Complementary treatment to chemotherapy

serad · New User Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 4

Hi my name is Serah,

I have recently finished 12 chemotherapy sessions, it was in pairs of one "major" adriamicine treatment and one "minor" 5FU treatment.

I have been told before the whole treatment started that I must have some complementary treatment or else it will be very hard for me to hang on.

I called an acupuncturist and he told me he knows a colleague who gives Chinese herbal formulas adapted to the specific chemotherapy medications. He sent him the protocol I was about to receive and he sent a list of 22 herbs that he recommended I should take everyday throughout the whole period.

It meant taking 16 capsules a day!!! + 8 different pills of vitamins and other herbs.

I decided to go for it and I would like to tell you all that it made a big difference. Before I became ill I was never interested in any alternative treatments. Now after the harsh chemo I can fairly say that these herbs helped me survive the whole thing. My oncologist told me that the way I recovered the last treatments was remarkable in comparison to other patients. I was glad she was in favor of the supplementals I took.

I cannot detail what was in those Chinese capsules. I saw the list and it all had Chinese names so I cannot say what they are in western names.

Now I am about to start radiotherapy and for that I received a new formula.

brainman

Serad (or Serah?), what kind of cancer do you have?
_________________
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Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
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inspire · Regular Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

Hello

I am a fellow acupuncturist... I would be interested in helping my patients through their rounds of chemo with the ease and grace you have had.

It would be greatly helpful as well to know of your CHinese medicine diagnosis as chinese medicine is not a one size or type fits all... I have many formulas I use but I like to have some tried and true formulas used with specific combinations of chemo.

I am very glad that one of the Chinese doctors was able to aid and guide you so well along your path. THere is a very nice topical cream to apply for the radiation I don't know if your practitioner has recommended it or has created an external as well as internal formula.

I am SO glad you are able and willing to get both ( or many) types of care.... it good to hear of your moving through the process AND teaching others. I think the future will have alot more integrated health as we all have more "poster chemo" patients .

Many Blessings to you on the next phase of treatment. Please let us all know how you are doing.

I know you will be receiving, and of course taking all the best of care.

serad · New User Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 4

Thank you for your posts, I appreciate that.

I have had breast cancer - carcinoma with 4 inflicted glands - all removed.

I cannot say much about the formulas I received. I know it has worked well for me. They tell me radiation treatment is a "piece of cake" after the harsh chemo I went through. I do hope so.

I am slowly gaining back my hair now. I am happy about that, though strangely enough it seems like a different king of hair. It feels thicker and looks darker and I think it is sparser than before.

I started taking the new formula for the radiation though it starts in three weeks from now. After that I am supposed to receive another formula only that one will be taken as herbal brew and not in capsules.

inspire · Regular Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

THe herbal brews can be - well, lets say not very american tasting.

Sometimes jsut holding your breath and taking a large gulp like those kids who drink shots of tequila with a lime chaser

Glad you have the brews to cook up! BTW they can have a very distinctively non american odor when you cook them

Hve your acupuncturist rx burn cream and a product from Integrative therapeutics in Oregon called Ray Gel it really helps with the heat.

Take good care

ksplat

Hello Sera
I am very pleased to read about your combined acupuncture/chinese herbs with your mainstream cancer treatments.
I have kidney disease & have been receiving acupunture for 12 mths now & have definitely seen improvement in my kidney function! It has been a blessing because it also enhances your overall well-being. I've gone from doing dialysis 4 times per day (peritoneal dialysis) to doing no dialysis since July 2007. I haven't tried any chinese herbs though, just the acupuncture alone.
As to the comments regarding your hair...I was on chemo 2 1/2 yrs ago & lost most of my hair on the front & crown part of my head. Having had a beautifully thick, & curly head of hair all my life (it was my crowning glory), I was devastated to have it looking so bad. My hairdresser has nursed me through this period of devastation with lots of TLC. My hair has grown back very coarse/wiry on the top & it becomes frizzy & unmanageable, I was told it will be several years before the chemo affected hair grows out totally so I keep getting it trimmed to get rid of all the bad bits. Along the way getting it coloured & styled differently, my visits to the salon are always very therapeutic!
My prayers & thoughts are with you during your treatment & may God bless & give you the strength you need to rise above this illness & live a happy & full life.
Cheers, Angie.
_________________
Brother diagnosed with GBMIV Feb 07
Treatment: Radiotherapy, Temodal, Gliadel Wafers, Dexamethasone, Keppra, Dilantin, Clexane
Went to our Heavenly Father after a 19mth battle,, 47 years young.
23 Sep 2008
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=19227

"Without Faith We Have Nothing"

serad · New User Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 4

Hello all,
Thank you so much for your blessings, it is really warming my heart.
I am about to start radiation treatment in 9 days.
My markers are normal, which is good, and so is by bone scan.
The acupuncturist (not the one who gave me the formulas) said he recommends frequency treatment. I did not really know what it actually was so I went once. In his clinic they use an electronic device to measure body energy and then send vibrations and sounds to the body. It was interesting because it definitely had a physical effect. I felt like receiving a very mild electrical shock. It was also interesting to listen to some sounds he played. I cannot say if this helps healing anything. I told him that currently I am too tired to get into this on a regular basis. I thought maybe someone here knows anything about that kind of treatment and can explain more about it.
Thanks,
Sera

serad · New User Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 4

Radiation will end on Monday. I have some reddish skin on my chest, but I can handle it. There was a reference to the Chinese herbal mixture's non American odor...well I'm not sure Chinese people can bare it either Smile

.
Anyway I am preparing it outdoors in the afternoon when the wind takes its western direction to an open field so my good neighbor doesn't get it into his window. There is a strange empty feeling of - now what? So far I felt like kind of protected, but now when all treatments are almost over, fear starts entering. I will stay with the Acupuncture and maybe add another treatment, maybe get back to this frequency treatment clinic. On the other hand it would be nice to have some of my routine life back.

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