Sunday, July 13, 2014

I'm Not A Doctor, But I'll Play One on A Podcast

Attention! On Monday July 21, 2014, I will be a guest on the Stupid Cancer Show. It airs at 8:00pm  EDT.  This will most likely be the first of several shameless self-promotional posts over the next week. If you miss it live, it will still be available on the website afterwards. Or maybe you'll just want to hear the sexy sound of my chemo effected voice. Here's the website so you don't miss a second of the Stupid Cancer Show

Disclaimer: This is the part about how I'm not a doctor. I'm not a doctor, but I wanted to share some of the alternative medicines that I've added to my treatment. It might not be for everyone, but I'm hopeful from the early results that it'll be beneficial to me.  Before you start any alternative medicines, check with your oncologist. Certain herbal supplements can decrease the effectiveness of certain chemotherapy drugs by up to 60%! This is especially relevant to young adults who don't always think to name their all natural supplements when the doctor asks what medications they're taking.

Acupuncture: I've had three acupuncture treatments so far. I've started out receiving these treatments at my Cancer treatment center, but within the next week or so, they'll refer me to an acupuncturist closer to home. When I first met with the doctor/acupuncturist, my main goal was to address the neuropathy in my fingers and toes. He told me it would also possibly help with nausea, fatigue, constipation, and getting a good night sleep. One unexpected and immediate benefit was that the pain which has been in my leg from a blood clot last Halloween is gone! Acupuncture helps with circulation and has apparently done the trick. If you haven't had acupuncture before, it is incredibly relaxing. They insert the needles, which don't hurt and you barely feel, and then they leave you on the table with a warm lamp on your feet for 30 to 40 minutes. The first time, I thought, "Forty minutes of lying here staring at the ceiling, great!" But I was so relaxed that when he came back, I thought, "Oh, you're back already?"  The relaxation points are on your ears, by the way, who knew?  I have been sleeping much better, have slightly less neuropathy in my toes and after my most recent treatment I had a full hour of no numbness in my fingers for the first time since last October!

Turmeric: Turmeric is one of the most effective anti inflammatory spices we have and when you're fighting cancer, you're essentially fighting inflammation. My nutritionist introduced me to turmeric tea soon after I was diagnosed and I have been drinking it daily since then.  Recently, I read an article that said scientific studies had shown turmeric to be effective in helping to treat colon and pancreatic cancers beyond just treating inflammation, but you couldn't possibly add enough turmeric to your diet, you would need a supplement. Coincidently that same week, my mother bought me a turmeric supplement. I brought the supplement to my next appointment. My oncology fellow looked it up in a database ( you can access it too at Integrative Medicine about Herbs) and was excited to find links to articles about fighting colon and pancreatic cancer (which are both closely related to my stomach cancer) with turmeric, there didn't seem to be any interactions with my medications or chemo drugs, but they checked with the pharmacy as well. The pharmacy initially gave the ok, but then called during my infusion and told me that the protocol for my trial drug said no herbal supplements. I was mad. When I next saw my oncologist, he said he'd gotten 3 separate emails from the pharmacy about me and my turmeric, all saying different things. So he reread the protocols and they turned out to say that herbal supplements were to be discouraged. My doctor explained this was so the drug companies could feel confident that their drug was the only thing impacting the outcome. But my doctor also said he doesn't care about that, so I should take it if I want. The only possible side effect is that the whites of my eyes might turn yellow. But since we know that in advance, my doctors won't worry that I have jaundice or am turning into a werewolf.

Oncologist/Alternative Medicine Doctor: I recently met with an Oncologist who also specializes in alternative medicine. He basically reinforced what we already know about good nutrition, exercising despite the fatigue, deep breathing and meditation/relaxation.  He also recommended fish oil and a B vitamin supplement.

Attention Again! Second shameless self-promotion of the day. Tune in to the Stupid Cancer Show at 8pm on Monday the 21st with special guest, me!