WE DID IT!!!

A friend called me today and said, "I just have to ask.  What was it like waking up this morning?!"

It was surreal.  Not sure if it has really sunk in yet.  No cancer at all.  Of course, that was our hope, but realistically, that wasn't what was supposed to happen.  Does everyone truly understand that?  I was Stage VI, metastisized, in the bone (that is never good), incurable was on my chart, my oncologist said that I will ALWAYS have cancer in my body, etc, etc, etc.  And there is no detectable cancer in my body.  My oncologist at one point was looking at the report and said in a surprised voice, "It is even gone from the hip."  I am a miracle.

I am going to have to journal about that one - I AM A MIRACLE.

I have been getting texts asking, "What is next?"  Good question.

Before cancer entered my life, I was ignorant.  I would have heard a story like mine and would have thought that is it.  No more treatments.  No more doctors.  Breath and celebrate. Time to live a normal life and put cancer behind them.  But that is not the case for a lot of patients.  And definitely not for me.

"No detectable cancer" is a powerful phrase.  Scans can only detect cancer once it has grown to a certain point.  The assumption (by the Western doctors) is that there are sneaky, small cancer cells lurking and hiding.  They will wait patiently for a weakened part of my body and find residence there.  Then they will grow.  Personally, I don't think there are any left.  We attacked them with chemo, Wheat Grass Shots, supplements, Kangen water, a mostly green, organic diet, faith, emotional clean up, allowing my body to rest, journaling, positive thinking, visualization, Doozers, prayers, #fancer, and lots and lots of love.  It is all gone.

Going into my appointment yesterday, our plan was to hear I was cancer free, do some research, and more than likely, opt out of any more chemo.  But as we sat there and Dr. Volas-Redd informed us about those sneaky, small cells lurking, we collectively decided to finish this out.  Let's make 100% sure that they are gone for good.  I do not believe that chemo alone could have gotten us the results we did.  Honestly, I feel more strongly about all the other stuff than the chemo.  But this cocktail of Western and Eastern medicin has worked.  There is no way to know for sure exactly what did it.  I am inclined to feel it really was ALL of it.  So let's keeping doing ALL of it to show cancer that I am not messing around or backing down so it doesn't come knocking on this door again.

So, three more months of chemo every week.  The chemo will be reduced by 20%.  (Because there isn't anything for it to attack!!!)  After that three months, we will take out my ovaries and tubes.  And then the hard part is going to come.  What do we do after that as far as Western treatments are concerned?

As knowledgeable as I feel I am, I have so much to learn.  Until last week, I thought I was getting 3 chemo drugs.  Wrong.  Of the 3 drugs that I get (Perjeta, Taxol, Herceptin) only Taxol is a true chemo drug.  The other 2 are antibodies or inhibitors.  Originally, Dr. Volas-Redd said that we would do treatments every week for 6 months, retest, and then take a break to decide our next step.  (Because there was supposed to be cancer left in my body.) To me that meant from all treatments.  Wrong again.  She meant from the Taxol.  So in her eyes, I will go in every 3 weeks for the rest of my life to get the inhibitors.  Ugh.

Do I opt out of the inhibitors?  Do I agree to not as many treatments every year?  Of course I am eating this way for the rest of my (VERY LONG) life, but do we now tweak it because our intent has changed from killing cancer cells to making sure they don't come back?  So many questions..

So we have 3 months to figure out what our next step is going to be.  And, yes, you guessed it, I am going to need all my researchers to help with that.  But I won't go into that now.  Because I don't know if you know this or not, but I am....

I am going to go rest now and wake up and let the realization hit me again that WE did it!  

       

PET Scan Day

My appointment for my scan was at 1:00.  When I woke up, I called to see if there had been any cancellations.  There hadn't been, but they said to call back in an hour.  I got a call before the hour.  Could I come in now?  Of course!  I hadn't eaten on purpose so we were all good.

Arrived, checked in (I have already met my deductible.  It is only Feb!), went back, had an IV put in for the dye, given a drink to drink half of, and then waited.

Another tech came in and told me I could drink the rest and she would come back in ten minutes.  We went back and got ready to start.

Wore my suspenders (Thank you, AA!) for good luck.  Hopefully this will be the last time we need the suspenders (chemo).  If you don't understand this, here is the post that will explain:  http://raiseyourheads.blogspot.com/2015/01/belt-and-suspenders.html

The scan takes about 10 minutes.  You have to be still with your arms over your head.  The "bed" moves in and out of the donuts.  The whole time I was visualizing a clean, healthy body.  I was also thanking God for a clear scan and asking for a positive sign from the tech.  When we finished, she seemed happy.  She told me to have a good day.  But who knows?

I couldn't be around the boys for 4 hours.  My friend had the boys so I went home and ate finally.  Then I took the dogs for a walk and relaxed for awhile.  Jason went and picked up the boys at 4.

I am still feeling pretty calm at this point.  My boys distract me.  The weather gets worse and I start getting texts saying that the weather is preventing them from coming.  We put the boys down and there is a knock on the door.  It's friends!  The boys are excited and we all come down stairs.  Hugs and laughs begin.  More friends show up.  We visit.  Get more hugs and they head home before the weather gets worse.  As they are leaving, more friends show up.  The boys are loving it!  More laughs and hugs.  Around 9:30, after a prayer, they head home.  We put the boys down and now we wait.

Still feeling pretty calm.  I think I will be fine.  I feel really good about the results.

My appointment is at 2.  I am to call at 12 to see if the results are in at that time.

Not sure if the weather will effect when I get my results, but we will hope for the best.  I will post updates as I get them.  Feel free to text me if you aren't on Facebook.  I really don't mind the texts.

Thank you for all the prayers, positive thoughts, and sweet messages.  Can't wait to celebrate tomorrow with everyone!

Wednesday Night Worship

As I stated in my last post, this is a busy week. Round 12 of chemo is scheduled for Tuesday at 8. My PET Scan is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:00. We get the results on Thursday at 2:00.

I didn't have a good weekend. I did have some friends visit and had a really good time. Thank goodness. I needed the distraction. But after they left on Sunday, I wasn't a nice person. I was tired of my diet. Every day my food tastes worse. When on chemo, and the metallic taste fills your mouth, strong tasting food is what you want to eat. Not vegetables, and quinoa, and more vegetables. And my rash is still here. And itchy. And red. And now my face is swollen. I was just mad and frustrated and really, really itchy.

Poor Jason got the brunt of it. Thank God that man loves me. It did lead to a good talk. And when I woke up today, my mood was significantly better. I walked 3 miles with my friend, did an hour of yoga, and laughed a lot with the boys. #fancer

Jason and I will be at First United Methodist Church on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM. While reading my bible verses last week, an image of us there popped in my head. I have learned to pay attention to theses things. Plus, the thought of us there, the night before we find out the results, is very comforting to me. My vision did include family and friends. We would love it if you could join us for some prayers, positive thoughts, laughs, and hugs.  You don't have to let me know. Just come. I will just smile when I see your beautiful faces walking through the doors.

More favors:

Please visualize lots and lots of doozers killing cancer cells Tuesday. LOTS!

Tuesday at 1:00. Visualize the machine scanning my body and not finding any cancer.

And Thursday, positive thoughts for negative findings on the scan. And get ready to celebrate with us!

Love to every one of you.

Wembley

Some have asked what a day in the life of Dawn on chemo day looks like.  I brought a friend along to make this more fun.

Wembley!

My alarm went off at 8.  Checked on boys - still sleeping!  Went down stairs and took my 6 pills that I take on an empty stomach (Sprulina, 2 probiotics, 2 candida cleanses, Serrapeptase). Make my breakfast. Pack my bag for chemo.  Pack food and Kangen water for chemo.  Start making boys breakfast.  Jack comes down the stairs and starts eating breakfast.  I do dishes.  Charlie starts rustling.  Go get him.  Get him settled.  It is now after 8:30.  Go upstairs and change and brush teeth.  Nana shows up and and out the door I go at 9:00.

Drive with Wembley and park in the Infusion Patient Parking!

My appointment is for 9:15.  Sign in.  Fill out paperwork.  Pay copay.  Wait.  Get called back.  Stand on scale.  Go sit down for blood work and get my port accessed.  Laugh with tech.  Pray together.  Go to Infusion Room.  Hope no one is in "my chair".  I like the one that blows cool air directly on it.  I am always hot.

This is my first time that I also see the doctor after I asked if I could start chemo while waiting to see her.  Well, with our lovely ice storm, she didn't have any other patients so I was immediately escorted to one of her rooms.

I have had a lovely rash for almost 2 weeks.  When I showed them last week, their response was, "I don't know what it is or what caused it, but here is a steroid to take."  I hate that!  Don't throw something at the symptoms.  Let's figure this out and fix it once and for all.  I tried to figure it out myself and cure it holistically, but started taking the prescription on Sunday.  Last night was the worse it has been.  She looked at it again and said, "Here is a topical."  Double ughh.

We discussed whether I could get a massage.  Yes, just stay away from upper chest, right hip, and no deep tissue at this time..

Lastly, we discussed the PET scan.  She put it in the computer for me to schedule that on my way out!!

Go back to Infusion Room.  They start my pre-meds - liquids, anti-naseau meds, etc.  I go to the bathroom, lugging my pole with me.  Come back and do squats.

Drink lots of water.  Drink a green smoothie.  Drink my protein shake with quinoa oats in it.

I have been told by several people that I need to play more.  I feel that I play more than most people my age, but okay.  Specifically to color.  Before I heard this, my friends had given me some color/meditation books.  So I put on my headphones, listen to Pandora, and color.  I write the word cancer in the part I am going to color and then meditate on it as I am coloring over it/getting rid of it.

Go to the bathroom again.  More squats.  More strange looks.  #fancer.  I get a bag of Benedryl and it makes you sleepy.  I have never been able to sleep in chemo.  But I close my eyes and just be.  It is kind of a nice feeling since I haven't had a beer in over 12 weeks!  I sure miss my beers.

My port and Wembley

My drugs and the machine that administers it.  The nurses calculate how fast or slow it should go in my body.   When it the bag is finished, the machine beeps.  It can be annoying.  The nurse comes over and changes the bags.

When I am finished, they flush out my port.  Take out the needle.  Take my blood pressure and BP and I am free to go.  It is now 1:00.

I get all my hugs from the nurses and the patients I know and gab with during this time.  Head out front and check out.  Since Herceptin can cause heart problems, I have to schedule an ECHO to check on that.  I schedule my chemo for the next week.  They will call me about the PET Scan.

I go home.  Relieve Nana and it is lunch time.  Charlie is napping so it is just Jack and myself.  We eat lunch, talk, play, and laugh.  Do more dishes.  I was not able to get rest time today as Marietta City is on Winter Break and everyone went on vacation.  I know rest time is important and I take it seriously, but when it happens I am not able to rest, I get excited because I can spend more time with my boys and get some stuff done around the house.

My sister shows up at 3 and sends me upstairs for a much needed nap.  I am tired!  Thank you, L!  I sleep for about and hour and half.  I open my door and she is dressing the boys because she is going to take them to Chick-Fila.  I start dinner for Jason and myself and then decide to start another item in my arsenal.  Red Light Therapy.  I won't go into now, but we are hoping, foremost, that it helps with my rash, but there are so many other benefits to RLT.  Will post soon after I have done some sessions.

I get home at 8:30 and the boys are sleeping.  Jason is eating.  And it has been a long day.  

But we are not done.  I need to eat dinner.  Jason makes us wheat grass shots.  We toast to #Fancer and down it goes.  I drink some hot tea.  We go upstairs around 10:45.  I cannot sleep.  I read for about an hour.  Finally come downstairs.  I didn't read my healing verses so I do that.  I read my bible for the day.  

I am thankfully getting sleepy now (It is 1:28).  Last week, I went upstairs at 4:00, but still couldn't sleep.  

               Click to listen while you read - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLQS6xo40kI

I will close with the best news and a request.  I scheduled me PET Scan.  It is on the 25th at 1:00.  I hope everyone will be able to pray over this date.  Pray for complete health.  Pray for no signs of cancer.  And on Tues, the 24th, really visualize that cancer being blasted away or chipped or whatever you have been visualizing.  We will go at 2:00 on the 26th for the results.  I am mostly excited, but some fear sneaks in sometimes.  But my excitement comes from a day dream.....

My oncologist walks in and is confused.  She sits down and says, "There is no sign of cancer on this report.  I am not sure what is going on.  I would like to order another one.."  And I take Jason's hand and run out the door.  Skipping, laughing, crying, and smiling so hard my face might crack.  

Because cancer still doesn't know what it is dealing with when it messed with me and my sisters and my friends and my family.  We are powerful.  #fancer

Proving My Point

Two days after my last post, Cleaning House, my sister sent me an email with the title, "Shit, how did we miss that?"  The toothpaste, Xyliwhite, that I have been using and recommended to you, has carrageenan in it!  What?!?  How did we miss that?  After talking for a few minutes, we realized we found the toothpaste before we discovered the lovely connection with carrageenan and cancer.

Because of the amount of research we are doing, when we find a product that we feel is free of cancerous ingredients, we accept it and move on.  And this exact things proves my point of my previous post - living healthy is hard!  There really is not ONE place to find all this information.  And information you can trust.  Shoot, you can't trust my blog.  YET!!  We are working on it.

If you bought some off of Amazon and haven't opened it, you can return it.  They make returns pain free and easy to do.  Sorry.

I am still using the one I have until we find a substitute.  I am not ingesting huge amounts so feel okay using for now.  We almost think we should just make our own toothpaste.  It is proving to be hard to find a safe toothpaste.

That same day I was at Kroger.  The boys needed toothpaste.  I looked at the ingredients.  All but 1 had carrageenan.  Ughh.  And my boys aren't that great at brushing their teeth yet so they ARE eating it.  Double Ughh.  The one that didn't have it was Colgate for ages 0 go 2.  Yes, my boys are older, but the one for 2 and older contain two ingredients that are not good - carrageenan and fluoride.  Pretty sure it is just marketing and the 0 to 2 is great for them.  So we will be using the one for ages 0 to 2.

I also wanted to mention two other products I am using.  (Although I was hesitant in doing so, but this is how we are going to learn.  Please let me know if you have any information on any of the products I am suggesting!)  We have been using www.honestcompany.com for about 2 years.  Do you know that Johnson & Johnson uses formaldehyde in their products?  That is not a typo.  Formaldehyde.  I researched this myself when someone posted it on Facebook.  And it didn't take long to confirm it.  Johnson & Johnson has taken that ingredient out of their products in England.  They know it is bad and took it out, but leaves it in our products because America doesn't make a stink about it like they do over there.  We are too PC and worried about causing a ripple.  Please, please throw away (don't recycle that nasty stuff) all our Johnson & Johnson products.  If you haven't opened them yet, take them back and tell then why you are returning them.  The young girl at the customer service desk looked at me like I was crazy, but I felt good telling her.  Honest Company products are awesome and not expensive.  I get the bubble wash, kids' shampoo, foaming hand soap, and scented spray.  Do the Bundle & Save!

The other product we have been using is Dr. Bronner's.  Some of their products are on Amazon.  I have been getting mine from Kroger.  They are usually a little more at Kroger, but I wait for sales and stock up.  I think I have seen them at Target also.  There is also great reading material on the bottle for all that extra time you spend just lounging in the shower or bath.

Several of you have asked about my pots and pans.  I LOVE them.  They clean up with a wet paper towel, nothing burns in them, and they look nice!  I highly recommend getting them.  My food tastes better to me knowing I haven't added metal while cooking it.

Thank you for following my journey with me.  Together we will figure this out.

Trampoline at Serenbe.  It was in the ground.  I think I need one.

Cleaning House

My new pots and pans came in and they are beautiful!  Not only do they not leak metal in my food, they are the best set I have ever owned, they are heavy, which I love,  and SOOOO easy to clean!  My old glass covers fit them exactly.  Two pans didn't come with tops, but I had ones that fit.

Here are the ones I bought on Amazon.  Amazing!

2 of the 5 pans.

When I got the box of pans, I searched the box for words that said they were safe and didn't leak metal.  All I found were phrases about how easy it is to clean.  And how they are dishwasher safe.  And how well your food cooked in them.  A thought came into my head that I should write this company and tell them that they should advertise about the health benefits.  I was excited thinking I was going to tell them something they didn't know and how it would help them.  Then it hit me.  Unfortunately, most Americans don't care about it being safe from cancerous materials.  Sadly, what sells is that it is dishwasher safe and won't scratch, etc.  

That is why you probably haven't heard of the stuff I am posting about.  And why you might think I am whack-a-do.  I probably come across way too extreme.  But I am not.  This stuff is in our food and household products and cookware.  It is easy to fix and eliminate, but most would rather be oblivious.  So, for now, you won't see that information on boxes.  

You can call me extreme.  I am okay with that.  But think about what I post for a couple of days.  If it doesn't sit right with you or sit right after you realize what you are feeding your children, then let's talk. 

I have a new wedding band.  Thank you, CD, for letting me know about Qalo.  My plan was to search the internet for some alternatives.  But once I read the story behind Qalo, I knew it was the ring for me. This one may be a little too small for me so ordered the next size up.  Easy to do because they are only $15.99.  Returns are easy as they fit in a regular envelope.  Love this company.

It is silicon and I think with my bald head, it kind of looks bad ass.

I have been meaning to post a picture of all the great glasses I have received to take my supplements and wheat grass shots.  They absolutely make it more fun and easier to swallow them!

The one on the right is from my great grandfather's shop.  He made dentures.  I have generations of family looking out for me.  Overwhelming (in a good way)..

No words needed.  Awesome Sauce!

Love these little mason jar glasses.

Can't wait to have a shot in my mini martini glass.

I took my Mantra Bands to Dr. Li Liu and I am sure you are guessing what she said.  They are blocking the good we are trying to put in my body.  To say I was upset was an understatement.  Hasn't enough things been taken away from me?  I let myself be mad for a few minutes and then I let it go and replaced it with gratitude that we are discovering these things.  It could change and I may be able to wear them again.  For now, they are next to my sink and I still look at them every day and smile.

I have been getting questions on what kinds of toiletries and household products I have been using.  I have been slowly getting rid of the cancerous products.  Sometimes I think I found a good replacement and then, after some more research, I find out it isn't.  For example, I was using Tom's toothpaste.  Happened to look at the ingredients after using it for a couple of weeks and I saw sodium lauryl sulfate!  This has the warning "may cause cancer".   Ugh.

Part of the reason this has been a slow process for me (besides finding the time) is I haven't found one source to look and be able to rely on it.  www.EWG.org is a well known and well respected site.  The main problem is that this site does not recognize parabens (mimic estrogen and IS linked to breast cancer) as being linked to cancer.  I sent them an email asking why, but haven't heard back from them.  So what I do is go to EWG's website, type in the name of the product, and then look at the ingredients on the product.  Let me know if any of the products I am using has some hidden ingredient I am not aware of, please.

I have tried many safe deodorants, but they didn't work for me.  Yes, I like that I was using a safe product, but walking around smelling bad wasn't worth it.  This one works great and it lasts a year!  It is around $6.

This toothpaste makes your teeth feel like you just left the dentist.  I get it on Amazon's subscribe and save.
*After posting this toothpaste, we discovered that it has carrageenan in it.  Ugh!  Please use it.*

USDA Organic.  You don't need much as it spreads well.

Natural pills to help with nausea.  I am happy to say this has helped through chemo.

Right now I am using Seventh Generation household cleaning products.  I know there are others out there and need to research them to compare prices.

I get both of these on Amazon subscribe and save also.

For the past 2 years, I have had AT LEAST one smoothie a day.  Usually more.  I was putting in greens and fruits.  I used coconut milk and coconut water as well.  Well, most coconut milk has an ingredient in it called carrageenan.  It is a thickener and it IS linked to cancer.  Makes me sick thinking that how much of it I have been drinking.  Since my re-diagnosis, I have been drinking almond milk with my protein powder.  Yes, you guessed it, it is in there too.  The only place we have been able to find almond milk without it is Whole Foods.  Their 365 brand does not have it.  So, please look at your ingredients.  This one is a no brainer.  Small changes for better health.

Here is a link from the Food Babe (who is making healthy changes in the US) that explains it:

http://foodbabe.com/2014/08/19/breaking-major-company-removing-controversial-ingredient-carrageenan-because-of-you/

I will leave you with two more pictures of friends chipping away at my cancer.  Keep the pictures coming!

KW killing cancer cells with every stroke of his pen.

CE killed so many cancer cells, he wiped himself out!