Side Effects of Chemo and Natural Remedies

These last few months I've learned and experienced more than I ever cared to know about chemotherapy and its horrible side effects. But I have been so blessed to be able find natural ways lessen the side effects and to help keep my body healthy during treatment.

Some of the side effects that I experienced were:
Mouth: sores, raw tongue, metal taste, sore teeth
Eyes: twitching, weepy, clogged tear duct
Body: achy bones, nausea, constipation, hot flashes
Head: headaches, memory loss
Depression
Loss of all hair

Since my decision to do chemotherapy was very difficult to make (and even more difficult to accept) the side effects really affected me emotionally. I really struggled with anexiety about what chemo would do to my body and even doubted my decision to do it. But after I began acupuncture and a friend gave me her juicer to use and I was given several natural supplements to take I felt like I was doing good things to help my body during treatments which brought some peace of mind.

Acupuncture and neural therapy helped reduce and even take away many of the side effects. I started going to acupuncture once a week but increased to three times a week.

I increased my daily consumption of supplements.

I took 3-4 Tablespoons daily of each of the Mannetech products: Ambrotose, Nutriverus, Phyl Aloe.

I continued taking my Juice Plus supplements and made sure the kids ate their JP gummies.

I started out juicing daily but during treatment week I was not able to drink anything but lemon water. Some of the veggies I juiced: kale, spinach, carrots, beets, celery, cucumber.

My good friend Cheryl is a pharmacist and she made Magic Mouth Wash which is a mixture of: Lidocain, Benedryl and Mylanta. I also rinsed nightly with a warm salt water rinse.

One of the ways I tried to keep us from getting sick with common colds and other germs the kids could pick up from school was to give them silver and vinegar.

Bragg's Vinegar with the "Mother". A couple teaspoons a day whenever the kids got sick or I felt I was at risk of getting sick.

I continued to drink SueroViv which is one of Beyond Organics hydrating drinks. It restores, replenishes, rehydrates while supplying the body with essential oils, antioxidants and probiotics.

I won a bottle of Revitin in drawing. It is a natural mouth care paste that is gentle yet effective in cleansing. Great to use when suffering with mouth sores and raw tongue.

The dry skin brush help relieve the itchy dry skin as well as cleanse the body from toxins. I have been using it to help keep from getting lymphoma after having so many lymph nodes removed.

Prayer is the best and most powerful thing you or I could do in my fight with cancer! Thank you all who have prayed for me!!

Acupuncture is Therapy

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but this looks like cancer". From the time I heard those words come out of Dr. Sherman's mouth on May 4th, 2012, my focus and goal was to find an alternative natural treatment to chemo.

I wanted a naturalist who could either help me find a natural alternative to chemo or if I chose to do chemo could help give me information to restore my body during the treatment process. I knew that there is a wealth of information on the internet and plenty of books written on the subject that I could read but the problem I had was: information overload! Especially when I was recovering from a major surgery and was already mentally and emotionally drained. I kept coming up on dead ends. I could not find the right person or book or idea that I believed in. I was extremely frustrated.

Just a couple days after I had a phone conversation with a breast cancer survivor who had told me to look into acupuncture, I received a Living Social email that had a great deal for a local Acupuncturist. Before I bought the Living Social deal I called to get some information. I asked if she had previously worked with chemo patients and explained my situation and asked her how she could help me. I asked her what she would do and how exactly it would help my body. I then explained my financial situation.

She was so kind and took the time to explain how acupuncture works and how it would help my body during chemo. She then told me that she was more interested in helping me through this process than she was worried about how I would pay for it and that we could work something out.

One week to the day after my first chemo appointment I entered Amy Oros' beautiful yellow office that had a wooden desk and antique chair, some pretty pictures on the cheery walls; I met her smiling face and I immediately knew I found the right place to start my journey to restore my body. The treatment room was painted two shades of relaxing green with another antique looking wooden table that held a mini waterfall. The walls had relaxing water pictures and the music was a soothing piano medley.

Amy asked me some questions about my treatment, about the concerns I had about chemo and what exactly I desired to obtain from acupuncture and neural therapy. I answered those questions but then found myself dumping and unloading the past several months worth of worry and stress on her. I began to cry and share all my fears about what I felt chemo was doing to my body. I was a wreck! Amy was so kind and comforting. She listened and asked questions and I felt that she truly did care. She gave me some great advice that I have keep coming back to during my treatment process. She helped me change the way I view the treatments and she also helped me realized that changing the words that I call things will help change my mental state. So I no longer us the word "chemo" I call it "treatment". I try to not say "cancer" instead I use the Chinese word "phlem". I no longer view treatments as "harming and destroying "my body, killing both the good and the bad but instead as medicine that will kill the bad and help me live a long healthy life. She used a vivid analogy "Imagine the medicine (chemo/treatment) as the national guard going into your body. It is there to defend and protect the good and to kill the bad". Visualizing the treatment in my body killing the bad and protecting the good has really helped changed my mental and emotional perspective of this process.

My weekly acupuncture sessions are the highlight of my week! I look forward to my sessions not just receiving the acupuncture but talking to Amy and sharing my emotions as well. I feel safe to share with Amy my deepest concerns and anxieties (which I is why I joke that she is my personal therapists!). Sometimes it's important to let out those thoughts, frustrations, fears and anxieties in a safe place.

The time I lay "setting" with the needles poked in me is my alone and quiet time. The lights are dimmed low, the sound of the waterfall and the music playing soothes and relaxes every muscle in my body. I use that time of peace and serenity to reflect, pray and give thanks. I pour my heart out to the Lord asking him for healing of my body, protection for my children, for comfort and peace for my family. I thank him for the many blessings he has given to us during this trial. When I stop to think and reflect on the blessings I am brought to tears...God has been so good to us!

Not only does acupuncture relieve the physical side effects of my treatment (achy body, headaches, the tin taste in my mouth, mouth sores, constipation, etc) it is also a time a peace an tranquility for my heart and soul.