I think the major contributing factor of why I’m feeling so well – and not allowing any covert stress or anxiety sneak in and affect my health – is due to being proactive and not just passively doing “watch and wait.” I’ve never really accepted that term. It’s as if one is in a state of suspension, forever waiting for the other shoe to drop. That’s not a good life philosophy. “Watch and live” is much more apropos, and it’s helped tremendously during these three months since diagnosis.
A big part of the “watch and live” tactic is the continuing treatment I’m receiving from Susan, the awesome acupuncturist / naturopath / nutritionist. The newest weapons Susan has armed me with are OncoMAR and OncoPLEX…..
…..and you can bet I did copious amounts of research on
them!
 |
| Nine separate reports on OncoMAR - and there are many more that I read but didn't print! |
OncoMAR (also known as Avemar) is fermented wheat germ
extract that carries out a critical function.
Abnormal cells (including cancer cells) can build a protective “sheath”
around themselves in the form of a surface molecule that disguises them from
attack by the immune system, allowing them to continue to develop and grow
undetected by the body’s own natural killer (NK) cells. Fermented wheat germ extract / OncoMAR
suppresses the abnormal cells’ ability to generate that surface molecule which
masks them from detection, so that the NK cells can recognize them and do their
job.
(If you couldn’t already tell, this shit is just fascinating
to me!)
OncoPLEX is super-packed with sulforaphane, a
naturally-occurring compound in broccoli that supports “cell suicide”
(apoptosis, or PCD - programmed cell death) in cells that have the potential to
mutate. If you recall your basic cell
biology, cancer cells run rampant because the DNA becomes damaged or mutates
and the cells don’t die when they normally should. OncoPLEX is like the Dr. Kevorkian of cell
suicide, facilitating it to happen. YAY
for cancer cell apoptosis!
My next appointment with Dr. Glenn the oncologist is a month
from today, on August 17. Since my last
appointment with her in May, I’ve integrated the following into my life:
- Education, education, education. You can never learn too much about the creepy-ass disease that’s decided to make your body its home.
- Weekly acupuncture treatments to empower my immune system and to try and keep this cancer thing indolent.
- Daily OncoMAR and OncoPLEX.
- Daily Green Goodness smoothie (kale, chard, carrots, blueberries, raspberries, whey protein powder, milled flax seed) – a whole buttload of nutrients, antioxidants, and Omega-3.
- Eliminating most meat and dairy. Well, with the exception of my beloved Combo #4 from Nando’s (cheese enchilada and taco) and my nightly bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! Come on now!
- Incorporating even more healthy grains into my diet than before, like sprouted grain pasta and cooking with lots of lentils for protein and quinoa for its antioxidant phytonutrients.
- Snacking on sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts for the antioxidants and nutrients, and for the selenium that slows the propagation of cancer cells.
- Eliminating bottled water and using a water filter. Do you know how nasty
- Using organics whenever possible.
- More mindfulness. More gratitude. Less stress.
I’m not sure what testing, if any, Dr. Glenn will order at
the August appointment – blood work, CT or PET scan, or ??? I’m still a newbie in Cancerland and don’t
know what to expect in terms of monitoring.
I’m curious to see if three months’ worth of changes and better choices
has facilitated any improvement. Don’t
get me wrong: I’m fully aware that while
my form of NHL can be treatable, it’s not curable. But, if we can keep it from progressing, or
knock it back a little, then that keeps toxic treatments like chemo and its
side effects off the table for a while longer.
Regardless, I can say one thing for certain: I am so much healthier with Stage IV
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma than I was before!
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