Nutrition Links

Eat your Veggies!

I have always loved learning about cooking and nutrition. Now it is even more inportant than ever.
The Inner Cook-One Bite at a Time  This is a great cookbook by Rebecca Katz. She makes cooking for cancer fun and delicous!

Nutrition Journal-Anti Cancer Diet Research

Thoughts of You

Insert a picture of yourself so I can pause in my day and think of you.
I’ll think of you and you think of me. We’ll send positive thoughts and
healing prayers all around the world.

Pause and make all of life special.

A Visit to the Book Store

A visit to a good book store always lifts my spirits. Maybe this belongs under Spirit as well.
My favorite is any on the The Toadstool Bookshops in the Monadnock region.

One of the first books I purchased and read was Anti cancer A new way of life by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. I had originally read it in the summer thinking I would purchase it for my Dad, a prostate cancer survivor. Little did I know that it would be an empowering book that I would need for myself. Dr. Servan-Schreiber tells of his own experience with cancer and how he researched and learned how making changes in diet, exercise and belief can give us power to deal with living with cancer.

A Positive Outlook

I found out in April how important a positive outlook is in trying to help yourself heal. I developed pneumonia with some bad back pain. It’s a bit hard to recall now but I was feeling quite low because of the pain. I started thinking I would not get well. It was scary. I learned how important it was to try to get back to that positive attitude. Talking with my Mom helped get me over the hump.

Walk with Me!

Walking 30 minutes a day five days a week gives a boost to your immune system. When friends and family offer their help I always say “Walk with me!”  I’m not needing help so much with cooking or cleaning but a walk would be perfect.  I have been having the best of times visiting and chatting with everyone as we walk.

My favorite walk…hike really is Gap Mountain, right here in Fitzwilliam. I’ve hiked it with my sister, Bonnie, my boys, Matt, Dan & Andrew, my Dad, my brother and our B&B friends, Rob & Paula. I have even coerced Andrew into a hike up Gap Mountain. In fact, our walk with Rob and Paula ended in a run to the car in an attempt to beat a thunder storm. My lungs were truly tested. We did not out run the storm. We did arrive home safe and well exercised.

The view of Mt. Monadnock from Gap Mountain.

I’ve walked around Fitzwilliam with Carol; on the Rail Trail with Lisa, Ann, Betty and Ray; and Bonnie and I found a new Mountain trail. We hiked 1/2 hour straight up to the top of Mt. Watatic.  What a hike!

Dr. Belanger’s Plan

https://www.labcorp.com/wps/portal/

Dr. Belanger uses LabCorp to do regular blood tests not usually done by traditional oncologists. The tests are expensive. Thankfully, so far, my insurance is covering them.

Based on these tests, typical cancer supplementation and the traditional treatment being used Dr. Belanger works out my supplement plan.
Because everyone’s plan would be different  based on the above I will only list the supplements and eventually what they do.

My Plan in January 1/2/09
Arginine complementary to carboplatin chemo
Theanine complementary to carboplatin chemo
Super Biocurcumin #1 supplement
Genistein
Fish Oil
Glutamine Powder complementary to Alimta chemo
Selenium complementary to carboplatin chemo
Caffeinated Tea complementary to carboplatin chemo

Based on results from extensive blood test my plan changed in February and more supplements were added

Resveratrol- Extra lower CD25
Cordyceps- Lowers MMP-9 decreases BCL2 may inc. NK cell activity
Lumbrokinase- lower fibrinogen
Serraflazym- lower D-dimer

Based on results for more blood test my plan changed again in March. Dr. Belanger added a few more supplements

Andrographis- lower IL6 & TNF-alpha
Pomegranite Plus- lower FGF’s & other blood vessel growth factors
Wobenzym 800- lowerTNF-alpha, IL1-beta

On May 26 it was determined by CT scan that the cancer was growing a tiny bit so the chemo would be stopped.
The plan with the oncologist was to try a daily pill called Tarceva. Dr. Belanger had me drop the supplements complementary to the chemo and we added the following.

Turmeric FSE- lower fibrinogen
Dan Shen (Chinese Herb)- lower thrombin antithrombin
Pycnogenal- lower interleukin-1 beta
Moducare- lower IL4
Huang Lian (Chinese Herb)-loer IL6
Quercetin- lower mcp-1 & TNF-alpha
Melatonin- to enhance Tarceva
American Ginseng- increase IL 12 and help NK cells
Zi Su Ye (Chinese Herb)- lower TNF-alpha

Dr. James T. Belanger of Lexington Natural Health

Not long after my diagnosis I was introduced to Dr. Belanger of Lexington Natural Health www.lexingtonnaturalhealth.com After speaking with one of his patients and researching the many possible supplements I chose to put the supplement complement to my health in Dr. Belanger’s hands. The information on the possible supplements is overwelming. I still read and research on my own but I let Dr. Belanger do what he does best.

Two books that compliment Dr. Belanger’s Plan:

Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin PhD, RD, CNS

Diagnosis: Lung Cancer

On Dec. 11, 2008 New England was hit with a huge ice storm. It was also the day I was diagnosed with lung cancer, specifically Bronchioloalveolar Cell Carcinoma (BAC) a form of lung cancer often affecting non-smoking women.

Dr. Cowan, in The Fourfold Path to Healing, likens cancer to the season of winter. Lying awake that night listening to the crashing explosions of ice laden trees I felt a connection with winter and cancer.

New Hampshire Ice Storm December 11, 2008

http://www.med.umich.edu/rad/res/resources/bronchioloalveolarcellcarcinoma.htm