Choices ...

After 26 days in Mexico, on Friday I came home to Alberta.  I have come home with a new confidence and feeling very happy!  I now have an open agenda of choices that I can make and whole set of new strategies for dealing with life.  Tomorrow I am booked to see my medical oncologist and I will present to him what I learned from the blood tests (specifically the R.G.C.C. - Research Genetic Canter Centre Ltd test).  This test indicated two chemotherapy drugs that have an 85% effectiveness against the cancer floating around in my blood. The chemo that I had been on scored about a 60% effectiveness.  Radiation would also be effective, however, I would have to find a centre that offered radiation that is targeted (not one that would just blast my whole being). As well, as a radiation oncologist that thought I had a decent life expectancy.

There are a couple of vaccines that are made out of my own blood and scored really effective.  I go back for one in a couple of weeks.  It will be a two day trip.  The vaccine will cost about $4,700 Canadian.  The second one will be a two week adventure because I have to go down and give them more blood which takes 5 days to be made into the vaccine and then I get a series of three shots over the following week.  I am not sure of the cost of this one, yet.

 I am still mulling over the option of low dose chemo for which I would have to cross the boarder into Washington or Oregon.  The advantage of the low does chemo is that I would not get sick and it would be over in 8 weeks.  This is compared to the normal dose chemo that we get here in Canada where  .... well you know ... sick, bald etc. ..... and it would go for about 18 weeks.  The advantage is that I would not have to pay for the Canadian full dose chemo.  I will call and see if I can get a quote from the Washington Clinic today and I will buy a lotto ticket tomorrow.  :)

The stage 4 cancer patients that were at Sanoviv  while I was there were not sick or bald.  They were eating meals, telling jokes, exercising, their tumours were shrinking and they actually looked well! God has blessed their treatments.  One gentleman, who arrived the same day that I did, looked ill when he arrived and I actually saw him almost fall the first week that we were there.  He improved so much in the first two weeks that it was unbelievable. The first thing I noticed was that he was smiling and that his skin colour looked much more healthy! Why can't our health care system do this for Alberta cancer patients?

I honestly think that the R.G.C.C. - Research Genetic Canter Centre Ltd test should be the first thing that all Canadian cancer patients get when diagnosed with cancer.  It would save our Alberta provincial government millions of dollars and patients would have much better outcomes because the chemo is actually killing their specific cancer.  I have been on chemo when a tumour grew with leaps and bounds.  That drug was a total waste of money for me!  All it did was make me miserable, sick and let the cancer grow.  I am sure that I am not the only cancer patient that this happened to. Our provincial government is keen on saving money, so perhaps now would be a good time to write a letter.

"You will make known to me the path of life ..." Psalms 16:11  I continue to pray that God guides all cancer patients and give our doctors the wisdom to know that best choices for us.  I also pray that Alberta will become more innovative with their treatments.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me both emotionally and financially!

Onward hoe! All is well!

Calm Healing

Day 21:   The birds are so crazy in love here.  They fly about chasing each other and singing and singing some more.  The weather is once again wonderful. And in five 'more sleeps' I will be flying home.  I have enjoyed my time here and have done quite a few things that I could not even imagined myself doing in the past.  Although, I am not sure if undergoing supervised medical procedures quite qualifies me as an adventurer. 😊 I now have been in the hyperbaric chamber six times.  At this rate I may feel 25 by the time I get home.  I did start having a strange reaction to the vit C IVs and so they have been discontinued.  However, the Laetrile/Amygdalin and other IVs continue. Oh yes, I hit 39.7 C in the full body hyperthermia on Thursday.  We still are waiting for the test results from Greece. At this point the oncologist here is leaning towards sending me back to Canada for full blown chemo.  My Sanoviv psychologist said something this past week that is so simple and yet so ingenious that I need to share .... "focus on healing ... push the worry and stress that comes to the side so that you can use your energy to be healthy". My energy needs to be spent focusing on my healing! Less worry will mean more healing.  I can do that!  My homework that he has given me this week is to figure out how to continue my healing at home.

Yesterday, morning I was flipping through my Bible and came across the story of Daniel in the lions den.  The king at the time, Darius, was manipulated by a group of men into signing a decree declaring that no one was to pray to anyone (gods included) except the king.  Unknowingly, Darius had put Daniel into peril.  Daniel, however, continue to pray to God three times a day "as was his custom". (Daniel 6:10) When Daniel's prayers were brought to the kings attention he had no choice but to cast him into the lions den.  "But the king spoke, saying Daniel, 'Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you' ". (Daniel 6:16) King Darius spent the night fasting and unable to sleep.  Early the next morning he went to the lions den to check on the state of Daniel.  The king cried out,  "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" (Daniel 6:20) Daniel responded, "O king live forever!" (Daniel 6:21) Daniel was very much alive and continued, "My God sent His angels and shut the lions mouths, so that they have not hurt me because I was found innocent before Him and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you." (Daniel 6:22) All was well.  Daniel was saved because of his faith. 

Our lives are not going to be stress free.  No matter how hard we try, we will be unable to create heaven here on earth.  Things happen here that we will not understand until the second coming. However, with the right tools we can find the peace and calmness of knowing that we have a God that protects us and takes care of all of our needs. 'Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you' ". (Daniel 6:16)    I have come to trust that no matter what 'lion's den' I am cast into I will be fine because God is taking care of me and you, too. 

All is well!  May God pour his blessings upon you! ❤️

Let There Be Light

Day 14 in Mexico:   I have found hope! I have found the light! The Mexican stage of my journey has taken me to the Sanoviv Medical Clinic in Baja California, Mexico. After the initial 4 day assessment, I have enrolled in the 3 week cancer support program.   The first four days of my stay involved a battery of medical tests which included everything from ultra sounds to blood tests to fitness tests. I may know more about my body than I ever wanted to know. :) 

In the cancer support program,I  have been put on a regime of supplements and have had a blood test
sent to Greece to have my blood fully analyzed.    I spend about 3 hours a day sitting in an IV chair getting liquid supplements. I also have regional hyperthermia on my left triceps area. Twice a week I am put into a full body hyperthermia bed where I sweat more than I thought was humanly possible. Friday, I got up to 38.9 C.  And probably the most bizarre part of this is the  hyperbaric chamber.  It is like being in a small submarine.  After two times in the hyperbaric chamber, I think that my scars are disappearing!  Wow!  There are also appointments with chiropractors, homeopaths, psychologists etc.  It is the total package. 

Oh and yes!  I do feel very safe here.  It is like staying in a beautiful resort that is right on the ocean.  The food here is absolutely outstanding!  At night I fall to sleep listening to the ocean waves and during the day at the top of each hour church bells ring.  I appreciate the Christian atmosphere and we are surrounded by beauty.   It is a wonderful place to relax and get well. The staff and patients here are amazing.  In fact, I am in awe of the strength, courage, support and hope that I see in patients with stage 4 cancer.  

I am so blessed!  My sister was here for the assessment and then my cousin, Kathy, came and will stayed with me until March 11. Having family here for a bit helped me get into the routine and feel comfortable with my treatments.   I am now on my own.  However, with my hope restored, I have once again been able to focus on getting healthy.When I arrived here I was a nervous wreck.  I am now OK and am focusing on health and healing.  There is no room in my heart for fear. There is only room for love, hope and joy.  All is well!

Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so he is ...."

Thank you for your support in my journey.  God Bless!