The Power of the Cross

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Ken

Προσευχή … μετάνοια. .. προσκύνημα. .. και η δύναμη του τιμιου σταυρού μέσω του πατερ Δημητριου!
translated: Prayer… regret… Pilgrimage… and the power of the cross. . . cross through my father said!

A paradise of healing spas.

With about 800 locations of natural curative resources, most of which are water-related, Greece could be described as a paradise of healing spas. Still, most remain undeveloped: only 34 springs have been officially recognized so far, while recognition of another 60 is pending. Meanwhile, few of them have onsite lodgings. Over the last few years, as holistic medicine has once again become a topic of discussion for the scientific community.

There has been rekindled interest in developing these springs by creating high-end hydrotherapy facilities and hotels that focus on balneotherapy, not only as a treatment    for specific ailments, not only, illnesses and injuries, but to promote general wellbeing.
The Greeks were among the first to discover the beneficial properties of water.

They used it not only for cleanliness and therapy, but also for relaxation. At first, unable  to understand the actual curative capability of water, they (like other ancient people, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians and Indians.)  Simply worshiped it as a deity and ascribed supernatural and magical powers to it. During the 6th and 5th centuries BC, the ancient Greeks used healing water for the first time in medicine, as practiced then, at the Asclepieia.

These were both places of worship and healing centers dedicated to the god Asclepius. Treatment included washing,  hot or cold baths,  diet,  exercise and entertainment. Most Asclepieia were conveniently located next to water sources (thermal springs, rivers or the sea) and in areas of particular natural beauty. Since nature was associated with the divine and was therefore miraculous, it was considered to be an essential component of treatment.

The foundation of holistic medicine had been laid, but it was Hippocrates (460-370 BC) who established its scientific basis. He also separated treatment from religion and instead linked it to ecology, rationally propounding that the environment and climate could have a beneficial effect in the treatment of patients. He was the first to study the sources of water and to classify it as potable, saline or sea water, and to also identified the “saline” water as actually mineral spring water.  He spoke of the effect of cold and hot baths  on the human body and also investigated conditions for which curative waters might be indicated.

The Romans inherited Hippocrates’ knowledge of hydrotherapy and applied it to the treatment of many diseases. The Greek physician Galen, who lived in Rome in the 2nd century  AD, contributed greatly to continuing the Hippocratic hydrotherapy tradition.

Among other things, he classified springs according to the temperature and the chemical content of their water, while documenting numerous therapeutic indications. As great fans of Greek baths, The Romans copied the idea and named them  “balnea,”  from the Greek balaneia.

With advancements in plumbing systems and a greater abundance of water, the Roman baths surpassed the Greek ones and evolved into impressive bathing facilities, and the so-called thermae. They reached their peak initially as recreational centers and also led to the establishment of the early spa towns. The Greek spa towns enjoyed one last period of glory in the 1960s and 70s, as the new middle class began to vacation there, taking advantage of their proximity to the sea.

Naturally, spas were no longer a high-priority treatment option and were only used incidentally by those preferring cosmopolitan beaches. Thus, they gradually came to         be used only by the elderly, and their use came to be associated primarily with cures        for illnesses. In this way, spas came to be regarded as destinations for the old and the       ill.

In fact, no matter where in Greece you travel, you will come across thermal springs,     often with only basic facilities.  However, with fanatic grey-haired supporters as well;     you shouldn’t hesitate to join these enthusiastic individuals in the ancient practice of balneotherapy. If, on the other hand, you are more interested in higher-end facilities,  there are now a number of luxurious hydrotherapy resorts supplied by these thermal springs that   have long invited visitors to experience the healing aspect of Greece.

One such area in Greece: I found recently is where a friend Katerina Gkavrou took             her Father June 19 with stage 4 pancreatic cancer to see Papa Dimitrios Loupasakis.         On the West side of Mt. Lycabettus,  in the centre of Athens is a church which is not      well-known by the locals, let alone by foreignn tourists.


Agioi Isidoroi is a small chapel “stuck” in the rock, and what makes this church unique       is its location, since it seems as if the rock has swollen a part of the building.   Also, its green yard. as well as,  the lovely surroundings will make you feel like being in a small village rather in the capital of Greece.

When they entered  the chapel Papa Dimitrios Loupasakis already knew before knowing about Katerina’s father.  After reaching upon his forehead  and crossing him.  Papa said      I wish your cancer to be gone.  After that visit her father has went from being 50kg (110 pounds)  to his weight of 58kg  (127 pounds) today.  Also at one point he had a difficult  time going from his bed to the bathroom.  And now he takes his car drives and goes out      2 to 7 hours.  I remember when I first met Katerina on Facebook… she was researching tirelessly for a solution to her father’s cancer!    http://www.agioi-isidoroi.gr/?p=1406

Ikaria – Greek Island of Longevity 🙂

Agios Kirikos is situated on the southeastern coast of the island and was founded over three hundred years ago by local sailors who dedicated the city to Agios(Saint) Kirikos.     It is the capital of Ikaria and the main gateway to the island by land, sea, and air. Most      of the public services of the island can be found here. Today, together with its environs Panagia, Kountoumas, Agios Pantelemonas, Christos, and Glaredes it has about 2150 inhabitants.

Agios Kirikos, with its old two story captains’ mansions, flower filled neighborhoods, narrow cobble paths,  endlessly ascending stone steps, central square flanked by shops,  and  the non– stop comings and goings of the people,  combines the picturesqueness of     the Aegean architecture with the bustle of a modern town. Wondering along the narrow paths of Agios Kirikos and its environs is a pleasant exercise and evokes memories of    long forgotten times.

The area around Agios Kirikos. . . .exhibits beautiful natural scenery. Looking up and out towards the mountains one can see a green horseshoe shaped garland made up of villages starting at the foot of the mountain and ending a few hundred meters outside of Agios. On this stretch of pristine land pretty mountain side hamlets, small forests above the villages, tree lined ravines, and all varieties of fruit trees are combined into a breathtaking scene.

The hot spring of Asclepious, previously called Moustafa, can be found in Agios Kirikos near the central square. Therapy seeking individuals from around the world frequent this bathouse and Ikaria’s other springs for their outstanding healing virtues.  Also Asclepious Spring emerges from the sea and anyone wishing may swim nearby it to take advantage of its radium content without having to take a traditional bath.

Though out my research on the internet this practice dates  to A holy man of our days, Father Dimitrios Gagastathis [was] a simple priest of the Orthodox Church who lived in      a village of Greece from 1902 to 1975.  Living in such a world as we do today, with all its revolt against God,  heedless pursuit of superficial materialistic form of happiness,  and   its ‘scientific’ arrogance and its ‘philosophical’ confusion.

The All-good God still provides us in His infinite love with living signs to alert, enlighten and guide us on the path of salvation.  The Word of God,  our Lord and God Jesus Christ has said that … “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”      (I Corinthians 1:27).

Fr Dimitrios Gagastathis from Trikala Prefecture which is located in the Thessaly plains   of central Greece. The prefecture boasts some beautiful cities and the amazing monastery community of Meteora,  is situated in one of the most breathtaking mountainous terrains of Greece. Also Visitors may find unique landscapes with mountains, lakes, open plains of farmland and traditional villages hidden in forests of pine and beech trees. The capital of the prefecture,  Trikala,  is built near the Litheos River  and is not yet overrun by tourists, which helps maintain its natural beauty and cultural traditions. It has a good street layout, open squares, parks and pedestrian zones.

The city has many sights. In the old district, Varousi, there are many interesting corners  to visit. You should see the Lithaio tributary of Pinios that crosses the city with its waters and plane trees, creating a magical landscape.  Also worth seeing is the Byzantine Castle that dominates the city,  also the churches of Saint Ioannis the Precursor,  Saint Ioannis    of Eleimona and Virgin Mary Revealing. The liveliest part of town surrounds the central Square on the riverside, with a statue of local hero Stefanos Sarafis, commander of ELAS during the civil war.  This square is ideal for shopping,  dining  and  sipping coffee while watching passers-by …walk by

Fr Dimitrios Gagastathis was such a ‘simple’ & ‘weak’ man chosen by God to enlighten others in these difficult times.  He had no education — he could not even make a proper sermon – however,  in his great simplicity and love for God, is why he became worthy of receiving abundantly God’s grace and becoming a living sermon himself…

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Cancer Whisperer

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Ken

Join the Cancer Whisperers group on Facebook. Sophie Sabbage wrote the book and has stage 4 lung cancer. She had 27 brain tumors and four years later is doing incredibly well. If you join the group I am sure she will help you.. xoxo   https://vimeo.com/174373917

On 13th October 2014 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 ‘terminal’ cancer – multiple tumours in my lungs, lymph nodes, bones and brain. I was 48 years old.

Eight years previously I had married John, the love of my life, and our daughter, who I had waited many years to have and conceived against considerable odds,  was nearly five years old when we received this news.  To be faced with leaving her at such a young age has been a source of unimaginable grief and longing.  My longing to raise her  has inspired me to do all that I can to stay here. I used to say I would die for her, but now I say I would live for her.

Within days of diagnosis the survival plan began, the grasping at a future I wasn’t ready to relinquish and the instinctive need to keep it quiet for as long as possible. To hold it close.
There is no more direct an encounter with your vulnerability  than being told your time is up – and even then we tend to talk about the disease, but not our experience of having the disease (let alone of facing death).

My doctors asked me how my body felt, but not what my heart felt. Stoic silence hung     like a fog over the waiting room at my local oncology centre  where a diverse group    of people sat with the same disease, with the same fears and dreams and pangs of sorrow,  keeping themself to themselves.  Not connecting. Not talking. Not encouraging one another. Not wailing in unison for the fading light.

This is the culture I live in: don’t talk about it, except in private; keep the pain and fear in. I have worked in the field of personal development for over twenty years and know what not talking about it costs. That which is unnamed and unacknowledged within us festers into dis-ease – mental, spiritual, emotional and, yes, physical. Keeping the pain and fear  in also keeps the joy and wonder out.  Silence it for long enough and it can consume you.
So, three months after my diagnosis, I started a blog. . . despite being cautioned by some who care about me not to place this most private, personal journey in this most public, impersonal domain.

But here’s the thing. Vulnerability is the gateway to healing and the cornerstone of wellness. It’s the most accurate indicator of my humanity, authenticity and ability to     love and be loved. It’s how I know I’m really here. To refuse vulnerability when my life      is on the line would be to refuse my best chance at feeling fully alive in whatever time          I have left.

We need to talk about cancer. We need to talk about suffering. We need to talk about      our deep down fear of dying, chiseled by a culture that celebrates all things young and shiny and perfectly formed. We need to grieve the thousand losses, big and small, that we’ve collected since childhood and silenced for safekeeping. We need to become more emotionally and spiritually well.

This is why I wrote The Cancer Whisperer ten months after I was diagnosed. I had no   idea that it would go ‘boom’, however,  I think it was because it helps patients navigate   the fear that so easily takes hold and makes our decisions for us. It helps them reclaim some power.

I am under no illusions about the gravity of my situation, but I am not willing to accept  the limited options available in the U.K.  or the cautious mindset and legal system that prevent doctors being able to experiment and innovate with terminally ill patients.

So I am doing all I can to integrate the best of orthodox and complementary treatments    to maximum effect. I am now approaching my four year cancerversary. I have had multiple brain tumours three times in as many years. There have been some very dark nights of the soul. But I am still here. I feel alive, creative, in my dharma – for however long that may last.

I have become a patient activist and voice for others. This is an unexpected privilege  which I embrace wholeheartedly.  During this time,  I have discovered it is possible to        be well even when you feel ill and to live boldly even when – perhaps especially when – you’re told you’re going to die.

One way or another this story will have a juicy ending and I hope telling it will continue    to make a difference to others. Meantime my task is to inhabit the rarefied space between my fierce will to live and necessary willingness to die, the place where I am determined but not expectant,  at cause but not in control.  And in the midst of all  this uncertainty  I have been certain about one thing from the beginning – that I have cancer, but cancer does not have me.

Posted in Information & Research | Leave a comment

☆ A Gift of Contrast ☆

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Ken

In 2006 when I was experiencing severe depression I went to Carey Ohio and prayed the rosary before mass asking God for a peace of mind. Through power of prayer when I drove home.  I visualized a website and Facebook group page that would help those with cancer. Getting out of this depression required a change of mindset from what was. . . . to what could be in the future!!!            Videos of a gift of contrast ~ Abraham Hicks

To heal we have to learn how to “die” — to let go of all that we were — to embrace becoming a new, healed “whole” self.

Healing usually happens spontaneously, by accessing the deepest recesses of our physiology, beyond our conscious awareness. Awareness is what is impactful,  just be  aware of everything, bad thoughts, good thoughts, the birds flying amongst us or gentle breeze caressing your skin, this is YOUR freedom FROM DIS-EASE. Our beliefs about healing are crucial to all aspects of wellness.        Specific emotions and cancer!!!

Our entire molecular system is mediated by hormones – the “molecules of emotion” –   triggered by our thoughts and beliefs.

Autosuggestion is a psychological technique related to the placebo effect, developed by apothecary Émile Coué at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a form of self-induced suggestion in which individuals guide their own thoughts, feelings, or behavior.

The technique is often used in self-hypnosis. Coué graduated with a degree in pharmacology in 1876 and worked as an apothecary at Troyes from 1882 to 1910.

When he began working at Troyes, he quickly discovered what later came to be known     as the placebo effect. Ordered by our thoughts and beliefs. Our brains are also hardwired based on our beliefs, which change our neurotransmitter balance.

Autosuggestion is the principle that if you imagine something possible, it becomes true. And its effectiveness is well-documented.  For instance,  it’s been reported that 60% of chemotherapy patients start feeling sick before they begin treatment.  It also works in     the reverse – if you imagine something to be impossible, it will become impossible.

The most-publicized case of autosuggestion is Sam Shoeman, who was diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer and given only months to live. Shoeman died within the expected timeframe.   Yet the post-mortem revealed the diagnosis was wrong – Sam’s tumor was  tiny and had not spread at all.

Doctors told Sam Shoeman of Nashville, Tennessee, that he had just a few months to live. Medical scans showed extensive cancerous growths  on  his left liver lobe.  Sam Shoeman was devastated. He only wanted one thing: to survive three months until Christmas. If he could spend the holidays at home with the ones he loved, his life would be complete. Sam Shoeman had a meaningful Christmastime with his family. Then he was readmitted to the hospital on New Year’s Day. Within 24 hours, Sam Shoeman was dead.

There’s nothing strange about this true story … except that Sam Shoeman never had terminal cancer.  That’s right.  He had no physical reason to die.  Sam Shoeman thought      he had terminal cancer because of his liver scan, but … it turns out that his liver scan was botched. The autopsy revealed a tiny spot of cancerous tissue that could not have possibly killed Sam Shoeman. So what killed Sam Shoeman?

Doctors determined that he died of psychosomatic causes. His mind told his body when  he was supposed to die, and his body obeyed, right on cue.  Similarly,  researchers have documented “voodoo deaths,” such as that of a Maori tribal woman who ate a piece of fruit and an African man who ate a wild hen. Both died within 24 hours of learning that the harmless food they ate was cursed with a killing taboo.

Like Sam Shoeman, both of these people’s sense of panic and helplessness was reinforced by the absolute conviction of friends and relatives that the victim was doomed and would surely die.

Like Sam Shoeman, their hearts stopped beating because their expectations became a   self-fulfilling prophecy.

Like yin and yang, voodoo death is the dark side of a force that can also be used for good. The placebo effect is one expression of that powerful force.

Cases such as Shoeman’s may be extreme examples of a far more widespread phenomenon. Many patients who suffer harmful side effects, for instance, may do             so only because they have been told to expect them.

What’s more, people who believe they have a high risk of certain diseases are more       likely to get them than people with the same risk factors who believe they have a low     risk. It seems modern witch doctors wear white coats and carry stethoscopes.

Patients in double-blind trials who believed they were receiving an effective drug               or surgery – but who in fact received fake treatment – actually had ulcers healed,        blood pressure reduced, bronchi dilated and warts reduced. Bald men who believed      they were receiving legitimate treatment – but were not – actually grew hair.

Similarly, a large number of patients who were told they might experience negative side effects of a drug or treatment – but who in fact received fake medication – experienced  the same symptoms they were warned of, which included fatigue, vomiting, headaches, memory loss and more.

Worse yet, surgery patients who were “convinced” of their impending death usually       died during surgery, while patients who were merely “unusually apprehensive”   about death, survived. You literally hold the power to shape your future. The question      is, what will you do with this power?

Start “thriving” — or in other words, live life fully, from the day you are diagnosed.
See yourself as growing/ regenerating… not just new positive cells, but also new attitudes, new behaviors. How can you be “reinventing” yourself? Maybe cancer will push you in new and exciting directions… changes in the way you behave, the work you do, the services you offer. What does thriving mean to you?

So, perhaps you have been diagnosed or perhaps your loved one has been diagnosed.          I urge you to not panic, but rather to begin this new curious adventure in your life. Nothing is accomplished by delving into the worst case scenarios. Well, yes, something’s accomplished — you scare yourself and everyone else around you. That’s not great for healing. Mindset is the most important part of the journey to heal.

A Healing MINDSET!!! 

What do I mean about a mindset? The dictionary defines mindset as: a fixed mental
attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations       of situations.  It refers to habits of mind formed by previous experience,  an intention        or inclination, your outlook. So, how do you approach “bad news” when you get it?

• Do you wring your hands?
• Do you exaggerate?
• Do you reach out to others?
• Do you hide under the blanket?
• Do you go into denial?

Truly, how do you handle it?

FIRST STEP FOR MANAGING YOUR MINDSET:

Take it on fully. in order to beat it you have to take bad news and stay positive through it.
I believe the key to changing any problem is to change the beliefs that caused it originally.  I am constantly learning more about my beliefs  and how they affect my own   life – this is an ongoing process which will continue throughout my life.

Using our minds to heal ourselves requires mental focus that supports, also facilitates,  and in some cases, activates healing. Our thoughts have been shown to alter our neurochemistry.

The placebo effect (positive outcomes from positive expectations) and nocebo effect (negative outcomes from negative expectations) are well-documented, and in some    cases, have even shown more dramatic results than the so-called “active” drugs.

So with that, here are seven ways to heal with the mind:

1. Dream

I believe all change starts with a dream.

Dreaming our way to health may sound unrealistic, yet the realm of the subconscious         is accessed by dreaming, and that’s where a lot of our bodily functions reside.

The dreaming phase is mind-expanding, and your special way of accessing a world             of imagination and possibility.

Dream your way to wellness.

2. Intention

Create a vision of healing for yourself in your mind’s eye.

Visualization (guided imagery) techniques work because the mind thinks in pictures.
Intend for the healing to manifest in your life. Intention is powerful – it propels you forward in your journey, and creates a clear and powerful goal.                                        Intention stimulates desire.

3. Desire

Sustained positive emotions are integral to healing. Desire is an emotional trigger to keep you on your journey. The stronger the desire, the more potent is the force of will that will keep you going even when times get tough.

4. Mindfulness

Mental focus removes other barriers that distract you. It brings the fullness of your energy into the present moment. Focusing your attention on one thing will enable you to bring all your resources to its achievement.

Meditate on transforming yourself via sacred healing.

To learn how to master some of the most powerful mind-healing meditation exercises, click here.

5. Believe

You can change any aspect of your health through changing your belief about it.

To stimulate healing, it helps to believe you are worthy of being healed. It’s essential          to believe you can be healed. What other beliefs can you create to help you to heal?

6. Hope

Hope sustains you even in the darkest hour. When it seems all is lost, we cling to hope.

7. Tap into the soul

Healing is accessing our spiritual nature, nurturing grace, and the deepest aspect                of surrendering within our souls. Healing engenders peace no matter our situation –          a pure acceptance of our challenges with our blessings.

Surrender to a Higher Love. Relax away all stressful thoughts and doubts.

Tap into the Universe ask it to assist you in your healing.

(Psalm 91:11)

Call on your angels to protect you.

You are living in a walking, talking miracle, and you mind is at the helm!             Kelly Noonan Gores explores the mind-body connection in her documentary HEAL.

Director Kelly Noonan Gores’ documentary takes us on a scientific and spiritual journey
where we discover that our thoughts,  beliefs,  and emotions have a huge impact on our health and ability to heal. The latest science reveals we are not victims of unchangeable genes, nor should we buy into a scary prognosis.

The fact is we have more control over our health and life than we have been taught to believe. This film will empower you with a new understanding of the miraculous nature    of the human body and the extraordinary healer within us all.  HEAL not only taps into   the brilliant minds of leading scientists  and spiritual teachers  but follows three people     on  actual high stakes healing journeys.  Healing can be extremely complex  and deeply personal,  but it can also happen spontaneously in a moment.  Through these inspiring    and emotional stories, we find out what works, what doesn’t, and why.

She wants to empower and inspire people dealing with illness by showing them what          is actually possible,  and how huge of an impact our thoughts,  beliefs,  and emotions       have on our health!  This episode is about how changing your mind can change your     body and how shifting your perspective can change your life.                                                                        Listen to Bulletproof Radio: Episode #461 

When we heal, a dimension is activated beyond what we can see with the eyes.  It also requires us  to  surrender  what we wish to become. Our ability to heal is far beyond what most people believe. Reprogramming your beliefs is a deep, constant, and mystical path requiring full immersion, dedication and commitment.

What does it take to truly heal?

Kelly Turner has recently adapted her NY Times bestselling book ‘Radical Remission’     into a fictional, feature-length screenplay entitled OPEN-ENDED TICKET.
This emotionally moving film tells the story of a cancer patient  who takes her best friend on an around-the-world journey to try to find her estranged father before it’s too late.   In their race against time, a string of unexpected events makes them question everything  they thought they knew about life, death, and healing.

Dr. Alia Crum overcomes her nerves and delivers a great TedTalk,

She says the biggest game changer is “YOU, by harnessing the power of your mind.”       She explores scientific results that show the influence of the mindset on the body, and    how changing the subjective mindset produced different outcomes. Dr. Crum’s work is inspired in part by the placebo effect, and has implications that stretch far beyond the realm of medicine.

Dr. Crum is a professor, psychologist, and researcher investigating how mindsets affect health and behavior.

Dr. Crum’s research focuses on how changes in subjective mindsets—the lenses through which information is perceived, organized, and interpreted—can alter objective reality through behavioral, psychological, and physiological mechanisms.

Her work is, in part, inspired by research on the placebo effect, a notable and consistent demonstration of the ability of the mindset to elicit healing properties in the body. She is interested in understanding how mindsets affect important outcomes outside the realm    of medicine, in the domains of behavioral health and organizational behavior.

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

Wings 0f Hope

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Ken

Triple-negative breast cancers are a heterogeneous group and may not always be associated with lymph node spread, a new study shows. https://tnbcfoundation.org/understanding-triple-negative-breast-cancer/
The study of 145 triple negative breast cancers (i.e, cancer which is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative) in 128 women found that about 23% were moderate or low-grade lesions, said Cecilia Mercado, MD, of New York University School of Medicine, and an author of the study.
Triple negative breast cancer is found in about 15% of breast cancer patients and the patients are usually younger.
The study found that 11 of the 145 cancers had a low histologic grade. Only one of these patients had evidence that their cancer had spread into their lymph nodes. Twenty-three cancers were moderate grade lesions; only five of these 23 had spread into the lymph nodes. That compares to 37 of 111 cancers with a high histologic grade which had lymph node metastases, Dr. Mercado said.
“Our preliminary results show that triple negative breast cancers are a heterogeneous group. Although many are high grade lesions, some are moderate or low grade demonstrating a lower rate of lymph node metastasis,” Dr. Mercado said.
https://www.science.gov/topicpages/m/metastatic+triple-negative+breast.html
First thing to do, is to pray every day, do not let fear rule you allow your faith to guide you.. Do not give in, but put my focus on getting better. and it is working With our Lord, if you are a believer. There are many types of cancers and they grow at different rates. When a cancer is termed “aggressive” it means fast-growing.
“Triple Negative breast cancer can be extremely aggressive and more likely to recur and metastasize than other subtypes of breast cancer. It typically is responsive to chemotherapy, although it can be more difficult to treat because it is unresponsive to the most effective receptor targeted treatments.
“These subtypes of breast cancer are generally diagnosed based upon the presence, or lack of, three “receptors” known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The most successful treatments for breast cancer target these receptors.

“Unfortunately, none of these receptors are found in women with triple negative breast cancer. In other words, a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the offending tumor is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative, thus giving rise to the name “triple negative breast cancer.” On a positive note, this type of breast cancer is typically responsive to chemotherapy.”

OK. So that’s the general explanation of the cancer.

The stages of the cancer are as follows:

Here is the TNBC’s home page. There are links to other resources and forums, including ask-the-expert pages and bulletin boards where TNBC patients and their families and friends post to one another:

http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/index.html

and here’s a link to their welcome page to their forums:

http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/

The TNBC site was started by a group of women who have dealt with this cancer
themselves or with their friends. In searching for information on this different kind of cancer, they decided there needed to be more available. You can see their care throughout the site.

Here’s a story on TNBC from breastcancer.org, which explains why the grade is often higher upon diagnosis than in other breast cancers. Please notice the links down the left side to areas on research and treatment:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg/behavior.jsp

OK. Let’s talk about stages and grades of cancer.

Stages of cancer, according to
breastcancer.org:

Cancer stage is based on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, whether lymph nodes are involved, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Stages are 0, I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IIIC and IV.

Grades of cancer are used to classify cancer cells in terms of how abnormal they look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread. The Bloom-Richardson system is used for grading breast cancer, and has a scale of 1 – 3, with 1 being the slowest-growing and 3 being the fastest-growing.

Here’s an explanation of the grading system:
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/diagnosis/tp/tumor_grade.htm

OK, so what does all this mean?

Triple negative — a breast cancer where chemo is effective but treatments targeting three receptor cells are not.

Grade 3 — a faster-growing cancer.

Stage IIB — the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, OR the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.

This may be daunting information, I know. Here’s a bit of good news from a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I found the story fascinating — doctors didn’t always know that breast cancers differed in this way, and so your sister will get more targeted treatment than she might have in the past:

“A woman’s risk of getting cancer again within five years of her initial diagnosis (breast or another form) are higher with a triple negative cancer. But if she’s cancer free for seven to 10 years, and beyond, her risk for recurrence is less than with other breast cancers.”

Here’s that full story: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-hormone-receptor-status.html

“Five-year survival rates tend to be lower for triple-negative bc. A study done in 2007 of more than 50,000 women with all stages of breast cancer found that 77 percent of women with triple-negative bc survived at least 5 years, compared to 93 percent of women with other types of bc. The recurrence and survival figures are averages for all women with triple-negative bc. A variety of factors influence an individual woman’s prognosis.”

That story also addresses treatments, and one of the most frustrating parts of it for TNBC patients: there are no focused therapies for prevention of recurrence or metastasis beyond chemotherapy and radiation. It does discuss the possible role of vitamin D3.

And here’s a very informative piece in Science Daily:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411150927.htm
Triple-negative breast cancer: Is a new treatment within reach?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319445.php?sr

I so hope that some of this information is what you are seeking.

There is increasing interest in the use of non-toxic natural products for the treatment of various pathologies, including cancer. In particular, biologically active constituents of the ginger oleoresin ( Zingiber officinale Roscoe) have been shown to mediate anti-tumour activity and to contribute to the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiemetic properties of ginger. Here we report on the inhibitory properties of

-gingerol against metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in vitro and in vivo .    We show that [10]-gingerol concentration-dependently induces apoptotic death in mouse and human TNBC cell lines in vitro . In addition, [10]-gingerol is well tolerated in vivo , induces a marked increase in caspase-3 activation and inhibits orthotopic tumour growth in a syngeneic mouse model of spontaneous breast cancer metastasis. Importantly, using both spontaneous and experimental metastasis assays, we show for the first time that

-gingerol significantly inhibits metastasis to multiple organs including lung, bone and brain. Remarkably, inhibition of brain metastasis was observed even when treatment     was initiated after surgical removal of the primary tumour.

Taken together, these results indicate that [10]-gingerol may be a safe and useful complementary therapy for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and warrant     further investigation of its efficacy, either alone or in combination with standard    systemic therapies, in pre-clinical models of metastatic breast cancer and in patients.

-gingerol induces apoptosis and inhibits metastatic dissemination of triple negative breast cancer in vivo

Metastatic breast cancer is devastating and triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) have       a higher propensity for metastasis. Improved local control upfront in this aggressive cancer could potentially decrease its propensity toward metastasis.

The study sought to determine if using caloric restriction (CR) as a systemic therapy,      combined with radiation therapy (IR) to the primary tumor, may impact metastatic disease. Methods: An orthotopic mouse model using a highly metastatic, luciferase-  tagged TNBC cell line (4T1), was used to generate palpable tumors.

Mice were then treated with CR, IR, and a combination of the two. In vivo imaging was performed for metastatic evaluation. Molecular evaluation of the tumors was performed, generating a mechanistic hypothesis for CR, which was then tested with pertinent pathway inhibition in the model.

Results: CR significantly increased the time to developing metastases, decreased the overall number and volume of lung metastases, and increased survival. CR decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis and globally downregulated the IGF-1R signaling pathway.

Adding an IGF-1R/INSR inhibitor to local IR in vivo accomplished a decrease in metastases similar to CR plus IR, demonstrating the importance of the IGF-1R signaling pathway, and underscoring it as a possible mechanism for CR. Conclusions: CR decreased metastatic burden and therefore may complement cytotoxic therapies being used in the clinical setting for metastatic disease. Downregulation of the IGF-1R pathway, is in part responsible for this response and modulating IGF-1R directly resulted in similar improved progression-free survival. The novel use of CR has the potential to enhance clinical outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer. PMID:27027731

Caloric restriction coupled with radiation decreases metastatic burden in triple negative breast cancer.

Brain metastases (BM) are a devastating consequence of breast cancer. BM occur more frequently in patients with estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer subtypes; HER2 overexpressing (HER2+) tumors and triple-negative (TN) (ER-, progesterone receptor-negative (PR-) and normal HER2) tumors. Young age is an independent risk factor for the development of BM, thus we speculated that higher circulating estrogens in young, pre-menopausal women could exert paracrine effects through the highly estrogen-responsive brain microenvironment.

Using a TN experimental metastases model, we demonstrate that ovariectomy decreased the frequency of magnetic resonance imaging-detectable lesions by 56% as compared with estrogen supplementation, and that the combination of ovariectomy and letrozole further reduced the frequency of large lesions to 14.4% of the estrogen control.

Human BM expressed 4.2-48.4% ER+ stromal area, particularly ER+ astrocytes. In vitro, E2-treated astrocytes increased proliferation, migration and invasion of 231BR-EGFP cells in an ER-dependent manner. E2 upregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands Egf, Ereg and Tgfa mRNA and protein levels in astrocytes, and activated EGFR in brain metastatic cells. Co-culture of 231BR-EGFP cells with E2-treated astrocytes led to the upregulation of the metastatic mediator S100 Calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) (1.78-fold, P<0.05).

Exogenous EGF increased S100A4 mRNA levels in 231BR-EGFP cells (1.40±0.02-fold, P<0.01 compared with vehicle control) and an EGFR/HER2 inhibitor blocked this effect, suggesting that S100A4 is a downstream effector of EGFR activation. Short hairpin RNA-mediated S100A4 silencing in 231BR-EGFP cells decreased their migration and invasion in response to E2-CM, abolished their increased proliferation in co-cultures with E2-treated astrocytes and decreased brain metastatic colonization. Thus, S100A4 is one effector of the paracrine action of E2 in brain metastatic cells.

Estrogen promotes the brain metastatic colonization of triple negative breast cancer cells via an astrocyte-mediated paracrine mechanism.

Curcumin May Be Non-Toxic TNBC Fighter
Curcumin, an ingredient in the Indian spice turmeric, can slow the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells, according to a study on cell cultures published in the journal Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research (September, 2009). In lab research, curcumin killed TNBC cancer cells within 72 hours, without interfering with healthy cells and reduced the ability of TNBC cells to migrate to other parts of the body.
Curcumin was effective against hormone-positive cancer as well, but not to the level of its strength against TNBC.
Clinical trials will be necessary to determine the effect of curmumin on the body.
The researchers write:
These results are novel, having never been previously reported, and suggest that curcumin could provide a novel, non-toxic therapy, which could lead to improved survival for patients with triple negative breast cancer. Curcumin should be studied further in this subset of breast cancer patients, for whom treatment options are severely limited.
The study was on cells in the lab, so the quantity that could help in the human body is unknown. You can get turmeric in capsules, which might be the most efficient way to take it. Here are some suggestions from the NIH:
Doses used range from 450 milligrams of curcumin capsules to 3 grams of turmeric root daily, divided into several doses, taken by mouth. As a tea, 1 to 1.5 grams of dried root may be steeped in 150 milliliters of water for 15 minutes and taken twice daily. Average dietary intake of turmeric in the Indian population may range between 2 to 2.5 grams, corresponding to 60 to 200 milligrams of curcumin daily. A dose of 0.6 milliliters of turmeric oil has been taken three times daily for one month and a dose of 1 milliliter in three divided doses has been taken for two months. https://www.puritan.com/terry-naturally-brand-0641/ppcuramed-750mg750mg60-ct-025639?scid=45188&cmp=bngshp-_-herbalsupplements-_-025639&msclkid=b05c36e1655411cf1e066ddd0b8e3706

Stress and Triple Negative Breast Cancer

https://www.targetedonc.com/publications/evolving-paradigms/2016/TNBC/evolving-paradigms-in-triplenegative-breast-cancer-introduction
http://www.touchoncology.com/articles/triple-negative-breast-cancer-pathologic-diagnosis-and-current-chemotherapy-treatment-0

https://www.bing.com/search?q=how+do+you+cope+with+stress&form=EDNTHT&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=188a34eab43447428036e9719ebc841f&PC

https://www.ajc.com/news/world/healing-process-after-breast-cancer-surgery-could-cause-cancer-spread-mice-study-says/R1a3r279u3EeySVJlOZBQJ/

https://www.thisislivingwithcancer.com/inspiration?cmp=0fb507d7-7d0e-4d0b-8082-ddd45ab54d5d

https://www.storyhalftold.com/meet-the-participants?source=bing&HBX_PK=s
http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2013/20130618-fat-cells.html
https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/141/4/462/1760538
http://cancerfightingstrategies.com/breast-cancer.html

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This is my advice to women with TNBC and part of my success treating it.

Don’t get sucked into the fear of it.   Fear causes cancer n makes it spread.   Why?              Fear lowers your immune system, depletes nutrients, raises cortisol, causes hormonal imbalances etc. Then if you put a lot of toxic chemicals into your body filled with fear it may not be very helpful. It is important to do your own research and surround yourself with people who beat all odds with any cancer type.

Hope is important and unfortunately there is a lot of fear in our medical systems.

Also look at your body type, sensitivities n your other health conditions. I have often  shook my head at how doctors completely ignored this yet it is the basics of medicine. Chemotherapy may make other health conditions worst or cause  havoc in a sensitive        body making TNBC spread quickly.

Also explore nutrition, herbs etc. as many cultures have been using them to successfully treat C for centuries way before chemo. Unfortunately we 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 u. Yes u have the time to pull back,  research n listen to your inner guidance unless the tumour 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 bc but ask them to send clearer messages n give u strength to get thru it.  🙂      Valerie Woo 

Wings of Hope (German: Julianes Sturz in den Dschungel) is a 2000  documentary directed by Werner Herzog. The film explores the story of Juliane Koepcke, a German Peruvian woman  the sole survivor  of  Peruvian flight LANSA Flight 508 following its  mid-air disintegration after a lightning strike in 1971. Herzog was inspired to make this film as he narrowly avoided taking the same flight. While he was location scouting for “Aguirre, Wrath of God.” His reservation was canceled due to a last minute change!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=rlJVIcCPIl8

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This is My Freedom Journey

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Ken

NEVER GIVE UP, AND ALWAYS GIVE IT TO GOD IN PRAYER

I am a survivor/ warrior and teal sister for all the ovarian cancer ladies out there; and          I will advocate this till I die. What has helped me is determination, faith, and the power    of positive thinking.

Well, the #1 factor I have found is that from the beginning of being diagnosed, I started smoking marijuana for my nerves, and then found it helped my pain from surgery; then      I found it helped my nausea and appetite from hard chemo; then I found it was bringing my blood markers up; then I found it was helping with my energy, color of skin, and all  the side effects every one else was having; I was NOT.

I tried to explain to the doctor’s what I was doing and they did not want to hear any of it and shrugged me off after that; ended up closing me out as a patient since I was not following protocol.

When they did that; I went into colon failure; and lost my colon (and it was dx as stress related, hmmm) and then I went into renal failure (due to the doctor’s putting in stents in my ureters and ripping them so bad they were not usable at that point on. No urine could come out so it all backed up in my abdomen; so that is why I am now on dialysis.

My cancer will not kill me; Dr’s told me this to my face; my kidney failure will; however,     I am back smoking and vaping Thc oil along with Cbd oil and my lab work has never been better; go figure.  I will be on dialysis till the end of life; due to the failure of care from my Dr’s over the years; but Thc is keeping me alive as well; happy, and pain free and also free of any narcotics what so ever; pill free 🙂

You first must have determination once you are diagnosed with cancer; that means your determined to win this fight. Faith – this is a must have, based upon your religion or just your personal intuition that helps you believe in something that is so powerful it actually will happen if you have faith.

Finally,  the power of positive thinking,  well if you don’t have this you don’t have the          IT factor and you need the IT factor of positive thinking in order to train your thoughts     to       a more positive approach to any situation that you are involved in good or bad.

If you look at things in a negative mind set; there will be negative outcomes; if you look at things in a positive approach;  things just seem to come out looking better and brighter no matter what.  My nurse at dialysis tells me every day when I arrive; Sunshine – were gonna have a good day “right”, she sets the tone before I even begin.

There is NO room for negativity in any situation. You will always be happier, smile more, and just learn to adapt to life much easier when you have started with the right mind set, which again is, determination, faith and the power of positive thinking.

What these thoughts have brought me a peace of mind,  and restful nights,  that once     were full of tears and fears. From having gone through a divorce and an ugly one at that. But that was when I found out  that I had the cancer and my husbands mother paid him two million dollars to divorce me before the 10 year mark; so I would not get a thing; and moved his ass to Naples FL where he’s living the good life playing golf everyday. Bastard.

This very typical of men who are the only child or only male child and are typically a mamas boy; I should of seen all the red flags over the 9 years; however, I ignored them as we all do. How’s that for details, lol.

Thank you for letting me vent my journey to you.

Janice Bessinger  🇺🇸


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Microbiome 101

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Ken

The word “bacteria” is enough to make most people cringe. The knowledge  there are about 39 trillion bacteria in the human body can seem horrifying (there are more bacteria in the body than there are cells!). Yes, there are the bad, harmful bacteria that can cause disease and illness. But there are also the helpful, good bacteria that research increasingly indicates play a role in health promotion  and disease prevention.

We all have bacteria in our digestive tract. While it’s also unpleasant to think about, the     reality is that they’re there to stay. The collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites (called microorganisms) in our gut is called the microbiome. Some are potentially harmful, but many of them are the good guys with the potential to help fight off illness and chronic disease.

Everyone’s microbiome is unique; in other words, no two people have the same microbiome. That’s because the microbiota is determined, initially, by your DNA.

When you’re born, you’re exposed to your mother’s microorganisms during delivery,    and, if you’re breastfed, through your mother’s breast milk. Over time, the environment and your diet influence the type of microorganisms.  For example,  people who eat foods    of animal origin have a very different microbiome (or gut flora) than those who eat plant-based foods.

Dysbiosis is a term for a microbial imbalance or maladaptation on or inside the body,  such as an impaired microbiota.  For example,  a part of the human microbiota,  such as    the skin flora, gut flora, or vaginal flora, can become deranged, with normally dominating species underrepresented and normally outcompeted or contained species increasing to fill the void.

Dysbiosis is most commonly reported  in the gastrointestinal tract,  particularly during small intestinal bacterial overgrowth  or  small intestinal fungal overgrowth.  It has also been reported to be associated with illnesses, such as periodontal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, obesity, cancer, bacterial vaginosis, and colitis. http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/dysbiosis-symptoms-and-conditions/

“Sugar and artificial sweeteners are major culprits in feeding bad  bacteria and disrupting the balance and diversity of gut microbiota,” says gastroenterologist James J. Lee, MD and can worsen blood sugar control. Try Stevia which has shown not to have a negative impact on your stomach. Your digestive system keeps you healthy, protecting against everything from diabetes to depression, heart disease to cancer, say Harvard experts.

In fact, 90% of all disease can now be traced to a healthy microbiome. Dr. Joel Fuhrman M.D., President of the National Research Foundation advises filling up on “G-Bomb,” an acronym for the most important foods to eat everyday:  green veggies,  beans,  onions or garlic, mushrooms, berries, seeds and nuts.  Microbiome Diet  Part 1   Part 2

With cruciferous veggies containing an enzyme that metabolizes sugars in the gut to     help ward of disease. Having the proper gut microbiome helps with proper absorption       of essential vitamins and minerals which helps your body heal from disease.

Research has shown that people who eat a Standard American Diet have less diverse microbiota than those eating a plant — based diet.  The more diversity you have in your      gut, the more likely you are to have better digestion, nutrient absorption, and a healthy immune system. Other factors affect it as well, including antibiotics (which tend to wipe out the good bacteria along with the bad) and illness. An imbalance of bacteria is thought to lead to digestive disorders (including diarrhea and constipation), skin problems, urinary and vaginal infections, colds, mental health issues, and even weight gain.

Nutraceuticals and Naturopathy: Achieving the Right Blend …

Probiotics: the good guys

Of course, we all want good bacteria (probiotics) in our gut. But how do we get it? Probiotics are usually bacteria, although yeasts can be probiotics, too. You can affect       the balance of bacteria in your gut in three ways: via the environment, by food, and            by taking supplements.

The environment:  Believe it or not,  the more we’re exposed to dirt, the better our microbiome may be.  Now, no one is saying that you need to live in filth, but our culture tends to promote excessive cleanliness, and that may not be such a good thing, especially  if you have kids in the house.  Studies show that being exposed  to a variety of microbes, especially during childhood, helps to strengthen your immune system. So don’t be afraid to dig in the dirt, go camping, or be outside, in general. Other things that can help include having a pet (or being near animals), avoiding antibacterial cleaners, and occasionally washing dishes by hand versus using the dishwasher.

Food: Eating certain foods is a great way to get your probiotics. Choose foods that contain live cultures,  such as yogurt,  buttermilk,  acidophilus milk,  kefir  (a fermented probiotic milk drink), kimchi (a fermented Korean vegetable dish), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), tempeh  (fermented soybeans),  miso  (fermented soybean paste),  olives,  and kombucha     (a fermented tea drink). Some cheeses (Brie, feta, gruyere) may contain probiotics, too.

Supplements: Not surprisingly, there are many types of probiotics supplements available. Supplements may contain just one strain of probiotic, or they may have multiple strains. Common strains of probiotics include the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, Saccharomyces boulardii, and Bacillus coagulans. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor before taking  a probiotic supplement.  Some people should not take them,  including people who have    an overgrowth of yeast, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, or a compromised immune system that overtime can lead to cancer.

Probiotics and diabetes

It seems like probiotics can help a whole host of issues (although more research is needed). What about diabetes? Last year, research from Ontario was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.

In this study, 80 people followed either the DASH diet (for high blood pressure) or          the DASH diet plus probiotic-rich foods. Of the 80 people, 15% had prediabetes. After 3 months, those on the DASH diet plus probiotics had lowered their A1C by 8.9% compared to 3.4% for the DASH diet–only group.

Other studies have indicated  probiotics can lower glucose and insulin levels in those     with diabetes.  Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. casei  improved glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia  (high blood sugar)  in animal studies.  Human studies have also shown promise, but many of these studies had fewer than 20 participants, and it’s hard to rule out the effect of other factors that may have affected glycemic control. Still, things look promising as far as the link between probiotics taken for more than 8 weeks and lower fasting blood sugar and A1C levels.

In 1 study, people with Type 2 diabetes were given C. ficifolia (a type of pumpkin), C. ficifolia  and probiotic yogurt,  or simply dietary advice.  Those given C. ficifolia  and probiotics alone or together had lower total cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats), higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. All interventions lead to  lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, A1C, and blood sugar.

While it’s too soon to advise people who have diabetes to take a probiotic supplement       or eat a specific probiotic-rich food to lower blood sugars,  there is growing evidence       that probiotics, in general, can support health. In particular, probiotics may promote   heart health, which is extremely important if you have diabetes.

For now, your best bet is to take advantage of foods that are natural sources of probiotics. If, after checking with your doctor, you decide to take a probiotic supplement, choose one with multiple strains of probiotics and with. . . . at least 30 billion Colony Forming Units (CFUs). It’s also advisable to go with a supplement that has a “USP Verified” seal.  Don’t forget, too, that checking your blood sugar is an important way to see if probiotic foods and/or supplements have an effect on your diabetes control.

Want to learn more about probiotics? Read “Probiotics and Prebiotics: Parts of a Healthy Diet,”  “Probiotics: The Bugs That Are Our Friends (Part 1),”  and  “Probiotics: The Bugs That Are Our Friends (Part 2).”
You may have heard a lot of buzz in the past few years about probiotics. Probiotics are a kind of bacteria found in our gut that can help with digestion. “They crowd out harmful bacteria and might even be an important mediator for other, more systemic diseases and disorders,” says Rachele Pojednic, an assistant professor of nutrition at Simmons College and a staff scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
There’s more and more evidence that probiotics can provide relief from diarrhea or help  to repopulate your gut after you’ve taken antibiotics. Researchers are even looking to the benefits of probiotics in foods or via supplements to help with weight regulation, mental health, immune health and inflammatory gut diseases like Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel syndrome, Pojednic says.
There’s also more and more evidence that the flora in your gut can affect more than just digestive health, says Los Angeles-based Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In other words, better gut health could improve your overall health.
“As more research is devoted to the human microbiome, stronger evidence points to healthy bacteria in the gut having a positive impact on body weight, inflammation and even mood disorders,” says New Jersey-based Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator and author of “2-Day Diabetes Diet.” Yet another potential benefit is that probiotics appear to help reduce cholesterol levels – important when you have diabetes because of your increased risk for heart disease, Palinski-Wade says.

Probiotics have become a greater research focus as increased antibiotics use, stress and  the consumption of processed food and sugar are changing our gut bacteria, Sheth says.
With all of the buzz, there’s even been some research focused on probiotics use and better blood sugar control for people with diabetes. However, the bottom line is that the evidence is still limited, at least in humans, at this time. The research has mostly focused on cell culture and animal models.
“There are some promising animal studies … but there have been very few clinical trials that look at whether the actual supplementation of probiotics has a lasting effect on the treatment or prevention of diabetes,” Pojednic says.

Yet other studies on this are underway.  Some early findings  are linking probiotic use          to a reduction in fasting blood glucose levels and a reduction in hemoglobin A1C levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade says. The effects are particularly noted when probiotics are consumed for more than eight weeks, she adds.

Because diabetes can affect the immune system, making it harder for wounds to heal, one benefit of probiotics is a boosting of the immune system,  says Grace Derocha,  a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian  with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. That makes those sometimes stubborn wounds heal faster.

A number of diabetes experts believe in the benefits of probiotics, even if it’s more for gut or immune health than specifically for diabetes. Here are a few ways you can approach the use of probiotics.

Start with real food.

There are supplements available, but real food is always ideal. Look for food that has live cultures. This can include yogurt and kefir but also pickles, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and tempeh. “You can  find many functional foods now where probiotics are added,” Pojednic says. If you find the food options confusing, but don’t worry.“I would recommend sticking to a high-quality yogurt a day, which has been associated with other health benefits as well,” Pojednic says.

Consider supplements.

Although supplements should be additive to an already balanced diet, they can be helpful. “I do recommend supplementation as well as food since it can be hard to be consistent with probiotic intake through food alone, and I feel the research is strong enough to warrant additional supplementation for the diabetic population,” Palinski-Wade says.

“If patients opt for a probiotic supplement, they should make sure it has at least 30      parts per billion and is in a form that’s easy for them to consume,” Derocha says.

How do you find that out about the product? Well…

Read labels. By reading labels, you’ll better understand the product strength. Many companies are cashing in on the popularity of probiotics.  You could find yourself consuming a supplement that doesn’t have the probiotics power that it touts. That’s because supplements are not regulated the same way medications are. Look for a USP    seal on the product packaging or check the site ConsumerLab.com. “These outside agencies review the supplements to ensure you are truly getting what the label says you  are getting,” Palinski-Wade says.

By reading labels, you’ll also see if your probiotic has any added sweetener –                        an important consideration for your carb counting, Derocha cautions.

[Read: 7 Healthy Snack Ideas When You Have Diabetes.]

Talk to your health care provider. Probiotics may not be ideal for everyone. “If clients       are having an overgrowth of yeast or have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, adding fermented foods to the diet may actually make things worse,” Sheth says.  “They would need to wait to introduce fermented foods after their gut has healed. Also, anyone with       a histamine intolerance may not tolerate fermented foods.” In other words, those foods could cause allergy-like symptoms because they naturally contain a large amount of histamine.
Also, make sure that probiotics will not negatively affect other supplements or medications you currently use.
Don’t expect miracles. “Probiotics do not cure or resolve Type 2 diabetes,” Derocha says. “They simply contribute to a healthier digestive system and overall health, which can help make diabetes easier to manage.” Continue to check your blood sugar regularly, count carbohydrates, see your health provider regularly and take medicine as prescribed.

Probiotics and Diabetes: The Science Behind It

How does probiotics help diabetics? Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in correct dosages and form, give you a ton of health benefits. Probiotic supplements have been proven to have positive effects on cardio-metabolic parameters     in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

According to research conducted at Loughborough University, probiotics prevent insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is often caused by consuming foods that contain trans fats for a long time. The study found that a high trans-fat and processed food diet can reduce insulin sensitivity by as much as 27%, in healthy adults. Supplementation with probiotics helped normalize insulin functioning.

“Even short-term consumption of high-fat, processed foods aids the development              of metabolic diseases, diabetes type 2 being one of them.  However, probiotics’ impact       on insulin resistance is a significant breakthrough.  Also,  probiotics can reduce fasting blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients,” said Dr. Carl Hulston of Loughborough University.

Type 1 diabetics are people who have lost the ability to produce any insulin naturally.       In a ground-breaking study, researchers engineered a strain of Lactobacillus, a human probiotic. This was done to secrete a chemical called GLP-1 from it (which is naturally produced in the human body.) It was, then, administered orally to diabetic rats.

The compound GLP-1 made the inner skin cells of the rats’ intestines act like pancreatic cells. Pancreatic cells monitor blood glucose levels and balance insulin in the body. After 90 days, it was found that the diabetic rats were able to reduce their blood glucose levels since they were able to produce insulin by themselves. This study gives hope for gauging the advantages of probiotics for Type 1 diabetics as well.

Can Probiotics Help Diabetes?

Probiotics have significant effects on the reduction of the following in individuals with diabetes

Glucose
HbA1c
Insulin levels
Insulin resistance

Probiotic bacteria communicate with and trigger immune responses, not just in the GI tract but throughout the body.  Probiotics mediate stress responses  and handle blood sugars better, rather than flooding the system. . . . when exposed to everyday stressors.
Obesity and a diet rich in processed,  high-fat foods result in insulin resistance,  which eventually leads to type 2 diabetes. It leads, also, to less glucose uptake by muscle cells. More sugar is released from the liver, in this situation.

The pancreas is also impacted, leading to reduced insulin secretion. Studies also reveal that when you eat the wrong foods and upset the balance of good bacteria in the gut, you make yourself vulnerable to several other health conditions.  The wrong bacteria make your gut leaky which can, in turn, lead to toxins leaking into the blood. With time, this could cause a host of autoimmune diseases like –

Crohn’s disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Lupus
Rheumatoid Arthritis and many others

All this only adds to the benefits that probiotics have on diabetics in ways that go beyond blood sugar control.  However,  it is also important to realize that several factors, besides diet, affect blood sugar control and insulin function in the human body.

For example, if you’re not sleeping right, it can affect your blood sugar in the morning.
A simple walk, after dinner, can make a huge difference on how your body handles blood sugar. Ensuring that your body gets the right nutrients, like Magnesium, also Vitamin D      and Chromium and make a huge difference.

Diabetes is a system-wide disorder, one that can respond amazingly well to small     changes across a variety of areas. That’s where probiotics come in.

Present research data shows that probiotics can improve glucose metabolism. The effect    is more powerful when the duration of the intervention is more than 8 weeks. Ensuring that the probiotic has multiple species of good bacteria also seems to make a marked difference. Choosing the right probiotic is an important first step.

Probiotic food and supplements (taken separately or together) have beneficial effects on lipid profile, glycemic control, inflammation and blood pressure in T2D patients.

Please try Intestinal Care by Ethical Nutrients – it’s amazing! I bought it for the first time at a nearby health food store about 2 years ago when they first started carrying it.  I told them how much I liked it and soon they had so many customers buying it that they now carry a huge supply of it all the time – it’s their best seller. It has to be refrigerated and is shipped with an ice pack overnight, so is fresh. About 15 minutes after I take it (or sooner)  I often get relief from what I call “trapped gas” and I am able to have bowel movements as well (but I have really bad IBS-C, so I have to take other measures as well). ~Anonymous

Here are the brands that others had good luck with, ranking in the order of helpfullness…   1. Dr. Ohhira’s, Essential Formulas Inc., Probiotics 12 PLUS Original Formula 2. Natren, Healthy Trinity, 60 Capsules,  3. Sedona Labs, iFlora Multi-Probiotic  4. Nutrition Now, PB8 (Pro-Biotic Acidophilus) 5. Renew Life Ultimate Flora.

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

Cancer in Our Environment

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Ken

The American Lung Association has an annual report out anually on the troubling state       of US air quality. While you might think of smog-shrouded cities as the biggest offenders when it comes to air pollution,  in the United States the most dangerous air to breathe is actually found far outside of its biggest metropolises. Which is actually far more troubling.
The type of air pollution that is most damaging to humans is caused by “fine particulate matter,” where particles from smoke or soot less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are present in high numbers (you’ll see this referred to as PM 2.5).

This is the same kind of air pollution that kills about 5.5 million people globally every year. In the 17 years that the American Lung Association has been putting together this report, long-term particle pollution has generally gone down across the country. Ozone, another pollutant the report measures, has also gone dramatically down, mostly due to more fuel-efficient vehicles.

But there’s a very disturbing anomaly. Since 2015, there have been more short-term spikes in particle pollution—in fact, seven of the 25 most polluted cities had their highest number of unhealthy short-term particle pollution days on average ever reported. These can be caused by the processing and burning of fossil fuels, like coal-fired power plants and diesel vehicles.

But these spikes are exacerbated by and directly correlated to climate change-related events like extreme heat, drought, and wildfires. So it’s no surprise that most of the cities seeing the worst spikes in particle pollution are in California, which has experienced heavy doses of all three of these things.

Geo-Engineering: The chemtrail conspiracy theory is the false claim that long-lasting condensation trails, called “chemtrails” by proponents, consist of chemical or biological agents left in the sky by high-flying aircraft  and  also deliberately sprayed for purposes undisclosed to the general public.  Believers in the theory argue  that normal contrails dissipate relatively quickly and contrails that do not dissipate must contain additional substances which might be changing our weather patterns!!!

Air pollution in America
How clean is the air you breathe? For the past 19 years, the American Lung Association has released an annual “State of the Air” report, using data from official air quality monitors to look at pollution levels in cities across the U.S.

Over 133.9 million Americans now live in counties with unhealthy levels of air pollution, the organization says — more than two  of  every five people.   That’s up from 125 million people in the 2017 report.  Not to mention the rising arsenic levels caused by the oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico

The American Lung Association evaluated cities for three types of air pollution: ozone (often called “smog”), year-round particle pollution, and short-term particle pollution. Particle pollution refers to the small liquid and solid particles that come from burning fossil fuel and other sources, small enough to float in the air and get inhaled into the  lungs.

The health risks include lung cancer, asthma attacks, and developmental problems   among children, among other issues.

Here’s a look at the 16 communities with the highest year-round particulate levels — some of the places where air pollution could pose the greatest risk to your health.

#15 (tie): Houston-The Woodlands, TX

Houston tied 15th highest year-round particle pollution out of 187 metro areas included in the report. It also ranked 11th out 227 cities for high ozone days.

#15 (tie): Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA

This metro area tied for 15th highest annual particle pollution levels. It ranked 22nd for 24-hour particle pollution.
In addition to fossil fuels, “burning firewood and trash are among the major sources of particle pollution (soot) in many parts of the country,” the report notes.

#15 (tie): Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL

The Birmingham metro area tied for 15th highest annual particle pollution levels.            But it was #1 on the list of cleanest metro areas in 24-hour particle pollution.

#14: Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI

Motor City and its neighbors ranked 14th out of 187 metro areas for annual particle pollution levels, but scored somewhat better when it comes to high ozone days:               40th out of 227.

#13: Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN

The Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie metro area of Indiana had high year-round levels of particle pollution, ranking 13th out of 187. Studies have shown that chronic exposure to particle pollution can shorten life by one to three years.

#12: Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD

The metropolitan area encompassing Philadelphia ranked 12th out of 187 in the country for year-round particle pollution. It was also 24nd out of 227 cities for its high ozone levels.
“The burden of air pollution is not evenly shared. Poorer people and some racial and ethnic groups are among those who often face higher exposure to pollutants,” the report says.

#10 (tie): San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area tied for 10th out of 187 cities       for annual particle pollution, and was 6th out of 201 cities for 24-hour particle pollution.  It ranked 13th for high ozone levels.

#10 (tie): Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH

This area was number 10 out of 187 metropolitan areas for yearly particle pollution          but scored much better — No. 68 — for 24-hour particle pollution. It ranked 30th for     high ozone.

#8 (tie): Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV

This region was 8th out of 187 metropolitan areas for annual particle pollution.                   It ranked 10th for 24-hour particle pollution and 32nd for high ozone days.

#8 (tie): Lancaster, PA

Lancaster ranked 8th for annual particle pollution out of 187 metropolitan areas.             But its ozone levels were better, placing the community at No. 62 out of 227 metro       areas in the rankings.

#7: El Centro, CA

El Centro, near the Southern California border, ranked 7th out of 187 cities for yearly particle pollution. It ranked high in the other categories as well — 9th for 24-hour particle pollution and 15th for high ozone days.

The health risks of air pollution can be especially worrisome for children, the report notes, “because their lungs are growing and because they are so active.”

#6: Modesto-Merced, CA

The Modesto-Merced area in California’s Central Valley had poor air quality by all measures in the American Lung Association report. It ranked 6th for annual particle pollution, 5th for 24-hour particle pollution and 7th for high ozone days.

#5: Fresno-Madera, CA

The Fresno-Madera metro area in California ranked 5th out of 187 metropolitan areas      for yearly particle pollution. It also ranked very high in the other categories, coming in    3rd for 24-hour particle pollution and 4rd for high ozone days.

#4: Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

Notorious for its smog, the Los Angeles-Long Beach, California, area has seen air quality improve in recent years, but it still placed 4th for annual particle pollution and 7th for 24-hour particle pollution.
L.A. ranked worst out of 227 metropolitan areas for high ozone days.
To protect yourself, the American Lung Association advises avoiding outdoor exercise when air pollution levels are high, and avoiding exercise near high-traffic areas.

#3: Bakersfield, CA

Bakersfield has some unhealthy air. Beyond being ranked third for yearly particle pollution, it ranked worst for 24-hour particle pollution and 2nd for high ozone days.

#2: Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, CA

Coming in second on the list was the Visalia-Porterville-Hanford metro area in  California’s San Joaquin Valley. It’s a bit of an improvement over 2017’s #1 worst   ranking. It ranked 2nd for 24-hour particle pollution and 3rd for high ozone days.

#1: Fairbanks, AK

This city in central Alaska ranked worst for annual particle pollution levels for the           first time, due to the burning of wood and other solid fuels to heat homes during the      long winter.

But on the bright side, it also tied for first place on the list of cleanest cities when it comes to ozone pollution.

A few of the top cities that have the most dangerous air —Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia,    and Modesto—are all located in California’s Central Valley. These are not big cities, nor  are they necessarily large industrial centers. These are agricultural regions. Farming is actually a huge source of pollution, thanks to emissions from fertilizers and animal waste.

And because of the geography of the Central Valley, it ends up catching and trapping everything else that drifts over from those larger cities, including the emissions from power plants and vehicles. The increased oil and gas production in the Central Valley     isn’t making things any better.

What’s messed up is that these cities—housed in some of the lowest-income counties in  the state—are now shouldering both the economic and environmental burden for the rest of the country. The drought has been hard enough on those who are working to grow our food. Now the people who live there are being subjected to poisoned air and shortened lives thanks to the country’s fossil fuel addiction.

 Ohio is the most polluted state.

Curbing carbon emission has been an issue for many countries around the globe. Climate change fueled by global warming  has brought about a sense of urgency among world leaders to reduce carbon footprints and focus on green energy. On the other hand, most countries like the U.S has an economy that thrives on manufacturing. Several industries around the country manufacture products that greatly contribute to the foreign exchange earnings and also provide employment to many citizens of the U.S. These industries are however a great source of pollution because of the waste products such as chemical wastes and toxic fumes that are let out into the environment.

Power plants also play a big role in industrial pollution and together with the heavy industries they account for nearly 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Some states are known to be industrial states and have a number of big and robust industries. Apart from employment that these industries provide to its local people, they also greatly pollute the environment leading to low quality of air  and other health complications.  States which have fewer industries and manufacturing plants are less polluted and have a lower amount of carbon emission.

Worst Polluters In The United States

The state of Ohio has several manufacturing plants and is one of the states that has a       big electricity generation sector.  The harmful fumes emitted from the plants and other industries makes the state one of the highest polluted states in the U.S. Ohio is also home to a coal plant which contributes a very large amount of greenhouse emissions into the environment.

utting down on these emissions will mean that Ohio shifts to green energy but that will be a tall order given the significance of these industries to the state and also to the country as a whole. Kentucky has seen its level of pollution rise because the authorities have not been able to find ways of reducing emissions from its coal fired power plants that release a lot of toxic fumes into the environment. Pollution from its electricity sector has continued to rise placing it just behind Ohio in toxic air pollution.

States like Florida have continued to fall down the list of highly polluted states because there has been a deliberate shift from coal to natural gas which is much of a less polluter. There are also states like Michigan which are experiencing a decline in manufacturing and in retrospect experiencing less pollution. By default, they have continued to experience a decline in air pollution and not through a well laid out plan to reduce the same.

Trends In Industrial Air Pollution
Some states in the U.S have continued to experience a gradual decline in industrial air pollution, either through deliberate government policies or by default when manufacturing plants begin to close shop. Shifting to more renewable energy sources has greatly helped some states in cutting carbon emissions while in others where different stakeholders have continued to do nothing, air pollution has continued to rise. It is apparent that through deliberate actions to shift to green energy, air pollution can be reduced as has been the case with Florida.  US States Most Affected By Industrial Air Pollution

Cancer: 20 Deadliest States
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, taking more than half a million lives each year, according to the American Cancer Society. That’s 1,500 lives lost each day. One in four Americans will succumb to the disease.

But not all states are created equally, according to a new national health survey by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention.

The study doesn’t explain why some states have more cancer deaths per 100,000 people than others. But if you want to know which are the 25 states that fared the worst, read on. http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cancer-clusters-in-america
Cancer Deaths Per 100,000 People
20. Maryland (19)              197.5
19. Illinois (13)                    200.1
18. Michigan (12)               201.1
17. North Carolina (7)       202.6
16. South Carolina (10)     203.5
15. Pennsylvania (5)          203.7
14. Missouri                        206.3
13. Delaware (20)              206.7
12. Oklahoma                     208.4
11. Indiana (4)                    208.4
10. Ohio (1)                         210.2
9. Maine                              210.4
8. Washington D.C.          211.1
7. Alabama (11)                  211.3
6. Arkansas                        213.1
5. Tennessee (9)                215.3
4. Mississippi (16)            217.7
3. Louisiana                       220.1
2. West Virginia (15)        221.6
1. Kentucky (2)                  227.0

The President’s Cancer Panel (the Panel), a three-person, federal advisory committee appointed by the President, was established in 1971 with the passage of the National Cancer Act. The Panel is charged with monitoring the development and execution of       the activities of the National Cancer Program. Each year, the Panel holds at least four public meetings to solicit input from a variety of stakeholders and submits an annual report to the President of the United States with recommendations focused on improving the National Cancer Program.

The Panel’s latest report, REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL. CANCER RISK. What We Can Do Now, was released on May 5, 2010. (Select the link for Annual Report for 2008-2009) https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf

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Sweet Home Alabama

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Ken


Cancer is like a Dark Knight of Your Soul:

It’s there to humble you and teach you a thing or two about yourself. Life should not be met to be lived by the status quo “old money” versus “new money” and who has the most.  Before my cancer:  I had an extremely stress filled job in my life. . . as an insurance claims adjuster with clients always wanting you there yesterday. Heck my work schedule was always three weeks out … adjusters are scarce people nobody wants those jobs.

So it was always go – go,  push and shove  and  not thinking about your health.  Therefore, having cancer has a steep learning curve and a tough lesson about seeing the good and bad in all of us. Why is jealousy such a powerful emotion that it can cause people to say hurtful things.

Within that learning curve:  I even look at the Alabama Gulf Coastline differently today. With four main rivers flowing into the Gulf ( The Great Mississippi, Rio Grande, Grijalva and Usumacinta.) Each spring the farmers spread fertilizer on their land and rain washes these fertilizers off the land…. into the streams  and rivers flowing into the Gulf reducing oxygen (hypoxia) creating dead zones.

It’s when these dead zones being created in disputed depths of between 3750 to 4384    feet of water.  While water testing in the Gulf of Mexico  is showing increased levels of arsenic out of the Gulf.  So why eat any seafood from it. . . for Christ Sakes people why       are we messing with mother nature and an ecosystem that is so vital for life and living.

However the greatest thing cancer has taught is that no matter what … Live the Life You  Love and Love the Life You Live.  While living where you love to live it and love doing the things you love doing. Also never take life for granted its way to short. Hurricane Frederic in 1979 was the last hurricane to strike Alabama Coastline and prior to that the last Cat 3 wind storm was in 1916. Hurricanes usually go either to the east or west of Alabama.

That said though, ‘never take your life for granted or what it has given you. . . it can      changed instantly. It could have been the stress of last season’s hurricanes that caused    my recurrence but I don’t know for sure. ALL I KNOW IS That I became very ill and there’s nothing to blame.

Different strokes for different folks if you Love Living along the coast  I promise you…    you will live where your heart is. Some people love paddle boarding out into the gulf to paddle where the dolphin swim. For me I find the excitement that enters into my body comes from walking nature paths  and  listening to The Old Oak Tree Andrew Jackson stood upon to talk to his troops.

What’s important to Mallory:

Having fun at family gatherings!!!

And the nature walks she takes which she feels stimulates the lymph fluid in a positive way!!

I like spotting 14 foot gators by The Gator Park boardwalk and watching them graze in the sunlight.  I promise you if the sun is out they will be out.  Most don’t realize that Alabama has Gator and they’re all the way upstream to Birmingham.

I like climbing to the top of mountain tops                                                                                  just to see the view after and all out effort.                                                                            Someday I will be capable again!!!

It takes a lot of hardwork leading a healthy lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis. It’s the      time also invested in the research and the thought process of learning about who you  really are what you want to become. What I have learned about myself is that I have a strong  spirit within myself as I put myself in GOD’s Hands, Mallory states.

Though out all  Mallory had developed a strong connection with GOD and has learned   that everybody’s fears are contagious and Hope is too. This strong faith has worked for   her through power of prayer.

You will be surprised what you can do when you aren’t paled out by your own fears of living. If I was not met to be living this life I Love. . . I would not be here to live it. This outlook on life are reasons why Mallory has bounced back from being 70 pounds at her weakest and feeling like she was near death to 97 pounds once again today with the help   of her personal trainer.  Being bedridden back then, going from wheel chair to walker to cane and becoming functional  (which will take a little more time because her balance is still a little off.)

For many this setback may have been overwhelming but Mallory’s displays a “stubborn streak” and a willingness to work through it all.  Mallory Loves her life and sure doesn’t want to leave it quite so soon. Mallory never places a burden upon herself with negative thoughts. She knows nothing positive ever comes from being negative and is grateful for the life she has and living it where she is presently. Fighting hard comes easily when you appreciate the people you have in your life presently.  I believe Mallory is also Thankful    for what she has gained by all of these life lessons as well.
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Part of her cancer battle is doing her own research and knowing for herself. . . that it is a multitude of the things that helps her heal. Her belief is how would any doctor or anybody else know what you or your body feels. When everybody’s body chemistry is different and after you have done a treatment. Mallory always listens to her body when it’s trying to tell her . . . what its trying to tell her what it takes to get her body to heal.

Mallory  states, “why is so taboo — to others — for some to be doing nature therapy when they can see it’s working for you. Why does people tell you that if you wouldn’t be doing nature treatments your cancer wouldn’t return when she looks around and see’s other dying doing conventional medicine.

Sure presently Mallory is doing the less toxic route of immunotherapy to get the cancer  out of her bone. But she would never consider chemotherapy the side effects she is seeing with immunotherapy “Brain fog” and also “neuropathy” are harsh enough.  And I am sure she would never consider another bone marrow biopsies because through past experience. Mallory  knows the damage it can do to your body.

Your body has an amazing way of adapting to the summer heat if your out in it long enough. With that said, if you’re stubborn enough, Mallory feels the body has a unique   way of helping you fight off the cancer if your willing to put in the work. Healing is also       a positive mindset!!!

Mallory feels emotional therapy is a key as well being she had a few pets pass away    with cancer in the last 8 years since she was first diagnosed.  Feeling those pets picked up on the emotional disturbance of the person they became attached with.  Recently Mallory has been seeing an emotional therapist  and she told Mallory her heart chakra is blocked!! Because having cancer toughens you up and feels these feelings are holding up the healing process.  How to Build an Infrared Sauna for around $150 : Infrared Sauna Detox Pt 1

Other FootNotes For Mallory!!!

My chiropractor told me his uncle has spots of cancer either disappearing or reducing        in size do to his “no sugar” and “highly fermentable diet for cancer.”  Suggested to him      by Dr. Van Merkle DC. and the blood test he administered. Showcasing the deficiencies   he has in his system and recommended supplements. It’s important to remember no 2 cancer are the same and is different for everybody’s body chemistry!!

Few doctors have engaged in the type of research. . . . that Dr. Russell Blaylock does on        how our food today is affecting our brains and our bodies.  Dr. Russell Blaylock,  retired neurosurgeon,  author,  lecturer, and educator is a prolific researcher.  Also his extensive research, which is documented on both of his websites, The Blaylock Center for Wellness and Russell Blaylock, M.D., contains information on a wide variety of subjects, including excitotoxins, nano aluminum, cancer, fluoride, vaccines and more.

JONATHAN D. STEGALL, MD
The Center for Advanced Medicine
10700 Medlock Bridge Road, Suite 207
Johns Creek, GA 30097
Phone: (770) 551-2730
Fax: (770) 551-2731                                                                                          https://drstegall.com/ 

Oncostat plus test!!!

For others interested in individualizing patient therapy is chemosensitivity testing. Chemosensitivity assay is a laboratory test that determines how effective specific chemotherapy agents are against an individual patient’s cancer cells.  https://www.nagourneycancerinstitute.com/

http://chemocare.com/

 http://radcare.org/

For More Cancer Survivor Stories ==> https://www.solitarius.org/page/2/

https://buyomp.com/shop/mitocore mentioned at 48:20min

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WE ALL Thought War Was HELL

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Ken
Image may contain: 1 personImage result for flag waving gif
Three generations (father, son and his son) U.S. Army Air Corp/ U.S.A.F.

IT is  coincidental for me my father would have been 97 years old today (May 28 1921.)        I always wonder what if he would have got killed running …. onto Ohama Beach during WWII.  During W.W.II they didn’t send you new equipment you repaired what you had. Being one of the Seven devils who would run through hell to fix a jeep or tank  in the  Heart of Socialist Nazi Country in Nuremburg Germany. As well he could have lost his   life in train cars trying to get a little sleep with bombs going off all around him.

I ask myself over and over. . . many times while he was a live . . .  who would I be . . .        if he had been a casualty of war.     IN Remembrance those who served!!!

 My father had a strong constitution from being a WWII Veteran to also driving a truck     without power steering through the back roads of Pennsylvania during the 1950’s when this country was striving to make it out of the depression. He always stated this country didn’t have much until Unions where formed and Americans got fed up with having little      so they fought their way out and was coined. . . The Greatest Generation for that effort.   Until his death his thoughts was this generation would manage themselves back into a depression . . . if we didn’t have that will to fight back (Political correctness wasn’t in his calling.)

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In his Lifetime my father loved traveling the Interstate System!!!

Interstate Highway System In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record, presented his   “A Suggested National Highway Policy                & Plan” during a gathering of the State Highway Officials & a Highway Industries Association at the Congress Hotel in Chicago.  In the plan, E.J. Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–          south routes. The system would  include  two percent of all roads and would pass        through every state at a cost of $25,000 per mile  providing commercial as well as      military transport benefits.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. The      system is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation. Construction was authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, and the original portion was completed 35 years later, although some urban routes were cancelled and never built. The network has since been extended and, as of 2016, it had a total length      of 48,191 miles. As of 2016, about one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country       use the Interstate system. In 2006, the cost of construction was estimated at about $425 billion.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System
 This Memorial Day Weekend I think back to 12 years ago when I lost my father to Leiomyosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma is one of the more common types of soft tissue sarcoma to develop in adults. It is rare though with 4 in 1 million cancer patients getting this type of cancer.  (LMS) is a type of soft tissue sarcoma.  Soft tissue sarcomas can develop in muscle,  fat,  blood vessels,  or any of the other tissues that support, surround and protect the organs of the body. With chemotherapy rarely being effective against their spread. Looking back what would had been a better option.
For my father cancer began when he was 70 years old with bladder cancer and with each time he was treated. They the medical profession thought they got it all. First go around was radium treatments. Then radiation and the last go around was chemotherapy which made survival for him taxing with harsh side effects.  With each time the secondary cancer would be more aggressive than the last. Many days he would get up telling us toward the end stage that he would get up sick and tired of being sick and tired. Leiomyosarcoma was 10 times worse than WWII because during the war you had a better chance of survival.
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  That constitution served him well during his 14 year battle with cancer. By talking to him. . . he never allowed having cancer stop him from doing what he wanted do. I had a greater helpless feeling than he had. In those 14 months that he was labeled terminal (Ohio State Labeled it a year) February 24 2005. . . until his death on April 3 2006. He still constantly played the game of solitaire which seen him through an abusive father, the depression and WWII, However, in those 14 months he won hands of solitaire 14 times simply by walking through the hand with the 4 aces at the top of the board. This he said put him at peace at where he was heading must be much easier than life!!!
For me watching someone terminal created a helpless feeling that drove me   into severe depression. Motivated me to do my own cancer research after his death and to start this blog that guides people through a dysfunctional health care system that should be considered a cancer maze. Without little concrete answers. 
 
The lyrics are just ambiguous enough to lend the listener many different meanings.  The take we get on a song is so very much based on our perception of life and our vantage points in our life at any given time.  This song is a perfect example of that.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6pQcpFnXOI
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However, looking back I wish I knew what I know today because that type of understanding and being made aware of the facts may have serve him well. 
Do I have regrets …  Sure DO!!
 
Divine Intervention:
 
The vision for this blog post started after I prayed the rosary and attended mass at The Basilica and National Shrine of. Our Lady of Consolation in Carey Ohio. This was mid March 2006 and on the drive home. I visualized a website on the internet with answers to cancer and cancer survivor stories. It was the following weekend when I met a Chinaman in Kettering that had been researching cancer for seven years. In this chance meetings        I had with Mant Prowg told me it was culture shock when he came here and seen what people ate and taught me the basic difference between Eastern and Western Medicine and taught me that in China the youth are educated better nutritionally than in the United States.
 
In the coming years it was always the next person that taught me something needed to finally helped me gain the skill to write blog post. I truly believe that GOD puts people in our walk that helps us to fulfill our walk on life that completes our mission in the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyAdlngs6Nk
 
Life will break you.  Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel.   It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up.  When it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could. ~Louise Erdrich
Take time to be thankful for everyone in your life; whether they are in your life for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime. Know that most relationships are two ways. Don’t presume you are in someone’s life to serve them for a reason or season without considering what it is you need to learn from them. We are all here for each other.
 
  His cancer  was first mentioned to me shortly after his retirement began. Which my Father truly felt a sense of lost being a machinist of trade through World War II. where       he turned a part in the shop and went on a mission to repair a jeep or tank.  After 32 yrs. of employment and being a machinist: he then was afforded an opportunity to go back to Germany to visit his youngest (my brother) stationed near Kaiserslautern (Ramstein Airbase) Kaiserslautern → Nuremberg  which was 200 miles.
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On that trip. .  . . he went thru Munich to Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” Retreat – Berchtesgaden, Germany and didn’t recognize one thing.  YES  it all had changed and through that transformation of being war torn when he left             to modern day times. He wondered how many American Soldiers that he    buried had their remains not there.
Maybe it was some of those lost emotions he had to relive on that trip is         what gave him cancer. Or maybe it was the coolant he used to turn parts            or the diesel fuel to drive the truck when he arrived home after the war.            He was always a Corn Flake, beef eater and microwave popcorn & coke      drinker kinda guy as well!!!
 
By doing my own research and not putting blind faith in the health care system I would have known his best          options. I have learned since that his diet made my father an innocent bystander for cancer. GMO’s, hormones and a extremely high acidic diet :'( 
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and also

Dakota Neal successfully survived an otherwise incurable cancer with an optimistic determination and a team of compassionate, unrelenting specialists. To read about Dakota’s battle with leiomyosarcoma, check out Miracle Survivors: Beating the Odds of Incurable Cancer. https://cancercentersocal.com/uncategorized/overcoming-stage-iv-leiomyosarcoma-survival-story-one-dr-chawlas-patients/
From an anonymous source:
 
When a loved one enters the dying process, it would be so helpful to know what to expect, what to look for.  After being at the bedside of hundreds of deaths, I decided to write a hand book for families to help them navigate these waters.  Gone From My Sight is the first and most widely used handbook on the signs of approaching death.  Churches, families, social workers, nurses, chaplains need this book.  Do you have yours? 
 
 Beautiful tear…
 
I have seen this tear often on my med floor for those patients I was at their bedside when they died. I also saw it 2 years ago when my own mother passed away gently at home. I would gently wipe the tear away, but I never thought of anything about it except as a physical proponent of death. The tears I saw never left the eye to run down the face. The tear was in the inner or outer canthus, depending on gravity. The ones who had the tear had a quiet death usually on a morphine gtt and an ativan gtt if it was in-hospital. My mother was ready to die for 10 years and vocally would express this wish. I was surprised by your question as I had never thought of it as anything else. To answer your question, I would say it is a relief to them that death is happened and they can now join their parents, siblings and other family members.
 
It is usually the matriarch or patriarch of the family who is passing so tears on their part is unusual as this is a defining moment for them in front of people who they’ve raised and influenced their whole lives. They are experienced in life and have told me they want to be remembered as accepting and content to pass. There’s that “I don’t want to stress any of them, so I’ll leave when they do” phenomenon, which is witnessed quite often.
 

I understand it could be physiological, but I personally believe there’s an emotional reason behind it. I have 2 theories.

First, people who have had near death experiences always talk about how beautiful and peaceful it is. It would be very interesting to know if these people had this tear during their experience. My second theory is this: Many of my patients (when they were alert and could speak) knew they would be passing soon.

People usually become very lethargic or unresponsive when they are close to passing       and are no longer able to speak. I believe they are still aware though, and that tear may     be caused by them being sad because they know it’s time to leave. Yes, I am sorry they    feel sadness, but on the other hand, it is the intense love they have for you that makes them sad to leave. This is something I explain to my family members who are afraid to    say good-bye to their loved one because they feel they will cry too much and make the patient feel bad. You cry so hard for them because you love them so much.

It’s an absolute blessing to have someone you love so much you don’t want to leave      them. Tears are proof of that intense love.

Like I said earlier, that it could possibly be physiological, but most of my patients are dehydrated and their eyes are very dry. Some people even keep their eyes open, so they  are excessively dry. I’ve seen single tears in these people as well. Something I’m sure of though, is that the single tears I’ve seen were definitely not due to discomfort or physical pain.

You also spoke about hearing being the last sense to go and for how long. I am a firm believer in people being able to hear until the end. The reason why I believe this so strongly is I’ve had several people who were completely unresponsive and waited until their family left before they passed. Family would be at the bedside 24/7, and they step into the bathroom for 5 minutes, and the person passes. I’ve also had people hold on when it looked absolutely impossible, and less than 5 minutes after the family arrives the person passes. We have all seen it too many times to be coincidental. If I’m alone with someone when they pass, I always assume they can hear me and wish them a peaceful journey.

  I have to say though, please forgive me in advance for being blunt and having a bit of an angry tone. Firstly, in my research, it is VERY COMMON when someone is moments from death who has been ill for a long time to have tears seconds before they pass. This is a natural response by the body. There is no emotional or cognitive association to this. It IS a physiological response.

I can only come to the following conclusions in regard to these comments where posters are writing that they never seen this before. My assumptions are that those who allegedly work in the field either haven’t been in the industry very long, are on auto-pilot at work, are oblivious or lack any observation skills when dealing with the dying. If it’s the latter,      I really have to ask, “what are you really doing here”?  Is this simply a job  for you or are working here to help others? Are you blindly going on about your job without any care  and attention and tuning everything out?   That’s not the kind of person I want to be assisting a loved one.

Secondly, to write “who really knows”? Well, is this comforting to the loved ones still alive? Science says tearing is a normal part of the dying process and the living should not read anything more into this. Regardless of your faith, if you have a faith, this kind of comment is not helpful whatsoever. The family is already in mourning and if they think in any way their loved one did not die in peace or has regrets, this may be one of the most traumatic events one can endure in their lives.

Thirdly, if someone dies in a hospice or who is receiving palliative care, the person has likely “left on their journey” soon after the heavy, heavy increase in narcotics to help the patient die more peacefully. The deep and struggling breaths is the body shutting down. The body becomes slowly colder and the the breathing between breaths become longer  and longer until the both the heart and breathing stops.

Finally, based on some of the responses here, I am further disturbed by the lack of  training given to palliative/hospice care employees in regards to the death process           and what the loved ones may see. When we are told “hearing is the last to go”.

The real question I have is, “when is that”? Before the last breath? After a period                 of heavy sedation?

I truly hope my post helps others not feel guilty or sad about their loved one should        they see them teary eyed moments before death.

 
You also spoke about hearing being the last sense to go and for how long. I am a firm believer in people being able to hear until the end. The reason why I believe this so strongly is I’ve had several people who were completely unresponsive and waited until their family left before they passed. Family would be at the bedside 24/7, and they step into the bathroom for 5 minutes, and the person passes. I’ve also had people hold on when it looked absolutely impossible, and less than 5 minutes after the family arrives the person passes. We have all seen it too many times to be coincidental. If I’m alone with someone when they pass, I always assume they can hear me and wish them a peaceful journey.
 
He had a few tears in the last moments. It bothered me to wonder if he was sad. To my relief, I found the following information at Webmd.com. Hope it helps all of us who are grieving (What to Expect When Your Loved One Is Dying) :
Signs That Death Is Near continued…When death is within days or hours, your loved one may:
  • Not want food or drink
  • Stop peeing and having bowel movements
  • Grimace, groan, or scowl from pain

You may notice their:

  • Eyes tear or glaze over
  • Pulse and heartbeat are irregular or hard to feel or hear
  • Body temperature drops
  • Skin on their knees, feet, and hands turns a mottled bluish-purple (often in the last 24 hours)
  • Breathing is interrupted by gasping and slows until it stops entirely
  •  Enjoy reading: https://www.instantflipbook.com/flipbooks/8e46b7a8d2/?page=1
  If they’re not already unconscious, your loved one may drift in and out. But they probably can still hear and feel.   At the End

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDChYZHfTiM

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Gerson Therapy || Angie Cooper

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Ken
                                                                                                                   Pictured is Charlotte Gerson with Angie Cooper and mum Val  🙂

Kathleen Blake was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 32 years ago,  was told  the surgeon wanted to remove her thyroid. This didn’t sound right to her, So she started to look for alternatives, prayed for guidance. At a health food store a few days later, she found Dr. Gerson’s book, A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases. Instinctively, she knew this was the right way to go, but, as the mother of four young children, could not afford the time or cost to go to the Mexican clinic for two weeks. 

So she proceeded to do the Gerson Therapy herself,  very strictly at home for two years, and to         this day,  stays close to the Therapy’s recommendations for good health.  She has continued to  research natural health, worked in the local health food store, and is a vocal advocate for natural healing, including facilitating local seminars for Charlotte Gerson in Sedona, AZ. 

April 8, 2013 Hosted by Howard Straus

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/68362/kathleen-blake   

If your on Facebook: Kathleen Blake’s Gerson Therapy Support Group has a high success rate of members. . . if they stay committed like Angie Cooper.   

S0 Here is Angie’s Story In Her Own Words 🙂

I was diagnosed in June 2012 with stage 3 nodular melanoma the tumour presenting as      a small sore on my upper right arm.  Having no knowledge whatsoever at this time that people were curing themselves with natural treatments I chose to follow the conventional route and completed one month of interferon treatment in December 2012.
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My oncologist encouraged me to give the treatment a try and told me it would increase my five-year survival rate by 5% with little to no side effects.  How wrong he was I ended up with horrendous side effects including hair loss, severe depression, vomiting blood and damage to the liver, I ended up in emergency and was admitted for three days and placed on a drip, my weight plummeted, I was in bad shape.
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 I completed the month long treatment of daily IV’s the week before Xmas 2012.
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In January 2013 I felt a lump in my hip and after further scans and a biopsy it was confirmed that the cancer had metastasized, I was given a terminal diagnosis from my oncologist.  I was offered no further treatments and there were no clinical trials available.  The only course of action to be taken was a pet scan every 3 months to see further tumours as they appeared, when I queried him why so often he said so that they only find one tumour in my liver at a time not 20.
From the time I was diagnosed I started to do research into both conventional and natural treatments. I went on you tube and Google searching for any survivor story. I could find from people who had received the same diagnosis as myself and had healed.  It consumed most of my days reading and watching one story after another.  Time after time I was lead to the Gerson Therapy this therapy became my focus and backup plan when conventional treatments failed me.
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In March 2013 I applied to the Gerson Institute in San Diego, within a few days I received an early morning phone call advising me that my application had been accepted. You can’t imagine my relief and excitement knowing that the Institute felt that they would be able to help me, I had hope and a plan to reverse the diagnosis I was given.
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I left Perth 10th May arriving in Mexico 11thMay 2013.  I was introduced to Dr. Cervantes, the nurses and staff, I was shown to my room where I stayed for three weeks with my Mum who traveled the 24 hours with me to be my companion. I have only positive feedback with regards to my time spent at the clinic, Dr. Cervantes was very thorough, and I felt he was 100% invested in my treatment program.

 My schedule started off with 10 juices and 3 coffee enemas a day but by the end of the first week I was consuming the full 13 juices and doing 5 coffee enemas a day.  Meal times were set the same for all patients 8am Breakfast, 1pm Lunch and 6pm dinner. In addition to these meal times and juices I was given a vegetable sandwich at both 11am and 4pm and an extra bowl of oats after dinner.  This was because I was malnourished having lost 8-9 kilos on an already slight frame.
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  I was consuming many supplements approximately 80 per day. I was privileged in the first week to have Charlotte Gerson and her daughter Margaret Strauss attend the clinic for our own personal lessons, it was amazing here in front of me was the daughter and grand daughter of Dr. Max Gerson.  By the second week Dr. Cervantes introduced Castor oil to my schedule, this included drinking a tablespoon of castor oil followed by a black coffee chaser, this was the only time we could drink coffee. This would continue to be part of my therapy every second day for the first six weeks gradually tapering off to twice a week, then weekly, monthly etc.
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After three weeks at the clinic I returned home to follow the full therapy for the minimum two years required to totally rebuild my body and liver.  My day included three meals, 13 juices, 5 coffee enemas and over 80 supplements a day, drinking castor oil every second day. I dreaded castor oil days as not only had my one tablespoon spoon increased to two but the thought of drinking it had me gagging at just the thought of it.
On castor oil days I was completely left without energy and had detoxing side effects of    dry retching and feeling ill.  Over time the symptoms lessened like I was told they would do and eventually I could drink the castor oil with no ill effects at all, apart from not going to far from the bathroom castor oil days were manageable.
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I experienced a lot of emotional healing reactions and also a few physical ones, I had a        lot of ulcers in my mouth in the beginning and I would have to keep swallowing.  It was  like I had fluid draining continually down the back of my throat. I never experienced the high temperatures some patients talk of.

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Where I had surgery to remove the tumour from my hip I would have pain in that area      on and off eventually it never bothered me again. The emotional flare ups were intense:
I would feel like I was suffering depression for a few days then as quickly as these feelings began they would disappear, I could literally feel the depression starting or finishing.
I would go through days of anxiety that was to the point I would gag on the oats I enjoyed, or I would throw up the juice I had just finished.  Tears were never to far from my eyes and I would vent my frustration at these feelings I was constantly having with my new Gerson Friends who were all feeling the same way.
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3 months after I had surgery to remove the tumour from my hip my oncologist wanted me to have a pet scan, Dr. Cervantes however wanted me to wait 6 months to allow the Gerson Therapy time to start healing my body.  I fully trusted the Gerson Therapy so chose to wait the six months.  The oncologist was not happy and expressed this to me.
At the six months mark I did have the pet scan which showed no evidence of disease, the oncologist never once congratulated me for staying cancer free nor did he ever show any interest in what I had been doing.  In fact, he refused to let me tell him what I was doing, needless to say I sacked him and never went back.
I continued the Gerson Therapy for the full two years not once cheating as I knew that meant I was only cheating myself and my chance at a full life.  Every month I would do full blood work and send my results to Dr Cervantes, we would then have a phone consultation to discuss the changes that were happening. Very gradually the therapy reduced and  by the end of the two years I was doing 9 juices and 2 coffee enemas a day and the odd castor oil day when I felt I needed it.
I am now (May 11th) five years cancer free and still live my life following the teachings of Dr. Gerson, I have allowed more foods to be added to my diet staying with a plant-based diet.  I chose to continue to one coffee enema a day and drink five juices, I do not know if   I will do this forever but for now it just feels right.

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