Yes and No

Yes, last weekend was an adventure! Yes, we survived the juice fast. Yes, it's been busy around here. Yes, I'm planning to post pictures and words about the experience. No, it's not done yet. So...to occupy the blog until our juicing post, I had planned to share some other pictures taken while up in the Rockies.

But no, our networked computer with all our pictures on it isn't cooperating. Yes, stay tuned.

Please!

Juice Fest 2012

Well, it's time for our 3-day juice fest (more like FAST). We're beginning the day with a not-so-green in color green smoothie. Yum!

(Ingredients: celery, carrots, salad mix, green banana, blackberries, 

blueberries, cherries, basil, agave, stevia, water, ice)

Bubble Girl No More

Today I had a follow-up with the clinical trial doctor. Everything went swimmingly.

The last port tapping at UCH.

We reviewed the effects of the trial I've experienced. My ear ringing has improved over the last 5 weeks yet is still present and annoying. I'm still trying to use sound to mask the ringing. All signs indicate that the ear ringing will go away over time. 

If the clinical trial has any affirmative/positive findings, they will notify participants - as this may influence our future treatment(s). If the results aren't overwhelming in nature, I may be notified or have to seek them out myself. Since "results" from this trial aren't available when it ends (the results are really in what happens to us participants over time...especially in the 5 years post-trial), Dr. E seemed to think that preliminary results may be shared in ~3 years. 

They took several vials of blood but it was only a few minutes ago that I was able to get my hands on the results. My blood and body are rebounding; I no longer need to insulate myself from germs, travel, certain foods, etc. I am able to roam freely. What fantastic news to receive! Several of my critical bloodwork numbers are near or under "normal" ranges, but are improved over the bloodwork I had 2 weeks ago. Over the next few months, I should continue to see my strength/stamina improve, along with my immune function. (My immune system is still slightly weakened.)

Although I haven't noticed much peripheral neuropathy from the Cisplatin, Dr. E assured us that my body has experienced nerve damage from receiving a platinum drug. I may get a tingling/numb sensation in my hands, arms, feet, or legs as the nerves recover. This is normal and I'm not supposed to freak out if I experience the tingling sensation. Good to know.

The clinical trial will continue to monitor my health via follow-up appointments at my regular oncologist's office. These follow-ups will be every 4 months for years 1 and 2 post-trial and every 6 months for years 3-5.

Joshua and I plan on enjoying a sushi dinner tonight now that sushi is "back on the menu." And tomorrow morning, at long last, I'm headed to the pool for water aerobics. -- Can't think of a better way to begin my life outside the bubble!

YEEHAW!

What is a Survivor?

I'd like to share this passage with you all:

A survivor is a triumphant person who lives with, after, or in spite of a diagnosis or traumatic event. Survivors refuse to assume the identity of their adversity. They are not imprisoned by the constructs of a label. Instead, survivors use their brush with mortality as a catalyst for creating a better self. We transform our experience in order to further evolve spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Our reality challenges us to go deeper.

Survivors cultivate an essence that will never be victim to a word.

-inspired by Beth Villandry

(from Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor by Kris Carr)

Gingersnap Cookie Recipe

Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient and is also helpful in reducing nausea. Click here to read more about ginger (includes health benefits, how to select/store, tips for preparing and cooking).

Joshua and I use ginger regularly in our meals. Rarely does a day go by without ginger in our food! Below are some of the ways we've learned to use ginger in our cooking:

• Grate fresh ginger (after peeling) over cooked tofu, vegetables, or soba noodles
• Use sliced or chopped ginger in stir-fries
• Rub onto meat before grilling (helps to tenderize and adds flavor)
• Steep a slice of fresh ginger in your tea

What to do when hankering for a sweet treat? Make your own - that way you know exactly what goes into them! While Joshua is definitely the Executive Chef for this household. I do my best to be a good Sous-Chef and also enjoy making simple recipes with not too much going on at once. (It's the truth!)

Without further adieu, here's my Gingersnap Cookie Recipe -- an adapted/more healthy version of a recipe I found on the web:

TIP #1: If you have a mixer, I highly suggest using it. This dough is strong stuff!

1.5 sticks softened organic unsalted butter (-or- 1 stick butter + 1/4 C applesauce) Thanks, Sarah!

1 C sucanat (whole cane sugar)

1/4 C dark molasses

1 egg

-Blend these ingredients together. Then add:

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Hand-shaped dough balls.
Before the handy scoop arrived!

1/4 tsp salt

-Blend together. Then add:

2 3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour (if using applesauce alternative above, use 3 C flour)

1 tsp baking soda

-Blend together.

Form into dough balls. ~ I use a 1.5 Tbsp (medium) OXO Good Grips scoop to form the cookies so their sizing (and cooking time) is uniform. 

TIP #2: Line cooking sheets with parchment paper. The cookies won't stick and it makes for an easy clean-up.

TIP #3: For something a little extra, you can add ginger pieces on top of the cookies. Buy candied ginger, rinse off the sugar it's coated in, and chop up the amount you'd like to use. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the pieces so they don't stick to one another. This makes for a nice touch (and is what you see in the picture.)

YUM!

Bake at 375 degrees. ~ When using the scoop above, baking time is 13-15 minutes. If you use a tablespoon sized lump of dough, baking time is 8-12 minutes. This is at altitude, too, so might vary depending on where you live. Watch them; the longer you bake them, they'll be harder the longer you cook them.

Enjoy! I bet you can't have just one...

Additional Bloodwork Results

In the last blog post, I mentioned Dr. K was also having a battery of additional (not WBC/RBC/hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc.*) tests performed on my blood. She looked at Vitamin D, calcium, and thyroid levels - to name a few.

Just a few minutes ago I received a call from Dr. K's office. ALL of the additional bloodwork orders she requested came in...within normal ranges!!! This is so totally super-duper fantastic. I'm doing a little happy dance in my robe this morning! Whew.

So no need to have additional vitamins or supplements at this time. Feels great to be off the many meds I've been on the past year. I'm cruisin' on D3 supplements...and that's it. I've asked for a copy of the results so I can look them over myself.

YAY!!!

*Bloodwork results from last Monday indicated that my WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean platelet volume, and neutrophil levels were all still below normal range. This is expected, given that I had chemo 3 weeks prior and no Neulasta shot to help boost some of those levels. However, these numbers are all on the way up and should continue increasing. I suspect my blood will be drawn again next week when I have the clinical trial follow-up appointment and I'll happily share those results when they're known.

Meeting with My Homegirl

Monday's appointment with my regular oncologist (Dr. K) went well. Some of the highlights of our  discussion:

I should feel "normalized" in ~1 year (my energy, endurance, etc.).

Right now, the cumulative chemo has suppressed activity of any possible remaining cancer cells. Dr. K wants me to continue rebounding from the clinical trial chemo, enjoy some of the summer, have my surgery (expanders to implants), and test me 4 months after surgery. So my first X-ray scan will be towards the end of this year.

Recurrence symptoms to watch for in the future include:

• lung: coughing, shortness of breath
• liver: less appetite, low grade nausea, unexplained/unintended weight loss
• bone: focal pain (similar to bone pain) - especially in back and central areas of body

Bloodwork results from Monday indicate that my WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean platelet volume, and neutrophil levels are all still below normal range. This is kinda expected, given that I had chemo 3 weeks ago and no Neulasta shot to help boost some of those levels. These numbers are all on the way up and should continue increasing. I suspect my blood will be drawn again in late May when I have the clinical trial follow-up appointment.

Dr. K is also having a battery of additional tests performed on my blood. She's going to look at Vitamin D, calcium, and thyroid levels - to name a few.

It felt great to check in with her and ask my list 'o questions. The meeting was long and informative. So long that I nearly missed a haircut appointment (eegads!). How do you like the 'do?

Do you hear what I hear?

Tinnitus is the technical term for ear ringing. I thought one blog post should be dedicated to this because of its prevalence during my chemo treatments - especially during the clinical trial (with Cisplatin).

After four Adriamycin/Cytoxan treatments last summer, I received four Taxol/Abraxane treatments that made my ears ring; the ringing would usually dissipate between treatments. The Cisplatin I received Feb-Apr really brought on the ear ringing. After my first treatment it lasted ~4 days and each consecutive treatment it lasted a few days longer.

A neat diagram in the audiologist's testing chamber.

This time around, the ringing hasn't gone away. It's still pretty strong and is prevalent during every waking hour. It's high-pitched. And it kinda drives me crazy at times. I can somewhat successfully mask the ringing by playing music.

Cisplatin has many side effects; one of which is ototoxicity. Ototoxicity = producing, involving, or being adverse effects on organs or nerves involved in hearing or balance. (via Merriam-Webster)

---------------
Some of the important points from my hearing exam/meeting last week:

• chemo binds nerve endings and makes them irritated so they're firing all the time; that's why people experience ringing (it's perceived sound--not actual sound)
• high pitches: I currently have below normal hearing
• doc recommended I use constant low-level noise (music/white noise) to mask the ringing and keep my ear nerves engaged
• avoid excessively loud environments
• should get back high pitch hearing in 4-6 weeks; ringing should subside, too
• should not have lasting effects since I have four treatments; people who receive 10+ treatments sometimes have irreversible damage and need hearing aids, etc.

Important: Read Those Ingredient Labels!

I went to the dentist today and on my way out I had the choice to pick a sugar-free treat from their office offerings, all of which carried the American Dental Association "Seal of Acceptance". Things like tic-tac's were in the mix.

All these so-called "healthy" sugar-free treats contained chemical additives, which from my research are better left outside of the body. Funny that I would find this at my doctor's office and that the products are promoting good health, yet contain chemicals known to cause harm to humans.

The box of orange tic-tac's listed "Yellow #6 dye (E110)" in the ingredients. Here are some details about this food dye:

Banned in Norway and Sweden. Increases the number of kidney and adrenal gland tumors in laboratory animals, may cause chromosomal damage.

 So you can have healthier teeth and gums, at the price of some damaged DNA. Sound like a good deal?

Along the same lines the other day I'm shopping at Sunflower Market, a local health food grocery store, looking for a healthy snack. I'm thinking it is safe buying from the store's bulk section, since it is a health food supermarket. I picked up some large shaved coconuts flakes and didn't bother to check the ingredients. It contained two things: Coconut and the preservative "sulphur hydroxide".

Here is some info on sulphur hydroxide, a preservative which allows stores to keep food on the shelves longer at the price of consumer health:

Sulfur additives are toxic and in the United States of America, the Federal Drugs Administration have prohibited their use on raw fruit and vegetables. Adverse reactions include: bronchial problems particularly in those prone to asthma, hypotension (low blood pressure), flushing tingling sensations or anaphylactic shock. It also destroys vitamins B1 and E. Not recommended for consumption by children. The International Labour Organization says to avoid E220 if you suffer from conjunctivitis, bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, or cardiovascular disease.

So the take home message is: Check your ingredient labels! Be smart about what you chose to put into your body. You are not going to find warning labels on foods with poison in them. Those are reserved for things like cleaning products, anti-freeze and cigarettes. Most people don't consume those chemicals. If they do, at least they know what they are getting.

It seems there are more stringent requirements for what can be labeled as "organic" versus food with poisonous additives. Consumer health interests definitely come second to business interests in this country and most others. The healthcare "war machine" keeps the greenbacks flowing and business is booming, so why mess with a good thing?

Of the many changes Laura and I have been adopting into our daily lives is the avoidance of processed foods whenever possible. We don't beat ourselves up about perfection when it comes to diet, but we are also no longer ignoring the fact that most processed foods contain poison (yes, I'm not mincing words) and that these toxins add up over time. It is my belief that processed foods and the inclusion of harmful additives are a large contributing factor to the "health epidemic" we are seeing in westernized parts of the world.

Ingredients we try to avoid include: High fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, most things with chemical names, food coloring and dyes, things with the words "hydrogenated", "refined", "trans fat" or "artificial".

For your reference here is a handy article from Gaiam on the 10 worst food additives to avoid and another article from the Livestrong site listing dangerous additives. Another useful resource is the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 guide to pesticides in produce. There is a handy printable PDF info sheet on their site.

Be healthy, be good to yourself, you deserve it!