When I was first told I was going to lose my left lymph nodes & the complete function of my chest muscle, doctors told me I would never be able to lift upper body weights again. I had one doctor tell me I can lift light weights, when I asked what they meant by light, the doctor replied "2-5lbs." My head spinned and I laughed to myself- light was the 15lb dumbbell. The problem with me is if I am told I cannot do something, I want to prove people wrong.
In 2010 pre-cancer, I was at my peak athletic form. I was taking spin classes, running 6mi at 9min mile pace, and lifting heavy weights. It took me 2yrs to get to that point and I was dead set on getting back there. Six days after my mastectomy, I resumed exercise. I was walking 4mi daily at 2mph and using the recumbent bike for 60min. I worked my way up to running 8 weeks post mastectomy & by the time I was 2mo into chemo I was run/walking 5-6mis 3-4x/week. I was slow, but I was doing it. I also started lifting (not light), I was unable to pick up at the same weights and reps I started at so I started low and slow. This was January 2011. Needless to say, I kept lifting, I kept running and I kept proving the stats wrong.
In September 2011, I developed lymphedema and blamed it on the weight lifting and starting p90x. I met with an OT who told me I could not lift, so I stopped and I ran a lot. I was unsatisfied, I get a sick confidence boost from lifting. Naturally I ignored her advise, used my sleeve & glove and was able to combat the lymphedema with weight lifting. I was struggling with regaining strength due to a poorly fitted glove & sleeve and damages endured from 2 surgeries and radiation. I kept pushing though. I did not give up.
I kept working out and made another step towards running long distances again in October 2012, I was lifting, but I plateaued and was afraid to push myself to get back to 2010. I ran, I ran and I ran. I was able to run 8mi. It is something I am proud of. I was supposed to do a Half Marathon, but never made it due to lack of time to train and something "funky" going on with my oxygen intake or asthma. Around the time of being unable to finish my training for the Marathon & devastated that my running career might be over, I went to a new OT. This OT who told me to get a better sleeve & go back to what I was doing in 2010.
I listened to her. In April 2013, I got that sleeve and I want to show you an idea of the gains I have made:
Shoulder Raises have gone from 5lbs to 20lbs within 6mo
Barbell Squats have gone from 45lb to 150lbs within 6mo
Lat Pull downs have gone from 45lb to 95lbs within 6mo
Shoulder Press has gone from 5lb Dumbbell to 45lb barbell within 6mo.
Deadlifts have gone from 40lbs to 115lbs within 6mo
Lunges have gone from body weight to 95lbs on each leg in 6mo
Barbell rows have gone from 20lbs to 75lbs in 6mo
At this time, I stopped doing all AB work, lifted heavy weights, and have only done interval/sprint cardio. Compared to pre-cancer, I have gone from a size 6 to a size 2 and I weigh within the same range of 135-140lbs that I did in 2010.
I was re-diagnosed in July. The cancer is in my pleural lining on my lung. I thought that this would end my goal to become as fit as I was in 2010. Granted, I had a good 3 weeks in August, where climbing stairs was a chore. I could barely walk to the gym or up stairs at work without getting winded. I bounced back. I kept moving. I kept lifting. I was feeling defeated, I am not going to deny that. I look back on that month and I think - "that sucked," but I am getting back to normal.
In July, I told my doctor in NJ what I was doing & he is actually measuring my progress or potential decline in progress on my exercise. He encouraged me to run through chemo and now he told me to listen to my body, keep exercising, and see if the breathing is impaired when I work out. If that is not enough motivation, I dunno what else is. Heck, I need something to ease my mind that I know when I am going to feel better.
It is November. For two months, I have had no estrogen in my body, which has resulted in achy joints in my hands, knees, and shoulders. Most days its hard to get moving, because this is painful. Nothing but Aleve helps with the pain and that is dangerous to pop everyday. This pain has turned my AM work outs into sleep-ins, because I cannot push myself or move my body. I am very hard on myself about this. I like getting the gym out of the way, but the joint pain is not bearable most days. Despite the pain, I told myself I had to continue to work out 3-4x/week and two of those days include sprints on the step mill. I might not be running 8mi, I might not have the gusto to do spin, I might have to save working out for days off and in the PM, and I might not be able to workout 6x week due to joint pain; but I sure can push out 3-4 amazing weight workouts each week. I am happy with that. If I can do this, I contemplated competing, which is on my bucket list, I just do not know how. I wish I did.
The coolest thing about this is:
1. I was told I would lose muscular function in my left arm and chest. - Proved them wrong
2. I have cancer in my lung & I keep doing cardio and fighting through it. - Proved them wrong.
3. I was forced into chemical menopause and was told I would lose muscle tone. - Proved them wrong.
4. I fight like a girl & was told girls shouldn't lift heavy or they would look like a man - Proved them wrong.
5. This might help me scratch off competing on my bucket list - Proving myself wrong.
6. I workout with joint pain, fluid on my lung, cancer in my body, and damaged muscles from treatment. - Showing the world they can do this too.
I will continue to prove the stats wrong. I will be one to beat the odds. I will continue to fight this thing. I will continue to live as if these battles have not attempted to deplete me physically. I will continue to be the 1 of few girls in the weight room. I will continue to be one of the many stage 4 ladies who will not give up the fight. I will continue to turn to other women and men who have fought this beast and continue to push their bodies past their potential.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Action! Action!
These past three weeks have been incredibly busy & it has been nice to take a break from Cancer World.
1. We got a kitten, Arya aka Cat of the Canals. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan. Our kitten was found at 2 weeks in a gutter after her mother abandoned her & the rest of her family were carried away and eaten by hawks. She is the cutest, most curious, and biggest fighter. Her story is one of hope & reminds me much of the story of Arya in the Game of Thrones Books.
2. We moved this week. It is nice to live in a larger place. I also cannot smell cigarettes lingering from other apartments. The fluid in my lung does not need anymore antagonists.
3. I went to LBBC Conference for Breast Cancer. It was a fun weekend with some of my local survivor friends. Helped me get a break from life but also have a weekend full of laughs.
On the treatment note, my frozen tumor was sent to Foundation One to study my DNA/Genome. The results came back & Cornell told me that there are some "actionable" mutations in my genes, which means there are treatments for those mutations to heal my DNA and to enhance the Anti-Hormonal Therapy I am taking. I will know more in a week. This is the newest type of tailoring Cancer treatment & I am excited that I get to be part of it.
All in all, things have been good. I will post more when things quiet down with unpacking.
1. We got a kitten, Arya aka Cat of the Canals. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan. Our kitten was found at 2 weeks in a gutter after her mother abandoned her & the rest of her family were carried away and eaten by hawks. She is the cutest, most curious, and biggest fighter. Her story is one of hope & reminds me much of the story of Arya in the Game of Thrones Books.
2. We moved this week. It is nice to live in a larger place. I also cannot smell cigarettes lingering from other apartments. The fluid in my lung does not need anymore antagonists.
3. I went to LBBC Conference for Breast Cancer. It was a fun weekend with some of my local survivor friends. Helped me get a break from life but also have a weekend full of laughs.
On the treatment note, my frozen tumor was sent to Foundation One to study my DNA/Genome. The results came back & Cornell told me that there are some "actionable" mutations in my genes, which means there are treatments for those mutations to heal my DNA and to enhance the Anti-Hormonal Therapy I am taking. I will know more in a week. This is the newest type of tailoring Cancer treatment & I am excited that I get to be part of it.
All in all, things have been good. I will post more when things quiet down with unpacking.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Lessons Learned
This is a concept that can be hard to grasp. I desperately wish I had control over the outcome of mostly everything in my life, mostly my survival. The food I eat, the products I use and the vitamins I take are purely a way to stay healthy, but also a reflection of my fear of the uncontrollable - my health. I wish that lives were a guarantee and that death and sickness only happened when we all turned 90 and "it was our time." In my job and in my personal life I have seen too many people pass too young. There was nothing I could have done to prevent it no matter how much I wish I could have.
I look at the work I do - Therapy, specifically in Addictions. People commit suicide & overdose on drugs, we do our best and our hardest to prevent our fear of death, a loss of control, from happening. Sometimes we work harder than the people we care so desperately about to save them, but what we fear the most happens - the loss of a life.
I look at the women I know with cancer. I wonder why they didn't make it, why the fight was over. I wonder what did they do wrong?? There just is not an answer. There is never a reason for loss, but we desperately try to find one to give ourselves solace & silence our anxiety.
I look inwards at myself. My grandmother passed away from cancer when I was 15yr old. I watched a woman with such light and heart deteriorate before my eyes. I assumed that cancer was OUR fault as people, so I did not smoke. Smoking caused cancer, so I ran in fear. I literally ran, so I would live long and be indestructible. I wanted to live until I was 100 and not feel that pain. I wanted to save people from having to shorten their lives too quickly. I wanted control, I could not let go.
The thing is I need to let go, let god. I cannot live my life in fear anymore. I cannot analyze why someone did not "make it" anymore. The desire to control will slowly eat me away, take away my light and draw me further away from living life on life's terms. Honestly, no matter how many people I taught this to and how many years of therapy I had myself, this was a concept I did not grasp in my own life until maybe a few weeks ago. Having cancer can make you doubt what you did in your past and worry about every choice you make in the future.
If I am too focused on my future, there will be so much I will miss out on. I need to take care of me in the present. That means to rest, "say no", and eat things that make me feel balanced. I will eat organic, gmo-free foods, because it makes me feel balanced. I am not running in fear. I will face my own demons head on.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
The Truth Behind Pink
It is almost October. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is approaching and the stores are lined with products stamped with the pink ribbon. Magazine articles are filled with stories of hope of women who have been "cured." Granted most people do believe that breast cancer if is caught early is curable, BECAUSE of the Pink Ribbon and HOW AWARE WE ARE.
I have begun to despise Pink-tober, because society assumes that by painting everything pink - we can make breast cancer pretty and we can make people think that this disease is full of women who have wonderful stories of hope. While that might be true, it is not always the case. In the last two months, I have seen the other side. I was diagnosed with Stage 4, which is a story with pain, little hope, and no pink ribbons or magazine articles for us.
The Reality of the Pink Ribbon
People have asked me - "How come you do not like the Pink Ribbon?" It is not that I do not like Pink, I actually love the color pink. Ribbons are cool too. Where the Pink Ribbon originated came from a good idea - awareness, which has suddenly become a marketing tool. The ribbon no longer stands for "donate money to research, " but now has become "hey, buy our product we support breast cancer." The meaning of the Pink Ribbon has lost its effectiveness & most organizations either cap how much they donate, barely donate anything or do not donate anything at all. Its shocking and most people do not want to believe it, but it is true.
People buy Pink Ribbons because Pink is pretty, its for a good cause & it gives people some sense of control over something that they feel they cannot do much to help. If you want to help I would suggest donating to organizations that actually help Breast Cancer (Metavivor, Bright Pink, and the Pink Daisy Project are some good ones). Pink Ribbons dress up breast cancer, make it feminine and make seem to be the "most acceptable" type of cancer. No cancer is acceptable. Breast cancer most of all steals us of that femininity and no pink ribbon can replace that.
What really makes me ticked about this ribbon is that it is on products that have ingredients that have been shown to correlate with cancer. It has been spattered on GMO Products, Paraben Filled Beauty Products, and toxins. I think what kills me the most is seeing KFC buckets with the pink ribbon. KFC is far from cancer safe & is probably the worst thing anyone could ever eat next to Spam.
Stage 4 Cancer is NOT Pretty
Many of my Young Survivor Friends have been in magazines this month from Fitness, Self, Vogue, O, and Glamour. These are the first articles I have seen that did not make Breast Cancer pretty or pink (granted my friends are beautiful in these magazines). This articles were my first glimmers of hope that the realities of cancer are getting put out in the media. I am happy magazines are finally putting the awareness out there that women under 40 get cancer. Similar to women under 40, Stage 4 patients are a minority. I just wish that there was a way to get Stage 4 women's voices get heard also. Just like women under 40, Stage 4 women need awareness too.
Deep down I wish a magazine or an Awareness campaign would also look at us women who got cancer "caught early" and then got the blessing of having it recur again. I highly doubt this will ever get advertised as the general public wants to think that CANCER is treatable if caught before stage 4 & that it WON'T come back. Reality is 2% of research goes to Stage 4 Breast Cancer & 30% of the women who were "caught early" have cancer come back despite having standard treatment. There is no reason why cancer comes back. Treatments work for some & not for others. The main problem is that there is no cure & very little awareness of what happens behind that pink ribbon.
I asked women in a Stage 4 group what they wish was included in Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think the general consensus was to make the public aware of what we go through. That Cancer is not pretty, it is not pink, its not always filled with hope, and it is not feminine. These are our realities:
My Reality
I wish I could end this on a good note but I can't do that. In the past I have tried to make light of my reality, but today I want you to become aware. Some people have heard me joke around that my rack will never sag or my body will never distort from having kids. Reality is, I miss my old chest & I wish I could have opted to get implants and not be forced to. Yes, I got fake breasts, but they look nothing like the ones you see on TV. Due to that surgery I have been blessed with permanent lymphadema in my left arm & have had a three year struggle finding clothes that fit.
I also joke about having the freedom of not having children. I wish I had the choice to not have kids, but that was ripped away from me two months ago. I will watch my friends have kids & it pains me that I cannot even chose to be a parent. If I did have a kid, I do not even know how long I will be here to raise it. Reality as a Stage 4 patient, we live each day as it comes, do our best to stay alive, and hope this treatment is our path to NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.
If you know me personally and you are reading this, you are probably wondering where this came from. I might seem ok, but reality is I am not all the time. I do a very good job at putting up a front - "I am strong, nothing is wrong and I am doing OK". Most days I do OK, but I have to push myself to that point. I used to be full of boundless energy and positivity, but getting two cancer blows in 3yrs has changed me. I get tired easily. I cannot do too much in one day or my lymphedema will act up. I cannot exercise for longer than 45min or I get lightheaded. I used to workout everyday & getting myself moving 3-4x a week is a struggle. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. I forget where I put things. I get annoyed easily. I get depressed easily. If I do too much in one weekend, my whole week is shot. Have I mentioned that I get hot flashes every 10min or so? The heat is intolerable, I flash or my arm swells. This is not what a normal 29yr old experiences. You can say "Yea me too," but until you walk a day in my shoes, you will never fully understand how hard this is. I just want you to try to understand.
We all wish that the pink ribbon will give us a cure, but the campaign and Pink-tober is falling short of that. The more people mask the reality of cancer with a pretty ribbon or the color Pink, the less inclined people are to give money for a cure. Pink ribbons are the facade - "everything will be ok." Reality is everything is not always ok & we need a cure before more of us die from this disease.
I have begun to despise Pink-tober, because society assumes that by painting everything pink - we can make breast cancer pretty and we can make people think that this disease is full of women who have wonderful stories of hope. While that might be true, it is not always the case. In the last two months, I have seen the other side. I was diagnosed with Stage 4, which is a story with pain, little hope, and no pink ribbons or magazine articles for us.
The Reality of the Pink Ribbon
People have asked me - "How come you do not like the Pink Ribbon?" It is not that I do not like Pink, I actually love the color pink. Ribbons are cool too. Where the Pink Ribbon originated came from a good idea - awareness, which has suddenly become a marketing tool. The ribbon no longer stands for "donate money to research, " but now has become "hey, buy our product we support breast cancer." The meaning of the Pink Ribbon has lost its effectiveness & most organizations either cap how much they donate, barely donate anything or do not donate anything at all. Its shocking and most people do not want to believe it, but it is true.
People buy Pink Ribbons because Pink is pretty, its for a good cause & it gives people some sense of control over something that they feel they cannot do much to help. If you want to help I would suggest donating to organizations that actually help Breast Cancer (Metavivor, Bright Pink, and the Pink Daisy Project are some good ones). Pink Ribbons dress up breast cancer, make it feminine and make seem to be the "most acceptable" type of cancer. No cancer is acceptable. Breast cancer most of all steals us of that femininity and no pink ribbon can replace that.
What really makes me ticked about this ribbon is that it is on products that have ingredients that have been shown to correlate with cancer. It has been spattered on GMO Products, Paraben Filled Beauty Products, and toxins. I think what kills me the most is seeing KFC buckets with the pink ribbon. KFC is far from cancer safe & is probably the worst thing anyone could ever eat next to Spam.
Many of my Young Survivor Friends have been in magazines this month from Fitness, Self, Vogue, O, and Glamour. These are the first articles I have seen that did not make Breast Cancer pretty or pink (granted my friends are beautiful in these magazines). This articles were my first glimmers of hope that the realities of cancer are getting put out in the media. I am happy magazines are finally putting the awareness out there that women under 40 get cancer. Similar to women under 40, Stage 4 patients are a minority. I just wish that there was a way to get Stage 4 women's voices get heard also. Just like women under 40, Stage 4 women need awareness too.
Deep down I wish a magazine or an Awareness campaign would also look at us women who got cancer "caught early" and then got the blessing of having it recur again. I highly doubt this will ever get advertised as the general public wants to think that CANCER is treatable if caught before stage 4 & that it WON'T come back. Reality is 2% of research goes to Stage 4 Breast Cancer & 30% of the women who were "caught early" have cancer come back despite having standard treatment. There is no reason why cancer comes back. Treatments work for some & not for others. The main problem is that there is no cure & very little awareness of what happens behind that pink ribbon.
I asked women in a Stage 4 group what they wish was included in Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think the general consensus was to make the public aware of what we go through. That Cancer is not pretty, it is not pink, its not always filled with hope, and it is not feminine. These are our realities:
- Cancer related fatigue & physical pain despite looking healthy or OK
- There is no end in treatment, you will always be on treatment
- There is no cure, you have a better chance at death than being cured
- The FEAR of leaving husbands, significant others, family & children behind
- Being single & fearing dating due to having a Chronic, Life Threatening Disease
- Feeling like an outcast in some support groups & that when other survivors find out you are stage 4, YOU ARE THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE
- Dealing with thoughts of death every day
- Protecting loved ones from our impending deaths
- Employment issues, financial, & insurance struggles
- People telling stories about how their friend tried really hard with her battle and beat it cause she's a survivor
- Doctors losing interest because of the attitude that there's nothing they can do
- Loss of fertility & inability to have a family
- Body changes due to surgery & treatments
- Hair loss for the second time (which is traumatizing and might be permanent until the end)
My Reality
I wish I could end this on a good note but I can't do that. In the past I have tried to make light of my reality, but today I want you to become aware. Some people have heard me joke around that my rack will never sag or my body will never distort from having kids. Reality is, I miss my old chest & I wish I could have opted to get implants and not be forced to. Yes, I got fake breasts, but they look nothing like the ones you see on TV. Due to that surgery I have been blessed with permanent lymphadema in my left arm & have had a three year struggle finding clothes that fit.
I also joke about having the freedom of not having children. I wish I had the choice to not have kids, but that was ripped away from me two months ago. I will watch my friends have kids & it pains me that I cannot even chose to be a parent. If I did have a kid, I do not even know how long I will be here to raise it. Reality as a Stage 4 patient, we live each day as it comes, do our best to stay alive, and hope this treatment is our path to NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.
If you know me personally and you are reading this, you are probably wondering where this came from. I might seem ok, but reality is I am not all the time. I do a very good job at putting up a front - "I am strong, nothing is wrong and I am doing OK". Most days I do OK, but I have to push myself to that point. I used to be full of boundless energy and positivity, but getting two cancer blows in 3yrs has changed me. I get tired easily. I cannot do too much in one day or my lymphedema will act up. I cannot exercise for longer than 45min or I get lightheaded. I used to workout everyday & getting myself moving 3-4x a week is a struggle. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. I forget where I put things. I get annoyed easily. I get depressed easily. If I do too much in one weekend, my whole week is shot. Have I mentioned that I get hot flashes every 10min or so? The heat is intolerable, I flash or my arm swells. This is not what a normal 29yr old experiences. You can say "Yea me too," but until you walk a day in my shoes, you will never fully understand how hard this is. I just want you to try to understand.
We all wish that the pink ribbon will give us a cure, but the campaign and Pink-tober is falling short of that. The more people mask the reality of cancer with a pretty ribbon or the color Pink, the less inclined people are to give money for a cure. Pink ribbons are the facade - "everything will be ok." Reality is everything is not always ok & we need a cure before more of us die from this disease.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Cancer & Sugar Connection
I have heard from many people, but no doctors, that cancer cells feed on sugar. It makes sense to me. When I was on chemo, all I wanted was sugar - cancer cells died & they wanted what they needed to stay strong - sugar. I did not understand the connection three years ago, so I fed my cancer. I ate cakes, ice cream & whatever I could stomach - i.e. sugar and gluten filled treats. I gained weight & of course my cancer came back. I began to rethink this connection before my cancer returned. I really changed my diet 2yrs ago - the weight came off, I cut out sugar, & I felt better. Not one doctor told me to cut out sugar, so I wanted to find evidence that there is a connection with sugar and disease (not just diabetes). Recently, I decided to look around online to see if any big cancer sites could cite the connection, but most places said - "Just eat right." That could mean anything to the average person - eating right to one, might be eating three meals a day versus one. Eating right to me goes deeper than that so I did a little research.
Sugar is NEEDED to Scan for Cancer
Let us look at the PET Scan. PET Scans are use to monitor cancer metastasis in stage 4 patients & also to diagnose the extent of cancer in patients with early stage cancer. PET Scans require you to fast for 12-24hrs, drink a sugar laden drink before your scan & then you are injected with a radioactive tracer. I looked into the nature of this drink & tracer and found that - "At present, however, by far the most commonly used radiotracer in clinical PET scanning is fluorodeoxyglucose (also called FDG or fludeoxyglucose), an analogue of glucose that is labeled with fluorine-18. This radiotracer is used in essentially all scans for oncology and most scans in neurology, and thus makes up the large majority of all of the radiotracer (> 95%) used in PET and PET/CT scanning." It seems like FDG and the sugar drink attach themselves to the cancer cells, so they are lit up in the scan.
If PET Scans need sugar to show where cancer lives, it would make sense to conclude that Cancer Cells are attracted to sugar. Knowing this drove me to do more research. I found that in 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. The crux of his Nobel thesis was that malignant tumors frequently exhibit an increase in anaerobic glycolysis -- a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct -- compared to normal tissues. It has been almost 80 years since this conclusion has been made & the only thing standard medicine has used it for is PET Scans.
My next question is why don't traditional cancer therapies incorporate better, more in depth nutritional guidance by teaching us regulating blood-glucose levels via diet, supplements & finding more nutrient rich foods for patients who lose their appetites versus advising people to eat ice cream or milkshakes to keep on the weight. Over the last three years, I learned that most patients need professional guidance and education to understand it is not just standard treatment that will keep their cancer at bay, it is what we put into our bodies. The quest is not to eliminate sugars or carbohydrates from the diet but rather to control blood glucose within a narrow range to help starve the cancer and bolster immune function. This would just mean a simple education on the glycemic food index & also educating people about healthy, complex carbs/sugars versus simple/processed sugars.
Types of Sugar
The Glycemic Index
Average people do not care about this. Most people thing of sugar as table sugar, but it is everywhere. We need to become more informed about what we put into our bodies by reading labels or steering towards whole foods. I have found it is just easy to steer myself towards natural, whole foods with lower sugar, but I also looked into various Glycemic Index Charts online. I found two that are helpful. A general rule of thumb - if it is white sugar, white bread, came in a package, comes in a syrup, has corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, did not originally come in that form, has ingredients that you cannot understand/are not real foods, or has more than 5 ingredients, it is NOT HEALTHY . We can assume that vegetables, fruits, and most whole grains/beans are of lower glycemic index, because no sugar is added & it is easier for us to digest.
The glycemic index of fruits can also be dangerous, some fruits are higher than others and its good to know what fruits to eat in moderation due to the fructose content.
Sugar a Culprit to Disease
The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar—specifically high fructose corn syrup.
The increase in sugar has led to an increase in diseases in young & old. The incidents of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, hypertension, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases have increased significantly over the last 300yrs & have become more prominent in young people. In the past, these were diseases that were for the old or were so rare they were not considered to be an epidemic. In 2013, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and mental health issues have become an epidemic. I found that most of these diseases are due to our changes in lifestyles and the fact that we have become dependent on sugar. There are at least 72 diseases that are connected to excessive sugar consumption. This website kindly lists everything sugar consumption can lead to: 141 Sugar Related Diseases.
SUGAR IS A DRUG
Sugar addiction is the term for the relationship between sugar and the various aspects of food addiction including: "bingeing, withdrawal, craving and cross-sensitization". Some scientists assert that consumption of sweets or sugar could have a heroin addiction like effect. I would suggest reading this: Sugar is A DRUG. Sugar has been found to be as dangerous as excessive alcohol, tobacco use, and street drug use. I am sure after reading that article you might start to think that the sugar is "Tricking" you into thinking you need it, because you now are dependent on it. You have become a slave to the sugar and you are now compromising your health just to get your sugar rush.
Sugar is NEEDED to Scan for Cancer
Let us look at the PET Scan. PET Scans are use to monitor cancer metastasis in stage 4 patients & also to diagnose the extent of cancer in patients with early stage cancer. PET Scans require you to fast for 12-24hrs, drink a sugar laden drink before your scan & then you are injected with a radioactive tracer. I looked into the nature of this drink & tracer and found that - "At present, however, by far the most commonly used radiotracer in clinical PET scanning is fluorodeoxyglucose (also called FDG or fludeoxyglucose), an analogue of glucose that is labeled with fluorine-18. This radiotracer is used in essentially all scans for oncology and most scans in neurology, and thus makes up the large majority of all of the radiotracer (> 95%) used in PET and PET/CT scanning." It seems like FDG and the sugar drink attach themselves to the cancer cells, so they are lit up in the scan.
If PET Scans need sugar to show where cancer lives, it would make sense to conclude that Cancer Cells are attracted to sugar. Knowing this drove me to do more research. I found that in 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. The crux of his Nobel thesis was that malignant tumors frequently exhibit an increase in anaerobic glycolysis -- a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct -- compared to normal tissues. It has been almost 80 years since this conclusion has been made & the only thing standard medicine has used it for is PET Scans.
My next question is why don't traditional cancer therapies incorporate better, more in depth nutritional guidance by teaching us regulating blood-glucose levels via diet, supplements & finding more nutrient rich foods for patients who lose their appetites versus advising people to eat ice cream or milkshakes to keep on the weight. Over the last three years, I learned that most patients need professional guidance and education to understand it is not just standard treatment that will keep their cancer at bay, it is what we put into our bodies. The quest is not to eliminate sugars or carbohydrates from the diet but rather to control blood glucose within a narrow range to help starve the cancer and bolster immune function. This would just mean a simple education on the glycemic food index & also educating people about healthy, complex carbs/sugars versus simple/processed sugars.
Types of Sugar
- Dextrose, fructose, and glucose are all monosaccharides, known as simple sugars. The primary difference between them is how your body metabolizes them. Glucose and dextrose are essentially the same sugar. However, food manufacturers usually use the term "dextrose" in their ingredient list.
- The simple sugars can combine to form more complex sugars, like the disaccharide sucrose (table sugar), which is half glucose and half fructose.
- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.
- Ethanol (drinking alcohol) is not a sugar, although beer and wine contain residual sugars and starches, in addition to alcohol.
- Sugar alcohols like xylitol, glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, and erythritol are neither sugars nor alcohols but are becoming increasingly popular as sweeteners. They are incompletely absorbed from your small intestine, for the most part, so they provide fewer calories than sugar but often cause problems with bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence.
- Sucralose (Splenda) is NOT a sugar, despite its sugar-like name and deceptive marketing slogan, "made from sugar." It's a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame and saccharin, with detrimental health effects to match.
- Agave Syrup- falsely advertised as "natural," is typically HIGHLY processed and is usually 80 percent fructose. The end product does not even remotely resemble the original agave plant.
- Honey is about 53 percent fructose2, but is completely natural in its raw form and has many health benefits when used in moderation, including as many antioxidants as spinach.
- Stevia is a highly sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant, which is completely safe (in its natural form). Lo han (or luohanguo) is another natural sweetener, but derived from a fruit.
The Glycemic Index
Average people do not care about this. Most people thing of sugar as table sugar, but it is everywhere. We need to become more informed about what we put into our bodies by reading labels or steering towards whole foods. I have found it is just easy to steer myself towards natural, whole foods with lower sugar, but I also looked into various Glycemic Index Charts online. I found two that are helpful. A general rule of thumb - if it is white sugar, white bread, came in a package, comes in a syrup, has corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, did not originally come in that form, has ingredients that you cannot understand/are not real foods, or has more than 5 ingredients, it is NOT HEALTHY . We can assume that vegetables, fruits, and most whole grains/beans are of lower glycemic index, because no sugar is added & it is easier for us to digest.
The glycemic index of fruits can also be dangerous, some fruits are higher than others and its good to know what fruits to eat in moderation due to the fructose content.
Sugar a Culprit to Disease
The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar—specifically high fructose corn syrup.
- In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
- In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
- In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
- In 2009, more than 50 percent of all Americans consume one-half pound of sugar PER DAY—translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!
The increase in sugar has led to an increase in diseases in young & old. The incidents of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, hypertension, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases have increased significantly over the last 300yrs & have become more prominent in young people. In the past, these were diseases that were for the old or were so rare they were not considered to be an epidemic. In 2013, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and mental health issues have become an epidemic. I found that most of these diseases are due to our changes in lifestyles and the fact that we have become dependent on sugar. There are at least 72 diseases that are connected to excessive sugar consumption. This website kindly lists everything sugar consumption can lead to: 141 Sugar Related Diseases.
SUGAR IS A DRUG
Sugar addiction is the term for the relationship between sugar and the various aspects of food addiction including: "bingeing, withdrawal, craving and cross-sensitization". Some scientists assert that consumption of sweets or sugar could have a heroin addiction like effect. I would suggest reading this: Sugar is A DRUG. Sugar has been found to be as dangerous as excessive alcohol, tobacco use, and street drug use. I am sure after reading that article you might start to think that the sugar is "Tricking" you into thinking you need it, because you now are dependent on it. You have become a slave to the sugar and you are now compromising your health just to get your sugar rush.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Sick & Young...
I recently watched this movie - "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." It was a documentary about a man in his early 40s struggling with Urticaria (an autoimmune disease characterized by hives due to having too many histamines in your body due to constant exposure to inflammation). This man was on many medications, but for 60days he changed his diet with nutrient rich foods - vegetables & fruits - combined with exercise. Within 60days he was off most of his medications & lost nearly 40lbs. It is amazing the power of natural foods.
I was always sick. I always had ear infections or bronchitis as a kid, which would leave me bed ridden for days. I struggled with acne well into my 20s. I had dysmenhorrea at 16. I struggled with asthma, allergies, and IBS from 22-26. All of these treatments were with medications. Medications that potentially poisoned my body. No one looked at the food I was eating or how I was damaging my body with Accutane, Birth Control, tanning, diet soda, & processed foods. The madness continued and I was diagnosed with anemia at 25, cancer at 26 & Celiacs at 27. Granted, I have always been active and ate "healthy," but I was not perfect and my old "healthy" consisted of low fat, diet soda, processed frozen meals & sometimes whole foods. I was more fixated on a calorie and fat intake than I was about the overall nutritional content of the food. I am sure my cancer was not 100% caused by my food choices, but I am sure that eating an "American diet" for 26yrs played into me being a risk for developing a chronic illness before 40.
Over the last 3yrs, I have really cleaned up my diet. I eat a diet of primarily organic foods, green smoothies, veggies at every meal, no soda, no processed foods, & gluten free. I am no longer anemic & I have healed my colon, so there is proof that changing our diet works.
The reason why I chose to post this picture, because I have met too many young people afflicted with cancers, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, and nutrient deficiencies. Typically you do not see sick young adults, but more & more young people are getting diseases that typically afflict the elderly. These are diseases that have to do with what we eat - wrappers, fast food, and diet/low fat crap fill our cabinets & stomachs. American diets are fixated on quick-fixes, affordable, easy access, and of course weight loss. Time & Time again I hear many excuses.
The most common excuse is- "Healthy food is too expensive." Processed-diet food is too expensive, but raw fruits & veggies, beans & grains are actually more affordable than diets consumed with meat, processed foods, soda, and snacks. I will spend 50-80 a week at the grocery store pending on if we need cleaning products. I also shop at Whole Foods, so imagine what it would cost if I shopped at a less, high chain store.
Another common excuse is - "I do not know what to do with it." I have learned that with cooking, recipe books, blogs and networking with healthy-minded peers on pinterest have helped me find more vegetable based meals. A lot of my recipes I have found are on my Pinterest Board. I have also learned to sneak vegetables into every meal to help transition my boyfriend (whom was raised on meat & potatoes) to eat beans & veggies at almost every meal. It is not exactly easy for me to prep dinners & lunches. I work two jobs & three days I work 13hr shifts and my boyfriend works in NYC and will sometimes pull 60-70hr work weeks. We will make meals that will enable us to have left overs or meals that can be frozen and thawed to use on nights where we need to cook in a pinch. I also have a few "go to" meals that we eat when I have no time to prep food.
The last excuse is - "I have no time to exercise." I make time to exercise 3-5x/week. With exercise I aim to get 1.5hrs on my days off from work & if I miss one of those days I will squeeze in 30min before working. This can be walking, weights, running or weight lifting. I have found that either before work at 5am, after work, or only on my days from my 13hr shifts work for me. You just need to look at your week & plan out time. I coordinate this with my boyfriend, so chores get shared & if we did have kids that too would get split, so I can fit in exercise & he can fit in his alone time.
If you are reading this you might think - "This girl has cancer again, so how does she know that diet will help her." My cancer came back, because the damage has already been done when I got the cancer in the first place. Cancer is due to DNA changes & mutations in our cells, which results from inflammation, PH imbalance, exposure to toxins & even genetics. In my case one cancer call could not be killed by traditional chemo & it mutated again. Once a cancer cell forms & cannot be killed, it can stay alive regardless of what choices you make. This is not stopping me from eating right. Now it mutated, I am fighting it again in the best way I know - treating my body right, staying fit, keeping active, and keeping my stress threshold low. What is now different from 2010 at diagnosis to where I am at now, is that over the last 3yrs I have chosen to delve deeper into other dietary issues that lead to disease & inflammation. I have read many books, blogs, watched documentaries and have seen many specialists & I will continue to read & learn.
When I refined my diet, I made a few small changes at first. When you start eating healthy these are some easy ways to start:
- READ LABELS - No Hydrogenated Oils, No High Fructose Corn Syrup; No Canola Oil; No Corn Oil; and make sure your products are not made from GMOS (Genetically Modified Organisms). What is a GMO?
- Remember 1 fruit, 1veggie at every meal & if I snack its either fruit, veggie or bean based.
- Green smoothies!!! I have a Nutribullet & I swear by blending my fruits, veggies & nuts everyday Green Smoothie Ideas!
- Remember the DIRTY DOZEN when it comes to buying organic. I prefer all organic fruits & vegetables, because they taste better to me.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Cornell Consult
I have not posted in while, I needed a break from Cancerland & the internet.
This past Wednesday I went to Cornell to see Dr. Valdhat to have a consult & discuss her Copper Study. I am not eligible for the study at this time. I need to have no evidence of disease, which means no tumor markers - mine are 221 & they need to be under 30. She also said no evidence of the effusion on a scan. Considering I have to wait to be a part of that study, she did give me a good second option.
1. She said that I am on the right medication - Femara, with Lupron. She said that the only thing she would change is having the 1mo Lupron & also getting my hormone levels tested monthly.
2. She was very happy I have been on the Zometa every 6mo & told me to continue that to prevent bone metastasis & osteoporosis
3. She said all my supplements were good & that NOTHING (unlike Tamoxifen) interferes with the effectiveness of Femara.
4. She wants my tumor markers & scans done monthly at first b/c I had no symptoms, so I have to rely on scans & bloodwork.
5. She reported that its RARE for my type of cancer to come back that quick & without symptoms.
6. She was shocked at how much I exercise considering the fluid in my lung, but said to keep doing what I am doing.
All of this she will be emailing to my doctor & it is pretty much the exact same things he wanted to do. I am happy they are both on the same page.
She did recommend something different, which is getting my original tumor (which is currently held in lock down at Sloan Kettering) sent out for testing. She is sending to this place called Foundation One. This place tests for genetic abnormalities beyond getting the usual BRCA1/2 bloodwork. It also tests to see why my tumor was resistant to Tamoxifen & what hormonal or chemos or targeted therapies would help enhance my survival. She said it should be a month before I get those results.
The appointment went well. It is my last cancer related doctor's appointment until Oct 1, when I will get my follow up CT scan. Naturally I needed a break from the blog & cancer for a bit. Over the next week, I will be back to posting about Supplements, Cancer Studys & ways to prevent or enhance your treatments.
This past Wednesday I went to Cornell to see Dr. Valdhat to have a consult & discuss her Copper Study. I am not eligible for the study at this time. I need to have no evidence of disease, which means no tumor markers - mine are 221 & they need to be under 30. She also said no evidence of the effusion on a scan. Considering I have to wait to be a part of that study, she did give me a good second option.
1. She said that I am on the right medication - Femara, with Lupron. She said that the only thing she would change is having the 1mo Lupron & also getting my hormone levels tested monthly.
2. She was very happy I have been on the Zometa every 6mo & told me to continue that to prevent bone metastasis & osteoporosis
3. She said all my supplements were good & that NOTHING (unlike Tamoxifen) interferes with the effectiveness of Femara.
4. She wants my tumor markers & scans done monthly at first b/c I had no symptoms, so I have to rely on scans & bloodwork.
5. She reported that its RARE for my type of cancer to come back that quick & without symptoms.
6. She was shocked at how much I exercise considering the fluid in my lung, but said to keep doing what I am doing.
All of this she will be emailing to my doctor & it is pretty much the exact same things he wanted to do. I am happy they are both on the same page.
She did recommend something different, which is getting my original tumor (which is currently held in lock down at Sloan Kettering) sent out for testing. She is sending to this place called Foundation One. This place tests for genetic abnormalities beyond getting the usual BRCA1/2 bloodwork. It also tests to see why my tumor was resistant to Tamoxifen & what hormonal or chemos or targeted therapies would help enhance my survival. She said it should be a month before I get those results.
The appointment went well. It is my last cancer related doctor's appointment until Oct 1, when I will get my follow up CT scan. Naturally I needed a break from the blog & cancer for a bit. Over the next week, I will be back to posting about Supplements, Cancer Studys & ways to prevent or enhance your treatments.
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