Complimentary or Supportive, Non-Traditional Therapies?

[Starr13]

I am just wondering if anyone has tried any complimentary therapies, in full cooperation with their traditional treatments and with the support of their oncologists.

Beyond that, has anyone tried exercise/workout programs, diets, quitting smoking, etc.?

If so, does any of it seem to be helping with remission or heading off relapse?

I am evaluating several options; just curious to know what may have worked for others...

[Guest hearrean]

My MD Anderson Thoracic Surgeon told me to walk/run every day for 1 hour & that's what I do at the gym. Actually I do 1 hour on the treadmill at a fast walking pace.

I quit smoking 6 years ago.

I've changed my diet by adding much more veggies, cut way back on redmeat and drink much more fluids (water, juice veg. juice).

I totally avoid refined sugar and drink only pure juice w/ no sugar added. Or I may add sweetening to things like tea using Stevia.

I personally take a lot of supplements/herbs, but this is not at the suggestion or even agreement of my Oncologist. I do try & avoid certain ones 24 hours before & 24 hours after chemo. I personally believe this is what has helped keep my immune system in check, kept me from having any side affects from the chemo as well as keeping all my blood counts in check with very little drop in any of them.

Actually I took a lot of suggestions from reading "Ernies's Story" right here on this forum under the heading "My Story." I've recently added a couple of things classified as Superfoods. These include Spirulina & Chlorella.

Many (most) Oncologists don't seem to agree with the taking of supplements/herbs, but I just have read so much on the subject including trials, etc. which do give merit to many of the things I take. And after all, it is my body. My local Oncologist's opinion is this, he doesn't necessarily agree with the taking of much of what I do, but he says if I insist on doing so, at least avoid doing some of them 24 hours before & after chemo.

This is just my regime & I believe it is helping me considerably. Of course I always add prayer and ask God every day for healing.

Hope some of this helps.

Ken

[Starr13]

Ken, that does help. I quit smoking a month or so prior to diagnosis; my CEA is .8, however, I understand CEA has no relevance with sclc.

I do work out every day, but, I am lost and confused on the complimentary therapy issue. I found someone I wanted to work with - a man with credentials, an ND, and on staff at a respected institution, and, he wanted to arrange a consult with my onc, a step I agree with because I only want to work with my onc, not against him, but, imagine my amazement when he refused to participate and consult with the ND. "We don't do that" I was told. I am very disappointed, and so not sure what to do now...I don't want to just go off on a tangent and do things without my onc weighing in and making the final call, because I think it's very important to make sure he has control of my treatment plan.

But at the same time I truly believe that traditional medicine brings only about 30% to maybe 50% of the solution. I think radiation and chemotherapy perhaps resolve the SYMPTOMS of lung cancer, but, they do nothing to address the underlying cause, which is why - particularly with sclc - the relapse and mortality rate is so high.

I am convinced that lifestyle, mindset, attitude, diet, exercise, and serious, aggressive immune system reconstruction and support are critical to winning this. I am also convinced that my oncologist should be guiding the decisioning process. I do NOT think any of these factors should in any way, shape or form replace traditional medicine, or even be weighted more heavily, but rather than they should play a supporting role and be a natural extension of the work the traditional onc is already doing.

So, I don't know what to do - wing it, get a new onc, or what...so I am curious what everyone else has done, or even perhaps considered, and then decided against...

This is very frustrating and disappointing.

[Guest hearrean]

"Starr13"]Ken, that does help. I quit smoking a month or so prior to diagnosis; my CEA is .8, however, I understand CEA has no relevance with sclc.

I do work out every day, but, I am lost and confused on the complimentary therapy issue. I found someone I wanted to work with - a man with credentials, an ND, and on staff at a respected institution, and, he wanted to arrange a consult with my onc, a step I agree with because I only want to work with my onc, not against him, but, imagine my amazement when he refused to participate and consult with the ND. "We don't do that" I was told. I am very disappointed, and so not sure what to do now...I don't want to just go off on a tangent and do things without my onc weighing in and making the final call, because I think it's very important to make sure he has control of my treatment plan.

But at the same time I truly believe that traditional medicine brings only about 30% to maybe 50% of the solution. I think radiation and chemotherapy perhaps resolve the SYMPTOMS of lung cancer, but, they do nothing to address the underlying cause, which is why - particularly with sclc - the relapse and mortality rate is so high.

I am convinced that lifestyle, mindset, attitude, diet, exercise, and serious, aggressive immune system reconstruction and support are critical to winning this. I am also convinced that my oncologist should be guiding the decisioning process. I do NOT think any of these factors should in any way, shape or form replace traditional medicine, or even be weighted more heavily, but rather than they should play a supporting role and be a natural extension of the work the traditional onc is already doing.

So, I don't know what to do - wing it, get a new onc, or what...so I am curious what everyone else has done, or even perhaps considered, and then decided against...

This is very frustrating and disappointing.

Believe me, I understand your dilema. And I totally agree with all things you listed as being critical to winning our battle.

Actually there are probably very few Oncologists who would work with what I call a Naturopathic professional. And granted, some of these types get off on a wild tangent & even stress that you should replace traditional treatments with theirs. That is dangerous & definately not something I would do. I do not want to go against my Onc, but at the same time if I know from my own experiences that I am helping my immune system, then I will do what I can to continue that. I have the blood work & then of course my own feelings of well-being which do indicate to me that, in my case, something is helping. And since many of us have heard that Chemo is basically poison (My Onc said this, I didn't), my goal is to heal and hopefully at the same time try & ward off those negative things brought on by my treatments. I definately believe in the chemo & radiation (because there's nothing else out there yet), but I also believe in all the things I do alongside my chemo. I realize I take full responsibility for my body and anything I do in the interim, just like I take full responsibility for my smoking all those years.

Ken

[Starr13]

Ken, I agree completely. I too take full responsibility for the self-inflicted lung cancer I now have, thanks to smoking. (No offense intended to anyone here who does not share this view point.) I feel as if I owe my body one huge apology for the harm I did to it, and, I will never touch another cigarette, ever again. I'm lucky though - I don't even miss them.

Having said that, I feel as if I have a good chance of winning this, because of having no side effects, no performance issues, not even tired. Haven't missed a meal, gained some weight, blood work is awesome. BUT - how to maintain that, especially considering the assumed treatment to come, knowing the high relapse rate of sclc.

The most difficult part is trying, without any guidance from my onc, deciding WHICH components of complimentary medicine to leverage.

There is entire too much data out on the internet, and no where near enough information. For example, you can find 100 scientifically based articles that say that green tea is terrific, and, you can also find 100 scientifically based articles of equal credibility that say that green tea is bad, especially during chemotherapy.

So without guidance and input from the traditional onc, operating solely on the guidance of the ND, how, exactly, do you decide on your own what to incorporate?

In the short term, I have only been taking a multivitamin (over the counter common type), and eating whatever my body tells me it wants. Today that was a lot of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, yogurt, broccoli sprouts, tuna fish, peppers, garlic, french toast, etc. Oh and lots of water.

Frustrating...

[Beachmama]

Starr, it really sounds like you are on the right track. Your mindset is terrific and you at least have the desire to try changing your diet and lifestyle to be that of a healthy person.

I really hope you looked at the info I sent you and like I said, anything I can do to help or add to the info that you saw, I am here.

I am a believer in alternative. I am not going on what the onc says. I just do not trust them completely. There is too much at risk and the numbers don't lie. Someone is missing something somewhere.

Connie

[autumnborn]

Just bought green tea and green tea supplements for my best friend, just diagnosed Wednesday (not sure of the stage, probably IV, but appears there's a small chance she not only has LC, but lymphoma, too - and we're hoping there are two distinct cancers, of course)! Am looking into some mushroom therapy (very promising news from the NIH on this). Also, macrobiotic diet, which she isn't too hip on, but she wants to live.

Problem is, she's also got myelofibrosis lurking and was looking at a bone marrow transplant in the future. That's on the way back burner now.