Good News & Bad News on Family Cancers

I like to start with good news first (of course). Since removing of the scar tissue in my brothers colon, he again has returned to better health. He’s gained weight back and is beginning to look like himself. He’s become much more active (even playing volleyball).

There’s still a long process of healing for him to again go through another surgery to re-connect everything again, but in the meantime he is managing everything quite well and his spirit is good.

Now the bad news:

Two weeks ago, I was informed by my siblings that my dad (93 years old), was rushed to the hospital due to unbearable pain in his chest. Of course, your first thoughts are “a heart attack”.

After extensive testing and x-rays, it was found that he has two spots on his right lung. They think it might be cancer and that is what’s causing his pain.

The doctors feel because of his age surgery would not be an option anyways. So there’s no real way to determine if the spots are cancer or not without a biopsy, but they were suggesting radiation.

My dad, being the age he is, has refused any type of surgery or mainstream medical treatment. He said he has lead a long and healthy life up to this point and can see no reason to go through all those arduous procedures at this time.

He has stated to the family, a number of times, that he is tired and is ready to go.

The good news:

My older sister has made him some of the Essiac tea and he takes a shot glass full three times a day. We will see, as time goes on, whether this helps him or not…I believe it will but time will tell.

They also have him on some form of steroids to deal with the pain, although it was found that he also had some kind of infection, and once the medication for that kicked in and cleared up the infection, he was doing much better as far as pain management.

It is his belief that once the pain is manageable, he will wean himself off the steroids gradually to see if the pain comes back…if not, he’ll stop the steroids (which I’m all for).

It should be understood that this wonderful man still lives by himself and at this point, doesn’t always eat the way he should. If there is someone there to make him meals….he’ll eat! But most of the time, since it’s just himself, he won’t take the time or effort, to prepare himself a meal.

My sister who lives by him, does make sure when she cooks, she also makes a plate for him and usually drops it off to him (almost daily). But that’s one meal a day…and he should be eating more than that. So, needless to say, the majority of the time he’s just eating one meal a day!

I love him dearly and at this point, respect whatever way he chooses to address his health.

The good news:

My younger sister with the breast cancer is doing well after having gone through all the chemo and radiation (at this point). Her hair is growing back and she has a good outlook on life. Hopefully, it will not return Only time will tell. She has not adjusted her diet, so she still is eating all the unhealthy stuff.

My older sister who has had two breast cancers and thyroid cancer, at this point, is still going strong. Although she makes sure to get more veggies and fruits in her diet, she still has far too many unhealthy food choices. I believe, had she made conscientious food choices after the first cancer surgery, there would have been a good chance she would not have gone through a second and third surgery. Remember…these surgeries (second and third), were within five years of each other.

Well, that’s my update for now, and I continue to gently inform them of their “bad” choices and what they should be doing to increase their chances of not having the cancer return. That’s all I can do…the rest is up to them. I love them all!

Sister’s And Brother’s Cancer Update

At least I have a “little” good news in regards to my sister having both breasts removed. When she talked to her doctor about the procedure, he explained to her that at this time she was in no imminent danger and he felt that she should take the time to research this more before making a decision. (Hooray for one doctor!) So, for now, that’s exactly what she is going to do (big sigh of relief here). Her radiation treatments have started and it looks like she’s doing okay, all things considered.

My brother, after his recent surgery, also appears to functioning okay with the colostomy back in place. Again, he’s been told that it will be at least six months before they can even reconsider a new surgery for reconnecting everything…and even then it’s all going to depend on how well he healed whether that will even be an option. He is also, at this point, going to seek other opinions (better late then never I guess), and look into alternatives. He feels that perhaps with a different set of doctors looking at his health problems from different angles, perhaps a better outcome could be achieved.

Please note that in both cases above, none of the doctors have talked about lifestyle changes! Both sisters who had breast cancer, as well as my brother, were overweight. My brother is no longer because he’s lost 100 lbs. since his procedures began! No he looks very thin, emaciated, and dehydrated! All of them have had very poor eating habits. It has been scientifically proven that being overweight has a direct impact on cancer developing. Not to mention the quality of the foods they have ingested over the years. My brother rarely ate fruits and vegetables and drank a lot of soda. The sister currently going through radiation has relied on a diet mainly of sugar and starches with very little fruits and vegetables.

The sister with two breast cancers and thyroid cancer, has implemented a variety of fruits and vegetables, purified water (both in the kitchen and the shower), and other healthier choices, but has yet to give up on the starches, sugars, and caffeine.

When fighting this disease, you can’t approach it with just “one toe” in the process. You have to commit to changing your lifestyle. Eliminating those agents that are known to cause cancer and implementing healthier choices (the right foods, exercise, less stress, proper sleep so your body can heal itself, and good hydration) is the only way you are going to stop the mechanisms that trigger cancer to begin with.

Brother’s Colon Cancer 2nd Surgery Results

My brother appears to be fine after his second surgery. They found no cancer…just a lot of scar tissue from the first surgery and that is what was causing his blockages. They again had to do a re-section which means he will have a colostomy bag for at least another six months, at which time, they will decide whether they will be able to re-assemble everything.

The really good news to me is, my youngest sister was able to convince him to seek out the advice of another physician (or two). Hopefully, it’s someone with more of a bedside manner and is willing to direct my brother towards more “natural” things he can do to improve his condition. Only time will tell…but at least he’s starting to listen to other people instead of the surgeon who’s currently got everything in his hands.

Brother’s Colon Cancer Update

Darn, darn, darn…

My brother was still having problems and decided to go to another doctor to get his opinion. He no sooner got into the Dr.’s office and this doctor told him if he were him, he’d get himself to a hospital right away. Supposedly this doctor was not able to admit him to his facility/hospital, because they had no more room.

So my brother went back to the physician that had originally done his surgery (he saw him the same day). They ended up admitting him to the hospital immediately. He either has too much scar tissue from his original surgery or his cancer has returned. They won’t know for sure until after they perform surgery! They do know that he has two blockages.

Best case scenario…it’s just scar tissue, that they will remove. He’ll have to have a colostomy again for about six months if that is the case.

Worse scenario…his cancer has returned, he’ll have to go through everything again (chemo/radiation) and will wear a colostomy bag for his remaining days.

The lead-up to all of this was that he had attended a funeral service a couple of weeks ago where my sisters were also present. They said he had lost about 50 lbs. and his skin looked really thin.

Apparently, he had been going without eating or drinking anything during the day because it caused too many problems if he did.

One of his big concerns right now is that he doesn’t have his 90 days in at his new job (that’s why he was putting off going to see a doctor). Now he doesn’t know if he’ll even have a job when it’s all said and done.

This, in my opinion, is what happens all too often when you opt for the slash and burn method of treating cancer without also attacking bad eating habits. Mind you, your immune system is already down from the chemo and radiation, the medical industry does nothing to address this as far as recommending a healthier diet that’s going to assist your body in rebuilding your immunity system.

Anyone who has had cancer should be watching their pH, eating to rebuild their immunity system, and keeping all toxic foods (sugar, white flour, caffeine, dairy, etc.) out of their body.

I just wish that one of those doctors would put it to him straight, since my trying to convince him hasn’t worked. If it came from one of his doctors, it would hold more weight with him, unfortunately (and I know that’s how most people think).

Will post further results after his surgery in a couple of days.

First Cancer Diagnosis Amongst Siblings

When my sister was first diagnosed with breast cancer….did the rest of us panic? Not really. You see she was a “middle” child, being the sixth born out of ten…..the fifth of eight girls. All of the older sisters had, at one time or another, lumpectomies that proved to be benign, and up to the present time, there has been only one sister who has not gone through this procedure.

I know her first thought was “Why me?”, although I know she would also have not wished it on any of the rest of us. But she was one of those people who didn’t drink, never smoked, and usually ate healthy foods (though I’m sure she ate un-healthy foods at times also).

The medical field will say that it’s all in the numbers…..my mom having had breast cancer when she died, her sisters also had breast cancer, so the numbers were against us. I don’t abide by this theory.

Why? I also have a sister-in-law who ended up with throat cancer, and fortunately it was caught early enough that she didn’t loose her voice box….same thing as far as, she didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, has always maintained a normal weight, eats healthy, etc. Now what caused her cancer?

I don’t know…..I just think the medical community is too involved with studying drugs and other expensive treatments, to really study the reason someone gets this disease to begin with. There has to be some other triggering element other than just family history.

I have done some other research on alternative cancer treatments ever since my sister had her operation, and there are just too many other plausible, less expensive, treatments than what the standard medical community is pushing on people these days. It worries me…. Are they really concerned for your well being, or is it the easy thing for them to do because that’s all they’ve been taught? Cut, extract, radiate, chemo…..and then just hope for the best…..no guarantees….and, oh yeah, don’t forget to keep coming back!

Well……the sad part of this story….three years after my sister had her mastectomy….they found a lump in her other breast. I guess the good part was they found it early enough, that she didn’t have to have that breast removed. They removed what they saw and she went through radiation therapy again. Now, mind you, she had been to all her follow-up checkups….and she found this lump just three months after her last exam.

I, at this point, don’t know what the definitive answer is, but I know our standard medical community is not doing everything it could be. I actually believe a lot of the treatment that they give you, does more harm than good! Do you know what the radiation and chemo does to your immune system? And that will never repair itself…. I don’t know if it’s worth the price!

During her first bout with cancer, my sister went through numerous life changes. Some say, brought on by the cancer….I say NOT! She re-evaluated her life, and decided she no longer wanted to be married to the person she had known since high-school, and they had been married for 36 years. Since I was single, she moved in with me while going through the divorce, the chemo, the radiation, and the reconstruction surgery.

I actually look up to her quite alot….she had a plate full….but continued every day with a positive attitude! She is definitely a strong person, although, she never thought she was prior to this….which is part of the reason she stayed in a marriage where she was not happy for a good number of years longer than she should have.

There’s a lot of information on the internet for researching, should you or a loved one become a victim of this disease (remember….the numbers are against you). To expand your knowledge, I will try to provide a link that I believe could be of use in addressing this disease….outside of the normal mainstream medical community. I hope it helps someone: Alternative Cancer Treatments

Too Close To Home (Cancer)

Although I’ve decided to begin this venture (notice that I didn’t say “adventure”), of posting my thoughts on the treatments, causes, and anything else related to cancer, at times I know that’s it’s not going to be easy since it has struck numerous times in my family and has affected many aspects of our home life.

I thank God, everyday, that the loved ones I have now that have either had/or have cancer, are still around today! It would seem that in this world of soooo much advanced technology….that there is something that we are definitely missing in the cure for this disease. I propose that it will eventually be found to be something quite simple that was right under our noses to begin with……OR, could it be something that is as simple as eating too many processed foods and we’re not getting all of the essential vitamins that we use to consume in a simpler time? Tell me what you think?

I feel that here in the good old U.S. of A., there are too many treatments around the world that are simply not allowed to be used here do to the government preventing people from having these treatments available to them within our country. It’s no wonder that it’s running rampant. Colon cancer has become the third largest killer disease here (and rising)! Why is that?

In my immediate living family alone, I have one sister who is a breast cancer survivor (of five years), and a younger brother who was just diagnosed with colon cancer this past November. My mother died at the very young age of 36 of cirrhosis of the liver (no…she was not a drinker), and a number of her sisters also died with breast cancer. On my father’s side….although dad has lived a long and healthy life (he just turned 90 this past October), his brother had colon cancer 5 years ago….so he’s a survivor.

With my brother’s diagnosis, came a renewed fear of it showing up in more of us as time goes by (there are 10 siblings in the family….and as of this year….all of us are over 50 years of age). I’m thankful for the time that we’ve all had with no major illnesses or diseases. It’s not too often that you come across a family the size of ours, where all the siblings are still around to enjoy the holidays and special occasions together! That in and of itself, is a miracle to me!

I do believe that one of the main factors in keeping a cancer-free body…is a good positive attitude that things of that nature, are not going to affect your body. But should it affect mine, I will not stand for the government telling me what treatments I am, and am not, allowed to use, just because I live in this country!