Au Revoir, Reflux!!!

My, my, this ketogenic diet has exhibited some surprising and delightful side effects.

In past posts, I complained of having acid reflux and heart burn -- a very common problem to many. In fact, I was blaming my chronic cough on this condition (LPR, or laryngopharyngeal reflux); I went off coffee and wine and worked on eating a low acid diet. I will admit that the change in diet "seemed" to help the cough initially. But it (the cough) has, sadly, returned with a vengeance; so I have been questioning my blaming it on acid reflux. And my hunch was right.

Since starting the keto diet, I have experienced NO (that's zilch, zero, nada, zip) acid reflux; no more problems with heart burn when trying to sleep. No more getting up at midnight and taking a Pepcid tablet. No more trying to sleep propped up on pillows.

I have even gone back to having one cup of coffee -- just one -- in the morning. This has not seemed to affect my cough at all, one way or another, nor my reflux problems. I have learned that this one cup of coffee actually has a positive effect on the intermittent fasting component of the keto diet; this is something I will discuss in a future post.

I am dumbfounded by this.

We truly "are what we eat." And more importantly, what we DON'T eat.

So this keto diet that I have embarked upon for fighting off hungry cancer cells has shown itself to have very demonstrably good side effects in other ways. Is it starving those *&+!!^($#@!!#$^ cancer cells? Hope so. Time will tell.

Plan B -- Bye-Bye, Study Drug!

If you are following the chronology via the archives, you know that I have a plan.

Plan B in my cancer treatment is STOPPING the oral chemo study drug (Alisertib) that I have been taking for 20 months. I tried to just leave the study altogether, but the study coordinator asked if I could stay on as part of the study, while no longer taking the drug. I agreed to this. Because I was stopping their drug, they insisted that I undergo CT and Bone scans within 7 days. So I had a CT scan this morning. Bone will be in a few days.

Why have I gone off the study drug? The primary reason is that beginning last February, my bowels began mal-functioning. I had the "loosey-goosies" or the big D (you know what I'm talking about, right?) beginning at that time and continuing to the present. Both the study people and my oncologist felt that this was probably due to the study drug, which is orally administered, and not the IV chemo.

And, in essence, I got tired of being a lab-rat. I ran into horrific billing issues with the scans that were administered early on in the study; in fact, those issues are still not resolved. I won't even go into that mess; it's too agonizing.

So I did agree to stay on the study (but not the drug) because they said that it would help them determine if, indeed, the bowel issues were due to their drug instead of the IV chemo. Part of any study for a new drug is determining what side effects are to be expected. You know those, right? That list of horrendous things that can happen to you that they list in those pharma ads on TV?

I will remain on the IV chemo for a while to see if the bowel problems will right themselves. Problem is, this new keto diet is pretty rough on the intestinal tract; it requires eating a LOT of raw veggies and greens and this, of course, tends to exacerbate poop problems. I am hoping that, as my body becomes more accustomed to the new diet, these issues will go away.

So, those who have been following for a while know that this sudden flurry of postings is rare, yes? That's because I have decided to stop being a passive guinea pig and start being pro-active! So the news bulletins will come with more frequency. If you want to receive email alerts when I add a new post, you can do so at the actual blog website, at the VERY bottom; there is a place there to sign up for email alerts. The site is http://betsyrlt.blogspot.com

Plan A -- Ketosis

Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.

Plan A -- The Ketogenic Cancer Diet

I know I need a plan to get more than a "stable" diagnosis from my doctor. I know that the chemo has had an effect but that it is not enough; after 20 months of treatment, I feel like I have stagnated, that I am treading water, in a holding pattern, just letting that little weekly injection keep me alive.

It just doesn't make sense.

As I said in my previous post, I always knew that cancer thrives and grows on sugar/glucose. But I didn't actually know how to kill those cancer cells until I learned about the ketogenic cancer diet. I learned about it  from a young man named Daniel. He has been on the diet for various health issues and recommended it to me. I started looking into it. YouTube is awash with videos about this diet. Doctors and patients and just regular folks are out there trying this and many are finding it successful.

Very simply, the idea is this: nearly all the healthy cells in our body have the metabolic flexibility to efficiently use fat, glucose and ketones to survive; but cancer cells LACK this metabolic flexibility and require large amounts of glucose. Cancer cells CANNOT survive on ketones.

The ketogenic diet creates ketones in the body, which replace glucose as fuel. When deprived of glucose, cancer cells DIE. Healthy cells, on the other hand, have the ability to utilize protein to make glucose and to use ketones as fuel. Our bodies are truly amazing if we are shown how to help them work efficiently.

If you want to learn more, I recommend that you go to YouTube and type in Ketogenic Diet for Cancer. You will find tons of info. And plenty of science to back up the theories.

I started the diet on Saturday, November 4. It's not easy but I'm determined to make a go of it.

Back on the Road

When I began this blog, I was truly on the Road Less Traveled. I used alternative therapies (among them mistletoe -- hence, the photo); I sought help from an integrative M.D. who steered me in the direction of good nutrition and supplemental support; I traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to receive therapies that are forbidden (or unknown) in this country.

I achieved some success. Inflammation decreased, numbers improved. But a few months after returning from MX, things started going south. For all of the details, just head into the archives; there, you can ready the story.

In a nutshell, I left that "road less traveled" and entered the world of allopathic standard of care: CHEMO. I have been on IV chemo + an oral chemo study drug for 20 months. Again, just read the archives for details.

I have always known that cancer cells LOVE sugar. Prior to being on chemo, I ate what I thought was a very healthy diet: for a while no dairy / no gluten / no sugar. But I was still eating a lot of carbs. When I went on chemo, I kind of "gave up" on the good diet thing; I guess I figured if I was pouring all of that poison into my body, what the heck? I might as well eat whatever I wanted to with wild abandon.

But I knew, deep down, that it wasn't right. And after being "stable" -- nothing really changing for months and months, cancer is still in my bone (and probably my lymph, although hard to tell on the scans). I started to ask myself, So this is it? I'll be on this poison that is keeping me "stable" for the rest of my life? I knew it was wrong -- deep down in my gut (where there is a lot of bad stuff going on, believe me!)

In my previous post, I shared this pearl of wisdom: "Hope is really belief coupled with a plan."
My plan is to get back on that road less traveled. I do have a plan -- a couple of them, in fact. Stay tuned for details.

Hope in a Storm

The head nurse in the Infusion Room (I call it the "wig room") at my oncologist's office is a fireball of energy. His name is Aaron and he runs a tight ship. He is also a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air. He wears Dr. Seuss lab shirts ("One Fish Two Fish" is my fave). He has a quotation board on which he writes words of wisdom and encouragement for the patients to read while they are receiving their poison. I thought I should share one of his latest offerings -- it's one of the best so far:

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about." -- Haruki Murakami

Pretty heavy stuff, ay?

In my last two posts, I have reported that there is very little to report. The areas of cancer that still exist are considered "stable." That's the word they use. Stable. They never say, "You're getting better" or "I think we're making progress." The doc just says that everything looks stable and that stable is "good."

Ok. That's cool. I get it. The chemo has had an effect, but if I want to stay alive, I have to be on this for the rest of my life? No one actually says that; but it's certainly implied. Chemo is NOT a cure; it's a TREATMENT.

I would like a better prognosis. I am seeking other options. I'm pretty sure that if I want a respite from this chemo / study drug treatment (I am into the 20th month of this now!), I am going to have to take charge. I am going to have to formulate a plan; no one else will do this for me.

I now quote Dr. Robertson Ward, a practicing doctor in Illinois who has written a book about molecular cell biology (more on that in another blog, perhaps). In an introductory video on his website, he says this: "Some of you have been told, 'well, you're just gonna have to live with it.' And your level of hope has perhaps been shattered or diminished greatly. Hope is really belief coupled with a plan." I am seeking that plan. More to come as I seek and learn.