Sorry this has been awhile....
Since I last wrote my surgeon and oncologist went over my scans. This was 4 weeks after the Embolism I had to see if there is any change with the tumors in my liver.
Two showed signs of reduction in size! And the rest have done nothing. When you take into account how fast LMS grows; Nothing is really good.
They decided that for now the best thing to do is also Nothing. Watch and Wait. Something I've gotten good at... sort of... over the years :) They said they could go in and do another embolism but that they'd rather give me a break from surgery.
So on the 25th of this month I get scanned again. And we see, again, how things are going.
Which brings us to my new full time job: Me.
This is an average day:
~ I get up in the morning and if I'm not in a hurry I'll meditate for ten minutes.
~Then I cut and juice wheatgrass and drink a 1 oz shot. I've been growing my own and have a little set-up in the kitchen. It's a learning process but it's going pretty well.
I do this first as you drink it on an empty stomach and wait ½ hour.
I've been supplementing what I can't grow with powdered in the smoothies I discuss below.
~ I put the kettle on for hot water and lemon and my green tea for later. After ½ hour I sip the lemon water while I do the following:
~ Then the veggies and fruit for the juice and smoothies are washed (even if I wash some ahead there is always some that need it now) and then processed. I usually wind up with a couple glasses of both. Smoothies for breakfast and lunch and the juice for in between.
~ Then the juicer and blender get washed off and the kitchen cleaned.
~ I then drink my warm lemon water (cleans out the digestive track and is a mild liver flush)
~ Then I can have my Smoothie. And relax and drink my tea.
~ ½ hour of Yoga.
~ ½ hour healing visualization tapes.
By this time at the very least two and a half hours have gone by and I then try to be productive. House work, garden or the studio. Write in my blogs. :)
~ ½ hour walking; preferably outside but if I can't on the treadmill.
~ Smoothie for lunch. Followed by my vitamin supplements.
~ Nap (usually another tape to listen to before I fall asleep). I'm trying to listen to healing visualizations and guided imagery at least twice if not three times in a day.
~ Time to be productive; usually dinner prep which has been a huge salad full of greens, vegetables, seeds, nuts and home made vinaigrette.
~ At this point I watch TV, read or play on the computer.
All throughout the day I drink the veggie juice and lots and lots of water. I also take Medicinal Mushrooms throughout the day and plan on increasing them into my diet as food and tea. I have friends who send me 'shrooms from Vermont but I want to start trying to find my own. I live next to a forest so, while not easy, should be doable. And I'll get exercise walking around out there.
While much of this I was either already doing or partially doing before now, the last month and a half I've been pretty diligent.
Additions to what I'd been doing are, as I said the Juice and Smoothies but I've completely taken out all sugars. Not just white but all of them. Yes; even the Raw Agave everyone is putting in everything these days. I believe this has made a huge difference in my energy and lack of headaches. And sugar and cancer are not good for you.
No dairy. I had icecream on my birthday a couple weeks ago. Hormone and anti-biotic free and all local; but I could tell the difference in my sinuses the next day. And the sugar made me dump my energy as well.
No white flour... actually no flour. No bread. No pasta. On rare occasions I'll have pita at the Middle Easter Restaurant. Once so far.
Very little meat. Some seafood if I'm out but none at home.
In case you're wondering, I gave up coffee 11 years ago when I was trying to figure out why I didn't feel well. I do miss it; but usually only when I smell it brewing. Fortunately I love all kinds of green tea.
Has it been worth it?
I won't know about the tumors until after June 25 but aside from that: Yes.
I feel great. My skin and hair look great. Actually my hair hasn't looked this great in years. I wish I'd started living like this before I got the LMS. But better late then never. :) (take that as a lesson)
You have to figure in one Smoothie I'm eating at least four or more servings of vegetables and a fruit.
Twice a day. Then about the same in the juice. Then the salad. I've read that one ounce of Wheat Grass juice is the equivalent of 1.5 servings of vegetables. So add that in.
I believe I don't get hungry because my body has gotten everything it needs already from the Smoothie and doesn't need to send me out to “forage” in the fridge or pantry in the hopes I'll find some nutrient I'm not getting.
Same reason I don't get cravings. I haven't had a craving in over a month. Except for Veggie Chow Mien. No clue why. I had some and now I'm over it.
Yes it takes time out of the day. But if I pre-wash veggies for a few days then the morning routine isn't as long. I've found that no more then three days ahead.
I have Kris Carr from Crazy Sexy Cancer to thank for helping me to fine tune all this. If you haven't gone to her site or read her books I recommend it. You don't have to go on as strict a regime as she promotes; just start making a Green Smoothie a day and see where it goes.
So as of today: I'm feeling very well. Really well actually. Doing lots of gardening and have gone for a few short hikes into the woods.
Odd as it may seem; I'm feeling better then I have in years.
