Good News!

It's been awhile since I posted an update; I've been so busy with Vitamin C IV therapies three times a week and IPT treatments in Santa Fe twice weekly. This treating cancer is a full time job! 

As of yesterday I've had 10 IPT treatments. After the 8th treatment I had a follow up CT scan. 

I had finally gotten in to see my oncologist, Annette, on the 29th of November. She surprised Mike and me by being totally on board with my IPT treatments. She wasn't familiar with IPT but was curious and wanted to know more so I gave her an information sheet as well as the Vitamin C protocol we are following. She even inquired about how I do my Coffee Enemas. She thought they were for constipation and I explained they were a necessary detox to remove the toxins released by the cancer cells dying off. She scheduled the follow up CT scan based on Hennie's recommendation  and added in a scan of my abdomen to rule out spread and to ensure my insurance would pay for one so soon after the last one. She was not as hopeful about seeing much change in the scan but did set a goal of "no progression" which I readily agreed with her that it would be lovely to see no progression.

I think Annette was glad that I was doing more than just the Vitamin C IVs because the last CT scan had shown spread. She is a good person and very compassionate and supportive and she was glad that I am feeling so good. I'm glad she is on my team. She did upgrade my status to stage four. Okay,  sounds dire but I just see it as more information. I figure a person could feel as good as I do or could be taking their last breath and both be considered stage four, so it doesn't mean a lot to me. Just another thing to go beyond. 

So the next CT scan was on December 12th and I got the results on the 13th. There was very little change but a small degree of shrinkage. Hennie was really expecting major shrinkage so she was a little disappointed but glad to see no spread. She had been hoping to cut back my treatments to once weekly but we will continue for now at twice weekly. I saw Annette Monday and she was very pleased to see no progression and urged me on to keep on doing what I'm doing. 

Hennie wants me to do a genetic chemo sensitivity test to determine what the best chemo drugs will be for me. We'll draw the blood for that tomorrow and send it off. For now we are staying the course with the chemo drugs originally prescribed by Annette. I had NAET treatments to balance me to the insulin and the chemo drugs so I assumed they were working fine but I'm open to finding a better fit if there is one. 

Overall, I'm feeling really good and amazed at how much I am able to do. I usually have Mike or my friend Leela drive me to Santa Fe but I've driven myself twice in the last couple weeks and I've done fine. If someone had told me two months ago that I'd be driving to Santa Fe alone I wouldn't have believed them. That's how bad the chronic fatigue was. Now I am rising early in the morning, that's EARLY like 5:30 am! My old rising time was usually 9 or later. My thinking is clear and my energy downright perky more days than not. 

The IPT treatments are still stressful but we've gotten the routine working pretty well. I don't slump very low with the insulin and I get back up pretty quickly by drinking a very high protein drink and eating fruit and protein bars. And Hennie gives me a dextrose shot to bring the glucose back up and then lots of good IV shots to counter the toxicity of the chemo drugs, like prednizone for inflammation and an anti-nausea med, as well as lots of good nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals in the IV bag that drips in afterward. And because the chemo has heavy metals in it we are doing an IV chelation bag once a week to get that out of my system. I'm tolerating it much better than when I first started. I'm not having much nausea afterward as long as I eat yogurt all afternoon when I get home and keep something in my tummy. The mistake the first time was not eating even though I felt nauseous. It feels counter-intuitive to eat when your stomach is turning over at the thought of food! 

And since I've lost some weight I need to really keep on top of the eating so I don't lose any more. I think I'll easily address the eating issue next week. We are flying to Virginia to spend Christmas with my family in Richmond. I will be getting a break from treatments, and nausea, and will get to indulge in lots of good food. Hennie says it will be good to take a break and it shouldn't hurt my progress. (and she's doing treatments on New Year's Day so I can get back in the routine as soon as I return.) And since I won't be getting the Vitamin C infusions I will be taking liposomal Vitamin C which is a form of Vitamin C encased in lipids so it isn't broken down in the gut and it gets into the cells like IV Vitamin C. There is a very smart fellow here in Albuquerque, Christopher Hall, that makes it and he's shipped it to Richmond for me. So I'll be able to relax and indulge and get my high dose Vitamin C all at the same time. 

As for the broken bones, I've been healing well and getting stronger and more flexible and able to walk a bit more normally. I still use the cane for dog-walking but I'm OK without it usually. There is still a ways to go but the pain is minimal, and considering where I was a few months ago, I'd say I've made a splendid recovery. 

Here's me just out of the hospital in June with my sister Janet. 

Note the casts and braces on the leg and the wrist. I was pretty unfunctional and dependent then. After that experience I'm much more able to appreciate the independence and vitality that I'm experiencing now. 

It all serves. 

And as always, I am grateful for my partner and hero, Mike Maulsby, who supports and loves me unconditionally. He's the best dance partner I can imagine in this life adventure. He has met every challenge head on and continues to inspire and amaze me daily. 

Here are some links to information that I've mentioned -

IPT -  Insulin potentiation therapy (IPT) refers to the use of insulin along with lower doses of chemotherapy to treat cancer.

IVC protocol - Riordin clinic IV C protocol - this is not the exact protocol we are following but it is based on the work of this doctor. We are following the protocol used by Jeanne Drisko at Kansas University.

Dr Hennie - Dr Hendrieka Fitzpatrick, Integrated Health Medical Center, Santa Fe, NM

NAET - Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques

Liposomal Vitamin C - AHC Liposomes

Coffee Enema info - Coffee Enema

Dr Annette Fontaine - New Mexico Cancer Center