This Journey will Never End

I've been on chemotherapy for 1 year and 8 months. The chemo itself is very difficult to deal with. Each cycle puts me out of commission for nearly a week. I'm nauseated, weak, tired, and my tumor spots (which are all over) flare up and cause pain for several days. Each treatment is 2 days because one of the drugs has to be given over 2 days. On the third day, I receive a shot called Neulasta that boosts my white blood cell production. The shot has worse side effects than the chemo. It makes my skin burn. I can barely stand to take a shower. It also makes me incredibly weak, and when I stand up I nearly pass out. It also gives me feelings of doom and makes me want to die. Really, the shot is THAT bad. I'd like to never have it again, but there doesn't seem to be any other way to keep my white cell count up. When the chemo started, I went every three weeks, then it was every four, and now it's every five. The only thing that makes the chemo bearable is the time I have in between cycles when I feel nearly normal.

My journey with cancer did not start with the chemo. It has been ongoing since the birth of my beautiful daughter, who is now 5 1/2. Since then I've been through three major surgeries (my neck, my hip, and my liver), each with their own set of post-op woes. My body has been forever changed... nerve damage, metal hip, missing gallbladder. I've also been through radiation, radio frequency ablation, and a second pregnancy while the cancer continued to grow. My precious son is a miracle, because he came in the only window possible. Just another month later, and I probably wouldn't have been able to get through the pregnancy. It was interesting to be pregnant just four months after a hip replacement. That brought its own set of aches and probably delayed my healing a little bit. Despite all that, I made it through. Just three months after he was born, I had to have a mass dose of MIBG radiation as a treatment for my cancer. I had to stay away from my family for two weeks. I had to stop breastfeeding my son, which still makes me sad when I think about it. I breastfed my daughter for 16 months, and I'm a big supporter of breastfeeding.

Going back even farther, when I was ten years old I started vomiting every time I exercised or did anything that would increase my heart rate. I had high blood pressure. It took EIGHT YEARS to get a diagnosis. I had surgery when I was 18 to remove the orange sized tumor, one of my kidneys, and an adrenal gland.

Yes, this cancer has robbed me of many things. It has caused horrific pain that I never imagined possible. And now it threatens my life again, despite being on chemotherapy. It's spreading in my pelvis and hip joint. It seems there is no end in sight to this cancer. I just want to hang on until a cure is found. That's what I'm trying to do. I want to see my kids grow up, and I want to be there to help them if they ever develop the same tumors that I have.

My family and friends keep me going. I will fight this thing to the end.

Living with Cancer

I've had metastatic pheochromocytoma for 5 years. I've been on chemotherapy for a year and eight months now. I have found it challenging to know what to eat/drink while living with this disease because there are differing opinions on everything. I thought I'd share some of my eating practices. I'd love to hear from others who have tips.

• Drink white tea with honey - White tea has more antioxidants than green tea. So that you do not kill off the antioxidants, let boiling water cool down for a minute before you put your tea in it. Honey can help boost your immune system.
  
• Limit red meat - Eat more fish. This is one where I have room for improvement.
  
• Limit dairy products - Dairy products can cause inflammation. I can't give up cheese, but I avoid milk, except when I get an occasional craving for it.
  
• Drink coffee - Yes, I drink coffee and no, I will not stop. Even though people say I should get off of caffeine, I won't do it. Coffee has been shown to slow memory loss.
  
• Drink red wine - Antioxidant power! Plus you've got to indulge yourself once in awhile.
  
• Eat dark chocolate - I buy the 80% kind, which doesn't taste very good, but the higher the cacao percentage, the more anti-oxidants are in it. I eat one square per day. Milk chocolate cannot be substituted... it's just a lot of fat and sugar. Dark chocolate also helps dilate blood vessels and can lower blood pressure.
  
• Use cinnamon - I try to use a little every day. It helps regulate blood sugar.
  
• Eat Indian food - Turmeric can alleviate inflammation, and it's found in many Indian dishes.
  
• Avoid soy - This is difficult because soybean oil is in everything. I avoid it as much as possible. Soy contains plant estrogens, which are not good for some cancers, especially some forms of breast cancer. Most of the soy in this country is genetically modified and treated with herbicides, which is another reason to avoid it.
  
• Avoid high fructose corn syrup - Studies have shown that cancer cells thrive on glucose. It's best to avoid sugar in most forms, but it's highly difficult for me. All I can do is try.
  
• Avoid artificial sweeteners - I used to drink Diet Coke every day. I finally broke myself of the habit. I don't know if aspartame has any relation to my current health status, but it can't hurt to avoid it. You have to check labels... it's hidden in many foods. If I have something sweet, I go for real sugar.
  
• Take vitamins - I take B6 to boost my red blood cells, a multivitamin, extra vitamin C, and a calcium chew with vitamin D every day.
  
• Eat fresh, organic produce - Try to avoid pesticides and herbicides. Steam vegetables so that you don't cook away their nutrients.
  
• Eat broccoli - Broccoli contains cancer fighting compounds.
  
• Eat garlic - It has antibacterial properties, may lower cholesterol, and wards off mosquitoes.
  
• Use olive oil - It doesn't work for baking, but I use it as much as I can when I cook.
  
• Drink water - This is actually one of the hardest items for me. I don't drink enough water partly because I can't put the coffee mug down. Well, there is water in coffee, right?
  

My last tip does not involve food, but it's important. I've been taking mud baths on a regular basis. They are relaxing, and the type of mud bath I take is high in humic acid. Humic acid will boost the immune system, help the body become more alkaline, relieve pain, and rejuvenate the skin. I have not been using these baths very long, but I have already noticed a difference in my skin. I highly recommend these baths! Golden Moor Mud Baths

The State of Food

I watched the movie Food, Inc. awhile back. It exposes the terrible practices that the food industry doesn't want you to know about. Everything from genetically modified soy and the evil empire who created it, mistreatment of animals, mishandling of meat and produce, mistreatment of workers... all the ugly truth is there for you to see. And even if you don't want to see it, I think you should. You NEED to see it.

I am really disturbed by just how much soy and high fructose corn syrup is used in food. Those ingredients are in EVERYTHING! I ate soy heavily for about 3 years before I developed cancer. Even though I have a genetic predisposition to the cancer I have, I can't help but wonder if the soy had something to do with it. I only recently realized that 90% of the soybeans in this country are genetically modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. So, most of the soy we eat probably has this chemical mixed in with it. And soy is touted as a health food...

With the availability and low cost of processed foods, it doesn't surprise me that people are getting cancer and diabetes at younger ages. I'm not surprised that so many kids are obese and have high blood pressure. But how do we stop it?

As a result of watching the film and doing some other research, I changed the way I grocery shop. My kids have a chance of getting the same cancer I have, so it is extremely important that I give them the healthiest foods I can. I have stopped buying foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. Even though it's difficult, I try to buy foods that do not contain soy or soybean oil. I buy as much food as I can from Farmer's Markets. I grow some of my own vegetables. I buy organic. I only buy milk that does not contain growth hormones. I buy meat that does not contain hormones. Grass fed beef and free range chickens are best, but they are not always affordable. I buy cage free eggs, which are nearly three times the price as regular, but aside from the fact that the chickens are treated humanely, I think they taste better.

Those changes have upped our grocery bill somewhat. It's not cheap to eat healthy, and that's a shame. It's worth it to me. If we demand that these unhealthy ingredients be removed from our food, the industry will listen. They will have to if they want our money. So let's demand change!