Tijuana - Day 6

If you have ever been to a SPA for more than a day, or gone on a cruise, you are familiar with setting up your day.  Being here is similar to that.  At 5PM, they put out the new sign-up sheets and any appointments that have been scheduled for you for the following day.  Then you begin to get your schedule together.  Some treatments you can't do while you have an IV in.  Some you can't do too close to anther one.  Then there is breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  And we all know I am NOT going to miss those.

I was struggling fitting in all that I had to do.  Finishing at 10PM.  Today I sat down and added up how long everything takes.  9.5 hours!  That made me feel better.  Thought I was just not juggling everything well enough.  For those of you that know me, I do like to organize.  I was excited like a dork.  Sat down and got down to work.  I am still foggy, my eye sight is off, and my short-term memory is messing with me.  But I did it.  Came up with a schedule and followed it.  I finished my last treatment before dinner at 5.  (Did forget one, but it is one I do in my room and takes 30 mins. Finished at 7PM)

This may be why I was tired yesterday.  And probably because I am settling in.  It has been a long, but amazing, week so far.  But I was tired.  My body was finally letting go.  Releasing all the anxiety and fear about coming here.  But it was a good day and am ready for the next two weeks.  How has it been almost a week already?!?

Thought I would write down the symptoms I am hoping will start going away for me to remember, but then also, so we can celebrate when they do....

- vertigo
- blurred vision
- dry mouth
- blood in nose
- insomnia
- insatiable appetite (just kidding)
- fatigue
- weak muscles
- stumbling
- shaky extremities at times
- short-term memory loss (might be stuck with this one)

Probably more, but all I can think of right now.

It is 5:30AM Tijuana time.  Going to get on the treadmill and get this day started.

They have church service today at 11 (4PM your time) and will be thanking Him for all of you.

Feliz el domingo todo el mundo!

Tijuana - Day 5

Sept. 16, 2016
65 F

Woke up several times during the night VERY dizzy, continued the whole day, moving my head even slightly fast, or bending down quickly, made me have to stop and breath heavy.

Woke at 5 and posted while eating an apple I asked for at dinner for just this reason.

Pancakes for breakfast with spelt bread!  Eggs and fruit. (2 servings of course!)

Saw the doctor today.  Ultrasound results - no evidence of disease in the chest or stomach or organs.  Woot- woot.  An ultrasound cannot detect small diseases, but doctor felt great about results.  As did I.

We talked about reducing my steroids, which is why I can't sleep.  I am on 4 mg/4 times a day taking my last one pretty late.  We decided on 4 mg/3 times a day taking the last one at 3.  He also prescribed an herbal sleep aid.  As he said, if I am not sleeping, I am not healing.  I am ready to sleep.

He did a test that revealed my thyroid might not be working properly.  My cortisol levels are low.  My cholesterol is high.  (What!?)  I have bacteria and inflammation.  Could be from chemo, stress, etc.  I now have supplements.  Ordered and will start taking soon.

Dinner was a stuffed pepper with quinoa and veggies with a yummy sauce, small salad, and soup.  Two servings.

I am still hungry all the time.  And the servings are a good.  Not Dawn-size like I eat at home, but sufficient.   And I am eating two.  We eat at 8 am, 1 pm, and 5:30 pm.  I am used to eating every 2/3 hours.  I asked if I could have another meal to take to my room to eat later.  Yes and they delivered it.  I ate it around 8.  I am sitting here at 4:30 eating an apple and am still hungry.  I might come back 20 pounds heavier!

I was going to run on the treadmill, but still wasn't feeling that well around dinner time.  Listened to my body and just did my push-ups and some twists with a dumbbell.

I have a neighbor.  He is here with his wife.  They didn't seem to leave the room often.  Finally stopped by to talk to her.  They have been here for 2 months.  No, that is not normal.  I may get some of this wrong, but was given bad news.  Like days.  They came here.  Sounds like it was scary, but he was still here!  Yesterday, he got out of bed for the first time in two months.  I say a lot of activity going on, but gave them their space.  When things calmed down, I went in.  He was out on the balcony for the first time, sitting up, talking, laughing, and I started crying.

Have only heard about miracles in this place.  I feel like everyone should come here for four days and experience these treatments (which are so wonderful and make so much more sense than tradition medicine).  The love and sharing and miracles walking around are overwhelming.

People have come and gone already in the five days I have been here.  Some for their initial visit (typically 3 weeks) and some for followups.  And I have only heard good news.
"Lots of shrinking tumors."
"Still clear."
"3-years clear. "
"They are gone."
"Tumor was 6 CM, now it is .08."

This is how I feel this disease should be handled.  With love and compassion and laughter.  Not sitting in a chair for hours getting toxins pumped in your veins.  Being told you are sick.  Being told you will feel sicker after treatments.  And I think most of, whether we want to admit it or not, are starting to realize that chemo does more damage than good.

Because you can't deny the results.  You receive hope.  And that is all I have been wanting.  Not a doctor to tell me to go home and have the hard conversations with my family.  No one can say when my time is up.  No one but God.  And, really, myself.

So mark your calendars for April 19, 2062.  That is my 90th birthday.  We will play gangster rap, dance with our walkers, eat cake, and drink a lot of beer.  Start taking care of yourselves so you can keep up with this old lady!

My view from my bed while posting

Tijuana - Day 4

Sept. 15, 2016

70 F
Mexican Independence Day - had some activity in the street around 9:00 for 30 minutes: police up and down, people, laughing, fireworks, etc.  Was about to sit on balcony and watch after a treatment and it was over.  

First day without Jason.  My head is a little foggy and it has been hard for me to remember where all the therapy rooms are located.  When you finally get your schedule set up, then you find out they changed an appointment and you have to rearrange. Which is hard because my short-term memory is still bad and my head gets confused.  BUT, I figured it out.  By myself.  I am getting there.

Today was the same treatments as yesterday.  I do alternate between B-12 and Vitamin C daily.  Sauna and Hyperthermia are alternated also.

I did the Hyperthermia for the first time today.  It is affectionately called the pizza oven by the patients.  You get in this tubular tunnel looking contraption with your underwear.  I was warned to make sure I had a wet towel with me.  This treatment your body tissue is exposed to high temperatures (up to 104) to damage and kill cancer cells.  45 minutes.  It was hot!  I had a hard time in the sauna and that heat.  This was worse.  My temp at the end was 100.7. But I felt so much hotter.

We did thermography also.  The ones I have done were much different.  This one had a wand and the technician would touch different parts on my face  and chest with it checking the temperature.  Did about 60.  Then turned the air up, left for ten minutes, and came back and did it again.  I think I find out the results today.

I think breakfast will be eggs every day.  Has been so far.

Lunch today was Mahi Mahi in orange sauce, orange soup, and small veggies (2 servings).

I was given my first supplement today.  Vitamin C.  Taking 1 before every meal.

Dinner was yummy.  I asked what it was, but couldn't understand his accent.  Took some pictures.

That is not a potato.  Don't know what it was, but it was good.

And COOKIES!  Pretty sure they were made with almonds.  What a treat! I ate one helping, had to go to a treatment, so took another serving of both soup and dinner plate to my room to eat afterwards.  Should have asked for more cookies, but was being good.

Some interesting things here in Tijuana.  You cannot flush toilet paper or other paper products down the toilet.  NONE.  That includes all TP.  Yes, including the TP you use to wipe your BM.  Pretty gross. Pandora is not available here.  CANNOT use tap water to put in your mouth.  Have to have filtered water to brush your teeth.  

Tijuana - Day 3

Sept. 14, 2016
69 F

Didn't sleep well again.  One of those nights that I am sure I slept, but felt like I was up the whole night.  Was able to to relax and not stress about not sleeping which would stress me more, so just thought about all the stuff I am going to be able to do once these bugs get out of my head.

Woke up at 6:30

7:00 - IV of Poly-MVA

7:30 - PEMF (pulsed electro magnetic fields), improves circulation and cell metabolism

8:00 - Breakfast:  scrambled eggs, potatoes pancake, oats with blueberries (didn't like), but 2 servings of eggs and pancakes

8:30 - Indiba, heat therapy with deep heating of the local tissue area, tumor cells do not support this level of heat and die, metabolism is also increased by this treatment, 30 minutes

9:00 - Light Pads/Lumen Photon Therapy - Cytochrome C oxidase is an enzyme inside our cellular mitochondria where our body naturally makes healing energy. Cytochrome C oxidase responds to light and specific frequencies, 30 minutes on liver and chest

*most of my therapies cannot be put direction on my head*

10:00 - green drink that is nasty

10 - 11:30 - Recall Therapy, I liked this, http://www.hope4cancer.com/hope4cancer-treatments/core-therapies/recall-healing.html, I have done this throughout my journey, we should all do it

*11:00 - Jason left*

Also at 10:00 - 3:00 -Vitamin 3 in IV, I kept forgetting I was hooked up to the darn thing and kept just walking away from the bag and pole and everyone would run to me to help, LOL

12:00 - Light Pad again on back

12:45 - Lunch: brown rice pasta with kale pesto (my favorite so far! but I haven't had rice in 3 years!), salad, veggie soup (2 servings)

1:30 - room to relax

2:00 - question and answers with Dr. Tony Jimenez (founder)

Yummy protein shake

3:00 - coffee enema

3:45 - not sure the name, but it looks like a stairclimber at the gym, it bounces you up and down (10 mins)

4:00 - Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

5:15 - ran on treadmill for 2.5 miles

6:00 - Dinner: chick pea salad, veggie soup, smaller salad with blueberries

7:00 - 7:25 - sauna, so HOT, 25 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes, I went to get out and I couldn't open the door, trying to slide the door open and not panic, but I was hot and I was FREAKING out, starting knocking on the door and not sure what to do, then I stumbled and my shoulder hit the door and it popped open, I was trying to slide it and it pushed open, WHEW

8:30 - Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy (SPDT), works with our SP-Acivate which adheres to the cancer cells, so that when light and now, sound, of the correct frequency is applied, the agent "explodes" into free radical oxygen, instantly killing the cancer cells which cannot survive in oxygen, uses three components: a photo and sono-sensitive activator of light and/or sound at the correct wavelengths, and a source of oxygenation, 10 minutes on back, chest, and liver (gel and a heated wand rubbed in circular motion)

SHOWER

9 - 10 - photo component SPDT (lay on back, pull down 10 lights over front, then flip) 30 mins each side

10 - 10:30 - Near Infrared Heat Lamp, penetrates about 3 inches inside body, healing hard to reach areas, many viruses, bacteria, parasites and tumor cells have poor tolerance to heat compared to normal cells

It was a long day, but a good day.  Everyone I meet is so wonderful.  Doctors, nurses, food staff, cleaning crew, patients, etc.  Some patients are here for the first time like me, others are back for their follow-ups, which happens every three months (I think) for four days.

I was asleep by 11.  YAY.  I woke up at 4.  I will take it.

When you wake up, you have to schedule you day.  It is a little overwhelming.  So much to figure out - times
- certain treatments you can't do on the same day as others
- some are 10 minutes, some are an hour
- some you can't sign up for and just go by and see if they are available
- then a doctor might pull you away and you have to reschedule
- a nurse does your vitals at least twice a day

But it comforting to me.  Everything I am doing just feels right.

5:15 AM - going to read a little and hopefully sleep a little

Wow.  Feeling so much better than this picture from beginning of the year!

My sweet neighbor has been giving the boys Beanie Babies.  This is New Beginning and Halo.  They came home with the boys to bring here to get rid of the bug in my head.  

Tijuana - Day 2

Last night, I fell asleep hard at 8 PM Tijuana time.  Don't even think I said my prayers.  But then I woke up at 2 AM wide awake.  And so hangry.  Stayed in bed for an hour drinking water to fill my stomach and tried to go back to sleep.  Finally got up at 3.  Walked around the clinic, found a book, and read for an hour.  Iyanla Vanzant.  "Yesterday, I cried"  It is very apropros.

Went back to room and never went back to sleep.  The steroids I am on are giving me insomnia.  No fun.

Nurse showed up at 6:45 to give me medicine I took under my tongue.  It is to prepare me for the ultra-violent light therapies.  Had to stay in the dark for five minutes.  Then wait 30 minutes to drink water.

At 7:00, I was getting blood work.  Then an ultra sound.

7:30 - Pulsed Electo Magnetic Fields - used to circulate and cell metabolism

8:00 - Breakfast: eggs, guac, brown sauce, sprouts, almond milk based cream of wheat stuff with strawberries.  I had 2 servings!

9:00 - Coffee Enema and hydrogen (yes, where you are thinking), it cleans out the colon

10:00 - Talked to my awesome doctor

10:15 - nasty green smoothie/drink

11:00 - PIC insertion, because of my two ports, I have a lot of scar tissue, doctor couldn't get the needle in the vein, after 5 pricks, I asked for the most benevolent outcome and pictured me giving my vein that was moving to God on a platter He was holding and immediately the doctor said it was in, I started crying, He is so with me.

12:00 - Hyperbaric Chamber (I am like Micheal Jackson)

12:45 - X-ray of chest

12:50 - Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field again

1:00 - Lunch: salman with yummy almond milk based sauce with olives, broccoli, and white soup

3:00 - First IV treatment - B-12

4:00 - protein shake

5:00 - Dinner:  salad, quinoa with veggies (had carrots so didn't eat), bean soup

6:00 - Indiba (heat, kills cancer cells)

6:30 - walked to organic store to get food in case I wake up in the middle of the night again, and also picked up some Tijuana t-shirts

7:15 - walk on beach boardwalk with Gladys (one of the awesome patients we have met)

8:15 - turning off computer

Sleep tight, Everyone!!

Tijuana

Our alarm went off at 6:00.  We left the house at 6:40.  Got to the airport at 7:30.  We somehow thought our flight was at 8:45.  It was 8:15.  I was checking a bag so I went ahead of Jason, but thought we still had a lot of time.  Jason gets on the plane and texts me to hurry.  When I got to the gate, the plane was already detached from the ramp.  I start crying and stressing.  Long story short, they opened the plane back up for me.  After I was "yelled" at by the check-in attendant that I was inconveniencing over 200 people.  I get it.  I am sorry.

Just tells me that I was meant to come here.  TODAY.

The driver picks us up, we drive 20 minutes to the border.  We buy visas and our passports are stamped.  We drive ten more minutes to the facility.

We get a tour of the facility.  Everyone is so nice and smiling.  Especially the patients.

Check into room.  Twin beds. LOL

Ate a delicious lunch:  spinach/lentil soup, salad, a huge Portabella mushroom, rice and veggies, Brussel sprouts, hummus, and Kangen water.

Unpacked our bags and rested a little.

Met my doctor, went over medical history, and had a physical exam.

Jason and I walked down to Walmart.

Ate another delicious meal:  potato salad, zucchini pasta, and spinach salad with blueberries.

Tijuana is 3 hours behind.  It is 7:00 right now, but 10:00 our time.  I am in the bed with my PJs on and will probably be asleep very soon.

I have received so many emails and texts today.  I cannot tell you how much they all meant to me.  Thank you.

I start my treatments tomorrow at 7 am.  I was told the day can be overwhelming with all the treatments, but I am ready. I have been getting ready for tomorrow for four years now.

I am ready.

Healing Trip to Mexico

It's time to go and time to ask for more help.

https://www.gofundme.com/2mrxcdg

Thank you in advance.  How do I even thank everyone?  I just heard a voice telling me, "Come home healthy!"