When I think of alive cancer cells, I think of cells that are metabolically active.
And then I think well that’s what a PET scan attempts to tell us. This is why I paid out of pocket last year to get my PET scan. I wanted to know if my metastatic breast cancer was metabolically active after 9 months of DIY concentrated metabolic pathway inhibition.
My very conventional oncologist doesn’t seem to give much weight to cancer being seen as active or inactive and refused to write me a referral for a PET scan. She said that PET’s are not accurate enough as far as seeing small stuff. You are stable, and that’s great she said. I went online and found an oncologist who was happy to refer me for a PET scan. ‘Stable” was not the term I had worked hard for. I’m looking for a NED and I would be happy to hear that I was NEAD given that bones do take time to return to normal healthy scar free images on the bone scans. Stable, I’ve been stable for ages.
I had a copy of the PET results sent to my conventional oncologist so she could celebrate with me (not). I guess if she was in my shoes and actually knew how much work and how much time and money I had invested in starving the stem cells she would have been more likely to get behind a PET and be celebrating with me when it came back with a NEAD report. No evidence of active disease. No, she wasn’t impressed one bit but the report did give me an opportunity to argue with her about the language we were going to use going forward. Since the 2 reports. (I had 2, one report done in QLD and in one NSW. My original PET ordered by my QLD surgeon win 2017 was done in QLD and the 2nd in 2019 was done in NSW). I won the argument. No more referring to my condition as stable, She agreed to join me and the report writers in calling it NEAD. She said it made no difference to her. I said it meant everything to me. I tried to explain that stable sounded like I had cancer that was not progressing. NEAD sounds like I have no living cancer cells.
I combined the PET report with her bone scan and CT report and yes there is scar tissue built up on some of my bones, but there are also areas which have cleared and are no longer noted. The cancer had not only caused these build ups but it had taken away bone..these bits I thought of as my Swiss cheese. These have healed. No more Swiss cheese and instead I have new healthy bone.
Coming up to nearly 3 years since my stage 4 diagnosis I can happily say..I am way beyond stable;
I am healing. I have healed wide spread bone mets ..and my body is amazing and I will keep doing everything I can to support it to stay this way.
I no longer inhibit all the pathways at once to starve cancer these days as I once did. I believe it is no longer there; nothing to be starved. Instead I live very healthy and I focus on caring for my immune system and overall energy and health, incl my hormones ( all new learning curve!!) and mental health. I recently stopped my monthly Zolodex implant that the onc put me on mid 2017. Will tell her I stopped it at next appt. And I no longer take Dipyridamole (DPM). I rarely take the Herpes drug medication I used alongside DPM to get things back on track . I am using herbs and supps instead and have no outbreaks. I am having a pause from Quercetin too just now too and think this is working for me.
I’m still very happy taking/eating daily or cycling: green tea, licorice root and fennel, chamomile, chrysanthemum, ashwaganda, burdock chlorella, chia, green apple, ginger powder, lime or lemon juice, Vit D3, K2, Liposomal Vit C, R-ALA, Curcumin Phytosome with Meriva, Zinc, Magensium, Selenium, Boron, Iodine, Beta Glucan, NAC, Niacin, Mixed B’s, (extra B12 B6 only 2 x week) , Broc Sprout Powder, Grape Seed Extract, High dose Melatonin, Cats Claw, Astragalus, EPA/DHA, Tocopherols, Olive Oil, Eating so well, mostly plant based with more pulses. Chicken in very small portions 1-2 x week and a little red meat every 3-ish weeks . Black seed oil ( but not too much) Hydrogen water, skullcap. Loads of greens and olives and sauerkraut and sprouts. Infrared Sauna 3 x week, Emotional releasing work, 1-2 dog walks a day, Medical Chi Gong movement practice with healing mediation 1 hr each morning.
I continue to find and devour inspiring resources that keep me anchored in the power of the focused mind over the state of the body. Right now I am feeling super happy to have found the book Mind to Matter by Dawson Church. Will post some more about this resource in the group’s thread dedicated to psychological resources for healing cancer.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156770660276662&set=g.240927233489567&type=1&theater&ifg=1