Lindalu

No, but I intend to look into it right away. Thanks, Linda

When I was first dx'd, I went on a rampage trying to find info on alternative medicine. I also read Dr. Weill's bestseller (don't recall the title but it deals with healing through nutrition - Great!). Two products impressed me enough to give them a try. The first was Poly-MVA which is distributed by a company out of Los Angeles. The company was started by a man who lost his wife to cancer and wanted to make a difference in the lives of others by trying to find a natural cure. Unfortunately, because the product is not widely known, it is expensive. Depending upon whether or not they have had large donations, it costs about $310.00 for an 8-oz bottle. They occasionally offer a lower price. My family pitched in to help with the cost. They do recommend a regimine of this and other products (CoQ-10, Coral Calcium, etc.). I took some, but not all of them because it got too pricey. Because I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, I know for a fact that this product boosts the immune system (although that isn't the only benefit - they claim it crosses the blood-brain barrier so works well on brain tumors). You would have to read the info on their website about how it works, which is very technical but worth it. Rheumatoid Arthritis causes the patient's immune system to go bananas and it starts attacking the joints and bones, causing inflamation, swelling and pain and eventual loss and/or crippling of both. Unfortunately, I had to stop taking the product because it caused my arthritis to flare badly -- a sign that the immune system is very, very strong! The same thing resulted from the Epican Forte (Dr. Rath) and again, you will have to visit their site and take the time to read through the scientic data to appreciate how it works. The bottom line again, was that I couldn't take it because it worked TOO well and made my arthritis flare almost uncontrollably. Again, a sign of a very strong immune response. This product is cheaper than the Poly but I am not sure it can cross the blood-brain barrier. It has been a year or so since I read the material, so I hope I haven't given incorrect info but check it out. Another product that gave me the same result was "Immunolift." I can't recall where I purchased it, but you can put it in a search engine and it should come up. The bottom line was that, although I had to stop taking these products, I did take them for about 5 weeks up until my surgery. The surgeon remarked that the tumor was "much smaller" than he expected from the scans and x-rays. (8cm to 5cm) I am convinced that they had some affect. Another thing I did, and am trying to get back to, is changing my diet to cut out sugar, carbohydrates, etc. and eat more nuts, grains, and greens and to maintain a more alkaline system. I think it all contributed (along with a LOT of prayer!). But I haven't been a good girl since my chemo and was so desparate to gain weight, that I ate everything in sight. So because of that, and the fact that I cannot take any immune boosters, I am once again facing another round of chemo due to a suspicious area in my lung. I don't know if these products will work for everyone, but if I could, I would still be using them. I just wanted to offer the info in case someone out there can benefit. I will try to locate the web addresses and post them but they should be readily available in Google, etc. Best wishes for a full recovery! Linda

I came across your site just weeks ago. I don't know why I didn't find it when I was doing so much research last summer. You all sound like a great group of people, like those I have experienced meeting at our local cancer center. Everyone is in or has a loved one who is in the same awful boat! One I never dreamed I would ever be in for sure! It has been an incredibly scary process but, with the help of my wonderful brothers, sisters, children and friends, has helped me to grow both personally and spiritually. My diagnosis was like being blind-sided with a two-by-four (I'm sure you know what I mean!) I was expecting a simple negative chest x-ray as a followup to a once-every-four-years TB test required, since I work with students at our college and inside a Federal prison. Anyway, as I said below, another followup chest x-ray has my doc wanting to see a new CT and bone scan. I only just got back to work in late January and was trying to purchase a house . . . wow, it's very depressing to think I might have to go through it all again. It takes so long to rebound. I haven't told anyone about this as yet, in case there is no need for alarm. They have been through so much already. I do catch myself blaming myself because I am an x-smoker, but my doctor tells me he is seeing more and more cases where the patient has never smoked or lived with a smoker. And I see lots of posts by those same people. I thought my "curse" in life was going to be the rheumatoid arthritis, but was I ever wrong! Does anyone else suffer with RA, too? It sure does complicate the course of treatment. Well, I just wanted to drop in and say hello to everyone. I plan to come by daily whenever possible to get my uplifting 'fix.' Thanks, too, to the originators of this wonderful site. It is so badly needed. I will pray for you all!