I had cancer related lab tests drawn yesterday, and had the results in the afternoon. My calcium is okay, but probably because I have been taken my normal prescribed supplement x8 for the last 3 days! The doctor says to keep plugging away at the supplements since I still have symptoms. The symptoms of low calcium that I get are horrendous muscle cramps (so bad they kind of "freeze" me in place), tingling in my arms, legs, and face, and fatigue. It has been the busiest week of our summer this week, with spring activities overlapping with summer ones, and it has been difficult to keep up.
My tumor marker test is still positive, I learned late in the day. Even though it should be negative now as it is suppressed with the Synthroid level I am on. My other tests also show the Synthroid dose is once again not working as well as it should, so that will be upped again at my appointment on Tuesday with my oncologist.
So, I spent a restless night pondering all of this, and a few verses that came floating into my head in the dark. Philippians 4:4-6 has been my go-to verse for my lifestyle for many, many years. And I still agree that being careful because I think I can save myself is a pointless endeavor. But, in light of all this and my desire to make wise choices so that I can be on this earth as long as possible for my children, I am considering making some drastic changes to my diet/lifestyle to fight back. With the guidance of my doctor, I am considering cutting out all sugar, starch, alcohol and over-the-counter drugs (read ibuprofen and aspirin) in an effort to keep my blood sugar below 120 at all times and reduce the amount of work for my liver. This is because easy, quick food is what cancer loves best: eliminating easy, quick food has definitely been shown to slow cancer's inexorable march. After speaking with him, I went ahead and started all of this yesterday. I was planning on a starchy late supper and a Summer Shandy when I got home after a very, very busy day...and instead feasted on a spicy Italian sausage from my friend Jan who is apparently related to some amazing cooks!
It will be an interesting new phase in my life. I am a moderation master in some areas, but there are some areas where I definitely don't have good self-control. I also struggle with diverging that drastically from my normal cooking pattern, because I much prefer to be on auto-pilot in the kitchen in those frantic evening hours pre-dinner. I think I will try putting together a pretty solidly planned menu so that I can just look at a list...and cook what it tells me to.
Prayers, please? That cancer growth would slow down and I won't need any radioactive iodine before October? That the cancer would be treatable with the iodine? That my calcium would stabilize? I am grateful for your prayers.
He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:6-8)
2 comments:
Gen, I have really felt physically unwell over the last few weeks, presumably because I have been eating nothing but the substances you mention in your post. I know from previous experience that I feel best when I avoid all of those substances, but I find it difficult to maintain when no one around me is doing it.
This definitely creates some food for thought and a discussion to be had with my family as well.
Thanks, as always, for your wise words.
Once again, we come alongside you in this news. News to knock your socks off, but just 'Daily News' in the house of a family living with cancer.
May the Lord strengthen and sustain you and give you deep, joyous peace. May you toddle your grandchildren on strong, bouncy knees.
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