by this time.
In 1952, a biochemist named Dr. Ernst Krebb, Jr. in San Francisco decided that cancer was a metabolic reaction to a poor diet, and a missing nutrient from modern man's diet could be the key to overcoming cancer. His research led to a compound found in over 1200 edible plants throughout nature. That compound is amagdylin.
Amagdylin is found with the highest concentration and necessary enzymes in apricot seed kernels. A primitive tribe, the Hunzas, were known to consume large amounts of apricot seed kernels. The hard pit had to be broken to get into the soft kernels. There was no incidence of cancer with them at all, ever. And they had long, healthy life spans. Laetrile was created by simply extracting amagdylin from the soft apricot kernels, purifying it and putting it into a concentrated form.
Amagdylin is a nitrioloside. Nitriolisides are difficult to categorize since they are in foods but not foods themselves. As a nitrioloside, amagdylin resembled the B complex structures, so Dr. Krebb called it B17 since by that time 16 types of B vitamins had been isolated.
Dr. Krebb injected himself with laetrile to ensure there would be no toxic side effects. He conducted further lab animal and culture experiments to conclude that laetrile would be effective in the treatment of cancer. By the way, the FDA standard for drug safety is known as LD 50, LD stands for lethal dose, and the 50 is the percentage threshold of lab animals poisoned to death by the drug tested. As long as the percentage killed is under 50%, FDA will approve it!
Since laetrile is derived directly from a food substance in nature and not chemically developed in a laboratory, it is impossible to patent. And of course it's not toxic. In other words, just as with all natural healing substances, Big Pharma and the AMA can't make a fortune from the substance and from the remedies for the long term side effects. There have been several testimonies from cancer victims who cured themselves by chewing large quantities of the apricot seeds alone.
The seeds are more available to consumers now than laetrile because in 1971 the FDA banned laetrile. Laetrile is difficult, but not impossible, to purchase. The seeds are actually the soft almond shaped, bitter tasting kernels from inside the pits. A few users prefer extracting those soft kernels from the pits themselves. But the soft kernels are available and inexpensive.
So How Does It Work?
Amagdylin contains four substances. Two are glucose; one is benzaldyhide, and one is cyanide. Yes, cyanide and benzaldyhide are poisons if they are released or freed as pure molecules and not bound within other molecular formations. Many foods containing cyanide are safe because the cyanide remains bound and locked as part of another molecule and therefore cannot cause harm.
There is even an enzyme in normal cells to catch any free cyanide molecules and to render them harmless by combining them with sulfur. That enzyme is rhodanese, which catalyzes the reaction and binds any free cyanide to sulfur. By binding the cyanide to sulfur, it is converted to a cyanate which is a neutral substance. Then it is easily passed through the urine with no harm to the normal cells.
But cancer cells are not normal. They contain an enzyme that other cells do not share, beta-glucosidase. This enzyme, virtually exclusive to cancer cells, is considered the "unlocking enzyme" for amagdylin molecules. It releases both the benzaldyhide and the cyanide, creating a toxic synergy beyond their uncombined sum. This is what the cancer cell's beta-glucosidase enzyme does to self destruct cancer cells.
Amagdylin or laetrile in conjunction with the protective enzymes in healthy cells and the unlocking enzymes in cancer cells is thus able to destroy cancer cells without jeopardizing healthy cells. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, kills a lot of other cells and diminishes one's immune system while killing an undetermined amount of cancer cells. Laetrile has been one of the most demonized alternative treatments in this country. Hundreds of doctors have had their offices closed and been run out of business because they insisted on using this effective treatment for their patients. In fact, it's still used in Mexico and Germany as one of the most popular treatments and most effective.
Now, before my husband and I decided to try this treatment, we finally found a website that listed the first and last names of people who had written testimonials on the effectiveness of Vitamin B17 or apricot seeds for their own cancer diagnoses. The website we saw the testimonials on is 1cure4allcancer.com/testimonies.html.
I spoke with a man whose wife had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer back in 2001. He doesn't remember what stage she was diagnosed with but, suffice it to say the situation was pretty dire because her CEA rate (cancer rate, look it up) was in 900 something. Unfortunately, this gentleman had just lost his job and they had NO health insurance. After she was operated on, the doctors discharged her and basically told her to get her affairs in order, as they had no insurance to pay for chemotherapy. This gentleman was told by a friend about apricot seeds and since they had no other alternative, they both began having apricot seeds every day for months. Several months later she was pronounced cancer-free. I spoke with this man for about an hour one day. We cried together, prayed together and laughed together. I have met so many Godly people on this cancer journey that I feel so blessed to have met.
Anyway, after speaking with this gentleman and reading a ton of stuff on apricot seeds, amygdalin, laetrile, b17, we decided it wouldn't hurt to try it. So far, Ron has been using B17 AND apricot seeds for about two months now. That, in addition to two other substances that I will talk about in another post, and a week after we started them, he was due for a Scan. I was upset because the Scan was scheduled only a week after we started the alternative stuff and less than a week after he had finished a 3-month round of chemo. I thought it was too soon to get any measurable results and if there were no real results, I was afraid he would get discouraged, lose faith and stop everything. Well, I was wrong.
The results of the Scan showed that his cancer had diminished by 50% in every location! The cancer had spread to his liver and those tumors were reduced 50%. The cancer that had spread to his peritoneal cavity (abdominal lining) were also reduced by 50%! This is significant because it was believed that because the abdominal cavity does not have any blood vessels that serve that particular area, it was believed that the chemo wouldn't reach that area. In this type of cancer, that's the challenge, that the chemo can't get to that area because of the lack of blood vessels there that the chemo can be carried into. That's why people with his type of cancer usually have an 18 to 2-year survival rate.
Now, I'm not going to say that these seeds and B17 is the reason that his cancer is diminishing. We've done a few other things that may be responsible for this, Reiki, positive thinking, prayer, Carnivora, DMSO, H202. I'll talk about these in the next few posts. But I do believe that all of these things may be the reason why things are looking up! Never give up hope!!
Next: More about Carnivora, DMSO and H202!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Understanding the Nature of Cancer Cells
So, if you've done any reading at all about the nature of cancer cells, you may have discovered that they are what's called "anaerobic". What this means is that glucose (sugar) can enter the cancer cells and cause them to multiply out of control, but oxygen cannot. The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar. All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs mainly by fermentation. That's a fancy way of saying that cancer cells are able to multiply so rapidly because they rely on sugar to multiply rather than on oxygen. That's why you'll see a lot of talk about changing the diet of a cancer patient to one that's mostly (80%) vegetables and fruit - and some organic meat for protein purposes.
So, based on what I've just said, it should now make sense to you why someone who is fighting cancer should not be eating anything that contains sugar. I know that's hard to do, since most if not all carbs break down to sugar. But if the majority of your diet is vegetables (veggie shakes, big salads, wheatgrass), you're on the right track because you're not feeding the cancer cells thus causing them to multiply. Cancer thrives on cooked foods rather than raw foods because cooking destroys enzymes and other heat-sensitive vitamins that are destroyed when cooked. Cancer also thrives on sugar, hence the "cancer diet". I won't go too much into the cancer diet because there's a ton of information out there on this subject - just Google "cancer diet" and you will find out all you need to know. Keep in mind that there is lots of information on the internet claiming that this information (or any information relating to alternative cancer cures) is a fraud. The "establishment" will do all it can to debunk any rumors of alternative methods of cancer cure because there's essentially no money in the cure, but there's tons of money in the treatment.
This understanding of how cancer cells operate was discovered by a gentleman named Dr. Otto Warburg, a biochemist who won a Nobel Prize for his research into cancer. He won this award in 1931 and it's sad to me that rather than spending untold amounts of money on poisons for killing cancer (and invariably killing the cancer patient as well), Dr. Warburg's theory on how cancer metabolizes in the body was not pursued. More on how to get inside those cancer cells in the next article.
So, based on what I've just said, it should now make sense to you why someone who is fighting cancer should not be eating anything that contains sugar. I know that's hard to do, since most if not all carbs break down to sugar. But if the majority of your diet is vegetables (veggie shakes, big salads, wheatgrass), you're on the right track because you're not feeding the cancer cells thus causing them to multiply. Cancer thrives on cooked foods rather than raw foods because cooking destroys enzymes and other heat-sensitive vitamins that are destroyed when cooked. Cancer also thrives on sugar, hence the "cancer diet". I won't go too much into the cancer diet because there's a ton of information out there on this subject - just Google "cancer diet" and you will find out all you need to know. Keep in mind that there is lots of information on the internet claiming that this information (or any information relating to alternative cancer cures) is a fraud. The "establishment" will do all it can to debunk any rumors of alternative methods of cancer cure because there's essentially no money in the cure, but there's tons of money in the treatment.
This understanding of how cancer cells operate was discovered by a gentleman named Dr. Otto Warburg, a biochemist who won a Nobel Prize for his research into cancer. He won this award in 1931 and it's sad to me that rather than spending untold amounts of money on poisons for killing cancer (and invariably killing the cancer patient as well), Dr. Warburg's theory on how cancer metabolizes in the body was not pursued. More on how to get inside those cancer cells in the next article.
First, I must apologize
Hi, there!
I must first apologize for not writing anything in, wow, 7 months. I've been struggling with motivation since Ron's major surgery in December.
Please understand, the reason I started this blog was to share information that I'd learned in my cancer research. I have learned a lot and the main thing I want to do is help other people with it. I have paralegal training and the one thing I'm quite skilled at is research. My problem is that when I'm not motivated, I'm discouraged from writing. I also have this idea that if I put certain negative emotions "out there in the universe" it will give energy to those negative thoughts and somehow make them come to pass. So, for the last 7 months we have been on a roller-coaster of emotions. Some due to setbacks that we've experienced in Ron's treatment, and others due to good news and new things we've learned about that I feel compelled to share, regardless of the eventual outcome. The next few posts will detail products that we have discovered, after speaking with several people who CURED THEIR OWN CANCERS (yes, I said it!!) using alternative methods. So far, we have had some great success which we feel are due to probably a combination of traditional treatments (chemo, surgery) and alternative methods. Since he has opted to do both simultaneously (chemo AND alternative treatments), we cannot say with absolute certainty which has been more effective. This information is too life-changing NOT to share. So, here we go!
I must first apologize for not writing anything in, wow, 7 months. I've been struggling with motivation since Ron's major surgery in December.
Please understand, the reason I started this blog was to share information that I'd learned in my cancer research. I have learned a lot and the main thing I want to do is help other people with it. I have paralegal training and the one thing I'm quite skilled at is research. My problem is that when I'm not motivated, I'm discouraged from writing. I also have this idea that if I put certain negative emotions "out there in the universe" it will give energy to those negative thoughts and somehow make them come to pass. So, for the last 7 months we have been on a roller-coaster of emotions. Some due to setbacks that we've experienced in Ron's treatment, and others due to good news and new things we've learned about that I feel compelled to share, regardless of the eventual outcome. The next few posts will detail products that we have discovered, after speaking with several people who CURED THEIR OWN CANCERS (yes, I said it!!) using alternative methods. So far, we have had some great success which we feel are due to probably a combination of traditional treatments (chemo, surgery) and alternative methods. Since he has opted to do both simultaneously (chemo AND alternative treatments), we cannot say with absolute certainty which has been more effective. This information is too life-changing NOT to share. So, here we go!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
What the Body Needs
One of the first things I learned about "how cancer works" is what the body is deficient in when someone is first diagnosed. Due to the lack of a sufficient amount of vitamins in the body (mainly because our food is largely "synthetic" and often has no nutritional value whatsoever, in many cases), we are creating an environment that is ripe for disease and illness to take root and wreak havoc.
There are several things that one must do in order for our bodies to work at optimal levels to fight off disease and the damage caused by "free radicals" and other things that exist to cause disease and illness.
1. Sufficient levels of Vitamin D
So what are sufficient levels of Vitamin D, you say? That's a great question and a TOUGH question to answer. The truth is, most doctors have no idea how much vitamin D a person needs to maintain optimal health. One thing we can point to is society's aversion to the natural vitamin D which you can receive from the sun. Remember (for those of us who are a little older) when your mother used to tell you to go outside and "get some sun"? That's something we don't hear as often. There have been many studies done that show most kids are opting to stay inside online or playing random video games, rather than playing outside and getting the necessary exposure to the sun's natural vitamin D. In the summertime if they do get outside we often slather them with tons of sunscreen to "protect" them from the sun's rays. It may be that we are overprotecting ourselves from the sun and as a result, we are all largely deficient in this necessary natural nutrient. So, it's a good idea to get at least 30 minutes of sun in the early afternoon. Here is a link to a great article by Dr. Mercola that explains how "Daily Sunlight Can Keep Cancer Away"
2.
Antioxidants and "Free Radicals"
What are "Antioxidants"? They are molecules that prevent free radicals from harming healthy tissue in our bodies. What are "free radicals" you say? In a nutshell, they are molecules in the body that are responsible for aging, tissue damage and possibly some diseases. Think of antioxidants as the opposite of free radicals. Antioxidants are found in fresh vegetables and fruits, particularly foods high in vitamins A, E and betacarotene the molecules of which act like a giant boulder in the path of free radicals stopping them from causing tons of damage in our bodies. It's much better to get our antioxidants from a balanced diet, rather than from vitamin supplements, because our bodies absorb them more easily. Veggies and fruits that are rich in antioxidants are things like blueberries, kiwi, pineapples, grapefruit, strawberries, kale, red cabbage, peppers, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, ginger, reed beets, apricots, prunes, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, barley, oats, corn, cinnamon and oregano, just to name a few. And it's best to try and eat many of these foods raw, since it's been said that cooking removes a lot of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals. See this article for more info on "The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet"
Free radicals can cause premature aging, tissue damage and, conceivably, disease and illnesses. If your body is getting enough antioxidants, they can really go to work minimizing the damage caused by free radicals. So, "Antioxidants - good, Free Radicals - bad!"
3. Immune System Support
One of the most important things to remember in fighting cancer (or trying to stay healthy so as not to suffer from this disease) is to sufficiently arm the body's immune system. If your diet routinely consists of a log of the above foods, then relax, you're on the right track! With the addition of high-quality protein and as much filtered water (more about the best type of water in another article) as you can drink, you're well on your way to flooding your body with everything it needs to function at an optimal level.
However, if you're like most of us, you probably don't eat a diet high in all these foods. So, what can you do? Well, there are several vitamins that can help support the immune system. Some of the ones that have some cancer-fighting properties are:
* IP6+Inositol - This vitaminis a naturally-occurring carbohydrate that exists in most mammals already. Based on studies done, it was determined that IP6+ Inositol has definitive anti-cancer properties. You can read about one such study here
When I read about this particular vitamin, I was amazed at the fact that it is a
potent antioxidant, that supports healthy renal function, promotes heart health, and helps maintain normal glucose metabolism. It's also a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium that supports and maintains strong, healthy bones. BUT what I found particularly impressive was the bountiful information that exists demonstrating that IP6+Inositol is effective in inhibiting cancer cell growth. It helps increase "natural killer cell" activity which basically means it helps the body to heal itself. Read more about the studies done on IP6+Inositol at the website of the physician who created it, Dr. Shamsuddin, here
There are several website that we purchase IP6 from and they can be found here: http://www.luckyvitamin.com/search.aspx?search=1&UrlSearchTerm=IP6
** CoQ10 - This is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in our bodies and also found in fish and some meats. It's proven beneficial for the cardiovascular ailments, including congestive heart failure and hypertension and has even shown some benefit for controlling cholesterol and diabetes. Studies have been done that suggest Coenzyme Q10, which is an enzyme that speeds up the rate at which natural chemical reactions take place in cells of the body. The body’s cells use Coenzyme Q10 to make energy needed for the cells to grow and stay healthy. The body also uses CoQ10 as an antioxidant. An antioxidant, you will remember, is a substance that protects cells from chemicals called free radicals. Free radicals can damage DNA. Genes, which are pieces of DNA, tell the cells how to work in the body and when to grow and divide. Damage to DNA has been linked to some kinds of cancer. By protecting cells against free radicals, antioxidants help protect the body against cancer. CoQ10 is found in most body tissues. The highest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The lowest amounts are found in the lungs. The amount of coenzyme Q10 in tissues decreases as people get older. Low blood levels of CoQ10 have been found in people with with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck. So it stands to reason that CoQ10 could be helpful in stopping cancer cells from growing, in addition to boosting the immune system and helping the body fight infection when undergoing traditional cancer treatment.
*** Alpha Lipoic Acid - this is another antioxidant that is found in many types of vegetables and some red meat. It is also another naturally-occurring nutrient that the body actually produces less of as we age. Since this is another antioxidant it may help prevent the development of progression of cancer. In some cases, it's been known to cause cancer cells to self-destruct, called cell apoptosis. Alpha lipoic acid can also help with the harmful side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is known to damage nerve cells in the body which is called peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy results in pain, tingling or other abnormal sensations in the hands in feet. Alpha lipoic acid helps protest the nerves in the body, leading to reduced incidences of peripheral neuropathy.
**** YES Ultimate Minerals and Ultimate Essential Fatty Acids - these vitamins and minerals are considered "super foods". They contain organic herbs that help fight fatigue, boost your immune system, improve circumation and even reduce allergy symptoms. Basically, they contain organic safflower and sunflower oil and Evening Primrose oil which are excellent sources of "parent" Omega 6 as well as organic flax oil for "parent" omega 3. Remember when people raved about omega 3 fish oil tablets? Well, if you can believe it these nutritional supplements are even better. They are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect as well. You can learn more about these vitamins here http://www.yes-supplements.com/testimonials.html
4. Something else we learned about is something called wheatgrass. Wheatgrass has been around for several years but it still seems to be a pretty well-kept secret. It is known to help build up the red blood cell count as well as delivering necessary oxygen and other nutrients to the body's cells. It also helps detox the body by removing thousands of toxins from the cells. It helps boost the body's immune system and contains many vitamins such as B, C, E, H and K as well as 90 different minerals that are very alkalising for the body which is really important when you're fighting cancer (more about alkalizing the body in another article). It's also not a bad to add lemongrass and barleygrass to the mix in order to get an even wider range of health benefits. Remember, wheatgrass may not be very tasty, but mixing a spoonful into a glass of juice three times a day ensure you're receiving the health benefits of three large salads every day!
These are just some of the health benefits of nutritional supplements. Stay tuned for more information on what it means to alkalize the body (as opposed to acidifying) and what we can do on a regular basis to help maintain a healthy balance of alkaline and acid in our bodies!
There are several things that one must do in order for our bodies to work at optimal levels to fight off disease and the damage caused by "free radicals" and other things that exist to cause disease and illness.
1. Sufficient levels of Vitamin D
So what are sufficient levels of Vitamin D, you say? That's a great question and a TOUGH question to answer. The truth is, most doctors have no idea how much vitamin D a person needs to maintain optimal health. One thing we can point to is society's aversion to the natural vitamin D which you can receive from the sun. Remember (for those of us who are a little older) when your mother used to tell you to go outside and "get some sun"? That's something we don't hear as often. There have been many studies done that show most kids are opting to stay inside online or playing random video games, rather than playing outside and getting the necessary exposure to the sun's natural vitamin D. In the summertime if they do get outside we often slather them with tons of sunscreen to "protect" them from the sun's rays. It may be that we are overprotecting ourselves from the sun and as a result, we are all largely deficient in this necessary natural nutrient. So, it's a good idea to get at least 30 minutes of sun in the early afternoon. Here is a link to a great article by Dr. Mercola that explains how "Daily Sunlight Can Keep Cancer Away"
2.
Antioxidants and "Free Radicals"
What are "Antioxidants"? They are molecules that prevent free radicals from harming healthy tissue in our bodies. What are "free radicals" you say? In a nutshell, they are molecules in the body that are responsible for aging, tissue damage and possibly some diseases. Think of antioxidants as the opposite of free radicals. Antioxidants are found in fresh vegetables and fruits, particularly foods high in vitamins A, E and betacarotene the molecules of which act like a giant boulder in the path of free radicals stopping them from causing tons of damage in our bodies. It's much better to get our antioxidants from a balanced diet, rather than from vitamin supplements, because our bodies absorb them more easily. Veggies and fruits that are rich in antioxidants are things like blueberries, kiwi, pineapples, grapefruit, strawberries, kale, red cabbage, peppers, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, ginger, reed beets, apricots, prunes, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, barley, oats, corn, cinnamon and oregano, just to name a few. And it's best to try and eat many of these foods raw, since it's been said that cooking removes a lot of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals. See this article for more info on "The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet"
Free radicals can cause premature aging, tissue damage and, conceivably, disease and illnesses. If your body is getting enough antioxidants, they can really go to work minimizing the damage caused by free radicals. So, "Antioxidants - good, Free Radicals - bad!"
3. Immune System Support
One of the most important things to remember in fighting cancer (or trying to stay healthy so as not to suffer from this disease) is to sufficiently arm the body's immune system. If your diet routinely consists of a log of the above foods, then relax, you're on the right track! With the addition of high-quality protein and as much filtered water (more about the best type of water in another article) as you can drink, you're well on your way to flooding your body with everything it needs to function at an optimal level.
However, if you're like most of us, you probably don't eat a diet high in all these foods. So, what can you do? Well, there are several vitamins that can help support the immune system. Some of the ones that have some cancer-fighting properties are:
* IP6+Inositol - This vitaminis a naturally-occurring carbohydrate that exists in most mammals already. Based on studies done, it was determined that IP6+ Inositol has definitive anti-cancer properties. You can read about one such study here
When I read about this particular vitamin, I was amazed at the fact that it is a
potent antioxidant, that supports healthy renal function, promotes heart health, and helps maintain normal glucose metabolism. It's also a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium that supports and maintains strong, healthy bones. BUT what I found particularly impressive was the bountiful information that exists demonstrating that IP6+Inositol is effective in inhibiting cancer cell growth. It helps increase "natural killer cell" activity which basically means it helps the body to heal itself. Read more about the studies done on IP6+Inositol at the website of the physician who created it, Dr. Shamsuddin, here
There are several website that we purchase IP6 from and they can be found here: http://www.luckyvitamin.com/search.aspx?search=1&UrlSearchTerm=IP6
** CoQ10 - This is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in our bodies and also found in fish and some meats. It's proven beneficial for the cardiovascular ailments, including congestive heart failure and hypertension and has even shown some benefit for controlling cholesterol and diabetes. Studies have been done that suggest Coenzyme Q10, which is an enzyme that speeds up the rate at which natural chemical reactions take place in cells of the body. The body’s cells use Coenzyme Q10 to make energy needed for the cells to grow and stay healthy. The body also uses CoQ10 as an antioxidant. An antioxidant, you will remember, is a substance that protects cells from chemicals called free radicals. Free radicals can damage DNA. Genes, which are pieces of DNA, tell the cells how to work in the body and when to grow and divide. Damage to DNA has been linked to some kinds of cancer. By protecting cells against free radicals, antioxidants help protect the body against cancer. CoQ10 is found in most body tissues. The highest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The lowest amounts are found in the lungs. The amount of coenzyme Q10 in tissues decreases as people get older. Low blood levels of CoQ10 have been found in people with with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck. So it stands to reason that CoQ10 could be helpful in stopping cancer cells from growing, in addition to boosting the immune system and helping the body fight infection when undergoing traditional cancer treatment.
*** Alpha Lipoic Acid - this is another antioxidant that is found in many types of vegetables and some red meat. It is also another naturally-occurring nutrient that the body actually produces less of as we age. Since this is another antioxidant it may help prevent the development of progression of cancer. In some cases, it's been known to cause cancer cells to self-destruct, called cell apoptosis. Alpha lipoic acid can also help with the harmful side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is known to damage nerve cells in the body which is called peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy results in pain, tingling or other abnormal sensations in the hands in feet. Alpha lipoic acid helps protest the nerves in the body, leading to reduced incidences of peripheral neuropathy.
**** YES Ultimate Minerals and Ultimate Essential Fatty Acids - these vitamins and minerals are considered "super foods". They contain organic herbs that help fight fatigue, boost your immune system, improve circumation and even reduce allergy symptoms. Basically, they contain organic safflower and sunflower oil and Evening Primrose oil which are excellent sources of "parent" Omega 6 as well as organic flax oil for "parent" omega 3. Remember when people raved about omega 3 fish oil tablets? Well, if you can believe it these nutritional supplements are even better. They are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect as well. You can learn more about these vitamins here http://www.yes-supplements.com/testimonials.html
4. Something else we learned about is something called wheatgrass. Wheatgrass has been around for several years but it still seems to be a pretty well-kept secret. It is known to help build up the red blood cell count as well as delivering necessary oxygen and other nutrients to the body's cells. It also helps detox the body by removing thousands of toxins from the cells. It helps boost the body's immune system and contains many vitamins such as B, C, E, H and K as well as 90 different minerals that are very alkalising for the body which is really important when you're fighting cancer (more about alkalizing the body in another article). It's also not a bad to add lemongrass and barleygrass to the mix in order to get an even wider range of health benefits. Remember, wheatgrass may not be very tasty, but mixing a spoonful into a glass of juice three times a day ensure you're receiving the health benefits of three large salads every day!
These are just some of the health benefits of nutritional supplements. Stay tuned for more information on what it means to alkalize the body (as opposed to acidifying) and what we can do on a regular basis to help maintain a healthy balance of alkaline and acid in our bodies!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
No "traditional medicine" for me, thanks...
This experience is what opened my eyes to the dangers of “traditional medicine”. I can’t help but realize where we would be if I had taken the advice of Dr. G and had my son put on antipsychotic drugs at the age of 7. From this point on, I made a point of doing my own research and educating myself about any health condition that I’m not familiar with. Before this experience, I have always been a questioning person, never one to believe any and everything that I’m told. That’s why I enjoyed my work as a paralegal so much. The idea of being able to answer my own questions and educate myself without being at the mercy of someone else who probably doesn’t do anything but follow instructions is BIG for me!
The purpose of this blog to bring information to people who may not have my gift for research into the inner workings of this disease and want to learn more about “how cancer works”. When my husband and then my mother were diagnosed, I did countless hours of research on what we could do to help boost their immune systems and even what vitamins we could take to make the process of chemotherapy less damaging for them. I learned all about various alternative therapies – some that hold more water than others. The point is, all the information can be found here, in either a link or an article that I’ve posted on this site. I've included information about specific vitamins that I recommend and even where you can buy them at a discount (sorry, I don't pay full-price for anything!) I will be including links to research that has been done on vitamins and how these can be helpful. I'll even include information on whether we tried them and what our results were.
There are several people whom I have “met” (in the virtual sense, mostly via email and sometimes via telephone) whose generous sharing of information may have made a difference in the eventual outcome of my husband’s and my mother’s diseases. They’re not quite out of the woods yet. Their diagnoses are only 6 and 5 months out at this point. They’re both doing well, I believe, because of the many things I learned that we’re doing. My husband is the only cancer patient that looks better AFTER his diagnosis than he did BEFORE he was diagnosed. He actually GAINED weight on chemotherapy, something that even his oncologist marveled at.
I hope my research and the links to these alternative or complementary therapies will be beneficial to you or someone you love. I have even included some information on HOW and WHY cancer may be so prevalent in our society in 2010. Since they were both diagnosed a few months ago, 5 more people (family and friends) have been diagnosed. This is nothing short of an epidemic and I don’t believe our government has our best interests in mind. Please take this information and PLEASE feel free to share your experiences. It’s great for us to learn from each other and try to help each other.
Peace and blessings!
D
The purpose of this blog to bring information to people who may not have my gift for research into the inner workings of this disease and want to learn more about “how cancer works”. When my husband and then my mother were diagnosed, I did countless hours of research on what we could do to help boost their immune systems and even what vitamins we could take to make the process of chemotherapy less damaging for them. I learned all about various alternative therapies – some that hold more water than others. The point is, all the information can be found here, in either a link or an article that I’ve posted on this site. I've included information about specific vitamins that I recommend and even where you can buy them at a discount (sorry, I don't pay full-price for anything!) I will be including links to research that has been done on vitamins and how these can be helpful. I'll even include information on whether we tried them and what our results were.
There are several people whom I have “met” (in the virtual sense, mostly via email and sometimes via telephone) whose generous sharing of information may have made a difference in the eventual outcome of my husband’s and my mother’s diseases. They’re not quite out of the woods yet. Their diagnoses are only 6 and 5 months out at this point. They’re both doing well, I believe, because of the many things I learned that we’re doing. My husband is the only cancer patient that looks better AFTER his diagnosis than he did BEFORE he was diagnosed. He actually GAINED weight on chemotherapy, something that even his oncologist marveled at.
I hope my research and the links to these alternative or complementary therapies will be beneficial to you or someone you love. I have even included some information on HOW and WHY cancer may be so prevalent in our society in 2010. Since they were both diagnosed a few months ago, 5 more people (family and friends) have been diagnosed. This is nothing short of an epidemic and I don’t believe our government has our best interests in mind. Please take this information and PLEASE feel free to share your experiences. It’s great for us to learn from each other and try to help each other.
Peace and blessings!
D
A little background, please?
This story chronicles our family's experience in dealing with a cancer diagnosis. We learned a lot about how to deal with the diagnosis in a way that doesn’t leave the patient and their loved ones feeling hopeless and helpless. We learned about the importance of taking control of your health and not just following doctor's orders. Many people find it easier to follow the doctor’s orders when diagnosed with cancer. If you are like my husband and I, you may have difficulty with that. I have always been the kind of person who takes comfort in educating myself when I am confronted with something for which I have no experience or frame of reference. My husband was still caught up in the devastation and depression of the diagnosis. It was my responsibility to learn as much as I could about his condition so that I could find a way to take back our lives and rid ourselves of this disease called cancer.
I know it may sound like I am trying to “cure cancer”, something that has supposedly been perplexing doctors and researchers for many, many years. Who do I think I am that I, someone with absolutely no medical background, could possibly find some way to cure or at least slow the progression of this disease?
I know it may sound like I am trying to “cure cancer”, something that has supposedly been perplexing doctors and researchers for many, many years. Who do I think I am that I, someone with absolutely no medical background, could possibly find some way to cure or at least slow the progression of this disease?
Peritoneal Carcinomatosis ("Peri What?")
Dr. Z removed a 7.8 mm mass from my husband’s colon, along with 2 feet of his colon. After the surgery, he came to me, my mother and Ron’s sister, who by this time had come to join me while waiting for him to come out of surgery. Dr. Z explained that he removed the mass and the 2 feet of his colon and said that Ron should be just fine. I don’t remember much about the morning after Ron went to surgery. But I do remember hugging the doctor when he gave us the news. I remember getting the sense that yes, Ron did have cancer. But the doctor had just told us that he removed it all. I was so thankful and felt like we had definitely dodged a bullet.
Imagine my surprise the next day when Dr. Z came to Ron’s hospital room and told us that he didn’t actually get all the cancer during his surgery. Dr. Z said that he did remove the blockage in his colon and it was about the size of a peach. He said he had also removed about 25 cancerous lymph nodes. But that wasn’t all. The part that Dr. Z had neglected to tell us the day before was that he had also seen a “sprinkling of seedlings”, cancer cells, in Ron’s abdomen, an area that is called the peritoneal cavity.
This manifestation of cancer is called peritoneal carcinomatosis and is considered extremely resistant to chemotherapy treatment. Because of the location of the cancer cells, it was expected that chemotherapy would not reach them. These cells typically hide behind organs and often tend to spread beyond the reach of chemotherapy. And because these were cancer cells that have not yet combined to form a cancerous tumor, radiation is not an appropriate treatment. This type of cancer was automatically considered stage IV and very resistant to treatment. So, in essence, Dr. Z had just handed us a death sentence.
He then told us about one treatment that he was aware of. He explained that he knew of two doctors – one in Pittsburgh and another in Maryland who performed a type of surgery that consisted of heating chemotherapy and bathing the abdominal organs with the chemotherapy solution. Dr. Z explained that he thought Ron had a good chance to qualify for this surgery because at 47 he was considered young and healthy enough to withstand such a difficult procedure. And if the procedure was considered successful, it could keep the cancer at bay. It was considered successful if he had lived 5 years past the date of diagnosis.
Being that we were parents of a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old, the 5-year prognosis was devastating. Our family was at the center of our lives. Ron completed that family and this diagnosis was nothing short of devastating to me as his best friend and his wife.
The next few days were very much a blur as I tried to encourage Ron to focus on recuperating from his surgery and try not to worry about the diagnosis and especially not to consider it a death sentence. Our family came to the hospital to pray with us and as I stated previously, there had been several family members who had had similar diagnoses and lived many, many years cancer-free. We had hope that, based on his age and relative good health, he would make a full recovery as well.
Imagine my surprise the next day when Dr. Z came to Ron’s hospital room and told us that he didn’t actually get all the cancer during his surgery. Dr. Z said that he did remove the blockage in his colon and it was about the size of a peach. He said he had also removed about 25 cancerous lymph nodes. But that wasn’t all. The part that Dr. Z had neglected to tell us the day before was that he had also seen a “sprinkling of seedlings”, cancer cells, in Ron’s abdomen, an area that is called the peritoneal cavity.
This manifestation of cancer is called peritoneal carcinomatosis and is considered extremely resistant to chemotherapy treatment. Because of the location of the cancer cells, it was expected that chemotherapy would not reach them. These cells typically hide behind organs and often tend to spread beyond the reach of chemotherapy. And because these were cancer cells that have not yet combined to form a cancerous tumor, radiation is not an appropriate treatment. This type of cancer was automatically considered stage IV and very resistant to treatment. So, in essence, Dr. Z had just handed us a death sentence.
He then told us about one treatment that he was aware of. He explained that he knew of two doctors – one in Pittsburgh and another in Maryland who performed a type of surgery that consisted of heating chemotherapy and bathing the abdominal organs with the chemotherapy solution. Dr. Z explained that he thought Ron had a good chance to qualify for this surgery because at 47 he was considered young and healthy enough to withstand such a difficult procedure. And if the procedure was considered successful, it could keep the cancer at bay. It was considered successful if he had lived 5 years past the date of diagnosis.
Being that we were parents of a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old, the 5-year prognosis was devastating. Our family was at the center of our lives. Ron completed that family and this diagnosis was nothing short of devastating to me as his best friend and his wife.
The next few days were very much a blur as I tried to encourage Ron to focus on recuperating from his surgery and try not to worry about the diagnosis and especially not to consider it a death sentence. Our family came to the hospital to pray with us and as I stated previously, there had been several family members who had had similar diagnoses and lived many, many years cancer-free. We had hope that, based on his age and relative good health, he would make a full recovery as well.
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