March 12, 2010
Nineteen months ago today I received the dreaded diagnosis of breast cancer. (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) It has been 10 1/2 months since I have updated my Blog so decided I had better update these past many months.
First off I want to say that I continue to feel great and have been in excellent health these past 19 months. The time has flown by.
I must be honest and say that it has not always been an easy journey. Physically I have done well, but the emotional trauma of receiving a diagnosis that takes many lives each year is not easy to deal with.
I want to give a recap of how I have been following and monitoring this journey~
August 8, 2008 Mammogram suspicious growth
August 8, 2008 Ultra Sound suspicious growth visible
August 8, 2008 Needle Biopsy done
August 12, 2008 Breast Cancer diagnosis confirmed
November 11, 2008 AMAS test done (36) (anything less than 134 is considered normal)
December 10, 2008 Ultrasound tumor visible (approximately the same size as 8/8/08)
February 3, 2009 Chest X-ray Negative
February 3, 2009 CA 125 11
February 4, 2009 AMAS 12
February 24, 2009 CEA 1.1 (0.0-3.0)
March 17, 2009 Ultrasound tumor visible (approximately the same size)
April 27, 2009 Thermography normal/negative
September 22, 2009 CA 15-3 12 (0-31)
December 16, 2009 AMAS 51
January 15, 2010 Thermography normal/negative
I plan to do further testing in August.
In the meantime I continue to follow a healthy lifestyle program. Since I believe that my body was created to be self-healing (if cared for correctly) I continue to do all I can to keep my immune system built up. I believe that to reverse disease we need to try and discover the cause and reverse what may have caused the problem in the first place. There are some things we have no control over in life - toxins in the air and water, our genetics, etc. But there are many things we do have control over and that includes what we put into our mouth and how much we exercise. I have lost weight and am now exercising more. (I am currently doing the "30 Day Shred" that Jillian from Biggest Loser leads out in)
What I am doing is not a short term "diet" program, but a total lifestyle change. It is the overall lifestyle and not the occasional diversion that causes the problems with our health. So, I thank God for the great fruit and veggies He created for us to eat. What an awesome assortment of absolutely delicious and healthy and beautiful, colorful foods He created for you and me!
A new book I just read and recommend is "Anticancer - A New Way of Life".
A medical doctor who was diagnosed with a brain tumor wrote the book and it is filled with scientific studies and is most informative and interesting. You can get it from Amazon.com
Martin and I moved across town December 1, 2009 and we are mostly settled. Still have some things to go through. We are enjoying our home.
God is good and I am thankful for the many "healing" promises in the Bible. I don't know my future anymore than you know your future so what we must do is do the best we can - with God's help - and trust our future totally to our Creator.
Love and Blessings to all~~
