So the Wheatgrass Happy dance has been performed at the Oncology Centre this morning. It’s nearly 10 am and I’m already down the two bags of anti-nausea muti already. It’s made me feel a bit whoozy but I’m sitting really still so that I don’t get sea-sick. I was a bit worried this morning because I had the shakes. What was great though was getting clear bloods and therefore the confirmation that the post-nasal drip and phlegm cough was not bronchitis, but rather a side-effect of the chemo. It’s the body’s way of getting rid of bacteria, which is actually quite clever given that the other aspects of the immune system might be compromised.
On the drive in, (i’m never sure if I’ll be able to drive myself back after the 5 and a half hour session), Pat was just commenting on how much better I am this time round. Two weeks ago I was battling to walk to the gate, and last night I took the hounds for a walk around the block! Actually I should say, Pepper took us for a drag around the block!
It was absolutely fabulous to have breakfast at “Green with Envy” with Paulette. Even though it was grey and misty and threatening to rain, we commandeered a table on the top terrace, so we could see over the Bay. Good company, good grub and good conversation, what more can a person ask for? It was nice to see Ashley Ross and his fam at the same time, even if briefly. It gave me the opportunity of asking him for his doc thesis, exploring the bridge that Homoeopathy can make between traditional medicine and empirico-rational allopathic medicine. I’m looking forward to reading it, because it’s an issue that is so much on my mind.
Liz B kindly sent me a whole bunch of information about naturopathic cancer treatments, which all sounded terrifically hopeful. Though I didn’t quite know what to make of the comment on the fly that, based on what I saying in my blog, I’m eating “all the wrong things”.
Pat says I’m over-sensitive, because I heard it as “you are suicidal” which I’m sure was not the intention behind it. The comment threw me completely, because I’m really trying to trust my body about what it needs (even though my body has had some misbehaving cells that are possibly not trustworthy). If I look at results since three/four weeks ago, I’ve got stronger and put on weight, and am enjoying eating, especially with friends.
I really would like to know what the wrong things are – the chemo booklet says avoid deep-fried, fatty foods, ultra sweet and sugary things, which I have done though I confess to a couple of mince-pie and and a couple of fries (pinched off Pat’s plate). Or are the ‘wrong things’ too much fruit, too much veg, potjie?
I guess I’m coming down on the side of ‘quality of life’ rather than ‘extended life’. I know beetroot is supposed to be good for me, but raw juiced beetroot even with apple and carrot, makes me feel sick, worse than the wheatgrass shot every morning. I’m taking that as “don’t do it”.
This is a bit of a serious blog, but it all goes towards trying to understand what “everybody knows” about the 500 different types of cancer. i’m looking forward to seeing how Ashley has proposed it can be done.
I’ve got some fun pics of the hounds to post but can’t do that from here so this post will be or there’ll be fun-ner post later.
lizkzn1 
Comments on: "Cycle 3 round 2" (14)
It always amazes me there will ALWAYS be someone to piss on your battery. Bleh !
Trust your instinct and your intuition and your body will tell you what is right for you.before it even gets to your mouth your body will tell you yay or nay .The trick is to listen !
Well that my 2 cents worth.
To each his own – not so ?
You are kind, Elaine. I didn’t mean to make it sound like there was any ill-intention in the comment. I’m sure there wasn’t. It just shocked me that I had such a big emotional reaction to it. Pat talked me down. All the decisions lately, especially about diet and doing “the right’ thing seem to have such serious implications viz. You live – you die. It’s a shock to me because I thought I’d pretty much overcome the desire to be a “good girl” and done my own intuitive thing for decades now, even though it wasn’t to the beat of a popular drum. I got comfortable. To suddenly realise that I was trying to get the equivalent of “good marks” in this journey, was scary.
Another part of it was getting to trust my own thinking (to misquote Carol T) and now finding that I really know nothing about something – even with Google at our fingertips – what can you trust. And worse, the experts don’t know everything. They just don’t have time to know – did they ever, or did we just think they did?
Oooh – being quite philosophical here, but it is astounding how much I’m having to rethink. Thanks for the support and reminding me about the power of intuition.
Happy New Year to you and Pat from William and Philippa, and thanks for the SMS – made us feel special.
I think you’re right to trust your body on what foods to eat. Naturopaths seem to me do a lot of laying down the law when there is no right answer.
The best nutritional advice I ever had was from an ayurvedic doctor who told me which foods suited my physiological type, and which should be kept to the minimum. The foods I was advised to eat happen to be the ones that me and my tummy like and the foods to avoid were the ones that give me indigestion, or overstimulate me. Though I well knew this stuff before being told, do you think I took notice?
I also remember reading in a book on macrobiotics that said it’s all about balance – sort of like by all means have a large slice of chocolate cake, but eat three cucumbers to up the yin (or is it yang) ante.
So I always have an apple after my morning coffee. Works for me!
love
Philippa
Hi Phillippa, and a good one to you and William. I’ve got a good feeling about 2012 whatever it holds (A D perchance?). I love the idea of yin and yang. I think that’s why beetroots were fighting with me – whereas I can get the wheatgrass down. My body probably knows what it wants – and funnily enough my brain is actually cooperating! I’m so not into slap chips which were always irresistable in the past, but the occasional Quality Street pleases my soul!
Dear Liz, I’ve spent a wonderful few hours with Delysia during the week and asked about you… hence the link to your blog. It may sound a bit pedantic to say “just take it step-by-step”, but my own encounter a few years ago with the big C has certainly taught me that it is literally, emotionally and spiritually “step-by-step”. It feels so helpless “not to be able to walk to the gate”, but trust me, within in six months I was back in the gym… So, do a little dance “when you get to the gate”! Thinking of you and hoping to see you sometime in 2012. Hugs Ansa
Thanks Ansa, that is really encouraging. And the advice to go step-by-step, day-by-day and moment by lovely moment is good, I’m learning, but it does mess with all my planning skills developed over decades!
Cycle 3 Round 2 – Wow -how the time has passed! I’m really glad that you are getting stronger all the time and coping so well. Just listen to your body -it knows best… 🙂
Wishing you all the best for this New Year . May you continue in Faith, Hope, Love, Prayer and Courage. Blessings …
Thanks Rosaline. As Ansa says – step-by-step and appreciating all the support you all are giving me.
Hey, hey hey. GOOD news
Kathy
All good Kath, amazing to feel the difference to three weeks ago!
Glad to hear about “clear bloods” – yay, team! I also thought you might have picked up a ‘lurgy, but now, as I remember it, the homeopaths do say that flu symptoms are signs the body is detoxing itself (so that’s “good”, if rather miserable to endure!)
“I really would like to know what the wrong things are” – okay, you must remember that, while some things are outright “nonos”, there is huge individual variation in what makes people healthy or not at any given moment in life. There are also huge disagreements as to what is “right”. For example, for osteoporosis there are the “pro-dairy” and “no-dairy” camps. A medical doctor once told me I should each more refined sugar to solve my low blood sugar problem! I read in a blood-type diet that I could handle as much dairy and eggs as I liked (and found I could, actually, but there’s a pay-off for any type of excess: too much dairy, and you drown in mucus!) I couldn’t stomach (literally) fruit for a year and a half after my abdominal op, and two days ago I found it was one of the few things I could – comfortably – stomach, so I am gratefully snacking – moderately – on lichis, strawberries and peaches. Rye-bread (with proper rye flour – but it makes a brick-heavy loaf) is suddenly miraculously burp-free, unlike the “healthy” low-G1 soy loaf I was eating last week. Different illnesses and different medications prep your body differently for different foods at different times. I didn’t do Biology at school, but I’ve kinda got the idea that digestion is largely a chemical process (although obviously there are mechanics involved), and the “mix” (or things you don’t mix) is crucial: you arrive at this by trial and error. I mean you might find that some things on the “good” list just don’t work for you (or perhaps not at that particular moment). I discovered that aloe vera gel (the drinkable one) was good for arthritis only after my fingers had suddenly grown untwisted: I was glugging it down daily for a hernia. After reading online that cancer does not fare well in an alkaline system (I have no idea if this is evidence-based or wish-fulfilment), I began to wonder if my 1000 polyps had stayed non-cancerous because I had drunk so much bloody gel. And yet the other day I had some gel in the morning, and felt sick the whole day. “Healthy” green tea makes me vomit (sorry, but it does). Homeopaths will sometimes talk of substances as “your natural remedy”, but then, that might relate to a specific time and state (mine was allegedly “nux vomica” – ew!) The body also picks up things as being “hostile” based on previous experiences: I couldn’t keep down anything with iodine in it for years after being given radioctive iodine for thyroid trratment (difficult to find non-iodised table salt!)
The other thing of course, is the politics of “what is correct”, and not only the pharmaceutical companies, but also well-meaning people can advise stuff which doesn’t work for everybody (or at all). Or does. The nice guy in the chef hat in at Avondale Spar told me his mother took stewed prunes for indigestion: my immediate (silent) response was: “Yea. Right.” But then – mirabile dictu! – I found that they work wonderfully if I take exactly the right amount (for me). I saw in the papers recently that some dork (I think it was a sports coach) went on about “the dangers of eating rice” – so much for the famed longevity of the Japanese!
I’d like to say “we know what is good for us” but chocolate, pastry, alcohol, etc. says otherwise. One the other hand, the unhappiness of never eating these things is enough to make one ill.
Go well!
So true – I know more about Biology than I ever dreamed I wanted to know, and I did Biology at school (quite well – unlike Maths – though I did boycott rat dissection). I now know that there isn’t such a thing as The Fish or The Frog!
To apply the same principle to our individual uniquenesses in diet makes sense. I think I need to have a chat to Ashley and Izel at Homoeopathy! Nux vomica – do I want to know what that is?
((((((((((((((big hug dance love zaps)))))))))))))
Love the dance and thanks for the zaps!