Friday, November 4, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Altered eating habits this weekend ...
... and uhhh can we tell a difference. Husband and I have been eating simply prepared foods: fresh veges, grilled or baked chicken or fish, and ton of salads and juices, and feeling great. I'm lucky that the husband is supportive and willing to eat salads.
But this weekend I needed a kitchen quickie so I bought some KFC. A BIG bucket. We pigged out Friday night on fried chicken, cole slaw and beans. Delicious that night.
The next morning we paid for this indulgence. Bob and I both felt bloated, fat, and full for hours. We didn't care and had more chicken for lunch. What a treat.
Again, that night we paid the price. We could feel the grease in our systems sloshing around.
Soooooo, last night we finally got back on track and had whole wheat penne, grilled chicken dish with tons of tomato sauces. It is so easy to make our own spaghetti sauce we just can bring ourselves to buy prepared sauce any more.
Sometime I need a kitchen quickie but next time I won't buy as much. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach. Yes, I'm working on this.
But this weekend I needed a kitchen quickie so I bought some KFC. A BIG bucket. We pigged out Friday night on fried chicken, cole slaw and beans. Delicious that night.
The next morning we paid for this indulgence. Bob and I both felt bloated, fat, and full for hours. We didn't care and had more chicken for lunch. What a treat.
Again, that night we paid the price. We could feel the grease in our systems sloshing around.
Soooooo, last night we finally got back on track and had whole wheat penne, grilled chicken dish with tons of tomato sauces. It is so easy to make our own spaghetti sauce we just can bring ourselves to buy prepared sauce any more.
Sometime I need a kitchen quickie but next time I won't buy as much. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach. Yes, I'm working on this.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Started treatment with Octreotide
My first visit to the 'back room' of the cancer center was somewhat comforting. It was a large room with a centralized nursing station surrounded by large over-stuffed comfy-looking chairs. Each chair was encircled with a privacy curtain and plenty of magazines. Now I know where the good magazines are located.
My nurse made me feel comfortable by explaining everything I needed to know about the octreotide and what would be happening within the next few days. For the first three days I'll get less than a milliliter of medicine just to make sure I have no allergies or obnoxious side effects. Then on the fourth day I'll receive the 30-day version. Baby steps are always a good thing.
Well, so far so good. The shot is oil-based and requires a larger needle than I'd hoped but since I use a larger one for some of the medicines I give my goats I can't complain too much.
Moving on. I felt a bit swimmy-headed walking to my car. Not wanting to drive away from the clinic too soon, I sat there for a few minutes. I was OK in a couple of minutes.
The really good news is that I can already tell a difference; I've only had one bowel movement since I've been home and it was decent. Before the octreotide I'd have movements of mostly diarrhea about over two hours.
Hummmm, maybe this shot will work after all. I've had diarrhea since 1998 when my gall bladder was removed. Relief, at last.
I go for tiny shot number two tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes.
Keep smiling
My nurse made me feel comfortable by explaining everything I needed to know about the octreotide and what would be happening within the next few days. For the first three days I'll get less than a milliliter of medicine just to make sure I have no allergies or obnoxious side effects. Then on the fourth day I'll receive the 30-day version. Baby steps are always a good thing.
Well, so far so good. The shot is oil-based and requires a larger needle than I'd hoped but since I use a larger one for some of the medicines I give my goats I can't complain too much.
Moving on. I felt a bit swimmy-headed walking to my car. Not wanting to drive away from the clinic too soon, I sat there for a few minutes. I was OK in a couple of minutes.
The really good news is that I can already tell a difference; I've only had one bowel movement since I've been home and it was decent. Before the octreotide I'd have movements of mostly diarrhea about over two hours.
Hummmm, maybe this shot will work after all. I've had diarrhea since 1998 when my gall bladder was removed. Relief, at last.
I go for tiny shot number two tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes.
Keep smiling
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Met with oncologist for my three-month followup
The news was good -- all the tests indicate that my cancer is stable. No new growths, no changes. That's good. If that's good then why am I sad.
I'm sad and mad because nothing can be done to get this out of my body. I'm not a candidate for liver surgery because the tumors are scattered throughout my liver. The good news is that they haven't grown since my last CAT scan. We're in the 'let's check again in three months'. I can't imagine how expensive this experience will be. I'm feeling somewhat fatalistic this morning. Based on what I've read, having a day like this is normal. CRAP.
The good news is that carcinoid tumor cancer is extremely slow growing but they do grow.
I start my octreotide shots today because I still have diarrhea. Diarrhea has been part of life ever since I lost my gall bladder in 1999. I wonder if a CAT scan back then would have changed today's outcome.
Ahhhhhhhhhh the value in 20-20 hindsight.
The shots will start small. First I get less than a milliliter with a tiny needle. That's good. The medicine will last for a couple of days and is a test to see if I have any reactions. I hope not ... what's my other choice?
See? Told you I was a fatalist. I'll shape out of it in a minute. Bare with me.
My doctor answered all my web-found questions and even spoke kindly about the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation (CCF). I'm glad he's heard of them. Now I can continue reading the materials with an increased confidence.
ALL of my medical professionals have told me to stay OFF the web. "Don't believe what you read. Most of that information is WRONG. You're chances are better then what you'll read about." My CHANCES? These words are aimed at me and if aimed at me then my family structure will change dramatically. THAT's why I'm sad. Knew the reason would surface.
Guess I'd better start finding my animals good homes. Well, the goats at least. The dogs, cats, chickens, and horses are family. So are the goats, if the truth be known. I LOVE my goats ... but they need better, longer lasting homes. They're good goats.
That's enough for now. I need to go adjust. :)
I'm sad and mad because nothing can be done to get this out of my body. I'm not a candidate for liver surgery because the tumors are scattered throughout my liver. The good news is that they haven't grown since my last CAT scan. We're in the 'let's check again in three months'. I can't imagine how expensive this experience will be. I'm feeling somewhat fatalistic this morning. Based on what I've read, having a day like this is normal. CRAP.
The good news is that carcinoid tumor cancer is extremely slow growing but they do grow.
I start my octreotide shots today because I still have diarrhea. Diarrhea has been part of life ever since I lost my gall bladder in 1999. I wonder if a CAT scan back then would have changed today's outcome.
Ahhhhhhhhhh the value in 20-20 hindsight.
The shots will start small. First I get less than a milliliter with a tiny needle. That's good. The medicine will last for a couple of days and is a test to see if I have any reactions. I hope not ... what's my other choice?
See? Told you I was a fatalist. I'll shape out of it in a minute. Bare with me.
My doctor answered all my web-found questions and even spoke kindly about the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation (CCF). I'm glad he's heard of them. Now I can continue reading the materials with an increased confidence.
ALL of my medical professionals have told me to stay OFF the web. "Don't believe what you read. Most of that information is WRONG. You're chances are better then what you'll read about." My CHANCES? These words are aimed at me and if aimed at me then my family structure will change dramatically. THAT's why I'm sad. Knew the reason would surface.
Guess I'd better start finding my animals good homes. Well, the goats at least. The dogs, cats, chickens, and horses are family. So are the goats, if the truth be known. I LOVE my goats ... but they need better, longer lasting homes. They're good goats.
That's enough for now. I need to go adjust. :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Meditation
The Universe has an incredible way of communicating. All we have to do is listen. But listening to the Universe can be tricky. The one way I've noticed that it talks to me is when things keep coming up. For instance, the value of meditation keeps repeating itself. Every where I look, I see some message about meditation.
I get it. I get it.
Meditation is an important part of life. It used to be a part of my life but I seem to get busy and forget or simply don't take the time to slow down and meditate or reflect of the journey of the day.
Life has a way of telling you what is more important then other things. Life is telling me that meditation and growing within is important enough for me to take notice and focus inwardly.
As I learn more about it and identify resources, I'll post them here.
Deepak Chopra has several books, CDs, and learning aids about meditation. Here is one of his websites:
http://www.chopra.com/dailyinspiration
I get it. I get it.
Meditation is an important part of life. It used to be a part of my life but I seem to get busy and forget or simply don't take the time to slow down and meditate or reflect of the journey of the day.
Life has a way of telling you what is more important then other things. Life is telling me that meditation and growing within is important enough for me to take notice and focus inwardly.
As I learn more about it and identify resources, I'll post them here.
Deepak Chopra has several books, CDs, and learning aids about meditation. Here is one of his websites:
http://www.chopra.com/dailyinspiration
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
New link for carcinoid tumor cancer signs
http://www.fittodo.com/Fun-Healthy-Living/Health-And-Wellness/Medical-Conditions-A-Z/Carcinoid-Tumors.aspx
This link is the most concise I've found on signs of carcinoid tumor cancers. As with all cancers, the earlier they're found, the better chances of survival you have.
This link is the most concise I've found on signs of carcinoid tumor cancers. As with all cancers, the earlier they're found, the better chances of survival you have.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Fighting Cancer Through Macrobiotic Cooking
As I mentioned earlier, I've been researching cancer-fighting foods. I began in my cookbook library, which is quite extensive since I'm a closet foody. To my amazement, I found three outstanding resources. In this article I'll discuss macrobiotic cooking.
Macrobiotic Cooking for Everyone by Edward & Wendy Esko; Japan Publications, Inc. Tokyo; January 1984.
Yes, I've been researching various nutritional modalities for years. Whether I follow them or not, I still like to know how other folks feel about their foods.
In this book, Part One discusses Macrobiotics: Way of life for everyone: the Harmony of Opposites, Anecdotes: East and West; and Food of the Past, for the Present, and Future.
It's quite a comprehensive study of food's relationship with our body in relationship to earth and the heavens. I find the modality to be relatively easy to use and follow as long as you have access to a grocery store or health food store for oriental ingredients. Back in the 80's I had to shop at health food stores; but, today my local grocery store caries most of the ingredients mentioned in this book.
Macrobiotic cooking in a nutshell:
"Macrobiotic cooking is simply the art of balancing those universal forces as they appear on earth and in the biological world so as to achieve harmony with our immediate environment in nature and with the universe as a whole. Biologically, this condition of balance or equilibrium is referred to as health, while psychologically, we refer to it as happiness, (p. 7)."
Reading this book again after so many years reinforced my decision to build our own garden. Almost every day new information becomes available about hidden ingredients or processes in our nation's mass production of food that isn't healthy for us. Edgar Casey introduced me to the notion of eating local foods. He was right -- again.
Part Two: Cooking for Health, Happiness, and Freedom goes into detail about each food-type then offers several recipes. Macrobiotic cooking mostly entails whole grains, soups, vegetables, beans, sea vegetables, and seafood with oriental condiments. Delicious. No fancy cooking processes, just simple, easy recipes but you will need a pressure cooker. Yummm ... .
Over the years as we learn more about how our foods are being grown and processed, growing one's own produce is becoming critically important to health. Perhaps my eating habits are what caused my carcinoid cancer. Who knows. But I do know it was triggered by a hormone imbalance but what caused that anomaly is hard to define. According to my doctors, there is noway of knowing for sure.
But I can tell you that living only eight to eleven more years is not enough time for me. My To Do list is longer than that. You're too, probably. If altering my eating habits will thwart further carcinoid tumor development, then that's a fix that I can do something about.
In the meantime, I'll continue to lose weight for my overall health and to get off my high blood pressure and high cholesterol medicines. Being over weight isn't good for cancers either. So far I've lost over 20 pounds. Only 70 more to go. Piece of cake.
Macrobiotic Cooking for Everyone by Edward & Wendy Esko; Japan Publications, Inc. Tokyo; January 1984.
Yes, I've been researching various nutritional modalities for years. Whether I follow them or not, I still like to know how other folks feel about their foods.
In this book, Part One discusses Macrobiotics: Way of life for everyone: the Harmony of Opposites, Anecdotes: East and West; and Food of the Past, for the Present, and Future.
It's quite a comprehensive study of food's relationship with our body in relationship to earth and the heavens. I find the modality to be relatively easy to use and follow as long as you have access to a grocery store or health food store for oriental ingredients. Back in the 80's I had to shop at health food stores; but, today my local grocery store caries most of the ingredients mentioned in this book.
Macrobiotic cooking in a nutshell:
"Macrobiotic cooking is simply the art of balancing those universal forces as they appear on earth and in the biological world so as to achieve harmony with our immediate environment in nature and with the universe as a whole. Biologically, this condition of balance or equilibrium is referred to as health, while psychologically, we refer to it as happiness, (p. 7)."
Reading this book again after so many years reinforced my decision to build our own garden. Almost every day new information becomes available about hidden ingredients or processes in our nation's mass production of food that isn't healthy for us. Edgar Casey introduced me to the notion of eating local foods. He was right -- again.
Part Two: Cooking for Health, Happiness, and Freedom goes into detail about each food-type then offers several recipes. Macrobiotic cooking mostly entails whole grains, soups, vegetables, beans, sea vegetables, and seafood with oriental condiments. Delicious. No fancy cooking processes, just simple, easy recipes but you will need a pressure cooker. Yummm ... .
Over the years as we learn more about how our foods are being grown and processed, growing one's own produce is becoming critically important to health. Perhaps my eating habits are what caused my carcinoid cancer. Who knows. But I do know it was triggered by a hormone imbalance but what caused that anomaly is hard to define. According to my doctors, there is noway of knowing for sure.
But I can tell you that living only eight to eleven more years is not enough time for me. My To Do list is longer than that. You're too, probably. If altering my eating habits will thwart further carcinoid tumor development, then that's a fix that I can do something about.
In the meantime, I'll continue to lose weight for my overall health and to get off my high blood pressure and high cholesterol medicines. Being over weight isn't good for cancers either. So far I've lost over 20 pounds. Only 70 more to go. Piece of cake.
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