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Old 10-24-2008, 11:06 AM   #16
Andrea Barnett Budin
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
Exclamation Wish Things Were More Clear-cut

My oncological nutritionist specializes in integrative oncology, including meditation and guided imagery. I credit his wisdom, my incorporation of all his recommendations, and of course Herceptin with my miraculous results. Each and all contribute.

I simply worry about throwing out the baby with the bath water. Yes, first do no harm, but I am greatly disappointed in mainstream and top docs who are AFRAID of interactions. What may be enormously beneficial to a patient receiving chemo, whose immune system is under siege and needs assistance in strengthening their resistance is being lost, mostly out of fear and misunderstanding.

Just as anti nausea meds helped me not to puke my guts up, as pain killers eased the throbbing in body parts I never knew I had, supplements have served me well.

Finding a doc like Flori's, or mine, is difficult I know, but please try to keep on proactively searching for your guru.

Sent with love...
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Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...

'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...

Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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