Research, Eat, Pray

So the glove is on the ground and the challenge needs to be met! It's all real and I can either break down and give up or take my life into my own hands and pursue the outcome on my terms. Action Items: Find a surgeon for a second opinion, investigate alternative therapies for cancer, stay tuned in spiritually. Not always in that order. Simon talked me into asking my girlfriends who have already had breast cancer about their experiences and whether or not they would recommend their surgeons. I know this seems like a no-brainer, but making that first contact and reaching out to a friend and saying "I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer" was a monumental mountain. Once I told one person though, everything was easier. I also called friends who are in the health industry for recommendations, spoke with my healthcare provider who placed a Nurse Case Manager with me, and tried to get another name from my PCP. One surgeon went to medical school in Mexico with no residency time in the US. It somehow made me uneasy. A bunch of Dr's just simply weren't in my healthcare plan - especially ones at NYU. One looked great on paper but never called back. I narrowed it down to Dr. F. I have an appointment on November 30th and need to take my film from the Mammogram and Sonogram to his office on the 28th. Things I am looking for in a surgeon, someone who talks to me and doesn't just focus on my husband (or can include us both in the conversation), someone I feel comfortable with and can talk to honestly and freely. Someone who doesn't feel overly medical and stuffy. Someone who can speak in laymans terms or break down terms easily for me without a hint of superiority. Someone who accepts alternative therapies as a possible modality within my treatment. I found a paper Dr. F wrote on using Vitamin D therapies and nutrition in healing cancer. The first recommended surgeon I found with any hint of alternative beliefs, so we'll see. My therapist/hands on healer Diana recommended I do a liver/gallbladder and Bowel/colon cleanse prior to any medications etc. Also to help my body release toxins more freely. She suggested Dr. Schulze's website herbdoc.com. Should you choose to use any of his herbs go to his site, I am not going to encroach on any of his copyrighted materials, just give you an idea of the cleanse and how it helped me in another blog. I also decided that the no wheat/dairy/coffee diet needed some help - I was down to wine and beer only, but cut them out of my diet completely. I found a great book called "Conquering Cancer: Pursuing a Cure via Integral Medicine by Adam J. Reissner. It's a little simplistic and goofy, he has this cast of characters who ask questions and have a family type of banter at the end of each chapter as a summation, but the information is great and really well researched and documented. I started to take the idea of alkanization more seriously because of this book. The basic principle is that cancerous cells feed off acids, so you want to keep your body as alkaline as possible so they have no food and cannot grow. Just because a food is acidic, doesn't mean it is acidic in your body - like citrus fruits. We think of citrus fruits as acid foods, yet once they are in the body they are alkaline. After reading this book I also made sure to eliminate all sugars (I don't eat an awful lot anyway, but even honey is out - leaving only stevia) and nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc). AND of course, I spent all summer canning and I can't have anything pickled - yeesh. So now it's non caged chicken, wild fish, nuts (not peanuts or cashews) and seeds, rice products, I buy quinoa pasta, tons of organic veggies and fruits (I'm not a red meat eater, but if you are you can have grass fed beef). I'm not a big - sit and meditate every single day kind of gal, but I daily connect to the divine and check in. Confirming my love and devotion, opening my heart and breathing into my soul. This daily routine has opened into also asking for divine healing and feedback on my path. My therapist, Diana Muenz Chen, is a healer and I have been getting hands on energy healings from her, as wells as, therapy sessions. My chiropractor, Dr. Ann Maugeri, is an applied kinesthiologist and treats ailments with herbs, nutrition and homeopathy, so she is also doing some research. My friend, Rick gave me the name of an acupuncturist I am interested in trying when we have some extra money. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to a nearby massage therapist, but I am looking for someone new and in the area I can feel comfortable with.