Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins reached the starting line of the National Senior Games’ 100-meter dash in mid-June in Albuquerque, New Mexico, well ahead of time. She approached, grasping onto her adult daughter and son’s hands for support. Hawkins tucked a sunflower behind her right ear for good luck. She felt slightly more nervous than she did three years ago when she ran in her first – ever – Senior Olympics event, fulfilling one of her bucket list items of “finishing the 100-meter dash at age 100.” She wasn’t so much worried about the running part of it. Hawkins had been having a little trouble with her eyesight and was nervous it would impede her run.
“I was pretty sure I could run all right if I could get down there and get some time to orient myself,” she says. But all the worries, the nerves Hawkins felt, vanished when the race started and she took her first step. She felt like the fastest person on the planet for that moment. Hawkins became the oldest person to run and win — the 100-meter dash at the National Senior Games for the women’s 100-plus age division. That win was in addition to the gold that she snagged the previous day at the 50-meter dash.
She’d seen a roadrunner (a species of fast-running ground cuckoos) in Albuquerque NM. the previous day, and she took it as a sign that she’d win. Hawkins had always joked with her family that she was a roadrunner. They’d even bought her a roadrunner brooch, which she wore on some of her dresses.
“Hurricane! Hurricane!” Friends, family and strangers screamed her nickname, an ode to her need for speed, as she ran. Relatives, neighbors and friends had traveled across the country to be a part of the crowd to cheer her on. Hawkins had no clue she was leading the race. All she cared about was running as fast as she could. It was like that she had her ears plugged until she crossed the finish line.
As soon as she did, she heard somebody yell out, “You won. You did it!” As Hawkins stood by the finish line — drawing slow breaths — a 13-year-old girl walked towards her, shyly holding her mother’s smartphone. She had just started running for her school and was there to cheer for the athletes.” I want to be just like you when I grow up, and I want to have a picture of you if I could have it,” the teen said to Hawkins.
The Hurricane posed for a photo with the teen, who later said she was going to print the photo for her bedroom. The image was going to remind herself to live life fully, to be intensely passionate about things, and to keep pushing to be the best version of herself.
“It makes you feel good to think that you might be helping people that need a little push to be a little more careful about their [health] and their activities, so if I am doing a little of that, I am pleased,” Hawkins says.
Hawkins has lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, her now deceased husband, an a WWII veteran Murray F. Hawkins (they were engaged while he was at war), was deployed at Pearl Harbor right before the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, and she had to wait eight days — “the longest eight days of my entire life,” she called it — before she found out that he was alive. They went on to live 70 years together as husband and wife in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Murray lived to be 95.
The first time Julia saw Murray was at a Louisiana State University church party more than 75 years ago. Her memory is sharp; she remembered going home after the party and writing about him in her diary, “I met a cute fellow tonight — a very cute and smart man. I think I am going to want to see lots of him.”
She loved cycling then. When Murray was stationed in Pearl Harbor, she would cycle seven miles every day to the rural town of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, to teach at a primary school. She was one of the few people in the area who was allowed to buy a bike; a rubber shortage, caused by the advent of WWII, made it difficult for people to buy a bike unless they could prove they really needed it.
When Murray came back after the war, they bought an acre of land in Baton Rouge, where she’s originally from. The couple raised four children there and grew old together. It’s where Hawkins still resides. Murray took a job as a petroleum engineer ( he also later became a professor at LSU) and she took care of things at home. Hawkins planted all sorts of flowers — jasmine, carnations and roses — in her back garden and tended to them.
She developed a love for Bonsai trees, “‘They’re like my children,” she says. Hawkins clips, waters and fertilizes the trees daily. The oldest Bonsai tree she’s grown is 50 years of age. “If you marry a good man, and you live with him for that long and raise children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — what a lucky life that is!” Hawkins says. At 103, the decades seemed to weave together as she recalled some of her favorite memories. Before being nicknamed “Hurricane,” she was called “Flower girl.” She always wore a flower in her hair. She loved giving people blank journals to record words and pictures of their magic moments. Hawkins would add her special memories to kickstart the journals for her loved ones — there were references to Louisiana sunrises, birds in the backyard and desert cacti.
At age 80, she’d accumulated a stack of her own journals, her children helped her turn those memories into a memoir. It always was just for her family, and she titled the read, “It’s Been Wondrous.” When she turned 100, she’d added to it her running and cycling experiences to her memoir and was able to self-publish for the world.
As she grew older and bolder: Hawkins would cycle to get seeds, plants and groceries, and at around age 75, she decided she wanted to test her skills in a formal competition. She’d watched one of her favorite movies of all time, “Chariots of Fire” (1981), which is centered on the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, and thought — it would be exciting to explore her Olympic potential. S0 Hawkins signed up for cycling events at Senior Olympics events around the country, winning bronze first and then gold. However, after falling and dislocating her elbow at the age of 99, she decided it was time to move on from cycling. Years of cycling had kept Hawkins’ legs and hips in great shape, and she longed for a fresh challenge. She’d traveled to Greece more than three decades ago with her daughter to see her son- in-law run a marathon. Watching hundreds of people from across the world get ready to run together seemed exciting. The first time she went running on her street, her friend and coach Tom Campbell was watching nearby. “She takes off running … and I was surprised because I wasn’t expecting actual running!” Campbell said in a 2018 SportsCenter video. “I don’t know what I was expecting.”
“Running thrills me to death, that’s why I do it,” Hawkins says.
The first time she participated in a 100-meter race, she won gold. By 102, she was running out of space in her medal box, with least 20 medals secured at last count. Hawkins has 3 world records to her name, including a 39.62-second 100-meter- dash record at age 101. At the time, she joked with the reporters, saying that she “skipped a nap to run the race.”
So What is Julia’s Secret to Having it MADE: its Managing Attitude Diet & Exercise. While Hawkins maintains an active lifestyle. She walks and stretches daily and works on her garden regularly. She eats a balanced diet of yogurt, soups and salads, but will give in to the occasional cravings 0f fried crabs and oysters top her favorite-foods list. While Julia has always ate healthy and hasn’t smokednor drank alcohol. At the age of 80 she started to cycle aggressively. Which she credits got her the solid legs she needs to run the 100 yard dash at 100 years old as a new challenge. She believes that with her families support helps because they all encourage her to run to stay young. They always say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but she proves that old saying wrong and this old dog completely derailed that train of thought. Julia is also living proof anyone can start something new at any age an excel at it. Even when others think you can’t do something including yourself. What Julia is inspiring people to think. ‘ is — If Julia can do it — so can we with practice, determination and a strong will.
Hawkins might be 103, but she still has things — she wants to cross off her bucket list. The immediate one — is walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Ever since she read David McCullough’s book “The Great Bridge,” which explores the famed bridge’s construction, she’d wanted to go see it. But flying isn’t so easy for the Hurricane. Despite having access to wheelchairs, it’s an ordeal getting from the house to the airport, going from one end to the other end of the other airport, changing planes and deplaning. She noted she’s still recuperating from her flight experience to and from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but “New York is tempting me, maybe I will do it soon,” Hawkins also says.
“During her time in Albuquerque, people came up to her and said things like, ‘I want to be as fit as you,” and “I want to live life like you.” She met one of the founders of the games, Harris Frank, at an event. Frank couldn’t stop smiling in Hawkins’ presence, telling her, “I am amazed that you’re 103 and you’re still running.” “I’ve lived through a lot,” says Hawkins. “I am thankful if people can look at me [and be inspired] to live a good, happy and full life. That really makes me happy.”
A Young Survivor of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
With an infant son and a difficult-to-treat breast cancer, Salyndria Gregory, decided she had to gather strength through her faith and positive attitude.
April 2019 Vol 5 No 2
Sal Gregory
DeSoto, Texas
My name is Salyndria Gregory, but you can call me Sal. I am a young breast cancer warrior who fought cancer, and now have focused my attention on motivating and inspiring other young patients with breast cancer to conquer their fears.
My journey began on a hot summer day in July in Texas, when I went on a girls’ trip from Dallas to San Antonio. During that vacation, I discovered a small lump near my armpit. I was alarmed but remained calm and called my primary care physician.
Initially he told me I was too young for breast cancer. Finally, he agreed to examine me, which resulted in an immediate mammogram.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
A week later, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, and a type known as triple-negative breast cancer, which is a less common type of breast cancer and is often diagnosed in younger women under age 40, and in African-American women.
Triple-negative breast cancer means the cancer does not involve estrogen or progesterone (hormones often associated with breast cancer) receptors or HER2 receptors, and most recent treatments have been developed for breast cancer with these receptors.
Triple-negative breast cancer is more difficult to treat than other types of breast cancer, because until very recently no new treatments have been developed for it, and the treatment is currently limited to surgery and chemotherapy, which weakens the immune system and can cause serious short-term and long-term side effects.
When I received my diagnosis, I was completely devastated, because there aren’t many triumphant stories about patients with triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, I lost my father to an aggressive cancer when I was a teenager, which has haunted me since then.
Fighting to Survive
However, I decided that I had to fight for myself, as well as for my dad, my mom, grandmother, but most important, for my 1-year-old son, who needed me more than anyone. If I wanted to take cancer head on, I needed to change my attitude from defeat to a positive approach, so I decided to remain myself—a gracious, loving, and joyful woman. I also began to rely heavily on my faith to help me get through such a dark time.
At one point in my journey, after crying each day for hours, thinking that my life was over, I decided that if I wanted to survive, I couldn’t do so in my current condition. I needed to gather strength, and the only way to do that was by spending time with God.
So I began to read 101 healing scriptures, where God said that I am already healed, and as I read them each day, they became embedded in my spirit, and I began to believe that I was, indeed, already healed.
From then on, I had a new zest about me that was inspirational and appealing to everyone I came in contact with. I took to social media to share my journey, and I was able to help and motivate others to learn to conquer the challenges they may be facing in their lives.
My energy, zest for life, and faith seemed to break many of the stereotypes of what a patient with cancer often is.
I told myself, okay Sal, this situation is really crappy, but it is out of my hands. I have given it over to God, so now my job is to remain myself, to try my best to live a normal life and have fun while doing it.
The Trials and Tribulations of Treatment
Since being diagnosed with breast cancer, I’ve gone through several surgeries, including a double mastectomy, with reconstruction, and I have had three months of chemotherapy, losing 100% of what once was thick, long hair, which I vainly admit was about the hardest part of this experience.
When my hair began to fall out at work, it was so embarrassing, and 2 days later, when I lost it all in clumps, I was completely devastated. But a couple of hours later, I wiped my wet face, put on jeans and heels, plopped on a wig, and went to a rooftop to enjoy the rest of the day. My mom looked at me in complete awe, especially because she was holding me like a baby two hours before. I knew then that God had given me strength that I did not have before. I finished my chemotherapy treatments in early 2018, and had one last surgery scheduled for March, before I could start to find my “new normal” as a young survivor.
Be Your Own Health Advocate
When asked what advice I have for young women, I tell my peers under age 40 to be their own health advocates. If something does not seem right, or you notice a change in your body, no matter how small, push for further evaluation, until you are satisfied.
Breast cancer in a young women is one of the most ignored issues – in preventive care, because it’s supposed to have a low rate, but breast cancer in young women is not rare, and it can and does happen often.
Early detection is critical to increasing your chance for survival.
In addition, I believe that attitude is everything, not just with cancer, but with any obstacle in life. You can and will get through it, usually. If you have to cry sometimes, by all means, cry as much as you need. But continue to have faith, keep a positive attitude, and continue to smile and find joy through it all. We are all survivors in this thing called life.
Exercise and dietary advice intervention for survivors of triple-negative breast cancer: effects on body fat, physical function, quality of life, and adipokine profile
Meet Kim and Stephanie, 39-year-old fraternal twins. Diagnosed about three years ago, they are both survivors of triple-negative breast cancer and both have the BRCA1 gene. Only five percent of women have that gene, but those that do are much more likely to get breast cancer one day. The twist?
They are adopted, and didn’t know their birth mother and grandmother both died of the same cancer as theirs. Fortunately, after double mastectomies and hysterectomies, Kim and Stephanie are doing great. They strongly advocate for easier access to family medical records for the adopted, and for early BRCA gene testing for those with a family history. Hear them share about dating, breast reconstruction, and why an annual mammogram isn’t enough. Listen.
Valerie Woo states: This is my advice to women with tnbc n part of my success treating it. Don’t get sucked into the fear of it. Fear causes cancer n also makes it spread. Why? Does lowers ur immune system, depletes nutrients, raises cortisol, causes hormonal imbalances etc. Then if u put a lot of toxic chemicals into your body filled with fear it may not be very helpful. It is imp to do your own research n surround urself with people who beat all odds with any cancer. Hope is imp n unfortunately there is a lot of fear in our medical systems. Also look at your body type, sensitivities and your other health conditions. I have shaken my head at how doctors completely ignored this — yet it is the basics of medicine. Chemotherapy may make other health conditions worst or cause more havoc in a sensitive body making TNBC spread quickly. Also explore nutrition, herbs et… cetera as many cultures have been using them to successfully treat C for centuries way before chemo. Unfortunately we also have a system where greed has taken over n demonized many of this which is very sad. Be aware of the greed n do not let doctors push u into a treatment that may not work for you. Yes you have the time to pull back, research and listen to your inner guidance unless the tumor is affecting a major organ etc. Also another key to my success has been asking the universe for guidance. They are there and will…just ask. It is Never easy when your dealing with breast cancer but ask them to send clearer messages an to give youu strength to get through it. One thing I think is really important is the cost to treating TNBC. Most women do better with all natural/diet changes etc. 0r combination of both natural/special diet/alternative therapies etc. and conventional. Natural remedies etc. get expensive n this needs to start to be covered by govt programs and insurance. It’s not only the very wealthy who should be able to survive this type of bc.
I fully believe that people need to fine tune things to their body type. As a medium I know everyone is unique. For example: I can’t do the liquid iodine thing…way too much for me. I take iodine in Atlantic Dulse and my multi vitamin. I’ve done a lot of meditation/mind and body work (people have healed from just doing that.) I have healed my body a lot with those techniques. So cannot handle as much cannabis & Essiac Tea anymore. We become a brand new person every 7 years (though cells regeneration). So proper nutrition, herbs, lifestyle changes (includes changing ones thought and beliefs) a person can build a brand new body. With cancer rates so high (and with so many diseases on the increase) and with aggressive types of cancer as the rise. Maybe it’s high time we start combining the best of Eastern n Western medicine.
Just as the lotus flower rises up from its roots in the mud, through the movement of water, Qigong can help you open to release stress, break the old patterns… grounding you in your natural grace and presence, and allowing your authentic gifts to flourish. To the exquisitemovements of the Radiant Lotus Practice address health concerns that is unique to women and can help reclaim personal health and healing.
During this revelatory event — you will discover a simple “energy test” that will align you vertically with Earth & Sky returning you to a sense of grace and groundedness,dynamic state of the person that includes the sense of confidence, pleasure and wonder empowering movement that releases stagnant Qi from all joints, stretches the muscles, energizes the internal organs and brings you revitalized Qi called Lotus Rises From the Water, and more!
Daisy Lee is certified as a Level III Advanced Qigong Instructor & Clinical Practitioner by the National Qigong Association of America, as well as being a past board member on the International Qigong Science Association in Beijing. She has studied and taught Qigong for almost 20 years, inspiring people to take greater responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. Register your Free spot!!!
Upcoming classes at the Vanderbilt Osher Center for Integrative Health:
Introductory Tai Chi: This level introduces the basic principles and movements of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan. This series is suitable for beginning Tai Chi practitioners.
Healing Qigong: Teaches breathing techniques, gentle movements and also simple meditations to relax the mind, help to rejuvenate the spirit and may optimize the possibility for healing. All the movements are slow and gentle and can be modified according to an individual’s physical capacity. Contact Diane Sussman, program coordinator, for more information at 615-343-1170.
Mind body connection is very important in healing. Also important is to do some diet changes…check out Dr. Isabella Wentz. She describes in her book diff reasons why people get the disease. Could be diet changes that r needed, adrenal and other deficiencies Estrogen dominance, hypothyroidism, histamine intolerance, and high cortisol are all closely connected, and in fact they all stem from the same root cause. Fix it and the rest will fall into place. Start fixing the wrong one on its own and you will make the rest worse. It could also be a combination. She also doesn’t believe iodine deficiency is the main cause. Increasing Iodine may help some but actually hurt others. She reversed hers with dietary changes n supplements. She also offers videos like Chris Wark does.U may wish to see if she’s still on YouTube.
Dr. Bruce Lipton’s work shows us the scientific proof that there is no cancer gene. I highly recommend his work.
One of the reasons I removed my first oncologist was she was trying to put a lot of fear in me n putting down anything
I said about healing. I knew her energy would just make my diagnosis worst. One of things I did to heal was mediate and affirm I was C free and I really felt it….
very important to do in every healing protocol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCIgxYuNGu0
Positive Energy can provide great healing source!!!
I remember Rosa Parkin came into our Facebook group with a 8 cm. tumor in her uterus. The excitement provided and New Hope that she found caused her tumor to disappear over night. Through her newfound excitement she got out of bed again and began to walk. I believe it was the excitement in her heart that strengthen her immune system. When panic at the two year mark that her doctors gave her to live hit. It was the trip to panic Oregon to meet me & visit those providing cannabis oil and rapid decline through a suppressed immune system that may have caused her passing !!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPahLakP_Q
TNBC is a bitch as we know but it is able to be dealt with.
Since I wrote my book I’ve discovered more to keep it at bay that what I wrote about in my book, I now take Serrapeptase, Lugol iodine drops and colloidal silver. Also keep the immune system super boosted which is key to all cancer types! I use Health Leads brand Beta Glucans as they contain no magnesium stearate or other crap in them. As for the cannabis oil. I’ve got my dosage down to a fine art now, there was a time I struggled with keeping the hormones settled but Lugol iodine has sorted that out.
From the masses of people that contact me the most are fellow TNBC sufferers, the majority of them tried chemo and/or radiation the first tine around and I’d say 99.99% of those had a recurrence soon after, the ones gone au natural are still healed.
To recap don’t let the medics “brainwash” you into believing that TNBC can only be cured with chemo/rads (toxicity), speak to other TNBC warriors with a mix of conventional and alternative methods. Make your decision and 110% believe you’ve made the right choice and go with the flow! You CAN CERvive! ~Dee Mani-Mitchell 🙂
What Toxic Chemicals Is Your Body Absorbing Infographic.
Researchers have also found a connection between exposure to phthalates and childhood obesity, which includes higher BMI (body mass index) as well as the waist circumference.
Phthalates are synthetic chemicals which are able to mimic the natural hormones of the body. They’re widely made use of in wall coverings and plastic flooring, medical devices, materials for food processing as well as personal care products. While bad nutrition and insufficient exercise can contribute to obesity, an increasing body of research indicates that environmental chemicals, which include phthalates, might be a factor in increasing childhood obesity rates.
This research was the 1st to look at the connection between phthalate exposure and measurements made use of to determine childhood obesity.
The study tested phthalate concentrations within the urine of 387 children, and noted body measurements which included BMI, height, as well as waist circumference a year later.
The test results showed that over 97% of the children were exposed to phthalates widely used in personal care products like perfume, lotions, and cosmetics; varnishes; and nutritional supplement or medication coatings. The phthalates included MEP (monoethylphthalate) as well as other phthalates.
They also found a connection between concentrations of these phthalates with BMI and waist circumference in overweight kids. For example, BMI in girls having the most exposure to MEP was 10% more than those having the least MEP exposure.
Studies have revealed that exposure to these regularly used chemicals could impair neurodevelopment in childhood, but this is the 1st research showing that they could play a role in childhood obesity. The research also further highlights the need for limiting exposure to these chemicals wherever possible.
The percentage of 6 to 11 year old obese children in the U.S. has increased from 7% in 1980 to in excess of 40% in 2008 . In excess of 15 % of American children between the ages 6 and 19 are classified as obese. In New York City, in excess of 1 in 5 children found in public schools are obese.
There have been great advances in food preparation in the last century. These days, well over half of the foods that we can buy in a typical supermarket are pre packaged or prepared. They need either no or minimal preparation before being ready to eat. However, there is a dark side to this convenience. Most of the foods on our shelves also contain chemicals and additives are known to harm either the human body or laboratory animals. If they harm animals, they can harm you. Most ingredients that you should avoid fall into one of three areas: food additives, artificial sweeteners and artificial colors.
More and more experts are agreeing that you are wise to try to avoid as many chemicals in your foods as possible. By shopping in mostly the produce, dairy and meat sections of your grocery store, you can avoid many of the harmful food additives listed below. However, all of us need to be on our guard, because some of these ingredients also are used in meats, dairy products and even produce. What does this have to do with Public health? The health of our country is determined by things we consume. This ultimately adds massive costs to our healthcare system as more & more people experience disease from eating processed foods and additives.
More than three-fourths of people with a variety of cancers have low levels of vitamin D, and the lowest levels are associated with more advanced cancers, a new study suggests. High-dose supplements increased vitamin D levels to normal in most patients studied, but it is too soon to know if supplementation improved their outlook, says researcher Thomas Churilla, MS, a third-year medical student at Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Penn. The findings were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Research in the laboratory suggests vitamin D has anti-tumor properties, regulating genes involved in the multiplication and spread of cancer cells, Churilla tells WebMD. For the study, the researchers collected blood samples from 160 men and women with cancer and measured their levels of vitamin D. The five most common diagnoses were breast, prostate, lung, thyroid, and colorectal cancers. Among people in the study, 42% had vitamin D insufficiency, defined as levels between 20 – 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. An additional 32% had vitamin D deficiency, with levels less than 20 ng/mL… Some doctors tell you healthy levels should be 70 – 90 ng/mL.
Vitamin D Levels and Stage III Cancer
The average level of vitamin D was about 24 ng/mL. People with levels below 24 ng/mL were nearly three times more likely to have stage III cancer than those with higher vitamin D level. Criteria for different stages differ by type of cancer. However, in general, stage III indicates more extensive disease than lower stages: larger tumor size and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ in which it first developed to nearby lymph nodes and/or adjacent organs.
There was no association between low vitamin D levels and even more advanced, stage IV cancers that have spread throughout the body, however. Churilla says that could be because patients with stage IV cancers may have been seen by a variety of doctors who treated them for vitamin D deficiency
Choose good doctors that will help balance out your system with non toxic treatments
Never say you have cancer because it gives it power. As its so much better to say your dis `ease when talking to anyone about it.
You are definitely not your disease and one should never surrender to the power of it. Also one of the first steps is to NOT hold on
any of your past hurts and negativity and accept forgiveness toward ourselves or others, we sabotaged your good work. It always
feels really good to Express the frustration and to let it go… Our cells so smart that they can feel the difference.
Secondly You need to heal the immune system then it will turn on and kill the cancer once it is back to normal. I would also take Pancreatin and whole food vitamin C before bed to break down the protein wall that surrounds and protects the cancer cells. Stay consistent. You maybe on good supplements but consistency and correct dosages for cancer therapy are a must. Thirdly get lab test of blood work of any nutritional deficiencies. and find a reiki healer. You need emotional healing is important and you need hyperbaric oxygen therapy and ozone steam sauna.
Taking and doing all of those things causes the body to detox and cleanse itself. This is what you need and it may produce a Herxheimer reaction and side effects which make a person feel sicker. It STOPS Many from getting better because they feel the treatment is making it worse. Keep chugging along it will get better. Also!… How is her spirit? You need to have faith and believe and have a positive mind as well. The mind can and will hinder healing. S0 Believe In What You’re Doing 🙂
It is difficult to stay positive when feeling so bad but getting lots of extra sleep will help.
Also If the person has always been a worry wort. How does one even start to turn around their perspectives when that worrisome attitude Is there. Its tough enough to get slammed with a life threatening disease? Try getting them to watch testimonial videos on YouTube. It’s very inspiring and educational and helps make cancer not as scary. Knowing there is hope and seeing others that have prevailed makes all the difference. Do things that will bring yourself joy or do something that you’ve always wanted to try.
A new hobby, meeting new people, take a fun class… anything to look forward to. Create thoughts that are positive and find some hope and joy!!! It’s important not consume acid forming in favor of Alkaline FOODS.
Healing is not just diet and supplements, also extremely important is the whole person… mind, body, and spirit. All working together to heal. Getting rid of toxins in your home and ridding yourself, in a gentle way, of a toxic relationship helps. Many do apricot kernels, bloodroot capsules, digestive enzymes, iodine protocol, a detailed essential oils protocol, fasting, emotional healing – forgiveness and grief (this is paramount!!)
When one starts to heal naturally; it’s important to focus on your health four to six hours a day of detox and treatments at home between sauna and Epsom salt baths as well as ozone insufflation and enemas.. meditation and visualization et.. cetera. It will consume your life but it might also heal your my body without surgery without radiation without chemo and without hormone blockers…
But remember it’s also important to follow your blood work every month including liver enzymes and white blood cell counts as well as tumor markers which ‘TellsAll’ and helps guide your protocols and success.. it took years to grow ..so it will take years to heal.
* Sheep Sorrel Roots in Essiac: Why is it so important to include sheep sorrel roots in Essiac tea?
The secret ingredient of Essiac tea was discovered by Sheila Snow who obtained letters from Dr. Chester Stock of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The following quotes came from these letters written by Rene Caisse to Dr. Stock. Also regarding sheep sorrel solution for testing on mice. Here is what Rene Caisse stated regarding the importance of using the whole sheep sorrel plant, including the roots:
“The herb that will destroy a cancer is the dog-eared sheep sorrel, sometimes called sourgrass. The entire plant must be used.”
[April 4, 1974 letter to Dr. Stock; Ref. ESSIAC, THE SECRETS OF RENE CAISSE’S HERBAL PHARMACY, p. 28]
A living witness to the Essiac story, Barbara Kokotsis, also confirmed that sheep sorrel root was indeed part of the Essiac formula. CLICK HERE for the story.
“Sheep sorrel root is a powerful astringent. By drying out excess moisture from in between cells, this protects healthy cells from
wastes in solution lingering around them. It also prevents cancer cells from building up concentrations of chemicals which allow
them to prosper. The tissue can be referred to as “toned”, which is to say it is primed for absorbing the beneficial chemicals present
in the blood due to consuming Essiac tea.” [Source: The Essiac Mechanism]
Essiac tea should contain a significant amount of sheep sorrel roots. The bare minimum should be about 10% sheep sorrel root in relation to total sheep sorrel content (at least 1.6 oz root to make a total of one pound (16 oz.) of whole sheep sorrel herb including roots).
However, a higher percentage of sheep sorrel root increases the potency of the tea.
CLICK HERE to find Essiac tea herbs with sheep sorrel roots included.
[Many thanks to Sheila Snow, author of ESSIAC ESSENTIALS and ESSIAC, THE SECRETS OF RENE CAISSE’S HERBAL PHARMACY for obtaining this information from Dr. Stock. Mali Klein is the co-author of these books and she also authored.
THE ESSIAC BOOK based upon Essiac archives.
ESSIAC QUESTIONS? For answers to your Essiac questions: THE ESSIAC BOOK by Mali Klein.
Please do not ask the webmaster to diagnose or treat any ailment as this should be done by a competent, experienced
naturopath or nutrition-oriented medical doctor who has personally examined you. It is important to remember that each
individual’s body has specific requirements for nutrition.
Therefore, the information offered on this web site is for general information only and not to be construed as medical advice or treatment for anyone.
Burdock
Burdock, or Arctium lappa, goes by many names throughout the world, and is a common weed throughout Europe, Asia and north America that grows in soil that is high in nitrogen. The burdock roots cleaning abilities play a very important role in the essiac tea formula. With its high content of FOS, a complex carbohydrate, it is used to help eliminate harmful pathogens within the body. It has been used and studied throughout Europe and Asia, and has been eaten as a vegetable in these areas for hundreds of years. It has many different medicinal purposes which span from assisting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, to helping treat and prevent baldness and it contains antioxidants which help rid the body of free radical cells reducing the risks of cancer. It is also considered one of the best natural blood and liver cleansers , and is found to contain many important nutrients and vitamins such as calcium, amino acids, potassium, calcium, vitamin B complex, vitamin A, vitamin P, and vitamin E.
Burdock root’s liver and blood cleansing effects are absolutely essential to the effectiveness of essiac tea. The liver and blood must be cleansed in order for the immune system to be able to work at it’s full potential to help the body fight disease on its own. This is where burdock root finds itself in the synergy between the four ingredients.
Sheep Sorrel Root
Sheep Sorrel, or Rumex acetosells, is a part of the buckwheat family and can be found in many diverse environments, which include marshes, open fields, rocky areas, floodplains, and many other soils that are either moist or acidic. Its main cancer fighting ability comes from the chlorophyll that is found in the plant. Chlorophyll is well known for helping the body carry oxygen through the blood stream helping the body stay healthier and energetic. Cancer can only grow in a low oxygen environments, so providing the blood with higher oxygen levels can inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
On top of its cancer fighting properties it also help to keep the body healthy through other cancer treatments. The chlorophyll found within the plant also helps with healing radiation burns and can be very beneficial when undergoing radiation treatments. It can also help to generally improve cardiovascular health, as – well – as providing many other benefits such as detoxifying the body, helping blood coagulation, providing the body with antioxidants, high vitamin C content and many others. Sheep sorrel root has also been a well known cancer fighter for thousands of years.
Slippery Elm
Slippery Elm, or Ulmus rubra, grows natively to north America, but has been introduced Asia as well as Australia. It has been used for many medicinal purposes by native Americans throughout history. Is main uses by the Native Americans were for healing boils, skin inflammation, burns, and impurities throughout the body. These same soothing elements can be achieved within the body as well when ingested. When prepared correctly the bark can help sooth digestive inflammation such as gastritis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease as well as many others.
The barks inner lining becomes a gel that coats the inner lining of your body’s digestive tract when consumed, and in turn, helps to soothe any inflammation that may occur. This not only applies to helping pre-existing conditions however. The main reason why the ingredient is included in the tea is assist with the bodies coping abilities with some of the other ingredients. One specifically to mention is the Turkey Rhubarb. Because of the Turkey Rhubarb’s properties, it can also cause inflammation of the digestive system, and cause discomfort. The Slippery Elm Bark‘s soothing abilities in the digest tract help to counteract this negative side effect.
Turkey Rhubarb
Turkey Rhubarb, or Rheum palmatum, is a rapidly growing plant that has been know to reach heights of up to 10 feet. It is native to China, but has also been know to reside in parts of Northern Tibet as well. But it has been introduced — throughout the world and now grows throughout Europe and North America in the wild. This plant pops up throughout Chinese history as a remedy for many different ailments, and has even been accounted as gifts and medicine for different Chinese emperors. Its well know uses are to cure fever, and relive constipation, and is still in use today, both for natural remedies, and by the medical community.
Among the older uses for the plant, some new evidence has shown up within the scientific community regarding other uses it may have for different sicknesses. It has been found to help reduce diabetic swelling in animal tests done with the turkey rhubarb extract, making it beneficial for anyone suffering from diabetes. It has also been found to helped reduce negative markers found in the blood of patients suffering from terminal kidney failure. Although the traditional uses have been found to be beneficial, there are still many other uses being found for this thousand year old remedy.
The main reason for its inclusion within essiac tea, is help cleanse the colon. Many diseases start within the colon, which helps govern the general health of the rest of the body. Turkey Rhubarb is used to ensure that the colon remains cleansed, as well as healthy, to help the body cope with fighting the sickness. In spite of its potential to be poisonous in large amounts, small dosages of it can be quite helpful, and in the case of essiac tea, helps the body stay healthy to fight disease on its own.
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Mycologist Paul Stamets has devoted his career to advancing our understanding of the healing potential of mushrooms. His work hit home when his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that had spread to her sternum and liver.
Her oncologist told her she was too old for radiation therapy. The doctor recommended a clinical trial of turkey tail mushrooms at the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center — a study her son happened to be supplying through his mushroom cultivation business, Fungi Perfecti. By Host Defense!!
Stamets tells the story of his mother’s dramatic recovery in a TED MED talk (beginning at the 7:50 mark).
One day during the seven-year breast cancer clinical trial, Paul received a phone call. While first unable to make out who was on the other line because of the hysterical crying, Paul soon realized it was his 83 year old mother Patty. She was scared and proceeded to explain that her lymph nodes were swollen and her right breast was enlarged. Soon after the call, Paul rushed his mother to the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, WA. It was the news nobody wants to hear. The highly aggressive cancer had invaded her liver and sternum in addition to the enlarged tumor in her breast. The oncologist at the cancer institute said it was the second worse case of breast cancer she had seen in twenty years of practice. It had progressed too far for conventional options and treatments. The advice was to make amends and consider plans for the inevitable.
On the third visit to the cancer center, the news was no better. The progression was quickening and there were no answers. The doctor suggested to Patty that she consider a clinical study using medicinal mushrooms for women with breast cancer. There was hope in a long-shot clinical study — Paul’s study at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Patty enrolled and began taking 6-8 grams of turkey tail mushrooms per day alongside the cancer drug herceptin.
“We are now rediscovering that which our ancestors long ago knew: That mushrooms are deep reservoirs for very powerful medicines,” says the author, speaker and researcher.
Learn more about BIORC’s turkey tail research, which has received FDA approval and a $5.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
And learn how you can participate in a similar trial for prostate cancer patients.
Have you ever wondered why marijuana affects people the way it does? What is it that makes THC and CBD react within your bodies, while healing and offering relief to the ill? What makes this plant such a diverse medicine, able to treat such a large number of vastly different conditions?
If you had asked this question fifty years ago, there wouldn’t have been an answer for you to find. Unfortunately, the extraction methods available in the early 1900s made it difficult to determine which one of the 80+ cannabinoids found in cannabis was the psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for the effects of marijuana.
The truth is, it’s only been in the last couple of decades that scientists have truly even begun to understand the ways cannabis works within our bodies.
It all started with a scientific breakthrough in 1964, when a scientist from Israel named Raphael Mechoulam was able to identify and isolate THC for the first time – just prior to which they were able to identify CBD as well. Being able to isolate these cannabinoids for the first time was the first stepping stone in discovering the endocannabinoid system – a biological system that can be found in just about any living thing with vertebrae.
– “By using a plant that has been around for thousands of years, we discovered a new physiological system of immense importance,” says Raphael Mechoulam, the dean of the transnational cannabinoid research community. “We wouldn’t have been able to get there if we had not looked at the plant.”
In 1988, the first cannabinoid receptor was found in the brain of a rat. Initially found by Allyn Howlett and William Devane these cannabinoid receptors turned out to be plentiful in the brain – more so than any other neurotransmitter receptor. Soon after this discovery researchers started using a synthetic form of THC (which is actually FDA approved these days, to treat severe nausea and wasting syndrome) to start mapping the CB receptors in the brain.
Not much of a surprise, that the receptors were located primarily found in the regions responsible for mental and physiological processes including memory, higher cognition, motor coordination, appetite and emotions among other places. This would only begin to explain: how cannabinoids affect our brains and bodies – and it was becoming clear that cannabinoids likely played a larger part in our physiology than we ever expected. After all, why would we have cannabinoid receptors if cannabinoids could only be delivered from external sources?
It wasn’t until two years later in 1990 — before the next big breakthrough; when Lisa Matsuda announced at the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine that she and her colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health had managed to pinpoint the DNA sequence that defines a THC-sensitive receptor in a rat’s brain. Not long after this announcement they were able to successfully clone that receptor – allowing them to create molecules that “fit” or “activate” the receptors. Scientists were also able to develop genetically altered mice that lacked this specific receptor – meaning THC should have no effect on them.
When THC was given to the “knockout mice” as they were called, they found that because the THC had nowhere to bind, there was also no way to trigger any psychoactive activity – proving once and for all — THC works by activating specific cannabinoid receptors in the brain and central nervous system.
The answer to that question started to unfold in 1992, when the first endocannabinoid was discovered. Anandamide was the first, naturally occurring endogenous cannabinoid, or endocannabinoid. It was found by Raphael Mechoulam as well as NIMH researchers William Devane and Dr. Lumir Hanus.
Soon after, in 1993, a second cannabinoid receptor was found – as a part of the immune and nervous systems. Dubbed CB2 (the CB receptors in the brain officially dubbed CB1 receptors) receptors they are found to be plentiful – throughout the gut, spleen, liver, heart kidneys, bones, blood vessels, lymph cells and even the reproductive organs. However that curious, pesky question remained unanswered – why do we have cannabinoid receptors in the first place? (as named after the Sanskrit word for bliss.)
A second endocannabinoid was identified in 1995, discovered by none other than Mechoulam’s group yet again. This second major endocannabinoid was dubbed 2-arachidonoylglycerol or “2-AG” to keep it simple. This particular endocannabinoid attaches to both CB1 and CB2 receptors.
It was these discoveries, working backwards, tracing the metabolic pathways of THC, which allowed scientists to discover an entirely unknown molecular signaling system that resides within us – and within thousands of other biological lifeforms, basically everything on our planet with the exception of insects.
Due to the role cannabis had played in discovering this system it was rightfully named the endocannabinoid system. While we knew about the plant first – this cellular process has been happening within us for millions of years. According to Dr. John McPartland, the system started evolving as long ago — as 600 million years back – when complex life meant a sponge. There is evidence a possible 3rd CB receptor has still gone unidentified, thirteen years after the CB2 receptor was initially discovered.
Since we have found out the endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining many of our normal bodily functions – everything from helping to maintain healthy bone density (as found in a study with mice and the previously mentioned “knockout mice”) to naturally preventing diabetes – and that’s only the beginning. It’s interesting to see how far we have come. It has been 55 years ago THC had just been identified – thanks to the discovery of that one cannabinoid we’ve discovered an entire molecular system within our bodies that we never knew about.
Actually, the endocannabinoid system is possibly the single-most important system within our entire bodies – responsible for maintaining homeostasis. Basically, if our endocannabinoid system is out-of-whack, as your whole body could be at risk as it is responsible for many of our normal day to day functions. The possibilities that come with understanding the endocannabinoid system are practically endless.
This one system helps to regulate almost every aspect of our well-being – meaning if we can learn to manipulate these receptors (with use of cannabinoids from cannabis) we could possibly have the answer to not only curing diseases, however, preventing them all together.
The thing here is, this is still 100% true today, over 100 years later. There are thousands of brilliant men and women working in pharmaceuticals, working to create medicines to do exactly what cannabis is already capable of doing. Why do we (humans), always think we have a better way to do things?
Why do we have FDA approved drugs that mimic THC and are potentially stronger than naturally occurring THC – yet the plant that gave way to that drug is considered a highly dangerous drug with no medical value?
People are starting to see however, that sometimes, the best solution is a natural one. One that has been around and been used for thousands of years to treat conditions of all sorts. With the understanding of the endocannabinoid system comes the chance to bring the truth about cannabis to light – finally allowing us to understand how one plant can have such a positive impact on so many different ailments.
Now we’ve all got a good understanding of exactly how the endocannabinoid system was discovered through cannabis, it will be easier to understand — how the endocannabinoid system works – The Chemistry of Cannabinoids and the Human Body – also look at how cannabinoids THC and CBD lock-on to the CB receptors, in turn causing the medicinal benefits that people have come to trust over more traditional medicines.
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It all started with a scientific breakthrough in 1964, when a scientist from Israel named Raphael Mechoulam was able to identify and isolate THC for the first time – just prior to which they were able to identify CBD as well.
Being able to isolate these cannabinoids for the first time was the first stepping stone in discovering the endocannabinoid system – a biological system that can be found in just about any living thing with vertebrae.
“By using a plant that has been around for thousands of years, we discovered a new physiological system of immense importance,” says Raphael Mechoulam, who is the dean of the transnational cannabinoid research community. “We wouldn’t have been able to get where we are today if he had not looked at the plant.”
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam also discovered the two main receptors that connect to both the endocannabinoids that our bodies naturally produce and plant-based cannabinoids like THC and CBD. These two receptors became known as cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors. The breakthrough of these receptors required working backwards, tracing the metabolic pathways of THC that led scientists to discover the unknown molecular signaling system that exists inside these thousands of biological lifeforms.
Rightfully named after the plant that aided in its discovery, the endocannabinoid system is a physiological system that controls and cares for your health. Endocannabinoids and its receptors can be found throughout the body, in the brain, organs, glands, and connective tissues. This system is actually responsible for also — helping maintain many of our bodily functions. It plays a crucial role from our immune system to our nervous system because endocannabinoids are often found at intersections of our bodies’ various systems, and it ultimately acts as a bridge between the body and the mind.
The medicinal benefits that come from the proper use of CBD are seemingly limitless given the current science! CB2 receptors are mainly found in the immune system that binds with CBD and work as an anti-inflammatory agent for our body. There are immune boosting functions of CB2 that are activated by the proper use of CBD, which includes moderating the intoxicating effects of THC (aka psychoactive or high).
We hope we’ve answered a few of your questions on just why our products have such a positive impact on different aspects of your physical health. Stay tuned for more about the science behind our CBD products and how it can help with your specific needs! https://cannaisseurbrands.com/2017/09/01/endocannabinoid-system-part-1/
It wasn’t until 2 years later in 1990 before the next big breakthrough; when Lisa Matsuda announced at the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine and her colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health had managed to pinpoint — the DNA sequence that defines a THC-sensitive receptor in a rat’s brain.
Not long after this announcement they were able to successfully clone that receptor – allowing them to create molecules that “fit” or “activate” the receptors. Scientists were also able to develop genetically altered mice that lacked this specific receptor – meaning THC should have no effect on them.
When THC was given to the “knockout mice” as they were called, they found that because the THC had nowhere to bind, and there was no way to trigger any psychoactive activity – proving once and for all that THC works by activating specific cannabinoid receptors in the brain and central nervous system.
In the article by Sulak on NORML.org, there was a quote he used that particularly stuck out to me… “There were never so many able and active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you can’t improve on nature.” – Thomas Edison, 1902
The thing here is, this is still 100% true today, over 100 years later. There are thousands of brilliant men and women working in pharmaceuticals, working to create medicines to do exactly what cannabis is already capable of doing. Why do we (humans), always think we have a better way to do things?
Why do we have FDA approved drugs that mimic THC and are potentially stronger than naturally occurring THC – yet the plant that gave way to that drug is considered a highly dangerous drug with no medical value?
People are starting to see however, that sometimes, the best solution is a natural one. One that has been around and been used for thousands of years to treat conditions of all sorts. With the understanding of the endocannabinoid system comes the chance to bring the truth about cannabis to light – finally allowing us to understand how one plant can have such a positive impact on so many different ailments.
FECO stands for Full Extract Cannabis Oil. RSO stands for Rick Simpson Oil. These are both anachronisms for CO (Cannabis Oil)…kind of. All CO is not the same. Some is made from only flowers, some from only trimmed discards mixed in with fan leaves and some from fan leaves only.
Some may have pesticide or toxic substance residuals depending on how the cannabis was grown and how the oil was made. FECO is made from both flowers and fan leaves, providing a full spectrum of all the good stuff the plant contains. The only fool proof way, in most situations, to ensure you get a high quality full spectrum oil is to make it yourself. Lots of links on the internet to steer/teach you. Also get organic cannabis, if all possible, as your raw material.
Though FECO and RSO can be somewhat the same thing in a lot of cases, the term “RSO” is refrained from many cannabis advocates vocabulary due to the use of these highly toxic solvents recommended by Rick Simpson. Benzene, Naptha, ISO alcohol and so on. If you can’t put it in your body, then don’t make oil with it.
CBD Isolate Vs. Full Spectrum CBD
What’s the Difference Between CBD Isolate vs Full Spectrum CBD?
Due to its non-psychoactive healing properties, Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a very popular option for patients — seeking a natural alternative to treat conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy, and more. As patients start to understand how CBD can be used to alleviate their symptoms, they are often faced — with a choice between using products made from CBD Isolate or Full Spectrum CBD. So, what exactly is the difference between the two?
When CBD is referred to as full spectrum or whole plant CBD, it means that the CBD contains all other cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant including CBN (Cannabinol), CBG (Cannabigerol), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin), to name a few. And yes, along with these cannabinoids, Full Spectrum CBD also contains certain trace amounts of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), in very low concentrations (up to .3%), resulting in very minimal psychoactive stimulation.
CBD Isolate, on the other hand, is simply purified CBD that has been extracted from the marijuana plant and isolated from the other cannabinoids. So why is this important, and why would a patient choose one over the other? Let’s continue!
Understanding the Benefits of the Many Cannabinoids
As shown in the chart above, each cannabinoid offers different benefits for a wide variety of ailments. Notably, CBD offers most of the benefits of each cannabinoid combined. While there is no debate that CBD offers the most benefits compared to any single cannabinoid, many wonder if CBD alone is more effective for treating ailments than all the cannabinoids combined.
CBD Isolate vs Full Spectrum CBD: Which is More Effective?
It was previously believed that CBD in its isolated form was more potent and concentrated than full spectrum CBD; however, in 2015, the theory was debunked by a study from the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem. In the study, researchers administered full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate to 2 different groups of mice. When comparing the data of the two groups, the results proved that the group administered with full spectrum CBD were provided with higher levels of relief. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that full spectrum CBD continued to provide relief as the dose increased, while CBD Isolate did not provide the same effect when there was an increase in dosage. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=full+spectrum+cannabinoids&FORM=HDRSC2
While full spectrum CBD has ultimately proven to be more effective than CBD Isolate and can also be used to effectively treat a wide variety of ailments, it does not discredit the effectiveness of CBD Isolate. There are a wide variety of situations when CBD isolate would be preferred over Full Spectrum CBD. For example, you may not necessarily need the full capabilities of Full Spectrum CBD, or if you aren’t legally allowed to use THC.
It is important to note — that other cannabinoids may cause negative reactions when isolated CBD wouldn’t (if the condition you are suffering from is critical, we definitely advise you speak to a medical consultant before trying out any version of CBD).
As researchers continue to study the marijuana plant, we will learn more and more about these amazing cannabinoids and what they can do for us. If you’d like to view current research on how CBD and the other cannabinoids benefit different conditions, visit the repository of medical research that covers over 50 medical conditions: https://www.alpha-cat.org/introduction-to-cannabinoids/https://cbdorigin.com/cbd-benefits-many-conditions/
By Pat Anson, Editor September 28, 2016
An article in a peer-reviewed medical journal that promotes a “new way of thinking” about chronic pain – and its possible ties to childhood trauma — is stirring some controversy in the fibromyalgia community.
In the article, published in The Journal 0f Family Practice, co-authors Bennet Davis, MD, and Todd Vanderah, PhD, say there may be “psychological reasons” for chronic pain that is not caused by tissue injuries or damage to the nervous system – what they call a “third type of pain.”
“We hypothesize that this pain may be the consequence of changes in nervous system function that arise from developmental trauma, other traumatic experiences in a patient’s life, or mental health disorders. It is this third type of pain that may offer us insights into conditions such as fibromyalgia,” they wrote
Davis and Vanderah say the third type of pain can be recognized when a patient makes an “emotionally charged presentation” that they are in severe pain when there is no physical evidence of tissue injury or pathology.
Where then does the pain come from? Davis and Vanderah say childhood accidents, trauma and abuse are so emotionally upsetting that they can lead to long-term changes in the central nervous system that amplify pain.
“We believe that these changes lead to a bias toward hyperactivation of emotional pain circuits, which leads to the emotionally laden pain behaviors that often seem out of proportion to tissue pathology,” they said.
“Perhaps this will explain what is happening with some of our patients who complain of pain ‘all over’ and who are often classified as having fibromyalgia.”
Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder that is characterized by deep tissue pain, fatigue, depression, mood swings and insomnia. The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown.
Article Called “Dangerous”
Are Davis and Vanderah onto something? Or is their theory simply a new variation of the “it’s all in your head” explanation that many patients get from doctors?
“This article is dangerous,” says Jan Chambers, President of the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association. “The slippery slope created by this article for a quick shove-off of patients with fibromyalgia generally to a psychiatrist or psychologist for talk therapy is very concerning.
“Singling out childhood psychological trauma without rigorous research as a ‘third type of pain’ and potential cause of fibromyalgia is dangerous because this could become an easy reason for medical doctors to further dismiss pain patients with challenging treatments from their care or withhold needed medical treatments or prescriptions. Additionally, other medical conditions could go undiagnosed with their symptoms attributed to being a psychological aspect of childhood trauma.”
Chambers says research has found that about 70 percent of people with fibromyalgia have neck pain – and many also have a history of whiplash-type injuries – indicating there is a physical explanation for fibromyalgia.
“When people receive appropriate care and spinal rehabilitation for their cervical spine, their fibromyalgia symptoms significantly reduce,” Chambers said in an email to PNN. “Several prominent fibromyalgia researchers have known this for years but have not convinced medical doctors to recruit chiropractors to help alleviate the suffering of their patients with fibromyalgia who have significant neck or low back pain.”
Another patient advocate disputes the notion that chronic pain is linked to childhood trauma and abuse.
“We would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t experienced psychological trauma at some point in their life,” says Celeste Cooper, a retired nurse and fibromyalgia sufferer.
“So, are we to assume they will all have multiple sclerosis, nerve impingement, Ehler’s Danlos, CRPS, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, Crohn’s disease, chronic fatigue, cancer, etc.? Childhood trauma is a horse of a different color and should be left to those who specialize in this type of care. I cannot connect the dots on that one. Mental illness should be addressed by a trained psychiatrist and psychologist, not someone treating adult chronic pain.”
Davis is a pain management specialist at the Integrative Pain Center of Arizona in Tucson, while Vanderah is a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Arizona.
Davis said he developed his theory about the connection between childhood trauma and fibromyalgia after listening to thousands of patients’ stories. He believes there is a connection between emotional and physical pain that every doctor needs to understand.
“The nervous system is the connector between tissues and mind/consciousness, and every health provider needs to understand the nervous system to do their job, especially primary care providers,” Davis wrote in an email to PNN. “The artificial separation of mind and body represents a paradigm that has led the American health care system to multiple dead ends (including a dead end in understanding fibromyalgia), to misdiagnoses, to unnecessary surgeries and tests, to accusing patients that ‘it’s in your head’ when it most definitely is not, and has contributed to nearly bankrupting our health care system.”
How would Davis and Vanderah evaluate and treat fibromyalgia? If a physical cause of the pain cannot be found, they recommend doctors look for signs of “psychologically traumatic experiences” in patients, and assess them for anxiety and depression.
Recommended treatments include counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, post-traumatic stress disorder therapies and anti-depressant medications such as Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine). Interestingly, they do not recommend any type of pain medication – either opioids or over-the-counter pain relievers.
“Above all, when you are caring for someone who has pain without clear tissue pathology or who has recognized intensified emotional pain processing, reassure the person that the pain experience is not in his or her head, but rather in his or her nervous system,” they said. “Such discussions go a long way toward helping patients understand their experience, as well as feel validated. And that can lead to improved compliance with therapy going forward.”
Response to traumatic events vary significantly amongst people and with one major physical symptom being gastrointestinal problems.
Whereas, Estrogen dominance, hypothyroidism, histamine intolerance, and high cortisol are all closely connected, and in fact they all stem from the same root cause. Fix it and the rest will fall into place. Start fixing the wrong one on its own & you’ll make the rest worse. I’m reducing thyroid medicine with increasing natural progesterone and adrenal herbs.
Also meditation. Mind body connection is very important in healing. It’s also imp to do some diet changes … check out Dr. Izabella Wentz is a clinical pharmacist who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2009. Dr. Wentz combined. . . .emerging research with clinical expertise to identify and remove all the triggers that also caused her to develop Hashimoto’s. On this episode of Bulletproof Radio discover new information about the auto-immune epidemic, what Hashimoto’s looks like, and more about the possibilities for a cure.
15-year Survivor Jane McLelland on How to Starve Cancer: After being mishandled and fobbed off by the National Health Service (in Britain) for over a year after abnormal pap smears she eventually went to a private clinic and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cervical Cancer – which stage 4 is considered terminal by traditional medical oncologists. As Jane puts it “there is no Stage 5”.
With a scientific background as a physiotherapist and showing the ingenuity of a seasoned sailor, she did not take this diagnosis lying down.
She devised a very well researched combination of:
A cancer starving diet
Cheap out of patent off label drugs (with much less severe side effects than chemotherapy)
Supplements
Exercise at the right times
Intravenous Vitamin C
Chemotherapy
to defeat her cancer. Using her protocols should mean that the amount of chemotherapy that is given can be reduced. She even went on to cure herself of leukemia brought on by her original chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy drugs target fast-dividing cells but the “cancer stem cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment and cancer stem cells are very likely to be the origin of cancer metastasis.”1 Jane has provided a map showing how to block the main metabolic pathways that feed cancer, attacking cancer on all its fronts also including cancer stem cells. While cancers can mutate in thousands of ways the number of pathways that feed them (metabolic pathways) is much more limited.
Care Oncology has set up a clinic in London and now the USA, using many of her ideas.
There is not one ‘cure’ for cancer but many cures. I believe Jane has provided the basis for them.
A modern-day ‘Cancer Sherlock Holmes’, Jane discovered that a cancer-starving diet, powerful supplements and a handful of old, forgotten, low-toxicity drugs, when taken together, acted synergistically, magnifying each of their anti-cancer effects many times. Like magic, her terminal cancer just melted away. In this truly ground-breaking book, Jane takes us through her remarkable, heart-breaking journey, and also the medical discoveries she made on the way. Using herself as a human guinea pig, she worked out the best drugs & supplements to starve her own cancer in an easy-to-follow ‘Metro Map’. She has expanded this route map to show which fuel pipelines you need to block for every type of cancer, so you too can create your own cancer-starving cocktail. Tragically many simple old drugs have been overlooked in the race for the latest patentable ‘game changers’. Is the answer already out there? Jane believes it is.
Bit by bit she has pieced the puzzle together, demystified its complexity, and produced a simple protocol. This book will answer all the burning questions you face when you begin to explore complementary cancer care. Which ‘off-label’ drugs and supplements should you take? Should you try the ketogenic diet? Should you fast? Is fat safe? How much and when should you exercise? Jane explains why each patient needs a personalized approach and, importantly, how to work this out. In her book: How to Starve cancer, which is part Erin Brockovich, and also part Dallas Buyers Club, is a compelling story of resilience and determination in the face of impossible odds. If you or a loved one has cancer, this book is a read. Even if you have been told – that nothing more can be done, Jane will show you this is almost certainly not true.
By: Jessica Migala Lyme Disease is The Vicious Cycle: There are a number of things known to cause fibromyalgia and they have a connection to oxidative stress. Chronic infections: such as Epstein Barr virus and Lyme Disease (Borellia), among others can cause fibromyalgia as well. These infections are known to trigger inflammation through out the body & inflammation causes pain and can also increase oxidative stress.
Sylvia Janicki doesn’t remember being bitten by a tick in 2014, but she did develop a bull’s-eye rash — a hallmark sign of Lyme disease, the most common (and feared) infectious disease spread by ticks in the United States. Within 24 hours of the rash’s appearance, a doctor diagnosed the 29-year-old Seattle resident with Lyme. She was swiftly treated with a four-week standard dose of antibiotic therapy, which cured her flu-like symptoms.
Until it didn’t. A few months later, her headaches, fever, and fatigue came rushing back, along with head pressure and numbness and tingling in her legs. “I had a hard time walking half a mile to the market, which was alarming since, at that point, I had been running four to five miles a day regularly,” Janicki says.
“That’s when the confusion amongst my doctors started. The standard knowledge is once you’re treated with antibiotics, you’re fine,” she says. In an effort to understand why she felt so terrible, Janicki’s doctors ordered a variety of imaging and blood tests, however, they all came back negative. Multiple sclerosis, is a disease of the central nervous system, was thrown out there as a possible diagnosis. She received another round of antibiotics from an integrative doctor. Her symptoms disappeared, only to return yet again.
Eventually, Janicki (pictured below) was referred to a “Lyme-literate naturopath” one year after her initial diagnosis of the disease. She was eventually told she was dealing with chronic Lyme.
Transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, Lyme disease stems from the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, per the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). While 30,000 cases of Lyme are reported to the CDC each year, the actual number of people diagnosed is estimated to be much higher—up to 300,000. “This disease I believe to be an epidemic,” says Christine Green, M.D., a San Francisco-based family medicine physician who also specializes in treating Lyme disease.
So why is it, then, one of the most controversial topics in medicine? Unlike a standard Lyme diagnosis, chronic Lyme disease (CLD) is not an officially recognized illness and it’s a controversial lay term that many doctors don’t even use themselves. In fact, they’re divided on if it’s a “real” disease and some doctors have outspokenly called it a “fake diagnosis.” What patients do know: Their symptoms are very real, and in some cases, completely disabling and life-stealing—so what exactly is going on?
When Lyme disease goes wrong!!!
Lyme isn’t always an in-your-face disease. The infamous bullseye-shaped rash, like the one Janicki experienced, only appears in 70 to 80 percent of people who receive an infected bite—and it may not look like a bullseye at all in some people.
To compound the confusion, Lyme symptoms can easily wipe you out, but are so nonspecific they’re difficult to catch before the illness advances. Christina Kovács (pictured below), 31, says she felt like she had a “summertime flu” shortly before entering college in 2006. “I spent a month sick in bed. I tested for mononucleosis at least three times during my first semester of college. I also knew that I didn’t feel well, however, everyone kept telling me I was okay, so I trudged through it,” Kovacs says. “I came down with a fever, fatigue, chills, weakness, and migraines.”
Her doctors gave her a round of antibiotics, thinking that she might have strep or a bacterial illness. “These helped some, but when I finished the 7-day course, all the symptoms came back,” she says. Once again, she was prescribed more antibiotics. Eventually, the fever and chills went away, but fatigue and migraines persisted. Still, she didn’t get clarity about what was going on.
In most cases, when Lyme disease is readily diagnosed, a three to four-week dose of oral antibiotics like doxycycline or amoxicillin will clear it up, and you can go back to life as normal. But reports show that for 10 to 20 percent of those diagnosed with Lyme disease, mysterious symptoms—joint pain, unrelenting fatigue, brain fog—persist beyond the point doctors expect them to.
This is called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Patients suffering from it were clearly diagnosed with Lyme disease—meaning they experienced a tick bite or the bullseye rash — and treated with antibiotics , but remain with lingering symptoms that they just can’t shake. A new study in the journal BMC Public Health estimates that there will be two million cases of PTLDS by 2020.
But PTLDS is not interchangeable with chronic Lyme, which casts a wider net and can be used to describe cases where a B. burgorferi infection was never officially diagnosed, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID).
That’s where things get dicey. People may be told they have CLD without proof they were ever bitten by a tick. Or they’re told that, absence of any other explanation, the default diagnosis is Lyme disease. And when you’re searching for validation, CLD can feel like the answer you’ve been looking for.
The problem with CLD symptoms
It’s that they’re common: Musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, headache, poor sleep, or low mood—all things that are ascribed to CLD —“these are symptoms that CDC studies show a fair amount of the adult population complains about,” says Paul Auwaerter, MD, clinical director in the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine and an expert on tick-borne diseases.
Kovacs spent years bouncing from specialist to specialist to try to tackle each problem as it came—the cardiologist after spells of dizziness and fainting, the GI doc for digestive problems. Because of that, “it was so easy to fall through the cracks,” she says. Her symptoms spanned everything from low blood pressure to joint pain to dizziness and confusion to clumsiness and migraines. The Ashland, KY resident, who now runs the blog Lady of Lyme, wouldn’t be told she has chronic Lyme disease until September 2011, more than five years after falling ill. She never found a tick bite, however, says that she had spent time in the woods and never checked her body after.
This is where things get complicated: If you didn’t find an attached tick on your body, didn’t see a rash, or didn’t test positive for the bacteria, how can doctors be sure that you’re feeling run down, foggy, and achy because of Lyme? What if you live in a state where Lyme isn’t rampant?
“There can be a lot of explanations for why you’re tired, but I think doctors have labeled a fairly high percentage of people as having suffered from Lyme when there’s no clear reason to understand why it’s Lyme opposed to another condition,” Dr. Paul G. Auwaerter says. Fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, sleep apnea, anemia, and undiagnosed depression are all conditions that can mimic these unexplained symptoms.
The issue, says Dr. Auwaerter, is there’s not solid evidence behind diagnosing someone with Lyme based on these symptoms, and rushing to do so could lead to inaccurate diagnoses. However, that’s not to say that their suffering doesn’t exist. “People are looking for answers and often desperate for advice. These are very difficult-to-treat problems,” he says.
The challenges of testing?
If you were diagnosed with Lyme disease, your doctor may have done so based on either two-tier testing (this detects the presence of antibodies in the blood, which can be found in the body a few weeks after infection with the bacteria) or you may have been diagnosed based on symptoms, like a clear bullseye rash.
However, there are limitations to testing, which range from blood and fluid sampling to brain imaging. “We don’t have a perfect test to identify an active B. burgdorferi infection,” says Brian A. Fallon, MD, head of the Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center co-author of Conquering Lyme Disease.
Most notably, he says that selectivity and sensitivity in available testing deliver both false positives and negatives. On top of that, you need to be tested within the right window; do it too early or late and you may get also get a phony result. “This is incredibly confusing,” says Dr. Fallon, who adds that tests currently under development may help better identify active infection markers.
The story is even worse for people with persistent Lyme-like symptoms who have no test to determine what’s going on, thus opening the door for a CLD diagnosis with little evidence to back it up.
Then, there are doctors who simply don’t believe their patients, delivering a huge injustice to people who just want to feel like themselves again. “Eventually, my doctor said ‘I can’t help you anymore,’” Janicki recalls. Later, other doctors would tell her that her illness was a product of stress, depression, or the result of the rigors of grad school. “As a young woman experiencing non-specific symptoms, finding help was difficult. It’s very easy to dismiss women in their 20s,” she says.
Why antibiotics aren’t always the answer!!
Beyond testing, Lyme disease treatment has also presented its challenges, and a standard course of antibiotics doesn’t always nip an infection in the bud. “There are people who don’t fully recuperate after antibiotic therapy. And some people do have their health profoundly altered from the infection. That’s absolutely true, and we don’t completely understand why,” says Dr. Auwaerter.
In one 2017 study published in PLOS One, animal evidence suggests that B. burgdorferi can survive standard antibiotic treatment in some, as the bacteria may become tolerant and essentially hide in organs like the brain. The bug is smart, stealth and as such can be hard to detect and eradicate. “The big picture we’re starting to see is that some patients develop poor immune responses to infection and don’t do well with [standard] antibiotic treatment,” says author Monica E. Embers, Ph.D., assistant professor in the division of bacteriology and parasitology at Tulane University.
What’s more, ticks are profoundly dirty, say some experts, meaning they might have the ability to infect you with more than one bacteria, something called “co-infection” (an idea that still many experts do not support).
Until targeted treatments are identified, patients—and often their doctors—don’t know what to do, but research from the NIAID shows that these people are, in fact, drowning in very real symptoms. They may suffer from neuropsychiatric problems or memory, verbal fluency, or speed of thinking issues (together known as “brain fog”) or suffer depression or anxiety that they didn’t have prior to Lyme, says Dr. Fallon.
So, what then? The answer is certainly not more antibiotics. “Most patients I see have already been on a tremendous amount of antibiotic therapy in attempt to eradicate the cause of their illness,” says Dr. Fallon.
Finding the right treatment
The challenge now is to move beyond antibiotics into more symptom-based approaches, like those that treat depression or anxiety or that target neurological pain. But often the patients will hesitate. “They’ve experienced such as traumatic invalidation by the medical community that they’re reluctant to try symptom-based medicine because they feel like if they do, it’s giving into what doctors have told them all along, that it’s not Lyme. It becomes an obstacle to getting optimal care,” says Dr. Fallon.
Many also turn to alternative therapies that are not supported by scientific evidence, including oxygen, energy, or heavy metal therapy, off-label use of medications, or even stem cell transplantation. A 2015 paper in Clinical Infectious Diseases came down hard on these treatments, calling them unproven and possibly dangerous. Phillip Baker, Ph.D., the executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) was one author on the report. He’s very forward with his rejection of CLD and many of the doctors that diagnose it. Without it being a recognized disease, it’s difficult to get insurance coverage, so patients are stuck paying out of pocket for treatment.
Baker says that these doctors profit off of Lyme, and that some patients shell out $70 to $80,000 in a futile search of solutions, particularly after a long-term course of antibiotics has failed. One study in PLOS One, for example, found that people with PTLDS have $4,000 higher health care costs and endure more doctor visits compared to those without PTLDS.
“I had to do crowdfunding twice [in order to pay for treatments],” says Seattle-based Kat Woods (pictured below), 35, the blogger behind HopeHealCook, a site for people suffering from Lyme or other chronic illnesses. Woods can remember being bit by a tick at age 13, but wasn’t diagnosed with Lyme at the time. She also suffered from terrible neurological symptoms that got incorrectly flagged as a rotation of diseases, including mental illness, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
By the time she was 23 she was on “handfuls” of psychotropic drugs. “At that point, my body gave out,” says Woods. It wasn’t until she connected with a naturopath that she felt her pain was truly acknowledged. Then, she received her answer: Lyme, in addition to other co-infections. Woods later moved to Seattle specifically to pursue medical care with a doctor specializing in “complex chronic illness” (a moniker for a “Lyme-literate doctor,” she says).
The road to wellness for Woods spanned years—and a lot of money. “I’m so grateful and upset that crowdfunding is an option. We’re people who are already so sick and it’s completely overwhelming to have to go out and, as I call it, do digital panhandling. We have to beg for money from strangers because the government and doctors don’t recognize that we have a real illness,” she says, adding that “almost all” of her friends with Lyme have had to turn to crowdfunding to finance treatments.
Understanding the road forward!!!
A common refrain: Chronic Lyme disease is an easy answer to a seemingly-impossible- to-solve problem. “The dialogue over CLD provokes strong feelings, and has been more acrimonious than any other aspect of Lyme disease,” also Paul M. Lantos, MD, of Duke University, writes in a 2016 paper in the Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. What is clear is that patients are in very real pain, no matter if the cause is Lyme or not, he says. That is something both sides agree on. But patients are caught in the middle, the medical community is failing them, and they’re suffering for it. It’s difficult to be your own advocate when you lack the energy to champion your health. “The problem is that patients aren’t getting taken care of,” says Dr. Green.
She herself doesn’t use the term “chronic Lyme,” rather she calls it “late Lyme,” which refers to Lyme disease that was missed or treated ineffectively. “[These chronic symptoms are] causing a lot of illness and morbidity, loss of productive hours, and quality of life,” she says. Still, many patients report that their own doctors wave their hand, telling them their lingering symptoms don’t really exist. They may suspect they have a terminal illness like cancer, and start scrambling, jumping from doctor to doctor to find help. On average, these patients see seven doctors, seek medical help 20 times a year, having to travel more than 50 miles to do so. The logistics alone are an incredible burden. “We wouldn’t do this in any other disease,” says Dr. Green. “We’d also change our treatment course or investigate what’s going on—not say ‘oh it’s all in your head.’” Source …. Also How the Medical Medium Diet Helped Samantha Heal!!!
Katina Makris was living her dream when life derailed. A natural-medicine practitioner with a flourishing career, she had a passionate marriage, a young son she doted on, and a home she had lovingly restored in the New Hampshire woods. But slowly she began to slip.
FootNotes:
I worked with a client for 6 months who had long-standing chronic Lyme in that time. We addressed gut health …. but mostly focused on transformative coaching, and for her, what we always come back was releasing victim consciousness left over from a traumatic and abusive childhood. At the end of our 6 months, her Lyme doc called to ask her what she was doing, because they hadn’t changed anything and she no longer needed her Lyme anti-bacterial and some other supports he had her on (immunotherapy). Unfortunately, she decided that since she felt so much better, she wanted to fly on her own, and things flared back up a few months later. Healing trauma is an overlooked gem in the treatment of Lyme and really, all disease states, I find. As stated by: Angie King-Nosseir and also checkout Angie’s Enlightened Wellness Video Fresh off the Press — August 29,2019 🙂
Treatment and the disease both cause inflammation and Inflammation is cause by too many cytokines being released. It’s very important to detox and flush out the dead bacteria. The best thing to do is to eat a very clean diet, sleep 7-8 hours a night. It’s important to lower histamine and excess cortisol which cause inflammation in the body. One person told me Protandim helps Lyme by reducing the oxidative stress load by 40% to 70% proven and patented and over 26 peer reviews.
But just know you can’t get rid of it totally until you are much farther or done with treatment. Your job right now is not to contribute to the inflammation caused by treating. Turmeric curcumin, quercetin, bromelain, black pepper, vitamin C, anti-inflammatory diet, while lowering histamine and excess cortisol which cause inflammation in the body. Inflam-arrest is all natural and has turmeric. How about essential oils for Lyme? diseasehttps://almasupplements.com/product/inflam-arrest/
Body brushing works also The AIP diet Removes inflammatory foods and some have noticed a huge difference in how their my body and brain functions? https://www.deflame.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Deflaming-Guides-2012.pdf
Plaquenil was the newest med added to my regiment and it also helped greatly!!!!
Last, a gallon of water a day. Seriously. It helps flush the toxins from your body.
You have to detox. Inflammation is cause by too many cytokines being released. It’s very important to detox and flush out the dead bacteria.
Astaxanthin, Fish Oil and omega 3s and Glyconutrients. Giving up sugar. Some feel so much better since starting keto. I’ve lost inches. It was inflammation… the scale hasn’t even moved much but the difference is unreal. It’s not about weight loss for me anyway. Healthy Choices are about feeling better and being healthy.
Oh and like someone else said….hydrate! You need to flush out toxins. I struggle to get enough water but it makes such a difference when I do. Prescription naproxen coated in Nexium works decent after a few days. Lots of omegas- high grade ones!
CBD keeps coming up in these threads. I am so lost when it comes to finding one that is good quality. Any recommendations? To be updated in another post
Turmeric capsules. I take ultra strength 9000mg once a day. I can’t believe the difference.made by Jamieson and its Curcumin Turmeric Ultra Strength 9,000 mg (raw herb) and aa drink called moringa. Anonymous Statement 🙂
Look at supplement called D-Hist by ortho molecular. It’s all anti inflammatory ingredients, vit C, Quercetin, stinging nettle…has really helped reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Water fasting helps eliminate toxins & Turmero active.
One person told me Protandim helps Lyme by reducing the oxidative stress load!!
Correct by 40% to 70% proven and patented and also in over 26 peer reviews. Hyperthermia & Lyme in Germany — Hyperthermia Lyme in Mexico
Why Is A Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis . . . . So Death Shattering!!!
One of the first person I met on Facebook when I started social media — to meet cancer survivors was Lene Maria Søndermølle Steffensen from Denmark. When she told me she survived the same type of cancer Steve Jobs as she prevailed with a Winning Outlook on Life after doing the research. One of the things that I quickly learned about — Lene Maria lead the same type of stress in her life as Steve Jobs. I remember to this day when I heard Steve Jobs transition over. A Computer Turd told me. . .who wanted $150 @ hour to help with the start up of this blog. As I told him–I will learn it on my own in our two minute phone conference.🙁
Steve Jobs’ “magical thinking” may have defined his business brilliance, but it could have been his downfall in his fight against cancer. When Steve Jobs tumor was detected in 2003 it was diagnosed as locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Although cancer of the pancreas has a terrible prognosis—half of all patients. . . with locally advanced pancreatic cancer die within ten months of the diagnosis; half of those whom it has metastasized – die within six months—cancer in the pancreas is not necessarily a death sentence. Jobs was criticized for putting off surgery 9 months while he sought Alternative Treatment, however, Steve lived until Oct 05, 2011 (age 56).
All the other neuroendocrine tumors have got poor life expectancy with a survival rate at 3 and 5 years nearly found to be equal to 60% and 40% respectively [1]. In comparison, to the exocrine pancreatic tumors, these tumors are known to have a good success rate in their treatment because of lower spreading potential and slower growth rate. In general, if the tumor is detected early on. . . .life expectancy is as high as 10-15 years with regular check-ups and mild dosages of chemotherapy to keep it from recurring. However, if the nerve cells are already affected, like in metastatic pancreatic NET, the life expectancy can go down to as little as 23 months. What causes pancreatic cancer?
KATIE COURIC — fought off the painful memory of her husband’s death from cancer 3 1/2 years ago to bravely support her sister Emily as she succumbed to the same killer disease.
But after 54-year-old Emily Couric’s death from pancreatic cancer on October 18, the “Today Show” host collapsed in tears and had to be virtually carried out of a Virginia funeral home by her nephew.
“Katie sobbed, ‘I’m going to miss her. We all wish we could have done more. But Mother knew how much we all loved her.’ “
Katie, 44, was at her older sister’s side when she died at her home in Charlottesville, Va., as was Emily’s entire family — her husband of 20 years, Dr. George Beller, her parents John and Elinor, brother John Jr., sister Clara Couric Batchelor, two sons and three stepchildren.
“Emily died the way she wanted — with all her loved ones around her,” a source declared.
“And Katie was a rock the last few days and hours.”
For three nights, Katie slept on a cot beside her stricken sister, ministering to her needs in her last hours, said a family friend.
“Katie held Emily’s hand, wiped the sweat from her brow and told her how much she loved her.
“Katie was there when they gave Emily morphine for the pain and when they fed her intravenously. She helped drive away the fear she sometimes saw in her sister’s eyes, whispering words of love and encouragement — even though her heart was breaking.”
In the last days as Katie sat at her bedside, Emily reversed roles and offered Katie encouragement, said the family friend.
She urged Katie — whose husband Jay Monahan also died of colon cancer at age 42 in January 1998 — to wed TV executive Tom Werner, Katie’s boyfriend for more than a year.
Werner filed for divorce from his wife of 28 years last October. “Despite her pain, Emily’s thoughts were for Katie’s future,” the friend revealed.
“She told Katie that she needed to go on with her life, and if she truly loved the man in her life, she should marry him.
“Tom was one of the first people to call Katie to offer sympathy after Emily’s death. When she heard his voice, Katie broke down.
“She told him, ‘My heart’s been broken for a second time. But I’ve got to be strong for the sake of my parents, for my own daughters.’ “
Emily, a Virginia state senator since 1996, was so popular and highly respected in Virginia that it was widely believed she would one day become the state’s first woman governor.
On October 22, Katie celebrated her sister in a moving eulogy at a public service at St. Paul’s Memorial Church in Charlottesville, attended by 2,000 people — including her co-host Matt Lauer.
Katie fought back tears several times during her tribute. Twice she had to stop and drink from a glass of water to compose herself. And she made an emotional reference to her beloved Jay’s passing.
“When my husband died,” said Katie, her voice cracking, “Emily decided to act,” and Virginia became the first state in the nation to pay for color cancer screening tests.
“I can’t think of a better tribute to Jay and now a lasting tribute to her. She taught me not about dying, but about living.”
Fact: women and men share similar chances of getting pancreatic cancer. According to statistics from the American Cancer Society, the average lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer for men is about 1 in 63. For women, the lifetime risk is about 1 in 65.
Pancreatic cancer: Here’s why it’s so deadly!!!
By Elizabeth Landau, CNN 2 days ago
Pancreatic cancer was the third-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States in 2018, after lung and colorectal cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. This year, an estimated 56,770 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed and an estimated 45,750 deaths from pancreatic cancer will occur across the nation, according to the American Cancer Society. About 95% of people with pancreatic cancer die from it, experts say. It’s so lethal because during the early stages, when the tumor would be most treatable, there are usually no symptoms. It tends to be discovered at advanced stages when abdominal pain or jaundice may result. Presently, there are no general screening tools.
As people age, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer goes up. Most patients are older than 45, and nearly 90% are older than 55. The average age at diagnosis is 71. Men have a slightly higher likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer than women, which may partly result from increased tobacco use in men. In the past, when men more commonly smoked than women, the gender gap was wider. Currently, the lifetime risk of developing it is about 1 in 63 for men and 1 in 65 for women. There is also a noted association with race: African-Americans are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than whites. Doctors don’t know why but speculate that higher rates of men smoking and having diabetes, and women being overweight, may contribute to that association.
What are the types of pancreatic cancer?
The pancreas is an oblong organ that lies deep in the abdomen and is an integral part of both the digestive and endocrine system. It secretes hormones to regulate the body and digestive enzymes to break down food. There are two types of pancreatic cancer: exocrine tumors and endocrine tumors. Exocrine tumors are the majority of pancreatic cancers, and the most common form is called adenocarcinoma, which begins in gland cells, usually in the ducts of the pancreas. These tumors tend to be more aggressive than neuroendocrine tumors, the kind that Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs had, but if caught early enough, they can be treated effectively with surgery.
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors constitute only 1% of all pancreatic cancers. They can be benign or malignant, but the distinction is often unclear and sometimes apparent only when the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas. The five-year survival rate for neuroendocrine tumors can range from 50% to 80%, compared with less than 5% for adenocarcinoma. More advanced tumors have a higher risk of recurrence and can spread to the liver, said Dr. Steven Libutti, pancreatic cancer expert and director of the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care in the Bronx.
Treatment 0ptions:
Pancreatic cancer is usually controllable only through removal by surgery and only if found before it has spread, according to the National Cancer Institute. Palliative care can help a patient’s quality of life if the disease has spread. Two drugs approved in 2011 may help patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. They are believed to suppress the blood supply and metabolism of the tumor cells. That’s good progress since, the year before, the standard of care was chemotherapy, said Dr. Michaela Banck, medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, who treats patients with neuroendocrine tumors.
Everolimus, marketed by Novartis as Afinitor, received United States FDA approval to treat pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and prevents transplant rejection. Potential side effects are serious, lung or breathing problems, infections and renal failure, which may lead to death. Sunitinib malate, marketed by Pfizer as Sutent, is prescribed for treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, as well as kidney cancer and GIST, a rare cancer of the bowel, esophagus or stomach. Also with everolimus, there are risks to consider: It can cause liver problems and death.
Steve Jobs underwent surgery to remove his tumor in 2004 and died in 2011. His seven-year survival after treatment is consistent with the average survival for these kinds of tumors, Libutti said.
If pancreatic cancers are detected early, that may increase the odds of survival, but it depends on how aggressive the particular tumors are in a patient. If surgery leaves behind microscopic aggressive tumor cells, they can also cause a recurrence of cancer. Steve Jobs underwent a liver transplant in Tennessee in 2009, which is “cutting-edge stuff” for when neuroendocrine tumors spread, said Dr. Maged Rizk, director of the Chronic Abdominal Pain Center at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in gastroenterology and hepatology.
Do Transplants Help?
Because it’s so rare, there isn’t a lot of evidence to support the transplant as a cure; the procedure could extend life, but also, immunosuppression drugs may allow any remaining cancer to grow faster, doctors say. And a European study found the majority of patients who underwent liver transplant for this type of tumor had recurrence of the disease. But many pancreatic cancers are detected in later stages because when the tumor is small, it often does not produce symptoms. As they grow, adenocarcinomas can obstruct the ducts from the liver and cause severe back pain. Neuroendocrine tumors sometimes produce insulin, so a patient’s first symptoms could be low glucose levels. But most tumors do not produce hormones, Libutti said.
There are two rare genetic syndromes — multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL) — that increase the risk of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Other than that, although, it maybe unclear whether having a family member with pancreatic cancer increases an individual’s risk. Pancreatic cancer struck former President Jimmy Carter’s family hard. He lost his father — also all of his siblings, brother Billy and sisters Ruth Carter Stapleton and Gloria Carter Spann.
The Future of Treatment
Researchers are working on better understanding the way in which pancreatic tumors grow and spread, Libutti said. There’s a lot research focused on finding better treatments, targeted therapies, immune therapy, improving surgery and radiation therapy, according to the American Cancer Society. “There are a number of agents that are being looked at in clinical trials that focus on pathways that may allow pancreatic cancer to evade normal processes,” Libutti said.
Another line of research is focused on finding biomarkers of pancreatic cancer so that a simple blood or urine test could be developed. Unlike screenings for other conditions such as colon, breast and prostate cancers, there is no routine way to see whether a patient has a tumor in the pancreas. The future of medicine to help people with pancreatic cancer will involve genetics, Banck said. This would involve. . . matching a person’s particular type of tumor using genomic information with treatment. “What’s going to make real differences in the future to surviving pancreatic cancer is the revolution of the genomic era.”
Cancer patients have reported finding relief from pain and stimulation of appetite from the use of medical marijuana, also known as cannabis. In fact, Patient Central at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), which provides free, in-depth and personalized resources and information about pancreatic cancer, has received many questions about the use and effects of medical marijuana. For example, how is marijuana derived and how can it be used by cancer patients?
Marijuana is a plant that contains substances called cannabinoids. The cannabinoids found in marijuana plants may help treat the symptoms and the side effects caused by cancer and cancer treatments. In addition. . . .to the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in marijuana plants and how it helps pancreatic cancer.
The use of marijuana and cannabinoid drugs for medicinal purposes, such as controlling pain and stimulating appetite in cancer patients, have been and continue to be studied in the lab and in clinics. Consequently, conflicting information has been reported in clinical studies using cannabinoids as pain relievers or appetite stimulantsfor cancer survivors.
Some studies have reported that patients regained appetites and sense of taste, while others reported cannabinoids are no more helpful. . . than other prescription appetite stimulant medications. Likewise, some studies about pain relief also report promising results, while others have shown cannabinoids are no more helpful than prescription medications for controlling pain.
Its important for patients to speak with their doctor to determine if marijuana would be helpful in their fight against pancreatic cancer. According to Victoria Manax, MD, PanCAN’s Chief Medical Officer, “Since there has not been sufficient data generated yet to produce consistent clinical results about the benefits of medical marijuana for patients, we encourage patients to discuss problems ( pain and appetite stimulation) with their doctor to determine the right medications to help control such issues.”
Patient Central often receives questions about how medical marijuana can be used when fighting pancreatic cancer. Here are five things to know:
What is marijuana? Marijuana is a plant grown in many parts of the world which produces resin containing compounds called cannabinoids. Some cannabinoids are psychoactive, meaning they act on the brain to change mood or consciousness.
In which states is medical marijuana legal? More than 30 states have some type of legal medical marijuana program. Find out if it is legal in your state.
What are the active ingredients? The main active cannabinoid in marijuana is delta-9-THC. Another active cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD), which may relieve pain, lower inflammation, and decrease anxiety without causing the “high” of delta-9-THC.
How can medical marijuana be administered? Cannabinoids are available in a variety of formats. They can be taken by mouth as capsules, sprayed under the tongue, included as an ingredient in food and eaten, inhaled, or used topically.
Comments from those that have Lyme Disease: It’s not living it’s not even existing it’s like being slowly being murdered and being awake to watch. One things for sure if something isn’t working you should look into Taking another route. For your kids. That’s what I had to do. I had to give up here. I wasn’t getting better and my kids and my husband deserved more. So I said fuck it and saw a Dr. in Mexico.
He gave me my life back, my kids momma back and I’m a wife again.
Low dose naltrexone saved my life from Lyme induced autoimmune/neuro illnesses. I highly recommend you join an LDN group. There is no one size fits all approach. What worked best for my husband and I: we started at 1/2 mg at 3 pm. Dr. wanted us to take at bedtime but it initially gave us insomnia. Every two weeks we increased the dose 1/2 mg. I now take 3 mg at bedtime daily bcz my body adjusted to it. My husband takes 4 mg in morning daily. We are all different. You will know your magic dose by the way you feel. When I went above 3 mg I felt it wasn’t helping. My husband feels better at 4 mg. We started low and gradually increased.
So start low build on it and experiment that worked well for us. Some people start at 4.5 mg and can’t tolerate the side effects which subside after a few weeks. Then they quit taking and never achieve the full benefits. I feel it’s better to start low. My neuro gives it to me but most mainstream Drs aren’t keen on prescribing. So my husband gets from a telemedicine Dr from Wisconsin. Google: “Dr. Handler LDN.” High dose Vitamin C, glutathione, B Vitamins, Lysine, & trace minerals IVs have helped me so much. I’m still sick, but not bedridden and wanting to die. My mood has improved tremendously after 4 IVs. I know it’s not a cure, but it helps bring viral loads down so you have some relief. I’ve learned that there is an important way to living with this unexplainable disease and it is to not put too much thought into every feeling you have. We’re human and we feel pretty much everything. Try not to give this disease all of the power over why you are feeling a certain way. I know easier said than done, but part of getting well and feeling better is what you decide to focus on. Think positive!
Our kids and our faith is what keep us going.
No kids but my two dogs are truly sometimes the only reason I keep pushing on.
Once. a long time ago, I lived with that feeling. I even had a gun in my bedroom drawer with a plan to use it if life didn’t change. Then I woke up to a different realization and vowed never to find that low again. Search for reasons to be grateful and hopeful that you will feel better. Hugs
Doesn’t matter what it is that’s keeping you alive as long as you’re alive. If hanging on for your kids is all you can do, then do it. At bare minimum, you’ll have at least the hope of seeing graduations, proms, and achievement awards. For many reasons, being there for your kids is more than enough.
Yes but my severe hundred of ailments finally subsided a lot after an incidental dose of antibiotics. I can move now and things aren’t so flipping grim. So good luck and please hang in there.
Please don’t ever stop fighting. Lyme will take it’s toll but you can come out the other end. I was extremely sick for years and felt like you. It is a lonely treacherous illness. You will beat it and get your like back . It’s important to believe you can get better. ️
I know this might sound grim, please forgive me. Anyone else have kids and they’re the only reason you choose to stay alive? This disease is hell, the ruined relationships, the failed treatments, the fear of never getting your life back, constantly mourning your healthy self. I saw a few successful stories of curing Lyme naturally. http://www.doctoryourself.com/lyme.html Keep on fighting the good fight. I keep the faith and know I am all my kids literally have and I’m all they have. I have to believe God has a plan. I think the hardest part is the people u need to care don’t understand. I have differently lost a lot of people because of this. Don’t ever give up. There is hope. I pray a lot that’s all you can do really. Changing my diet helped so much.
I had those feelings before I was even diagnosed. Last summer was the worst one ever. And I said I don’t wanna die but I can’t imagine living the rest of my life like this. There were many nights I went to bed wondering if I would wake up in the morning. But thankfully with some amazing Nd guidance I am better than I was last year (not by much) but enough that I don’t have those feelings most days. Stay strong, will keep you in my prayers ️
I’m not feeling suicidal at the moment, but yes, during the years I did, it was the kids that kept me alive. I couldn’t do that to them. I’m so sorry you’re having a hard time. Keep talking as much as you need to to those that you need to talk to..
I have just been battling through it for 30 years. My family know I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago but none ever talks about it. I smile through my pain to my kids I force myself through everything I feel so isolated in the Uk. I found out a few weeks ago its Lyme, however, I haven’t told anyone apart from my partner. There was a time in my life that my daughter was the only reason I chose to stay alive.
God brought me through the dark time and I’m so thankful He did! I don’t have kids but I get up to take care of my rescue dogs. They are the only reason I’m still here.. Suicidal depression is a symptom. It’s temporary if you treat. I had this and now it’s gone. My children are 100% the reason I keep fighting. My mother committed suicide Aug 2. I’m still in shock. Both of us having treated 50 year-old Lyme and Mold. She was 76.
I know how you feel: I’m battling chronic Lyme. I have a daughter age 3 and a son who is 14 and I’m married, so yes, it’s very hard to deal with. My son helps me a lot My husband didn’t understand at first so he was confused as to why I couldn’t do things anymore like I used to. So he would get mad at me when you have bad days and just have to nap when you have flareups. I totally understand how you feel but it’s manageable, Just keep your head up and be positive that’s what I tell myself everyday especially for your children!
I’m so sorry. For you and for her and the pain this illness brings. I have severe depression, anxiety, mood swings, personality changes from this hell. I’m so sorry. I’m Gutted. I’m also exhausted by the lack of awareness. I stay alive for my birds (I don’t have kids) — whatever it takes to find that strength, be grateful for it.
Also, there is a new treatment; disulfiram which is usually used for alcoholism, but it is the only drug so far that will break through the cyst that forms when you take antibiotics. It will bust that cyst open and kill the spirochete so that it doesn’t come back! I just try to remember that when you will wake up, you are still alive and that is a blessing! It could be so much worse. We are fighters.
The cure may be around the corner. Your solution may come tomorrow. Yes… all the time! I tried twice to end my life but learned… that ending my life… is NOT my choice. So…I’m stuck in hell on earth until God calls for me.
I share this with each of you as a reminder. A reminder to myself also as I am growing so tired of the fight. Yesterday I saw my Naturopath and after further testing I don’t have only 2 strains of babesia but 10. HUGE SIGH! 4 strains of Bartonella, mold, mycotoxins, parasites but my Lyme seems to be in remission after 16 months of treatment. So he also changed up my treatment and I am on 12 different things to fight and remove the rest of these pesky creatures from my system. KEEP ON FIGHTING!
I tried to end my life too. I had to make the decision to live. Now that all the reasons I told myself I had to live for have been stripped away, I have my sons eyes to look into. Even on my hardest days he the reason I am still here. I had so many reasons to live when I thought I didn’t. Now I have so little (yet so much) to live for.
Yup…my kiddos are my lifeline.. Without them I think I would take too many pills to off myself 🙁 I have chosen to spend this life helping others and sharing what I have been learning along the way. I don’t want this wretched illness to take away any good purpose that I can leave behind.
My kids will also know me as a fighter which will give them hope and encourage them to be brave and tenacious and resourceful in their own lives! Also Never give up hope and enjoy every precious moment you are able. People do get well. Stay strong, learn as much as you can and give back freely. Understanding Lyme Disease. We are all in this together! So Keep fighting… we WILL win this.
I can’t finish any of my sentences because of Lyme. I hear it all the time from coworkers. It sucks!!! When we know what we want to say but it won’t all come out. Lyme Disease, not only, has its own symptoms, but it can cause damage and other disease in your body which leads to non-stop life long issues. Nobody understands what we deal with!!!!! My boss thinks it’s a joke he doesn’t get that we are in pain, people just cant see it. Nothing good comes from GETTIN it ..people don’t realize the after affects… Lyme Disease causes long time problems.
I hate the depression, Crushing fatigue, the brain fog: Losing my brain (memory, speech, words) and everything else. I despise How it changed my life for the worst and that I will leave a young child behind and Same here, my baby boy is 4 yrs old. I’m afraid I have passed it to him. He was born hypotonic. The feeling of guilt is horrible. He is the best thing that has happened in my life, he is fragile and precious and wonderful. I would like to see him grow Healthy. Feeling like I’ve aged twenty years in the past five! I hate the fear of the Unknown.
I hate the exhaustion it causes: Not being able to participate with friend and family because of exhaustion and pain. Not being able to participate with friend and family because of that exhaustion and painful loss of life. I hate that tick stole my brain and emotions.
That’s it’s changed my life and I’m afraid/fearful of dying and leaving my children behind. I hate The havoc it has wreaked on my family & friends. I hate No one ever says “hey how are you feeling today” Everything hurts, there’s always pain. I wish I had my old energy back. I hate How its changed me as a person I am not the same person. After 2 years really understand that it never goes way, its inside of us and it can shows up any time it wants too
I hate Never ending exhaustion. That there is no cure. And we keep taking tons of antibiotics and supplements and all these other expensive therapies thinking maybe it’ll help. When it doesn’t. Ruined my ability to be a musician, an athlete, and to live life as I chose. Never understood people who were boring or lazy. Now i’m both. It took myself from me.
That it completely stole me from my teenage children who are now adults! I couldn’t do things with them like I wanted to and my youngest son was in band and I couldn’t sit in the bleachers long enough to watch him play! I think about that now and it just crushes me! He moved out in 2013 and I’ve only seen him probably four times since then. Not that he’s mad at me but he just grew up alone and is used to being alone and that just breaks my heart! The hate the pain and isolation it brings.. lack of empathy by medical community.
I hate How much it robbed of my life and The $$$$$ and time it costs to search for the right help. That even after getting considerably better you can always relapse or relapse prior to getting well. Absolutely everything! It ruined my whole life! And still is … the pain is excruciating and the neurological stuff is debilitating…. I wish I can be a healthy 21 year old. My youth is over. The pain and unconcern from others since it’s an invisible disease.Nobody can just tell me how to fix it..so I can get on with life. I hate the solitude.
The insomnia The complete exhaustion. Always It took my youth before I could even live it. I HATE How even when the doctors know you have it…. they still think your faking things… and expect you to just roll over and relax when bills still need to be paid and life has to go on! It’s Kind of a catch 22 and it stole almost everything in my life that I care about…it’s the incapacitation and disability, not being able to do things.
Not knowing what NOT having it feels like. Not knowing what weird unexplainable symptom will happen next It destroyed my life!
I hate the ups and downs, dysautonomia and that people don’t get it…until they get it. I hate unpredictability: That people DO NOT understand that just because on most days I don’t look sick doesn’t mean I am magically cured. I hate the other peoples excuses for leaving and giving up and saying its not their illness.. it has stolen my whole life.
I hate the Cluster Headaches were the worst part for me and lasted on and off for years. ,
I hate the Wondering.. Wondering what life without it is like.. Wondering if it will kill me. Wondering if I can get over this flare. Wondering if I will be treated different for my imaginary illness. Wondering where my kids are gonna be, if I can take care of them.. Wondering who will take care of me when I’m too sick to take care of myself.
I hate Being sick and tired of being sick and tired…. and the pain!
Oh! And the fact nobody gets it! Or thinks I’m faking being sick!
I hate The whole damned thing! The extreme migraines with total aphasia, the tinnitus, the dizziness, the blindness, the memory loss, the excruciating spinal pains, the lying, duplicitous doctors, the thieving insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies their meds that are $6 everywhere else on the planet, except here where they’re $1100, on and on! Just the WHOLE DAMNED THING!!!
I hate That I have to fight to have the strength to earn a living, and that treatment is so expensive or hard to find. I Hate That I have to fight so hard to get treatment while being sick. What it does is steals a big part of you and humbles you! I HATE The controversy over it all. I feel like I have no one to talk to you about it because when I try to explain it to normal people they just can’t comprehend how someone could feel so horrible and have such strange symptoms. Explaining my difficulty thinking clearly, speaking sometimes or learning new information is the most annoying.
I Fear that if i go before my child, there will be no one who believes her or understands what she’s up against or is willing to try to find a way to help her and that’s my biggest feat of them all. What I hate most about Lyme is that you don’t know what you are doing right. I hate the Lack of support on all levels (insurance, medical, friends..family)
I hate Being rejected by those I turned to for support and that’s so sad xx
I hate The moodiness, I push everyone away and pull them back just to push them away again. I never want to see my friends, because I am terrified I am going to hurt them beyond repair. It is so horrible to feel this way. I hate Having to fake every day, trying to not be a bore, complete isolation as no one understands Fighting the medical profession who use all their energy on trying to convince you and don’t have adequate testing. That you don’t have it rather than trying to treat you. Also Complete change of personality, the extreme fatigue and the way it ravages the entire body and mind!! I hate it won’t go away
I hate Not knowing for sure if I’m going to get better or not. I just want a solid answer so I can plan accordingly. I hate those closest me: Friends and family thinking I’m faking it, and not trying to research themselves or even just ask me to explain… so that they can understand. I hate EVERYTHING!!!!! The horrendous 24/7 pain would be top, however, for me the former is an even worse torment to bear. Pain & sheer disbelief from others, combine to make coping (while trying to heal) a very hard journey indeed. Not remembering to keep this attitude if i can And post exertion malaise
I hate The fatigue, brain fog, pain, years of my life wasted in bed, my son of 13 growing up without me, never seeing the real me. I hate how it steals from people. It took away me…. and when I had a good few days it felt like coming out of a coffin… into which I would tumble back, but I had a day or two here or there of how I used to feel – appreciated!
I Hate Not knowing what symptom will get you next.
When it’s going to happen and regardless of if Lyme is written on your medical records the first thing you notice is at the top of the list is hypochondriacal disorder. I am diagnosed as “delusional” apparently I’m fixated on Lyme disease!!!! No kidding!!
I hate the improper medical care from main stream doctors!! I want my insurance to cover my bills. I hate the PAIN-so bad I prayed to die.
I’ve lived with it long enough to learn it is non helpful to focus on the negatives, hard as that may be. But still good to vent once in a while I feel. mostly if those close to you can’t relate, then venting to fellow tick disease people helps me to know I am not alone or forgotten. I hate That it exists bacause in today’s world people are numb and don’t notice much sadly!!! I hate That in my head I’m still me, and want to tackle adventures. But reality is.. I don’t have the stamina, or mental acuity I once had, so my realistic avenues are different today than in the past. We want to but…….I can’t be the person that I was and I don’t like the person I am!!!!!
I hate Not knowing whether to continue treatment or stop after 14 months…. symptoms for me were always mild but positive Igenex test showed me I have/had lyme…. I Hate the Debilitating symptoms to the point of despair, being seen as pretending to be sick when I am really pretending to be normal, being dismissed by doctors, being an outcast, missing my life… I Hate It not being recognized and treated for the illness that it is.
I hate The lack of understanding globally, and for me? It would have a life changing affect on every aspect of our life and our economy if it was.
I hate That it has no limits. Just when you have worked out how to get rid of or ease the pain, it moves onto another part of your body to cause more pain and suffering. I hate the Constant pain that has taken away my life! I hate Being online in the morning on Saturday ( and every day) looking for any advise ( mostly from fellow sufferers) and
no real help from doctors. Tried all, including LLMDs, many of who just exploit our situation for financial gain.
I hate People’s lack of empathy or understanding of this awful disease. Those of us afflicted with it constantly put up with people “helping Us”., sending us newspaper articles etc. I mean really? I have the intelligence and desperation to research my disease on my own, since the medical community turns away from it. Although it Seems that people around you do have some sympathy if they send you articles, how can you ask for more if even doctors dismiss chronic Lyme. The problem is that there is NO REAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH funded by the government!
I hate When people quit being your friend/family because you are sick. Isolation makes everything worse. I hate Being so sick and Doctors not knowing enough about it to test and get treatment. Your family thinking your a joke bc Drs. can’t figure it out so it MUST be all in your head. I hate my family gave up on me .They think I’m crazy. I hate that there are so many things to hate about it. I hate That people don’t give af don’t care about your pain, the fatigue and the fact that most people don’t understand!! Oh and you have to beg doctors to see and treat you!!!!
I hate how a flare up comes out of nowhere and lasts for an indeterminate amount of time. can’t tell you how many times that’s screwed up my schedule. I hate the Lack of lasting effective treatment and educated doctors willing to research the coinfections that are destroying us. I hate my wife complains about being exhausted the most. I really wish there was more I could do to help her .. but hate the lack of understanding by everybody?
Lyme Rage is about Life frustration of not knowing. It’s like riding a roller coaster that’s all messed up the fast up and down. I just know the anger it’s in me. I called it tiger with a tooth ache (tame to wild instantly). The only time I’m enraged… is when, I listening to a DR. Tell me I need to exercise. I move my entire body all day until I just can’t anymore, then I feel like I have no strength and lots Of pain, from no rest from too much exercise. Yes, depression and anxiety.
For me Lyme rage is that I would just snap over something I normally wouldn’t snap over. It was the worst in the evening when I was more tired. I wonder…is it plausible that Lyme rage is inflammation/histamine/immune related? I have alpha-gal and when I have had airborne or food exposure…. histamine levels are increased…this can cause reactions otherwise and toward the end of coming out of a reaction like that I have a “rage” (more like extreme irritability I have absolutely no control over even if I tried). Then it suddenly goes away.
My daughter has Lyme and if she has had dairy she also has this extreme irritability…would an antihistamine possibly help to alleviate these symptoms some?
It’s horrible. It’s like every single emotion, especially anger hitting you in full force.
I flipped the heck out today while trying to pay bills online, then again getting my kids maps together for the first day of school. Thank God my husband wasn’t home. He probably would’ve also had me committed. It can happen out of nowhere, and stress, anxiety, sadness and anger make it 100x worse for me some times. I’m normally very calm, cool and collected. Today I was a raging psycho that was acting like my meds wore off.
it’s a scary feeling not to be able to control it. I don’t get like that often, but today I was so hot headed that I’m surprised that my fire alarms didn’t go off. A lot of my issues I think are the fact that I don’t show much emotion to anything other than love. I don’t normally cry, grieve, take time for myself and I do everything for everyone putting myself last. It’ll be a year in October since my dad died a very slow and painful death., and I think that I she’d a few years and called it a day. I’m a very emotionally numb person to certain things, and that’s not healthy for anyone. Especially not for people like us. Then hear and there everything that we feel comes out at once.
I cry a lot lol but I do put everyone before myself and then sometimes I just lose it. I hate taking my random anger outbursts out on those I love. It’s frustrating and I warn people it can happen around me, that simple arguments can turn into world war, yet they still like to push those buttons and I cannot always control myself and walk away, it is a real struggle and hopefully they will write about this and help us not be incarcerated for losing it when something triggers us.. I am uncontrollably angry anything and everything makes me mad I cry I scream and yell. I try to control it but I can’t.
Anything can trigger it also, dirty dishes and laundry actually I could go on and on, not enough time to get things done, my kids talking back (no I try to keep my fits away from them but they’ve seen a few). Lyme rage is when you get really upset about trivial things and make a total ass of yourself…and feel guilty as hell afterward. Once I started taking Empower Q96 and lithium orotate…the rages ceased. Didn’t know this was a thing.
I’m 40, almost 41, and started going through perimenopause at 39. I assumed my crazy moods and rage was due to that and trying to get my hormones sorted through HRT.
1. The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) is a great way to get a Lyme-literate Doctor referral, and is probably the best place to start. Go to their website www.ilads.org , email them at contact@ilads.org or call them at 301-263-1080 (they are on EST). ILADS is the “gatekeeper” for most Lyme docs in the United States. They may also be able to point you in the direction of an LLMD in another part of the world if you reside outside of the Unites States.
2. Lymenet.org has a Lyme disease forum where they have a “Seeking a Physician” section. Here, members of the forum will give you the contact information for LLMDs in your area from www.lymenet.org. When you go to Lymenet.org’s homepage, click on “Flash Discussion,” and then click on “Seeking a Doctor.” You will be asked to enter your city, state, and contact information, and a Lymenet.org forum member will contact you with a physician referral.
3. The Lyme Disease Association has a Doctor Referral Service: Go to www.lymediseaseassociation.org and click on “Doctor Referral.” You just need to give them your contact information and they will give you a doctor referral.
Based on an Idaho doctor’s important discovery, this revolutionary therapy has been a Godsend for many who have suffered with this debilitating disease.. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed — or have already “tried everything” — we urge you to experience the extraordinary healing power of LymeStop. http://lymestop.com/
Dr. Erlandson recovered from chronic lyme disease through a natural technique
called LymeStop developed by Dr. Tony Smith.
Dr. Erlandson is a licensed LymeStop practitioner serving Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. For more information go to www.lymestop.com. Dr. Erlandson also has written an article about his journey and the LymeStop technique. You can download and view the article by clicking the link HERE.
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FEES:
Many of our members had previously paid tens of thousands of dollars for consultations, testing and treatment – which often continued for years. Unfortunately, this major investment of time and money often did not produce significant, long-term results.
Our goal is to help you achieve the best possible results in the most cost effective and timely manner. We strongly believe in treating you the way we would want to be treated.
When compared to conventional Lyme procedures, we believe that you’ll find LymeStop to be more comprehensive and relatively inexpensive.
The LymeStop/CBT Procedures include:
• Consultation and comprehensive LS/CBT examination
• 5 Office Visits to treat:
• All identified Lyme-related infections
• Any other infections and/or allergies
• All nutritional support for 3 months
• Your followup re-examination with any necessary treatment
Total Fee for the above services: $3,200*
* A $500 non-refundable deposit is due at the time your appointment is scheduled. This amount will be applied to the total cost of your care.
There are no fees for blood tests or other lab testing since
they are not required for LymeStop treatment.
There are no insurance billing codes for LymeStop procedures. We are therefore unable to accept any type of insurance as payment. Payment in full is expected at time of service. We accept cash, checks, Visa and MC. http://www.erlandsonclinic.com/lyme-disease.html
These are all protocols you can do on your own, with a doctor, naturopath or herbalist. The key thing is to find someone who knows the protocol you choose. https://store.vitalplan.com/products/restore-kit
Herbs which I have successfully introduced into my personalised protocol for symptom management include: curcumin, teasel root, poke root, motherwort, elecampane, and pasque flower. Coinfections Lyme disease typically occurs in the presence of a range of coinfections, both viral and bacterial, the most prominent of which include: babesia, anaplasma, ehrlichia, bartonella and mycoplasma. https://daretoselfcare.com/herbs-repair-rebuild-lyme/
My Lyme Disease Story is full of frustration, perseverance, and hope! I was sick for 10 years with chronic lyme disease. In this video, I talk about my diagnosis, medical journey and advice for those going through the same thing!
Dr. Bernard Jensen was one of America’s pioneering nutritionists and iridologists. Beginning his career in 1929 as a chiropractor, he soon turned to the art of nutrition for his own health problems. He observed firsthand the cultural practices of people in more than 55 countries discovering important links between food and health. In 1955, Dr. Jensen established the Hidden Valley Ranch in Escondido, California as a retreat and learning center dedicated to the healing principles of nature where he experience firsthand the altered state, value of nutrition and iridology.
Over the years, Dr. Jensen received many honors and awards, including Knighthood in the Order of St. John of Malta; the Dag Hammarskjold Peace Award of the Pax Mundi Academy in Brussels, Belgium; and an award from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands for his nutritional work. In 1982, he also received the National Health Federation’s Pioneer Doctor of the Year award.
Your eyes may reveal much more about your health than you ever suspected. For over one hundred years, researchers have studied links between your health and the patterns, colors and textures of the iris. In the United States, Dr. Bernard Jensen has brought the art of interpreting iris signs into the twenty-first century. His advancements have made iridology a reliable form of analysis for thousands of practitioners of the healing arts.
In VISIONS OF HEALTH, Drs Jensen and Bodeen describe the basics of iris analysis in easy-to-understand language. They include dozens of illustrations and color photos, as well as charts for reading your own eyes and those of your friends. They believe that, by recognizing inherent weaknesses that are reflected in the iris, and you can adjust your lifestyle accordingly – by picking out trouble spots, you can prevent problems before they develop. With this book in hand, you can clearly set your sights on achieving optimum health.
Iridology, also called iris analysis or iris diagnosis, is the study of the iris (the colored part of the eye). Iris “readings” are made by iridologists to assess a person’s health picture (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) and guide them to take measures to improve their health.
Origins
The basic concept of iridology has existed for centuries. The medical school of the University of Salerno in Italy offered training in iris diagnosis. A book published by Philippus Meyers in 1670, called Chiromatica medica, noted signs in the iris indicate diseases. Dr. Ignatz von Peczely, however, wh0 is generally considered the father of iridology, with the date of his discovery given as 1861. Von Peczely was a Hungarian physician. As a child, he accidentally broke an owl’s leg. He observed that a black line formed in the owl’s lower iris at the time of the injury. After the owl’s leg healed, the young von Peczely noted the black streak had changed appearance. As a physician, he also treated a patient with a broken leg in whose eye he observed a black streak in the same location as on the injured owl’s iris. Von Peczely became s0 intrigued by the possibility of a connection between diseases and eye markings. Through observing his patients’ eyes, he became convinced of this connection and developed a chart mapping the iris-body correlations and after several decades of comparative study, von Peczely mapped organs across zones identified by hours and minutes on a clock face superimposed over drawings of the eyes. In 1881, he published his theories in a book called Discoveries in the Field of Natural Science and Medicine: Instruction in the Study of Diagnosis from the Eye.
A Swedish pastor and homeopath named Nils Liljequist also developed the concept of iris-body correlations at roughly the same time but independently of von Peczely’s work. He was the first iridologist to identify the effects of such drugs as iodine and quinine on the iris. Liljequist based his initial observations on changes in his own irises after illness and injuries, publishing writings and eye drawings during the late nineteenth century.
One of his students, Dr. Henry Lahn, brought the practice of iridology to United States. A variety of practitioners, primarily European, have sought to popularize iridology-since these early works. Dr. Bernard Jensen, a chiropractor, is the best-known contemporary American advocate of iridology.
Iridologists claim by studying the patterns of a person’s iris, they can provide helpful and accurate health and wellness information. Iridology is a holistic endeavor in that it addresses the person’s whole being in the reading. The range of information gleaned encompasses physical, emotional, mental and thespiritual aspects of the person’s health picture. In addition to assessing the person’s general level of health, readings can reveal other data, including energy quotients; internal areas of irritation, degeneration, injury, or inflammation; nutritional and chemical imbalances; accumulation of toxins; and life transitions; and subconscious tensions. Iridologists maintain that the eyes reveal information about the person’s physical and emotional constitution, such as inherited weaknesses and risks to which the person may be prone. Strengths may also be revealed, including inherited emotional tendencies from which the person derives particular talents. Cleansing and also healing can be verified by changes in the iris. By looking for certain signs such as healing lines, iridologists obtain information about previous health problems and injuries and discover what may have gone wrong in the person’s past.
An iridology reading reflects the causes of problems, not symptoms. It may, iridologists claim, reveal that organs or systems are overstressed or predisposed to disease before the clinical symptoms even develop. By predicting future problems, iridology can be used as a preventive tool. People can use the information from iridology readings to improve their health and make better behavioral choices in the future, thereby heading off problems before they occur.
In North America, iridology is generally considered to be an assessment tool to be used in cooperation with other health specialties. Iridology is not a diagnostic tool (although it is more likely to be considered so by European iridologists) and should not be used to diagnose or name specific diseases. Not only, would diagnosis represent an improper application of iridology, but also, according to many iridologists, which are noted by the International Iridology Research Association (IIRA), it could also be construed in many countries as practicing medicine without a license.
Description
Iridology is generally based on the concept of neural pathways between the body and the iris. Although iridologists may differ on the exact mechanism, most maintain that the iris reflects what is happening throughout the body via nerve conduction from all parts of the body to the eye. The client’s health is assessed by the iridologist, who interprets patterns, shapes, rings, colors and pigmentation markings, fibers, structures, and changes in the pupil and iris. Many iridologists also use sclerology (reading the lines in the white part of the eyes) in their health evaluation.
Iridology readings are typically performed by such holistically oriented practitioners as naturopaths, chiropractors, or nutritionists. The reading may be done using a bright light, a magnifying glass, and a notepad. The iridologist may also use various tools to better view the eye, a special camera to take pictures of the iris, and/or a computer.
Iridologists conduct their readings using charts on which each area of the iris is mapped to a specific body system or organ. Iridology charts vary, with at least 20 different ones in existence. Some charts are more widely used than others; however, and many iridologists believe that there is more than one correct map and that each practitioner should become familiar with several charts. Some iridologists even develop their own charts. Differences also exist among practitioner techniques; among American, European, and other approaches; and in the interpretation of specific iris signs.
Iridology charts divide the iris into numerous zones corresponding to different parts of the body. Although the specifics may differ on each chart, all share a general pattern. The left eye is mapped to the left side of the body and the right eye to the right side. The top of the eye is mapped to the upper body (e.g., brain, face, neck, chest and heart). The center of the eye is mapped to the stomach and digestive organs, with other organs being represented by concentric circular zones moving outward toward the edge of the iris. The bottom of the eye is mapped to the legs and lower half of body. Paired organs (e.g., the kidneys) are mapped to both irises.
Using a holistic approach that considers each client as an individual with unique health patterns and concerns, behaviors, and experiences, the iridologist will examine the eyes and make a health assessment. Based on the results of that reading, many iridologist generally recommends a wellness program tailored to the individual’s physical, emotional, and life situation. This program may also incorporate various health improvement, maintenance, and prevention regimes. Recommendations may include vitamins, minerals, herbs, supplements, and/or diet and nutrition , among other suggestions.
Preparation
No special preparations are necessary before an iridology reading.
Precautions
An iridology reading is unlikely to cause any physical harm by itself, as it does not involve direct contact with the eye or applying eye drops of any kind. Critics of iridology, however, argue that iridology can be detrimental to the health if a sick person. Delays in treatment for a condition not only suggested by the iridology reading; or that it can cause anguish and unnecessary expense if a reading suggests a problem when there actually is none.
Research & general acceptance:
Rita M. Holl, RN, PhD, states that “Within Western medicine, iridology is considered a controversial science at best and medical fraud at worst.” Proponents of iridology argue that the practice is time-tested with proven results. Although critics acknowledge — that certain symptoms of non-ocular disease do appear in the eyes (e.g., brain injury), there is, they argue, a lack of rigorous scientific testing and no evidence that iridology has any merit. Studies published in the Australian Journal of Optometry, the British Medical Journal, and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) have also found iridologists’ assessment of patients with diagnosed serious diseases including kidney and gall bladder disease to be inaccurate. Iridologists counter that the research itself was faulty, and citing problems including poor-quality photos; the absence of important additional information including the ability to see/interview the client; and inappropriate expectations of diagnosing specific diseases, a task outside the parameters of iridology. A more recent study conducted to reevaluate JAMA’s findings in regard to renal failure was published in the Alternative Health Practitioner. Acknowledging that the “study leaves several questions unanswered,” the author reported both similarities and variations in the iridologists’ readings and concluded that the iridologist’s level of expertise is extremely important as well.
Training & Certification:
Iridologists receive training from various sources. They may learn their trade through books, tapes, correspondence courses, online classes, or live classes. According to the IIRA, “Iridology operates in a gray area in North America. In general, there are no laws defining or regulating the practice. In Europe, especially in Germany, Iridology is well recognized and routinely used by natural medicine practitioners.”
According to the IIRA, “Because Iridology has no official standards of practice, anyone can call themselves an Iridologist, often with little training or experience. There are also great differences in the Iridology information being taught, especially in North America.”
Resources — BOOKS: Jackson, Adam J. Iridology: A Guide to Iris Analysis and Preventive Health Care. Boston: Charles B. Tuttle, 1993. Jensen, Bernard. Iridology: Science and Practice in Healing Arts, Vol. II. Escondido, CA: B. Jensen, 1982.
Jensen, Bernard. What is Iridology? Escondido, CA: B. Jensen, 1984. Jensen, Bernard and Donald Bodeen. Visions of Health: Understanding Iridology. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1992. Worrall, Russell S. “Iridology: Diagnosis or Delusion?” in Science Confronts the Paranormal, ed. Kendrick Frazier. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1986.
ORGANIZATIONS
Canadian Neuro-Optic Research Institute. P.O. Box 29053. 4324 Dewdney Ave. Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 7X3. Canada. (306) 359-7694. Fax: (306) 525-2659. cnricontacts@cnri.edu. http://www.cnri.edu/.
International Iridology Research Association. PO Box 1442 Solano Beach, CALI. 92075-2208. (888) 682-2208. IIRAOffice@aol.com. http://www.iridologyassn.org/.
OTHER: ( Which I don’t agree with. )
Quackwatch: Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions. http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/iridology.html.
