Capcitabine Home Remedies

I was on Capcitabine for long enough to figure out a few things.  So I am going to briefly share the home remedies that helped me through the months that I was on the chemo drug Capcitabine.

Issue:  Feet and hands

* wool socks
* moisturizer 3 times a day. Let it soak in.
*hot spots on feet mean "STOP" walking. Walking on hots spots = BLISTERS!
*soak feet in water with epsom salts and baking soda twice a day when feet are reacting to the drug
*rub the goo from inside an aloe leaf on my hands and feet
*wear shoes one size too big
*line bottoms of shoes with raw wool


Issue: Burning Stomach

* drink club soda
* 1/8 tsp baking soda in warm water

Issue: Acid Reflux

*Gaviscon

Issue: Aching legs

*drink beet juice (4 oz a day)

Issue: Facial Eczema

*coconut oil (1 - 2 tbsp a day)

Issue: Uncertainty

*pray and pray some more


It is kind of ironic but they way most cancer treatments work causes the cancer patient to become quite ill.  For me it helps to remember that the chemo drugs may make me sick are making the cancer sicker! Actually what makes the patient sick, will KILL the cancer.

The Right Choice?

Joshua 1:9

"Have I now commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." KJB

This week I have been snowballed with good news.  On Tuesday my surgeon told me that the margins were totally clean. This means that the cancerous tumour has been removed successfully. And on Wednesday my medical oncologist told me that my CT scan was clean.  YES!!! MY CT SCAN IS CLEAN!!! Yahoo!!

There was surprising news that my cancer had for sure morphed into a triple negative cancer.  There was not HER2+ cells in the tumour that they removed. So the chemotherapy protocol  has been changed once again.  Oh yes, the new chemo started on Thursday.  I prayed that the medical oncologist would make the best decision for me and so I am trusting that God guided his decision and that this chemo will work.  It is the right choice.

There is a Dr. Kelly A Turner who has recently written a book called Radical Remission where she indicates that there are 9 key factors in remission.

1. Radically changing your diet.

2. Taking control of your health.

3. Following your intuition.

4. Using herbs and supplements.

5. Releasing suppressed emotions.

6. Increasing positive emotions.

7. Embracing social support.

8. Deepening your spiritual connection.

9. Having strong reasons for living.

I think that Radical Remission is the next book that I want to read. :) I am very interested to seen how my life fits into these nine factors.  

May God bless you and your loved ones.  <3

Whirlwind ....

I am just back from a CT scan.  Yes, a CT scan booked on Saturday night.  All I can do is just contemplate how these past few days have been a whirlwind and I feel like I am just along for the crazy ride.

I saw my medical oncologist on Wednesday, March 5 where I was told that 'the new chemo starts tomorrow'. The chemo that I had been on since August 2013 had not done its job.  So on Thursday I went in for a dose of Herspetin and some Vinorelbine.  After three hours in the chemo treatment area, I was allowed to go home.  It is a good thing that my husband was driving because I was shaking and had severe chills.  On the trip home my surgeons office called.  Surgery was booked for Tuesday, March 11 as long as my blood counts were good enough.  Blood work needed to be done on Monday, March 10 and I needed to book an appointment.  Then I was to see the medical oncologist on Wednesday with the possibility of more chemo on Thursday.  Things were suddenly falling into place. Whew!

Happy Face drawn by Surgeon

Surgery went well enough that my surgeon, although he had to go deeper than he had anticipated, was quite happy and felt that he got it. However, I am still sore and let out a yelp when the technician at the CT lab tonight wanted me to put my hand above my head.  My medical oncologist has decided that I need to be on a new chemo drug.  The trick now is to get funding for it even though it is approved for use in Canada. And the really good news is that the second chemo was cancelled which means two weeks off of chemo.  The doctor thought that I had been through enough in the last few days.  For now, I am waiting for pathology results and praying lots that God continue to travel with me. In 9 days I see my surgical oncologist and in 10 days I see the medical oncologist to get the details of my new treatment plan.

I am currently inspired by the following ....

 "Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?"
  Jeremiah 32:26 and 27

God is the God of all and nothing is too hard for Him! God is good!

I continue to pray.  All is well! :)

Happy New Year, Happy Valentines and the Cancer is Back....

Ugh!! there is no other way to put it.  The surgeon told me on Tuesday that the biopsy of the lump that has appeared on the incision at the back of my left armpit has come back as "Trouble".  Ugh!!

Wednesday, I will have my regular 3 week appointment with my medical oncologist.  The plan is that with his stamp of approval I will be having an MRI this week and surgery the following week.  I really want to get this lump removed.  However, I will follow the advice of my doctors.

Life is Good! and I want to be alive and so I will continue treatment and hope for the day when I can walk away from this.

Panic with cancer diagnosis is normal.  However, I must be getting desensitized because I am not feeling the same feeling of panic and dismay that I had felt with my previous diagnosis.

I have accepted that God is in control so somehow, even though I do not understand, this is a part of His plan.  I have nothing to fear.  God is love and wants the best for everyone.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."  Proverbs 13:12

I am very hopeful and know that God has put me in good hands.  I am praying that He help my doctors decide the best course of action for me.  This might be asking for too much, but I am also praying that when the surgeon comes to do surgery that there is nothing there! That's correct ... it is gone!
Right now, I am hoping for 30 or 40 more really good years. All is well.  God is in control.

May God bless you.

Merry Christmas!

My Christmas wreath is hung. I am so blessed this Christmas season.  It is such a wonderful time of year when the world celebrates the birth of Christ and the love that we share with the world around us.

I am not doing Christmas cards this year. Sorry, to all those who may be expecting a card.  Next year, I promise that I will be back on track and the cards will once again be in the mail.



A highlight of the  Christmas season for me is the music. I adore Christmas music! This You Tube video is wonderful .... enjoy. :)

I have been given and extra 7 days break from my chemo regime! Yahoo! On New Years Eve, I am booked to see my oncologist and to start the next round.

All is well!  God bless one and all! :)

God is Good!

Well I did it.  A change of routine can be very good for the soul so I packed my bucket of pills and headed to Portland with my parents to see my little sister.  I ended up staying with my wonderful cousin, Kathy, in her beautiful house because my sisters daughter had a bug.  (Germs are avoided by chemo patients.)  I enjoyed my cousin's delicious food, prayers,  love and kindness.  My Aunty hosted a delicious family dinner where much laughter and fun was had by all. Stories of the 'good old days' about my lumber-jack great grandfather are always fun to hear.

After a few days of being spoiled, we were able to revive the original plan and stay with my sister and her family.  Overall it was an amazing trip. It was refreshing to take the focus off of counting pills and gain some wonderful memories.  As I flew home, I looked out the window to the most stunning sunset over the Rocky Mountains and praised the Lord for His protection and the many blessings that have been given to everyone.

God is love.  Everything good comes from God. And I am very grateful for all the blessings that God has given me.

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever!"
1 Chronicles 16:34

I came home to lots of hugs and my happy family.  All is well!

Today is November 24, 2013 ... one month until Christmas Eve! Praise the Lord! :)

Chemo Continues ... New target date April 9, 2014

I see the oncologist again on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.... and 21 more weeks from November 13, 2013 .... If all goes as planned, my new finish date will be April 9, 2014.  I will be DONE this current chemo regime!  Yahoo!! Just after my 48th birthday and a really good reason to celebrate!!

I was hoping that Christmas day was my last day of chemo pills, however, Dr. P has different ideas. One good thing is that he is very happy about my progress.  And so I have decided just to ride his happiness wave!  Although, I am quite sure that surfing is not an area of my personal expertise, I have always enjoyed the water, sunshine, and catching the wave! :)

How can I be happy about this?  In my mind, no matter the side effects, chemo kills cancer and so will extend my life.  To be here for my family is my deepest wish.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it says ... "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

 So give thanks is what I will do!!

Winter has arrived.  All is well! I am truly blessed! Praise the Lord!! God is in control!

May God bless one and all. :)