When Do You Stop Thinking That the Cancer Coming Back?

It's Sunday morning.  Time to relax from the busy week, I can't remember the last time I let myself just sit and relax.  I need a job, so I'm always thinking about that...  and one thing I've been thinking about lately:

Do cancer survivors ALWAYS worry that a pain in their body is the cancer coming back?  When does that stop?

I still have pain, after 4 years, from the radiation, particularly around the scar tissue, but sometimes in the other breast.  I try to tell myself that we are watching it, so it must just be some residual pain, but once in a while, if I'm feeling weak, it can be scary.

Pains in other parts of the body are scary too.  Breast cancer often recurs in the bones, so every time I have a pain in my chest (probably indigestion), it feels like cancer in my chest.  An ache in my leg will feel like a tumor.

What do I do?

I take a few deep breaths.

Amazing, but most of the time, I seem to be able to make this work.  The holidays were stressful.  If I stop, and rest, and let myself breathe a little, some nice long deep breaths, often the pain will subside.

The breathing seems to help me in two ways:

- oxygen in your blood is good for fighting cancer, deep breathing helps give your body what it needs to fight cancer

- if the pain goes away when I breath deep and let myself relax a little, then I begin to feel more confident that the pain is really stress-related, and NOT another tumor growing somewhere else.

I'm not young.  My body will get aches and pains.  That doesn't mean the cancer is going to return.

So this Sunday, I am going to relax, and enjoy my health.  Live this beautiful moment in time.

Life is Good :)

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D., Cancer Advisor: A Phone Consultee Comments

Follow this link to the testimonial.  There are many others like this, but I think for anyone going through such stress in having to make decisions about how to treat their cancer - especially if you are hesitant about putting your body through toxic treatments when you are already feeling weak - having an unbiased person walk you through your options can be incredibly comforting and reassuring.

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is a very emotional experience.  If you feel like you can't think straight enough to make decisions (very important decisions that affect your survival), then consider calling Ralph Moss.  I know if/when my cancer recurs I will call him: I'm a single mother - I can't afford to die, and I also can't afford to be a wreck through treatment - I need to be a mom, I need to do everything I can to be there for my children.

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D., Cancer Advisor: A Phone Consultee Comments: " We recently received this comment on our phone consultation service: 'My telephone conversation with Ralph Moss was most helpful in h..."

Fighting Cancer with Coffee

Since my cancer diagnosis, I have always worried about drinking coffee.

Both my Oncologist, and Radiologist have said drinking coffee is okay.  When I read articles that talk about what I should do to help my survival, they mention quitting smoking (no problem for me, I never smoked), or drinking less alcohol (high consumption is associated with recurrence, again, not a problem for me).  But nobody mentions coffee. 

I have seen that drinking tea helps fight cancer.  Many teas, especially green tea, have cancer fighting properties, but it is the antioxidants in the tea, not the caffeine that fights cancer.  I enjoy a cup of tea, but that is an afternoon drink for me...

Oh, but I LOVE my morning cup of coffee.  It is my only weakness.  

As I start my New Year trying to improve my health,  I decide to look into any connection between cancer and coffee consumption.  I was surprised and overjoyed to discover that there are more studies showing coffee preventing cancer, than coffee causing cancer.

The distinction that I found was this:

- There seems to be Acrylamide in coffee with medium and lighter roasts that cause cancer (luckily, I prefer a darker roast): see this article: Cancer Chemical Found in Coffee.

But this seems to be the only bit of information that I can find, and that coming from a country that likes to promote tea consumption ;)

Beyond that, I found study after study showing not only that coffee is not harmful, but that it seems to prevent cancer.  The best article I found was this: 

Can coffee, tea lower brain cancer risk?

""If we had a drug for any disease that could demonstrate a risk reduction of 34%, that would be considered a great drug. That degree of risk reduction is very strong," he said.""

But to be clear, as this next article states: 

Coffee and Cancer Risk
"The study was associative, which means although researchers found a strong link between coffee drinking and reduced cancer risk, they can't say for sure that it's the coffee doing the trick."


I will keep my mind open.  I'm not going to think that I am fighting my cancer as I drink my morning coffee, but I will also stop feeling guilty for enjoying it.

Life is Good!

NUTRITION ADVICE: Top Antioxidant Foods

Ralph Moss (Cancer Decisions) Blog Has Moved

 By now you probably all know I'm a huge fan of Ralph Moss, author of several books, all of which are inspiring and helpful to a cancer patient wanting to improve their odds of survival.  I want to forward along the message that his blog has moved to: www.ralphmossblog.com.

I encourage all of you to subscribe to his blog, I have found not only his insights, but also the feedback from his other readers very comforting (in ways I was not comforted by my own physicians...).  If you haven't read any of his books, see below for some of my favorites, but all of them are good.  He also does personal consultations, which can be helpful when you are confused by conflicting information, and emotional overload.

FYI - I do not represent Ralph Moss, I'm just a fan of unbiased and honest information.

Starting 2011 With a Plan to Fight Cancer From Every Angle

In my most recent readings, I am finding that there are so many things to consider in my fight against cancer.

My first line of attack has always been diet - but this has two parts that I must evaluate at each meal:

1 - am I reducing the foods that might encourage cancer growth: synthetic/processed foods, refined sugar?

2 - am I eating cancer fighting foods at every meal?

But there's also a connection between cancer and regular fitness, even if it's just walking.  So my second line of attack is to make sure I do some sort of movement, if not every day, several times a week.

I'm done, right?  I did the treatment with my doctors, I'm eating better, trying to exercise more..  I'm fighting cancer!!!

Yes.  But I can do more :)

Every day we are bombarded with chemicals in our environment.  For the most part, these are government regulated, and we should assume they are safe.  But the government is concerned that chemicals not exceed amounts that could cause cancer (meaning cancer causing effects may be present, just at low levels), and often it is after a product has been on the market for a while that we find that it causes cancer: for example, the connection between breast cancer and plastic.  So, my goal is to use more natural products in my home.

There - now I am fighting cancer completely.  Fight, fight, fight!!!

Hmmm, but there's something I'm missing.  All this fighting goes against my nature.  There are studies that show a connection between survival and emotions.  Perhaps the most important thing I can do to survive is to simply enjoy a beautiful sunset, play with my children, and laugh with my friends.  

So this year, I am resolving to survive cancer, not just with what I put inside my body, but with what I will allow into my home, and how I live my life.  I will either buy less toxic cleansers, or make my own.  I will stock my kitchen with antioxidants for meals and snacking.  I will get out and enjoy nature walks. But most importantly, the key to my survival will be to live each day to its fullest.

As they say: Live, Laugh, Love - now a prescription for living longer!

Slow Death by Rubber Duck

...The Secret Danger of Everyday Things.

The title of this book may seem a bit like a prophecy of doom, but the message is more hopeful.  Instead of making us feel guilty for all the plastic, man-made things that surround us, they provide excellent information and research to help us move toward a less toxic environment.

The most important points they make, and this is why you need to read this book, is how seemingly innocent plastics in our homes can directly affect our health.  This is not just a book about trying to reduce landfills, or asking us to recycle, but that living with these plastics can cause disease.  There have already been studies linking plastics to breast cancer (see the link): What Is the Connection Between Plastic and Breast Cancer. 

The book has a wonderful style, quite readable and entertaining, and I feel the way the information is presented makes it easier for us to make decisions to create a less toxic environment at home.

If you are fighting cancer, as I am, this information is critical.  If you want to prevent cancer, this information is critical.  If you want to do everything you can to provide a safe and healthy environment for your family - this book will be invaluable.

Enjoy - may you have a healthy and happy 2011!!