September 25, 2012 - Integrative Medicine

When I found out about my diagnosis, one of the first people I called was Kathleen McGlone.  I met her through a suggestion by Dr. Wade's office.  She is the owner of Slow Pokes in Grafton.  On her website, SlowPokesLocalFood.com, one of her missions is to "provide encouragement and hope for the people making lifestyle changes which will allow them to live long, healthy, disease-free lives."

When Kathleen answered the phone, I briefly told her about my diagnosis, and then said to her that I wasn't sure why I was calling.  I guess I wanted her opinion on what foods and nutrients will help me cure.  Of course, she couldn't give me medical advice.  But she did give me the name of her doctor.  It was Dr. Bozena Simon, of Ageless Life Solutions.

Dr. Simon is a Board Certified Internist practicing traditional internal medicine since 1995. She started applying complementary therapies into traditional care since 2002 and converted her practice into an integrative medicine model in 2004.

Reading from Dr. Simon's website:

Integrative medicine is a healing oriented approach which emphasizes the role of the physician-patient relationship. It focuses on less invasive, less toxic and less costly methods to facilitate health by integrating both allopathic /traditional/ and complementary therapies. Recommendations are given by a physician and choices are made by the patient based on understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of the individual.

Integrative medicine is committed to scientific method and evidence based practice. It is focused to explore and facilitate the body’s natural potential for healing. Integrative Medicine is not synonymous with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM are modalities of treatments that are not part of conventional treatment protocols. Integrative Medicine incorporates the best CAM practices into comprehensive treatment plans.

I couldn't wait to meet her.  I completed a small stack of forms, all about me and health, and included a cover letter and sent it off to Dr. Simon.

For my first meeting, I brought my husband Len and my friend Whitney Wade.  I promoted Whitney as my nutritionist, just because she's my go-to girl on all things holistic.  But I was corrected.  She is actually studying Ayurveda, or ayurvedic medicine.  Ayurveda means "the knowledge for long life".  How appropriate.  I want both of those things.  Knowledge and Long Life. 

We met Dr. Simon.  She has a small three room office in Thiensville.  She came out to greet us, and had her laptop in hand.  We all sat together, and went over the forms I completed.  She reviewed with us her vision of where I could take my health.  She made it easy to understand with great metaphors.  I was immediately comfortable with Dr. Simon.

And this sounds weird, but I was actually excited to be a part of this journey, and to take on this cancer.  I felt such strength and conviction, and positive energy. 

So at the end of our first meeting, she gave me her recommendations:

• Follow food combining principles - more to follow on this
• Avoid eating the same food over and over
• Follow the seasons and change/rotate the foods
• Eat slowly and mindfully, paying attention to taste, smell, texture
• Never skip breakfast
• Make sure my meals are well balanced with proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates
• Avoid large heavy meals at the end of the day
• Never drink large volume of fluids with meals, and especially COLD iced drinks - it dilutes the enzymes and slows digestion
• Avoid genetically modified foods, mostly corn, soy, wheat and genetically modified crops
• Eat eggs, but never overcooked eggs, and preferably from grass fed free range chickens
• Add hummus as protein source
• Replace chicken with grass fed meats, such as venison or buffalo (Len LOVED this one - looks like Ms. Doe or Mr. Buck will be on my menu in the very near future)
• Drink water, well water is fine, no chlorine, fluoride
• Drink more hot green tea
• Continue taking supplements

Dr. Simon ordered a litany of blood tests - this will get her to the root of the problems.  Where am I lacking, where are my strengths.  And she recommended taking a few enzymes - one for the pancreas and one for systemic inflammation.

I truly enjoyed meeting her, and spending time with her.  Time?  Where did the time go?  This first meeting was almost three hours long, just talking with this woman like we've known each other for years.

I was energized, and excited. 

More to follow -



 

September 24, 2012 - my GP

This is going to be short.

I like my general practioner, Dr. M.  She's a genuine, caring doctor.  I wanted to meet with her to get her perspective on this cancer.  She recently lost a very close friend to cancer. 

As with Dr. S and Dr. P, she believes the only way to cure this cancer is to cut it away and then radiate.

When we talked about changing my diet and lifestyle to cure myself, she strongly disagreed.  She felt the cancer will grow faster than I can heal. 

I like my general practioner.  She's genuine and caring. 

And I don't believe her.

September 21, 2012 - Thermal Imaging

I met with Jenny at the Longevity Center.  Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, or Thermography, creates images that illustrate heat patterns in the body.  The thermal images are analyzed for abnormalities, which may be signs of disease in the body.

According to their brochure, "Annual thermograms allow you to map changes in the body's heat patterns over time.  They can alert you to any deviations from your norm.  Mapping your health annually helps to detect changes often before disease even develops.

Inflammation is a precursor to many diseases, such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes.  Inflammation can be reduced through dietary changes, nutritional supplements, antioxidants, detoxification, stress-reduction, acupunture and more. 

Measuring inflammation through thermal imaging is a proactive, preventative method for detecting diseases.  It significantly improves your chances for longevity and good health."

No pain. No pinching. No smashing my breasts into that vice.  And the end result will be the same or better because it will show more of your body, not just the breasts.

So I set my baseline.

With breast therography, I will need to go back in the first 3-4 month period because active cancers double in size and heat approximately 100 days apart.  If there are any increased heat patterns and/or vascular changes from the first breast scan to the second, additional modalities will be requested by the interpreting doctor.  If there are no changes, annual thermal scans are appropriate.  I think I'll go back once more in 6 months, and then make it annual.

The cost was $195 for the first visit, and then $125 for each subsequent visit .  It was not covered by insurance.

On Monday, September 24, 2012, I got the results already.  The doctor reported a normal scan.  I had good thermal symmetry with no suspicious thermal findings.  There was a bit of lymphatic congestion, but this can be remedied through massage to get the blood flowing. 

All in all, very happy with these results! 

Non-invasive, no radiation, no pain.  Highly, highly recommended.

So, why don't hospitals use thermal imaging machines?  My guess is that they paid so much for, and have an adequate supply of radiation machines. 

Let's all follow the money trail.

I have family, friends, co-workers who have been affected by cancer.  And because of them, I read, and I learned. 

Please visit the Longevity Center for your next mammogram. 

http://www.longevitythermography.com/