Bladder Cancer

[Oxajil]

I admire your strength, I will pray for you Angela.

Do you also take lots of good quality vitamin C?

Hi Psyche,

I am currently taking alpha lipoic acid, a B complex with folic acid, a multivitamin/multimineral one a day with probiotics, spirulina,pomegranate extract, and a triple magnesium complex which has magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, and magnesium aspartate.

Do you think that these are enough? I have been looking into a naturopath, and I agree that seeing one along with my regular doctor could be of some benefit.

Thanks for the courage and support!

Best wishes,

Angela :)

 

[Gaby]

Hi Angela,

Like Oxajil is saying, you need extra vitamin C. You'll find in this post how to calculate your daily intake: http://eiriu-eolas.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14#p130

You should get magnesium citrate, magnesium malate or taurate. Mg oxide has a very low absorption, so it is almost like a laxative. And magnesium aspartate is not the best kind because it breaks down into the neurotransmitter aspartic acid, which without being bound to other aminoacids is neurotoxic. Aspartic acid is a component of aspartame.

You should also take some multi-enzymes.

 

[Buddy]

Hi Angela,

I'm sorry to hear about this. I don't have anything to add to the most excellent advice already offered, but I just want to offer my support as well.

 

[Angchop]

Oxajil and Psyche- I had forgotten to add that I do indeed take vitamin C- I have ascorbic acid that I put into my morning ultra shake and I also take some throughout the day. I have found that my body needs around 5 grams a day.

Thank you for the info on the magnesium and on the multi enzymes. I am going to order some today. thanks for all your help. I am thankful that I can come here and talk about this.

And Bud, I appreciate your support! thanks everyone for being here.


Angela

 

[Nienna]

Oxajil and Psyche- I had forgotten to add that I do indeed take vitamin C- I have ascorbic acid that I put into my morning ultra shake and I also take some throughout the day. I have found that my body needs around 5 grams a day.

Thank you for the info on the magnesium and on the multi enzymes. I am going to order some today. thanks for all your help. I am thankful that I can come here and talk about this.

And Bud, I appreciate your support! thanks everyone for being here.


Angela

Have you tried the way to determine how much Vit. C to take via Psyche's link? The reason I ask is that I don't have cancer and yet I can easily take 15 grams of Ascorbic Acid a day, divided up into several doses, of course. I would think with having cancer, your body would utilize a lot more than 5 grams, although I could certainly be wrong. That's why I'm asking if you tried the method suggested by Psyche.

 

[Angchop]

Hi Nienna Eluch. I believe I did it correctly to determine how much vit C to take. When I first started I took a teaspoon every so often throughout the day until I began to have loose stools, and it was right around the 6 gram mark. I was also surprised that I didn't need anymore since I have cancer. i will revisit the link of Psyche's and make sure that I did it right..

Thanks,

Angela

 

[Bluestar]

Hi Angela,

Someone had mentioned early in a post about graviola, did some research and found this. You may want to do a further search about paw paw.

http://www.pawpawresearch.com/pawpawworks.htm

Note: Not surprisingly, some companies have produced products using Graviola (a biological cousin of the paw paw) and market them as similar to, or equal to paw paw itself. However, Dr. McLaughlin has written on several occasions in technical papers that there is a big difference chemically between the acetogenins found in graviola and those found in paw paw. Dr. McLaughlin developed a procedure to standardize extracts from paw paw to contain a certain known amount of acetogenins, and licensed it to a company in Utah. Thus, it is important for anyone contemplating using the paw paw treatment to be sure that a standardized extract of from the Asimina triloba tree is obtained--not graviola, since graviola is far less potent due to its chemical structure.

Here is a study done by Dr. McLaughlin
http://www.pawpawresearch.com/pawpaw-trials1.pdf

That was very brave to tell your doctor that you did not want to do chemo. Chemo is so accepted by people to be the answer to cure their cancer that most just don't even second guess what their doctor prescribes. Glad that he is supporting you in this. It would be just wonderful if you stump him and his colleagues with curing it on your own.

Can you take time off of work? Having the least amount of stress is recommended. Focusing on you right now may be good medicine.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/stress

How does stress affect people who have cancer?
Studies have indicated that stress can affect tumor growth and spread, but the precise biological mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. Scientists have suggested that the effects of stress on the immune system may in turn affect the growth of some tumors (7). However, recent research using animal models indicates that the body’s release of stress hormones can affect cancer cell functions directly (8).

A review of studies that evaluated psychological factors and outcome in cancer patients suggests an association between certain psychological factors, such as feeling helpless or suppressing negative emotions, and the growth or spread of cancer, although this relationship was not consistently seen in all studies (3). In general, stronger relationships have been found between psychological factors and cancer growth and spread than between psychological factors and cancer development (6).

Another web site that may be helpful
http://www.empowher.com/

And laughing as much as possible.
http://www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine/laughter-therapy.cfm

Scroll down 3/4 of the page for more info.

Please keep us updated on your progress. I trust that DCM provides all you need for recovery. Your journey may help others in these kind of hard decisions.

 

[Angchop]

Thank you so much bluestar for all the great info! I am going to go over it as soon as I post this post. I really appreciate everyone's help, it means alot.

It was kind of a rough day today. Went and got a chest cat scan, since the doctor wanted to be sure my lungs were ok. I had had a chest xray already that looked ok. My doctor changed my pain medication that doesn't seem to work as well, so I have been in some pain today. I try and keep my spirits up because I know that a positive outlook helps.

I reread the thread on vitamin c, and I think that I tested my bowel tolerance wrong. You are supposed to do it over a 24 hour period and I only did it over a 12 hour period. I thought that I had read that one teaspoon was a gram, but maybe that is incorrect. I ended up over that 12 hour period using 6 heaping teaspoons before my stools were loose.

I have ordered some enzymes and some better magnesium. Looking forward to getting them soon.

Thanks again,

Angela

 

[Nienna]

Thank you so much bluestar for all the great info! I am going to go over it as soon as I post this post. I really appreciate everyone's help, it means alot.

It was kind of a rough day today. Went and got a chest cat scan, since the doctor wanted to be sure my lungs were ok. I had had a chest xray already that looked ok. My doctor changed my pain medication that doesn't seem to work as well, so I have been in some pain today. I try and keep my spirits up because I know that a positive outlook helps.

I reread the thread on vitamin c, and I think that I tested my bowel tolerance wrong. You are supposed to do it over a 24 hour period and I only did it over a 12 hour period. I thought that I had read that one teaspoon was a gram, but maybe that is incorrect. I ended up over that 12 hour period using 6 heaping teaspoons before my stools were loose.

I have ordered some enzymes and some better magnesium. Looking forward to getting them soon.

Thanks again,

Angela

I level teaspoon = 5 grams. That is my understanding. So it looks like you are taking at least 30 grams, not including the "heaping" parts. :) I don't think you need to stay up the extra hours to make the 24 hour thing, but I could be wrong.

So, all in all, that sounds more like what youf body would be needing considering it is fighting cancer.

Is there a reason the doctor changed your pain meds? Can you tell her/him that these are not working as well?

Hang in there, you are in my thoughts.

 

[Angchop]

Well that makes alot more sense Nienna! Thanks for the info on the vitamin C. Hee hee I thought I might have had it wrong since I do have cancer and I thought my body should be needing more!

The doctor changed my pain meds because I told him the ones that I was on weren't working so well anymore. I think a body gets used to them somehow and they quit working as well. I hate having to take them, but if I don't I feel really miserable. The new ones I am on work if I take 2 at a time. I will be calling the doctor again on Tuesday. My doctor isn't in on Friday, so I will see how I feel by Tuesday.

I am feeling pretty good today. Going to head out and buy some buckwheat so I can make some pancakes and muffins.

Hope everone has a great weekend!

Thanks,

Angela

 

[anart]

I level teaspoon = 5 grams.

Just a note that this is wholly dependent on the type of vitamin C. Just check your container to figure out dosage. Some vitamin C sources are 5 grams per teaspoon, some are 1 gram per teaspoon, there is no way to tell without checking your container.

 

[Oxajil]

Hi Angel(a) ;),

There is something about your personality I really like. I like your positivity, have you always been this way?

What do you think the cause of this cancer is? How is your relationships with others (especially before the cancer discovery), those around you? Just wondering.

Take care

Well that makes alot more sense Nienna! Thanks for the info on the vitamin C. Hee hee I thought I might have had it wrong since I do have cancer and I thought my body should be needing more!

The doctor changed my pain meds because I told him the ones that I was on weren't working so well anymore. I think a body gets used to them somehow and they quit working as well. I hate having to take them, but if I don't I feel really miserable. The new ones I am on work if I take 2 at a time. I will be calling the doctor again on Tuesday. My doctor isn't in on Friday, so I will see how I feel by Tuesday.

I am feeling pretty good today. Going to head out and buy some buckwheat so I can make some pancakes and muffins.

Hope everone has a great weekend!

Thanks,

Angela

 

[Nienna]

I level teaspoon = 5 grams.

Just a note that this is wholly dependent on the type of vitamin C. Just check your container to figure out dosage. Some vitamin C sources are 5 grams per teaspoon, some are 1 gram per teaspoon, there is no way to tell without checking your container.

Thanks anart. I haven't seen any yet that were 1 gram so I am glad that you jumped in here to correct me. :) That's good to know.

 

[Angchop]

I level teaspoon = 5 grams.

Just a note that this is wholly dependent on the type of vitamin C. Just check your container to figure out dosage. Some vitamin C sources are 5 grams per teaspoon, some are 1 gram per teaspoon, there is no way to tell without checking your container.

Well I just checked my container and it is the now food brand of ascorbic acid, and it says that a 1/2 teaspoon equals 1.9grams. So I think it would be safe to say that my heaping teaspoons probably equal out to 5 grams per serving. Thanks for the clarification and help on this. :)

 

[Angchop]

Hello Oxajil- thank you for the kind words. I am actually a very positive person by nature, and I tend to get comments about it often. I just figure that its alot less energy to be happy and positive, then it is to be angry and unhappy. I like to look at my life and be thankful for what I have, and I always remind myself that someone out there has is worse than I do.

As far as the cancer is concerned and what I think caused it. This is something I have been thinking about alot lately. For a good portion of my life, I kinda didn't face things head on. I would always turn the other cheek, make nice, forgive and forget, and that sort of thing. I believe that I was left with alot of anger inside because I didn't stick up for myself or fix problems that came along.

My mother died when I was nine. My father told me to be strong for my brother who is 3 years younger than me, and I didn't realize how serious I took this. I have always been labeled the "strong" one in the family, so I didn't feel like I could show much emotion that would make me seem weak. Then my father died when I was 18 and once again I had to take on the strong role. I kinda took on the attitude of "what next" and just went along with my life trying to be everything for everybody, forgetting myself in the process.

Right before I got the diagnosis of bladder cancer, my husband and I were in the midst of splitting up. We had been married for 20 years. We are still very close and very good friends, but for a long time I harbored alot of guilt about this breakup and I felt like I failed. So my attitude for quite some time was "whats the use", or "what do I have to live for anyway". I believe all this has contributed to the cancer. I am getting better with these feelings and I am working on them because I do have alot to live for!