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!!

Love and Support

My parents, George and Ruth Smith have sacrificed so much to help my family out during my fight with breast cancer. My mom flew out with just a weeks notice in May and stayed two weeks to help my family for my mastectomy surgery. They were both able to fly out and spend two weeks with us in August to help with my 2nd chemotherapy treatment. 

My Aunt Mary flew out for a week after my 2nd treatment and was here with my parents and sisters. She spoiled me and loved on the kids. 

My sweet Aunt Betty flew out to help us with my 3rd treatment. She was so much fun to have around! She even took Mark and the kids to Disney!

My special friend, Joan, flew in to help with my 4th treatment. She is such an encourager and had calming way with the kids.

 My wonderful Mother-In-Law, Pam, came for my 5th treatment. My kids enjoyed the special time with grandma and I enjoyed the deep cleaning she did!

My dad, flew out for the week of my 6th and final treatment and at the last minute my mom was able to come out for the following week. She flew in the night before he left. The love, prayers and support from my family has sustained me through these difficult months.

I am so thankful for my family and friends who have sacrificed their time and money to make sure someone was here to take care of me and my family during each treatment.

5th Treatment

Today was my 5th Big Treatment. I refer to chemotherapy as "Treatment" because the word chemo makes my stomach turn. I don't like saying it, typing it or reading it so I simply call it "Treatment" and that doesn't bother me. Since I have weekly herceptin treatments I refer to chemo as "Big Treatments".

I know it sounds strange to say, but I actually enjoy my Treatments. I have made friends with some of the other patients, the doctor and the nurses, I enjoy seeing them and talking to them. I have had some wonderful friends who have come to visit me and bring me food and also entertain me during my long Big Treatments. I also use the time to read, write thank you's, catch up on bills, and fill in my calendar. Overall the actual treatment isn't so bad.

Nathan brought me Chick-Fil-A and ate lunch with me.

He is a funny boy and brought a lot of smiles to the other patients.

My sweet Mother-in-law Pam is here helping us this week. She is a wonderful, godly person and I love being around her. I am thankful to have such a great relationship with my Mother-in-law!

Thanks for the continued prayers. This week will be a difficult one for me and my family. It's hard on me to be so sick and it's hard on them to watch me suffering and be helpless to make me feel better.

I have found a lot of encouragement in the song Praise You In The Storm by Casting Crowns

"And I'll praise You in this storm 
And I will lift my hands 
For You are who You are 
No matter where I am 
And every tear I've cried 
You hold in Your hand 
You never left my side 
And though my heart is torn 
I will praise You in this storm" 

Every time I hear this song I cry. The words just encourage me so much. To think, every tear I cry He, the creator of the universe, holds in His hands. He has never left my side!

Listen to the words and be encouraged that God is with you through every storm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGPS8sa-bRQ

SueroViv: Hydration During Chemo

I originally started this blog when I became a Mission Marketer with Beyond Organic. My goal was to give information about the company and the great products. But when I was diagnosed with breast cancer I decided to change the blog to include my story, my journey to beat cancer. Lately all my entries have been about my story...but I haven't stopped Beyond Organic!

I am still a Mission Marketer with Beyond Organic and I am still ordering the great products. I drink SueroViv daily to help me from becoming dehydrated which is especially important the week after chemo (chemo dehydrates the body).

 

SueroViv is a whole food, living cultured beverage. It contains cultured whey, Reign Supreme Mountain Water (from Beyond Organic), organic essential oils and is abundant in electrolyte minerals, B vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Each flavor contains other unique ingredients such as citrus, cinnamon, orange, berries, etc to make it's own flavor. All ingredients are certified organic.

I have been drinking the "Green" flavor which is wheat grass, carrot juice and lemon juice combination. I have been told by everyone (doctors, naturalists, other survivors, and people who work with cancer patients) that wheat grass is very good to fight cancer.

I am so thankful that I have these products to help me restore my body while going through chemo.The decision to do chemo was very difficult for me to make and when I finally decided to do it I knew I had to do everything I could to restore my body while the chemo was attacking it. 

Biopsy

May 4th, I went by myself to meet with Dr. Sherman, the surgeon. My in-laws were in town and Mark took them and the kids to the zoo so I drove up to Rockledge by myself. I sat in the room alone waiting for him to review my mammogram and ultra sound reports.

Dr. Sherman came into the room dressed in brown dress slacks and a white doctor jacket complete with a bow tie. He kindly looked at me and asked how I was doing. I said "fine". He smiled nicely and asked me if I knew what was going on. I briefly told him "I found a lump, went to OBGYN, she sent me to get a mammo and now I'm here". He said did anyone talk to you? Do you KNOW anything? I said "No, should I be concerned?".

He sat down next to me and said "this looks like cancer...are you ok? are you going to fall off the chair?". I remember that moment so clearly. I replied "No, I am STRONG, I will be fine. I will have a melt down later". Then I proceeded to ask him a million questions. He was kind, caring and patient with me and attempted to answer all my questions and help me make a plan.

After I finished drilling him with questions (that he graciously answered as best as he could even though they were questions more suited for the oncologist).  He went ahead and performed the biopsy. After the biopsy he talked about scheduling surgery for a complete mastectomy the very next week! He talked about finding a plastic surgeon who could begin reconstruction during the mastectomy surgery. He suggested me taking the BRACA 1&2 tests to see genetic findings. He talked about starting chemotherapy, reconstruction... My mind was whirling when I left. I was in so much shock and there was so much to process.

I drove straight to the zoo to meet up with my family I didn't call anyone. I couldn't talk. I just wanted to see my family. I smiled when I saw my kids laughing and playing and having a great time with their grandparents. Mark came straight over to me and looked into my eyes and asked how it went. I burst into tears and told him "he thinks it's cancer!". Mark hugged and hugged me and kept saying "it will be ok, you will be fine. He will cut it out and and life will go on".