As of today...

Greetings, friends!

Time has passed so quickly and I seem to forget to keep you all in the loop.

The latest includes: LDN, Hyperbaric treatments, complete testing of nutrient absorption, sleeve and glove, new and continued supplements, and a collarbone slide. Here’s the scoop!

I was on the LDN for a few weeks before I started coming off the Amitriptyline. I was hoping the LDN would be able to take the place of the Amitriptyline. Unfortunately, the LDN did not even touch the CRPS. It took almost a full month to get back on the Amitriptyline and be burn free. On the plus side, I didn’t have any negative response to the LDN. Because it has cancer fighting properties, I have added it to my daily supplements.

For my own record I’m going to list all the foods my body has trouble with. I have taken out of my diet: dairy, soy, corn, onion, garlic, pineapple, apple, walnut, peanut, chocolate, cacoa, sugar(cane and any refined), corn syrup, nitrates, nitrosamine, and sulfites. I took out all of these foods for 6 weeks. I have since been reintroducing them in small amounts. Those I will keep out of my diet on a regular basis are dairy, soy, onion, pineapple, peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, nitrates, nitrosamine, and sulfites. I have reintroduced garlic, chocolate, and apples. These I still have some reaction to, but I can’t seem to take them completely out of my diet. I will be aware of how they make me feel and keep them at a minimum. I will have some soy every once in a while if we end up going to MOD pizza, for example. However, I will keep that out of my diet at home. Same with sugar, in general. I’m  not going to be strict, but aware and making a choice.

I had 12 hyperbaric treatments. I didn’t notice any physical changes. This doesn’t mean it didn’t help me, though. Since there isn’t a way to measure if they are helping me, I have opted to keep them as an option in the future.

The nutrient testing exposed some pretty interesting things. It mainly means I have more to supplement. For my own record, here is what I have in my daily routine:
 9am

• Armour thyroid

10am

• Vitamin C, 2000mg (2 weeks on, 1 week off)
• Grape Seed Extract, 200mg
• Daily Vitamin
• Vitamin E, 400mg
• Vitamin B complex
• Mycro-Immune Builder
• Green Tea Extract, 275mg (Mon, Tue, Wed)
• ACG Glutathione, 10 sprays
• Polar Mins mineral concentrate
• Probiotic
• Zinc Picolinate, 50mg

12pm:

• Alkalife (2 weeks on, 1 week off)
• Vitamin D, 2000IU

8pm:

• Green Tea Extract, 275mg (Mon, Tues, Wed)
• Alkalife (2 weeks on, 1 week off)

10pm:

• Amitriptyline 
• 5HTP
• Grape Seed Extract, 200mg
• Vitamin E, 800mg
• Magnesium 800mg
• ACG Glutathione, 10 sprays
• LDN

When I have taken all the Green Tea Extract and Grape Seed extract, I will phase into Zyflamend (a concentrated extract of several anti-cancer herbs). I also take enzymes with every meal.

No joke, it takes me 20-25 minutes to prep for the week. Here is what the 10pm pouch looks like.

Thankfully I’m able to take stuff only 4 times a day. I know it helps me overall. 

The cool has come to Portland. This is very good for my lymphedema. I have no further swelling and am able to go without the sleeve and glove most days. The downside of the cool weather is my CRPS breaks through more often. At least this means I don’t have to deal with them consistently all the time. I am super happy that knitting is easier to do. And to celebrate I have 5 projects on my needles. Happy making.

I am currently no longer taking the tamoxifen. Nor have I opted to do more MRIs and CAT scans. Instead, we will be monitoring via blood tests every six months. This makes sense for us since I don’t have any detectable tumors. If the numbers show something, then I will have the scans done.

One bizarre thing that has happened is the collarbone on the side of the mastectomy has been falling. It has migrated up to an inch, at times. This causes the ribs attached to migrate, as well. All of it causes pain and muscle tension. I still see Amy, my OT, every week for lymph work and all. Now I have added a Neuropathic Chiropractor to my team. He has helped move the collarbone back into place, as well as the ribs. He has also been working on getting the left side of my brain to communicate with my right. This will hopefully help with the CRPS and my overall health. The left side of my body is lagging behind. It is definitely the whole left side. My left eye dilates and holds position less than my right, my left ovary is in a strange place and doesn’t work as well as my right, and my body temperature and reflexes on my left are lower and less than my right. I’m not sure if the CRPS came first, or the imbalance did. However, Dr. Herald is helping me in many ways. The exercises seem silly to do, but they are working. It’s a slow progression - yet still is progressing and evening out. 

OK, so that is the latest. I’m better, depression wise, as I am off the tamoxifen. I’m able to be with the kids and take them where they wish to be. I’m able to spend time with friends who are close. And I’m able to knit to my heart’s content. Life is definitely good.

Go hug your peeps and enjoy this life. Much love to you and yours.