janprevent's Cancer Blog

April 27, 2008

My alternative cancer cure

Views: 220

I thought long and hard about writing this down, but here goes.
When I was told that I had tested HER2 positive Herceptin had only just been approved for use in the UK. I didn’t know that I was one of the ones being tested by my Oncologist. She wanted to be ready to offer me it if I tested positive. This wonderful lady will remain one of my heroines even though I have made it clear that I will never have chemotherapy again no matter what I have to endure.
As with everyone in my situation I was then prescribed Tamixifen. After months of suffering the aches and pains which I put down to a side effect of the drug I was then prescribed Arimadex. The side effects were even worse and by this time I had not only read about the dangers associated with the drug, but had researched and formed very strong opinions about the medical profession, endocrine disruptors and hormonal pharmaceuticals.
I had taken the contraceptive pill for four years as my Doctor had assured me that it was safe. When my husband and I decided it was time to have a baby I came off the pill and more or less immediately became ill. Instead of having a baby I had to have a hysterectomy to rid my body of the endometriosis.
No-one warned me but after the hysterectomy I went into an early and debilitating menopause. At my Doctor’s suggestion I went on to hormone replacement therapy.
Eight years later my husband died in bed 6 hours after being told by his doctor that he had a chest infection and instructed me to give him paracetamol. I found him at 5am in the morning. He was 43 years old.
So, what seemed like a lifetime’s heartache after my husband’s sudden death I became constantly ill with persistent flu, tiredness and general feelings of ill health. Ove a period of two years I was regularly prescribed antibiotics and sent on my way. As I said in my previous blog even my cancer was not diagnosed by a doctor. That is fairly common where I live and seems to be an accepted part of life.
It is now three years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I’m living a fairly normal life. I have been saddened and angered by the number of people dying of hormonal cancers in my area including three very dear friends and many young people. This prompted me into action and in addition to lobbying for tighter controls on endocrine (hormone) disruptors in the UK I am lucky that my work allows me to raise money for those not as fortunate as myself.
My faith in prescibed medicines has been totally destroyed and my medication consists of vitamin B17, echinacea and oil of Evening Primrose. I have no side effects and I am confident that after three years I shall live cancer free as long as I could expect to on Arimadex, Tamoxifen or Herceptin (and without the debilitating side effects.
This is my personal choice and what works for me.

Posted on April 27, 2008 at 10:34:06 AM by janie ( My alternative cancer cure, 0 comments)

March 29, 2008

Cancerbackup - priceless service

Views: 243

—http:///2008/03/29/

Have just read Weezy’s blog and was thrilled to see she had found some excellent advice from cancerbackup which helped her.
It is an excellent site and got me through my worst moments with breast cancer. Weezy found physical help, mine was psychological. Both invaluable.
Everyone was keen to explain the physical symptoms of cancer treatments to me, but I think that that the emotional symptoms are not given enough thought by medical people. Cancerbackup explained so much to me. Why I was feeling the way I did, my reactions and much more. After reading and understanding I learned to handle it better. I was just sorry that the people who had to deal with me were not interested enough to read it too and try to understand. My partner and I split the day after I came out of hospital for the first time.
I’m HER2 positive so I believe that if and when this diabolical disease hits me again I shall handle it better thanks to cancerbackup.

Posted on March 29, 2008 at 1:30:03 AM by janie ( Cancerbackup - priceless service, 0 comments)

March 25, 2008

I learned too late. Did you?

Views: 258

I had been feeling ill for months. My job involved drivng thousands of miles each week and I was becoming a danger to road users as I felt like I had some kind of sleeping sickness. I started skipping apointments and sleeping on the roadside. My personal life became a shambles too as I was always too tired to make the effort.
I had been to my GP early on as I also had a rash and breast pain. He had decided that it was a recurrence of my old enemy mastitis and placed me on HRT. After a month of battling with my thoughts on Hormone Replacement therapy I took myself off the lethal drug.
I became a regular visitor to my GP. My trust in him was implicit. I begged him to help as I was in danger of losing my job and my partner. After being referred for a blood test he informed me that there was nothing physically wrong with me and prescribed anti anxiety pills.
I was 55 years old and two weeks after this I received my three yearly call from the county’s mobile screening unit. They immediately diagnosed breast cancer.
Having no family history of breast cancer I was shocked and combined with months of feeling so ill and tired did not accept the news well. Why had I been let down so by my own GP?
Had I read the Cancer bacup website I would have understood my reactions and probably been able to address and handle my feelings. It was only later that I discovered this wonderfully informative organisation.
After months of feeling ill leading to diagnosis my mental state deteriorated to a dangerous level during chemo, but being of a robust nature I pulled myself out of it eventually. By this time I had done considerable research and amongst other things discovered Cancer bacup. I hope that anyone out there takes the time to read their very informative and descriptive information on the emotional effects of cancer.
Following chemo/radiotherapyI was informed that I am HER2 positive, which as many of you will know is an extremely aggressive form of cancer which affects around 25% of breast cancer patients. After researching the side effects of Herceptin, I weighed the pros and cons of this additional one year of intravenous drug treatment and refused the offer from my oncologist. Being one of these oddities in today’s world I prefer quality of life to longevity and by this time and after much research my belief in N.I.CE. and the pharmaceutical industry had been totally destroyed.
Now I take no prescribed medication at all and prefer to give nature a chance. It’s my choice. I have to import my herbal remedy from the United States as it has been banned from sale in the UK. This in itself is a bit of a farce when you consider that you can overdose on prescribed medication anytime. I suppose I have to accept that if it was freely available and became widely used in this country it would dent in to the pharma industry’s pockets. That’s life!
So three years down the road I can say that I’m leading a reasonable life without too many chemicals flowing into my body. My values have seriously changed since contracting breast cancer. I have been saddened to see many friends contract and die of various cancers due to lack of early diagnosis. It is a terrible testimonial to our world when cancers such as breast and prostate are now viewed as acceptable and inevitable and as normal and everyday as the common cold, especially when some of the causes are known and avoidable.
My chosen cancer charities are now Marie Curie, The Chem Trust and the Environmental Working Group in America. They are doing more for potential cancer victims than all the other cancer charities put together. It’s too late for me and you. I didn’t know, but I do now and I care.

Posted on March 25, 2008 at 3:34:24 AM by janie ( I learned too late. Did you?, 0 comments)