Last week, T and I had 4 appointments all leading up to what kind of treatment, if any, would be best for me. Wednesday, we met with my surgeon and the radiation oncologist and on Friday we met with the medical oncologist and my natural oncologist. What a full spectrum of meetings! One of the things I heard from a previous cancer breast surgeon is this: If you feel dismissed, or your doctor does not openly say, "I don't know" to a question you have about your care or anything related to your cancer, move on. I took that advice and asked the hard questions. T and I left each appointment feeling heard and cared for. They each said "I don't know" when they didn't know something. I can handle that answer better than a made up one. They each have a different style and bed side manner but all of them cared about what was best for me. Oh, and they're all women. Not quite sure if this oncology profession is women centric or if I lucked out with women, but I'm actually really glad. Breast cancer is so personal, and they truly get the whole emotional side if this ugly cancer.
So here we are at a place that still feels foreign to me, a place that still consumes my mind daily. I think about how to stay healthy, how prevent reoccurrence, how to teach my kids all that I'm learning so they have a fighting chance NOT to be where I sit today. I know I am inundating them with information. They're being gracious.😀
The path of least resistance is standard of care. It's the easy path. It's the one most of us just do, no questions asked. Just do what you always do, eat what you always eat, live life status quo, and take their prescribed treatments, but that path doesn't get to the root cause of cancer in my body or keep it away. There is so much research, so so much, that is available now to help all of us keep this stupid illness away. Far more than when my mom beat cancer nutritionally, far more than any standard of care doc will tell you unless they actually took time AFTER medical school to learn about it. What is helping people win the battle with cancer is not purely taught in medical school. Ask any doctor who was standard of care that had their own catalysis moving them all the way over to the other side of the spectrum in care and they will all say- we are taught for a few short weeks on nutrition. That is it. A few short weeks. We have to expect more today.
So what does this look like for me? For starters, a team approach. I am leaning on my natural oncologist to support me with her wisdom and knowledge on cancer. I did some deep-dive tests for her that may seem strange to most if you're not willing to go to the root cause of disease. Those results directed her in what I should eat, what supplements to take, how past illnesses and medicines are still impacting my gut biome, how my estrogen levels are acting. Are they fighting for me or against me? And that is just scratching the surface. We discussed how to protect my body during radiation treatments, and how to keep moving forward in lifelong prevention. She is my go-to right now. Next is the radiation oncologist. She will be the doc I see way too much until Christmas. I will be having 4 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week starting around Thanksgiving and finishing up around Christmas. Terrell and I are at peace with this decision. I have dug deep in my research and realize the pro and cons of radiation. I know the risk I am taking. I also know I sure as heck don't want reoccurrence in that breast. Does it scare me to be radiated, yep. It sucks 100 percent. Everything about cancer sucks. The beginning, middle and end. But I refuse to camp there. Instead, I will hit it head on with both nutrition and standard of care. Taking what I've learned over the last 4 months and moving full steam ahead with living. I was offered Ai (hormone suppressors) by my medical oncologist and that I absolutely refuse to take. The side effects are horrific. So that's a hard pass. The best thing I heard all week was from my medical oncologist, the last appointment we had on Friday. A good way to end the week.
She said- "You are cancer free. We got it all."
Now it's all about preventing reoccurrence. From yesterday to tomorrow to many days ahead. And that is where my mind sits for hours on end. What else can I do to be the healthiest me, full of life and energy, full of days ahead. What does this look like? All the while not OCDing over all this information, which I can easily do mind you. I'm figuring out how to allow myself a glass of wine or a sugar laden donut once in a great while without guilt. It's a balancing act right now. One I have yet to find.
Does this mean the big C word won't strike again? I sure hope so. I pray so. I am doing my part, using the wisdom I now have to care for this vessel I am in and then walking out life in faith with Jesus that he is doing his part. God has ordained each day for me. I trust His plan. I trust him even in this. He knew I'd be writing this post; He knows my yesterday and my tomorrows. When my days on earth are complete, I shall say Thank you Lord for your goodness to me. I plan to be around many, many years enjoying life with my husband, my children, my grandchildren, and my family. I plan to have even more white hair, walk tons more miles, eat plenty of organic fruit and veggies, have a good glass of wine with my man, and live, really live tons more days filled with laughter and adventure. I know one day I won't be consumed with the how's. All this hard work will be second nature. It isn't yet, so be prepared for more blogs on living this out.
Until next time...
Thanks for listening,
Tuna Jones
