| Every October, the pink paraphernalia blossoms | | | | I've been reading research since before I was |
| everywhere-car magnets, bracelets, coffee mugs, | | | | diagnosed in 2002, and I want to pass along to |
| and even upscale attire. October is Breast Cancer | | | | you and your loved ones what I have learned. |
| Awareness month. With the lifetime incidence of | | | | 1. You can take meaningful steps to avoid breast |
| cancer at 1 in 8, everyone knows someone who | | | | cancer, and every woman can do them:o Get |
| has had breast cancer, received treatment for it, | | | | plenty of sleep (easier said than done!). Studies |
| or passed away from it. Honoring loved ones and | | | | show that this is a risk factor for breast cancer. |
| celebrating survivors feels rewarding temporarily, | | | | The body and the immune system need daily |
| but we honor them best in the long term by | | | | recovery and repair.o Get plenty of sunshine and |
| taking meaningful action that will help many over | | | | Vitamin D. Studies show that Vitamin D, as much |
| time. That's why I'm writing this short | | | | as 5,000 units daily, is needed for proper immune |
| commentary and research-based strategy, as a | | | | function. The RDA of 400 units is woefully |
| way of thanking everyone who has ever helped a | | | | inadequate.o Support your liver. Studies show an |
| loved-one through cancer or memorialized them | | | | increased risk of breast cancer after long-term |
| after a heart-wrenching loss. This paper is a gift | | | | alcohol consumption. What they aren't telling you is |
| that you may send to anyone who needs it. | | | | how medications, such as seemingly harmless |
| Some medical "experts" aren't likely to agree with | | | | Tylenol®, can damage it. You can protect and |
| me, but I won't let that dampen my resolve. I | | | | restore your liver with a number of herbs, and by |
| speak from both scientific knowledge and | | | | limiting medications and alcohol.o Maintain a normal |
| first-hand experience. | | | | body weight.o Exercise. Cardio exercise in at least |
| I am a survivor of chemotherapy, radiation, and | | | | moderation (but not over-training) stimulates the |
| bi-lateral mastectomy, as I like to say. These can | | | | immune system.o Supplement your health: |
| often prove deadlier than cancer. I was diagnosed | | | | - Try flax seed oil, which can reduce the risk of |
| with Stage III lobular carcinoma of the right | | | | breast cancer. |
| breast in 2002, after many regular mammograms, | | | | - Selenium and turmeric have tumor suppressing |
| "doing all the right things" except for sleep | | | | benefits. |
| deprivation, and considering myself as succeeding | | | | - IP-6, an inositol-based substance, can increase |
| against the odds after my mother succumbed to | | | | natural killer cells in the body (those that attack |
| the disease. Today I am healthier than ever. My | | | | mutated cells) as much as 300%. |
| mother was not so fortunate: after a second | | | | - Nucleic acids, such as RNA, help with correcting |
| diagnosis of cancer around her 48th birthday, she | | | | errors in cell replication, and should be seriously |
| bravely endured the accelerating downward spiral | | | | considered by anyone at risk by age or genetics. |
| of terminal cancer for 9 very long years. | | | | These strategies are not expensive or |
| The long-term survival statistics for breast | | | | time-consuming. However, entrenched patterns of |
| cancer, despite decades and billions of research | | | | behavior are resistant to change. |
| dollars and years of "races for the cure", are still | | | | 2. If you have been treated for cancer by |
| not very encouraging. While the official word is | | | | chemotherapy or radiation, you MUST rebuild your |
| that deaths from breast cancer are declining, the | | | | immune system. |
| reality is very different: since chemo damages the | | | | Chemotherapy and radiation kill healthy cells as |
| immune system, breast cancer patients often | | | | well as cancerous ones. They damage the body's |
| have a diagnosis of a second cancer, not just a | | | | ability to resist another assault and hinder the |
| recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer. It's | | | | natural process of identifying and killing cancer |
| that second cancer that the medical authorities | | | | mutated cells. The reason why the long-term |
| associate with the patient's demise, not the | | | | survival rates for breast cancer appear to be |
| breast cancer treatment that destroyed their | | | | improving is because thousands of women are |
| immune system in the first place. | | | | diagnosed with another cancer within years of |
| After my treatment, recovery and experience of | | | | cancer treatment, and that second cancer is then |
| health regained, I can speak with no small amount | | | | counted as the immediate cause of death. When |
| of authority. We can do much about breast | | | | immune systems are compromised, the body |
| cancer, but the conventional thinking about it is | | | | cannot fend off additional attacks. Also, many |
| wrong. | | | | women find that their brains no longer function as |
| Last fall, Laura Bush was interviewed at the White | | | | well as they did before chemotherapy: this |
| House after lighting it pink (outdoors, no less) in | | | | condition is known as "chemobrain" or |
| honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. While | | | | chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. The |
| I admire her willingness to speak out for causes, I | | | | good news is that you can recover and you can |
| was dismayed with her message: get a | | | | help your immune system.o Follow ALL the |
| mammogram and get every woman you love to | | | | recommendations above, with a stricter |
| have one, too. She emphasized ONLY the value | | | | adherence to the plan, and:o Avoid soy and |
| of early detection. The problem is that | | | | plastics (emit gases). These may have undesirable |
| mammography is radiation, which recent studies | | | | estrogenic effects in the body.o Drink filtered |
| are showing contributes to cancer. Newer | | | | spring water, not tap water, which has added |
| practitioners are very concerned about radiation | | | | fluoride and chlorine.o Restore your digestive |
| exposure. | | | | system, which also affects immunity, by taking a |
| Not only that, but many women like me (or the | | | | broad spectrum probiotic.o Address your stress. |
| former me!) have dense breast tissue and | | | | If you had a stressful life before cancer diagnosis, |
| mammography often doesn't reveal tumors in | | | | don't dive back into it.o Add more |
| such tissue. Furthermore, certain forms of cancer, | | | | immune-enhancing supplements, such as quercetin, |
| such as lobular--about 15% of cases, mine | | | | magnesium, Vitamin C and a cordyceps |
| included-- are impossible to detect early because | | | | mushroom complex.o Go to a reputable |
| they do not form well-defined tumors until the | | | | complementary medicine practitioner and have |
| later stages. Mammography can give women a | | | | your thyroid and adrenal functions tested. |
| false sense of security that they can continue | | | | Chiropractic can also help the healing process. |
| unhealthy lifestyles and not have to be concerned | | | | The mind is powerful. Healing and recovery begin |
| about breast cancer. That is, until it's too late. | | | | in the mind and spirit. Believing that you can |
| Prevention, not frequent mammography, should | | | | recover helps motivate you. Visualizing the new, |
| be the emphasis. And for those who have been | | | | revitalized body and mind can create new |
| treated, rebuilding the immune system should be a | | | | experiences that will enrich your life, not just |
| life-long pursuit. | | | | extend it. |