HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Boosting Your Immune System

StephN · 03-06-2016, 07:30 PM

Finally got a chance to catch up with this thread. So many good ideas for helping our bodies along during and after chemo.

I was clearing out old tax information and found all the prescriptions that I had to take for the side effects of adriamycin and taxanes. What a nightmare to revisit all that!

Folic acid was one thing I took all through my treatments. My med onc insisted. Now you can get it over the counter, but maybe it was the dose and assurance of purity that was the reason I got it from my pharmacist (over 15 years ago).

No one has mentioned either milk thistle or alpha lipoic acid so far. I have been taking those for many years.

Biotin is another thing I have taken in combo supps. Right now the Alpha lipoic that I take has biotin.

Just more "food" for thought.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I drink organic ginger tea, which is great for digestion and against inflammation.

03-06-2016, 07:30 PM	#55
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Re: Boosting Your Immune System - share your ideas Finally got a chance to catch up with this thread. So many good ideas for helping our bodies along during and after chemo. I was clearing out old tax information and found all the prescriptions that I had to take for the side effects of adriamycin and taxanes. What a nightmare to revisit all that! Folic acid was one thing I took all through my treatments. My med onc insisted. Now you can get it over the counter, but maybe it was the dose and assurance of purity that was the reason I got it from my pharmacist (over 15 years ago). No one has mentioned either milk thistle or alpha lipoic acid so far. I have been taking those for many years. Biotin is another thing I have taken in combo supps. Right now the Alpha lipoic that I take has biotin. Just more "food" for thought. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I drink organic ginger tea, which is great for digestion and against inflammation. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.