Beyond Traditional - Complementary Breast Cancer Therapies & More

(This is my BioGraph for the month of June 2010.)

Biorhythms

A person's life is affected by rhythmic biological cycles which affect one's physical and emotional activity. The cycles begin at birth and change values in a sine wave fashion throughout life. Thus, a person's emotional and physical state can be predicted from day to day.

I learned about checking my biorhythms to explain physical and mental experiences, as well as plan important events from my husband when we married 10 years ago. (He has been checking his “body clock” for well over 40 years.) When he first told me about it, I was a little skeptical. But, it didn’t take long for me to become a believer.

The image in the header of this web page is a chart of my biorhythms for the month of June 2010. I used this chart of my body's physical, emotional, intellectual, and intuitional cycles in the scheduling of my mastectomies. As you can see in my June biorhythms, I had two windows of time in which my physical cycle was at its peak. Luckily, we were able to schedule my mastectomies to take place on June 8th, which is one of several reasons I recovered from surgery so well. All of my reconstruction surgeries are also scheduled to take place during my physical peaks.

The program we use, BioGraf (created by John Napier) is no longer available for purchase. Sites where you can calculate your biorhythms for free:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/biorhythms.html
http://sitefoundry.com/biorhythms/
http://www.ifate.com/biorhythm_index.html

Poly-MVA

http://www.polymva.com/
Poly-MVA is a supplement you can order over the internet. Be forewarned it is expensive, but its efficacy in killing cancer cells has been mentioned in numerous books. Two cats in our extended family were cured by it, which is why I chose to include it as an adjunct to conventional chemotherapy.

I started taking it the day after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Interestingly, during the 2.5 weeks period of time preceding my cancer diagnosis, an annoying itch in the area of the primary tumor gradually became very painful. Within two days of taking Poly-MVA, the pain completely stopped.

Note: If you place an order, buy 2 4oz bottles (instead of one 8oz) to minimize the amount of time the product is exposed to air, and MAKE SURE you keep them refrigerated. You will not be able to take it if you have an adverse reaction to vitamin B. One other detail: it tastes AWFUL! I made a point of having a glass of water (with a little lime juice) handy to help wash away the taste.

Watch Dr. James Forsythe's remarkable results re "Poly-MVA Stage IV Cancer Investigation": "We have seen patients go into full remission with aggressive, stage IV cancers and we see continued positive responses in others with previously chemo-resistant cancer."
http://www.polymva4patients.com/video.html

Acupuncture & Cupping Therapy

After the first round of chemotherapy I went to my Acupuncturist seeking relief from severe lower back pain (a result of the Neulasta shot given to promote white cell production in the bone marrow). I had seen him several times previously and knew that his combined therapy of acupuncture and cupping would be helpful, and it was - very much so.

I wish I'd thought to see him before starting chemotherapy, for the relief he provided for various chemotherapy side effects throughout my treatments was significant. My biggest complaint following my second round of chemo was severe diarrhea. Acupuncture stopped the colon cramping in just 15 minutes and the herbs worked wonders on the diarrhea within a couple days. It is now three months since my last round of chemotherapy (May 21st, 2010) and I am still experiencing chemo side effects; much less severe, and decreasing with time; but, still very frustrating. There is no doubt in my mind that the combination of acupuncture, cupping, and Chinese herbs helped to relieve the severity of numerous chemo related side effects, the worst being:

• Back Pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Colon Cramping
• Exhaustion
• Terrible Facial Rash
• Blood Shot Eyes

A Suggestion: My acupuncturist suggested I schedule my appointments the day before chemotherapy, for this is when my body was strongest. But, I experienced the most relief from symptoms when my appointment was one week after chemotherapy. So, keep this tip in mind if you are dealing with a lot of pain and/or exhaustion.

My Acupuncturist:
Dr. Jimmy Mai, 1777 Bellflower Blvd., Suite 114, Long Beach, CA 90815, 562-986-7922

Chinese Herbs

After each Acupuncture & Cupping treatment I bought a variety of herbs to enhance the chemotherapy treatments, reduce symptoms, and cleans organs. Once time allows, I'll present a list of the various herbs that gave me relief.

Maximizing Intake of Greens in Preparation for Surgery

I learned during my college years that if you maximize your intake of greens for two weeks prior to surgery, your body will be less bruised. So, I did exactly that prior to my mastectomies. In addition to every meal consisting of mostly greens, I was juicing spinach (as well as carrots) every few days. I still have a ways to go in learning how to create good tasting juiced greens. But, I have learned that adding a green apple does improve the taste.

Supplements Taken in Preparation for Surgery

My husband learned of certain supplements recommended by a site he has found to contain very good information on improving one’s health:
http://www.lef.org/

In their “Cancer Surgery Special Report”:
http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/Cancer-Surgery-Special-Report.htm
they recommended the following. “Begin taking the following supplements at least 5 days prior to surgery, discontinue taking the supplements the day of the surgery, and resume taking the supplements one day after surgery (unless directed otherwise by your physician).”

It is suggested to take the supplements listed below for approximately one month after surgery. I started taking the supplements two weeks prior, but stopped taking them two weeks after my mastectomies and saved what was left to take two weeks before and two weeks after my second surgery – removal of the expanders and placement of the silicone implants.

• Cimetidine - 800 mg before bedtime *
• Modified Citrus Pectin - 14-30 grams per day away from food *
• AHCC (active hexose correlated compound) - 3000 mg per day
• Green Tea - 650-1000 mg of EGCG per day
• L-Glutamine - 2000 mg per day away from food
• IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate) - 1 gram per day
• Silibinin (component of milk thistle) - 500 mg per day
• Soy isoflavones (genistein) - 100 mg per day with food **
• Curcumin - 400 mg per day with food **

* These two supplements I took for months prior and months after surgery. To learn why, read Life Extension Magazine’s report on “Preventing Surgery-Induced Cancer Metastasis”:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/dec2009_Preventing-Surgery-Induced-Cancer-Metastasis_01.htm

** I stopped taking these two supplements in the first week, for I was experiencing severe stomach cramps and my internet search of everything I was taking revealed these two products may cause stomach upset.

Guided Imagery (also called "Imagery Therapy" & "Visual Imagery")

“Pre-Surgical Guided Imagery” CD created by Belleruth Naparstek, LISW.

I listened to a "Pre-Surgical Guided Imagery" CD I received from my insurance company eight times in preparation for my mastectomies, as well as during surgery. The section that was most helpful was when it walked me through the process of visualizing being wheeled into the operating room and seeing family and friends from present, past, and future (my guardian angels) hovering over me to protect me.

The Visual Imagery CD by Belleruth Naparstek contains three sections:

An Introduction – Explaining the purpose and benefit of guided imagery and affirmations. It explained that strong evidence from the UC Davis Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and several other places show guided imagery reduces discomfort and increases the speed of recovery from surgery.

Guided Imagery Program – Preparation for surgery beforehand applying several mind-body healing principles – begins by helping you to relax and clear your mind, then it calls upon your senses and memory to engage your imagination, and it encourages you to experience a story that contains healing images.

Affirmations – Focused on healing afterwards As presented in the CD, “Affirmations are positive statements that can be very helpful in the healing process.”

One point made by Dr. Naparstek that I am hearing repeatedly during my journey: “Clearly, when you take a more active part in your medical treatment, you tend to do better and feel better.” To learn more about her:
http://www.healthjourneys.com/practitioner_bios.asp

In the Mind’s Eye, The Power of Imagery Therapy to Give You Control Over Your Life, by Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D.

I just finished reading the majority of chapters in this book and found it to be very helpful. In addition to teaching you how to use positive imagery to overcome fears, it teaches you how to use negative imagery to break bad habits. The section on “Time Projection” in which Dr. Lazarus writes about “time tripping”: projecting yourself both into the future and the past was also helpful.

I made a mental note of one quote presented in the book – made by Abraham Lincoln: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Meditation & Deep Breathing Exercises

Luckily, an on-sight Psychologist is offered as one of my Oncologist's services free of charge. Knowing that I've been stressed throughout my life, I decided to accept the offer and was scheduled to see her during my second round of chemotherapy. During our appointment, she recommended that I practice meditation and deep breathing exercises.

She taught me how to combine deep breathing with the process of visualizing my body being cleansed from head to toe. It doesn't matter if you start at the head or the toe, just visualize your mind's eye slowly traveling through your body, and as you reach any area that needs cleansing (or healing), visualize a soothing color or sound filling that area of the body. I'm still practicing, and I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

I find the best time to practice this exercise to be in the morning when I first awaken. Even then, when my mind is not so filled with activity causing my concentration to wander, I catch myself thinking about something non-related. I'm still working on improving my concentration.

(A friend also suggested: "Breathing: The Master key to Self Healing" by Andrew Weil)

My Psychologist also recommended reading books by Dr. Joan Borysenko. I'm reading her "Minding the Body, Mending the Mind" and find it to be well worth the time. I am learning to enjoy everyday as a joyous occasion, free of worrying what the next day will bring. That is a true gift for someone who has spent too much of her life stressed about the future.