MY CANCER JOURNEY

Hey friends.  It’s been a hot minute since I have shared.  A combination of “I’m tired” and “What do I have to say?”  But here we are and I finally decided what I wanted to share.  

I have had so many people saying “You don’t even look like you are on chemo.” (or something similar)  While I am so thankful to be looking so good, and feeling good, considering, TRUST ME, I am still on chemo.  My body tells me everyday and my emotions sometimes jump on board too.

Friendship

If you will remember, my regimine now is supposed to be the nasty one.  It is called “the red devil” and Paul and I have often referred to those receiving it at the clinic as “the walking dead” because that is exactly what they look like.  Most people receiving Adriamycin receive ALL the nasty side effects: extreme nausea, loss of weight, loss of color, neuropathy, mouth sores, etc.  For the most part, my experience with this drug has been better than my last regimine. PRAISE GOD!  I believe that there are several things at play here.

First of all: PRAYER!  I know I have a literal ARMY of prayer warriors that are lifting me up every single day.  I believe this is THE number one reason that the side effects of this treatment have been minimal.

Secondly: I have taken my health into my own hands and been doing treatments outside of what the traditional doctors and cancer treatment center recommend.  This is multi-faceted, but includes the following:

  1. Nutritional Changes.  I started changing my diet immediately after being diagnosed on the recommendation of a friend that is well educated in nutrition.  I have cut out ALL sugars-both processed and natural.  It is a proven fact that cancer feeds on sugar, so my plan is to STARVE that dang tumor.  I also try to eat organic as much as possible.  I am fully convinced that we are poisoning ourselves with the chemicals and nasty additives in our foods.  I have also started reading labels.  I am looking for the least amount of ingredients in foods that I purchase, and I want to KNOW what all the ingredients are. I have also consciously started adding many more fermented foods to my diet.
  2. Environmental Changes.  Similar to the nutritional changes, I have started to read the labels of my household items.  I am eliminating POISONS that many of us have in our homes.  There are so many other options for cleaning rather than chemicals!
  3. Skincare and Makeup Changes.  Why is it that Europe has banned over 1,600 ingredients in their cosmetics and the US has only banned 11?  Yes, you read that correctly!  I am really paying attention to what I put on my skin.  Afterall, it is the largest organ of the human body!  My new favorite product?  Castor Oil!  I swear that stuff is magic.  You should Google all the uses for it.
  4. Food Sensitivity Test.  I am seeing a Naturopathic doctor and she recommended I do this test.  I am so glad that I did!  This test has pinpointed some foods that my body does not tolerate well, and I would have never known otherwise.  Some foods I eliminated for a period of time and I am gradually reintroducing them one at a time and paying attention to possible reactions in my body.  Other foods, I have eliminated indefinitely because they ranked so high on the insensitivity chart.  The worse one?  SUGAR (refer back to the first change I made after diagnosis)
  5. Micronutrient Test.  Again, this was done at the recommendation of my Naturopathic doctor and done as a blood test.  This test look at the cellular micronutrients in my body and pinpointed what my body was lacking.  It also looked at the antioxidant levels in my body.  Based on the results from this test, I now know what foods I need to eat more of in order to up these numbers.  I am now also taking custom-made vitamins based on the nutrients that my body was significantly lacking.
  6. Mistletoe Therapy.  I believe this is a HUGE benefit to my overall wellness at this time.  Mistletoe, AKA Viscum Album, is exactly what you think it is-the plant that we often hear about at Christmastime.  Mistletoe has chemicals that stimulate the immune system and have been proven to KILL CANCER in some European studies.  Of course, the American medical system has little to say about it, but there is a new study being done at Johns Hopkins on its effectiveness.  I have been on Mistletoe since late July.
  7. Alternative Treatments.  I am also using other alternative treatment methods including PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field), FSM (frequency specific microcurrent), Infrared and Red Light therapy, and Vitalized Water.  I visit my Naturopathic doctor once a week for these therapies.  I love it!  I go and either take an hour nap or enjoy a dimly lit room with soft music while I read for an hour while these therapies are done.
  8. Self-Awareness.  I have learned to pay attention to my body and give my body what it needs.  I think the American lifestyle totally ignores the needs of our bodies!  As a society, we ignore nutrition, exercise, the need for sunlight, the harmful effects of stress, and lack the needed amount of sleep to sustain a healthy body.  I work hard to pay attention to these things and give my body what it needs: good food, movement, peace, and rest.

I believe that I am able to look vibrant and still live a somewhat normal lifestyle because of everything I have listed here.  I mean, think about it, I am pumping my body full of POISON on the regular, but feel and look healthy.

Drugs

That being said, I am so ready for this crap to be over.  (Crap=Chemo)

This Thursday is my last treatment.  WOOHOO!  I have been asked several times if I will be “ringing the bell” or having a celebration and the answer is No.  In my mind, this isn’t over yet and it isn’t time to celebrate just yet.  

I will be having a double mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction sometime in the first half of December.  We don’t have a date just yet.  The remainder of my treatment will be determined from the results of the pathology of my lymph nodes that will be removed during surgery.  We are praying that they are clean of all cancerous cells!  When we get the word that they are clean, we will then finish up reconstruction and I will continue with immunotherapy infusions for 6 more months.  THEN I will be done!  So we are planning for a BIG bell-ringing ceremony and a celebratory trip to Greece and Italy in June-God Willing.

God has been so good to me through all of this!  We are grateful for His guidance and wisdom every step of the way.

We are standing on Jeremiah 30:17 that says “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord”

Please pray for the doctors and nurses for the days of my surgeries (TBD).

Most of all, pray that the pathology reports of my lymph nodes will come back CLEAN and non-cancerous.

My Prayer

Many people have been reaching out asking what we need.  Our needs are completely covered, but there are some things that are helpful and bring me joy.

Things that are helpful:

Gift Cards for DoorDash, Instacart, and Sprouts

Things that bring me joy:

Sunflowers

Silly Animal Videos (Send them all to me!  Instagram @jamisullins)

Fifteen Chemo Sessions Down & ONE More To Go!

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