Cancer is as Cancer Does

Good morning world,

Well my intentions took a hit since I did now follow through with my resolution two days ago to write every day. I missed yesterday, but I do have a reasonable excuse! Up at 05:30 yesterday so that Sandra and I could join others to sing Christmas carols for 1 1/2 hours in the entrance foyer of the hospital here in Inuvik. Then the day evaporated with doctor's appointment, blood tests, putting stamps on about 60 Christmas cards (with Christmas letter therein) and mailing them, 2 1/2 hour telephone call with dear friends in Illinois etc etc!

All right here we go for today. I had a great conversation with Crystal N here in Inuvik about an hour ago. She is a 25-year cancer survivor and we shared our stories. We will keep in touch.

Right now my Stage 4 Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma is holding steady, and will (maybe) stay in remission for the rest of my life providing that I take Nivolumab intravenous immunotherapy every four weeks for the rest of my life. Goodness sakes!! The health system here in the GNWT is certainly investing a lot of money in my living existence. I believe each intravenous treatment of nivo costs about $15,000 (plus about $5000 for transportation and accommodation). It makes me wish I could do something useful in return.

Well, here is something useful I can do. I can summarize how I have become "Inuvik's miracle" as my family doctor attests. Maybe that will help someone else. I have combined conventional radiation and immunotherapy with some natural healing). So here we go:

(1)  I eat a healthy diet, based on plant protein and fresh fruit but some meat and fish too, but very low on sugar (sugar feeds cancer, providing energy to cancer cells so they can grow faster and better) and simple carbohydrates (cutting down on potatoes and bread).

(2)  Injection three times a week - Monday/Wednesday/Friday for example - of Viscosan, an extract of mistletoe (cost - about $600/mo). This is my cost - it is not covered by our medical assistance.

(3) Taking two 133 mg tablets per day of high quality curcumin (from turmeric) to boost my immune system.

(4) Taking two to four antler velvet capsules per day to boost my immune system (no colds or flu for the past 4 to 5 years). 

(5) I take Nivolumab immunotherapy by IV every month to control, and hopefully stop, tumor growth, following radiation to my skull and sacrum areas. Taking "nivo" was preceded by some chemo treatments (described in this blog a couple of years ago) that nearly killed me, and with the lasting effect of destroying my short term memory, and giving me shingles (the shingles came because my immune system was compromised by radiation and the chemo treatments).

Then, to control the pain of the tumors at the left base of my skull, and at the bottom of my spine in the sacrum, I am taking Butrans 10 - transdermal buprenorphine - two patches at convenient places on my skin, each delivering 10 micrograms/hour of the drug.

I also take extra strength tylenol as needed to supplement the Butrans 10.

To control the shingles neurological pain I take one 50 mg pregabalin tablet twice a day.

So if I keep doing all this every day, my oncologist tells me I will always have the cancer, but I won't die of cancer. I could live one or two decades yet. After all, my dear Aunt Violet lived to 103 years of age.

Well folks, I hope that I haven't bored you to death with this blog entry.