Let’s Talk Cancer and Immunity
The reality is starting to hit….
Today it really started to hit me a bit differently after just two full weeks of starting Kisqali, my chemotherapy pill, and Letrozole, a drug that lowers estrogen levels to help slow the growth of estrogen positive tumors, and when I went for my weekly bloodwork and was flagged for low white blood count (WBC) which can make me more susceptible to infections and weaken immune system. If my WBC continue to drop, I might have to take a break from the medication and/or have to add a protein medication such as Neulasta that helps stimulate the growth of WBC. I received this when I received standard chemotherapy in the past. I decided going to the TNF Ravens game tomorrow as planned would not be in my best interest and I should probably hunker down and take it easy this weekend. Working on not FOMOing (fear of missing out for any of you not in the loop with this lingo) and learning to slow down and literally look at the warning signs from my body that I need to slow down. I even took the evening off from exercising which is not a common skip for me.
The reality that came to me today is that this is going to be my new normal. Continuously being monitored to see how I’m responding to treatment, how my body is tolerating it and exploring other treatment options. There’s no telling how my body will respond but the hope is that the current treatment will work for 2-3 years or longer and then we will have to find other alternatives to get a response. I was fortunate to have a consult second option with an oncologist at Greenspring Station at JHH yesterday and felt better informed of what to expect and understanding what options could be in the future. Will probably have repeated scans done every 3-4 months to see how I’m responding. This is a lifelong journey for me now. I’m not accepting of having a label as a “cancer patient” for the rest of my life, but I’m a person just like anyone else living my life day by day because everyone’s lifespan is uncertain, and we all know that death and mortality is among all of us so the sooner we come to terms with that and have acceptance then the sooner we can stop fearing it and live. Maybe it’s a blessing that I have the opportunity to really be enlightened to really truly know what it’s like to be grateful for every single day I wake up and have the gift of living. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life worrying about disease taking over. I chose to just live each day I’m given.
After today’s doctor’s appointment, I went into my usual problem solving mode of determining what’s in my control to boost my immune system as much as possible so I spent the last hour juicing immunity drinks for the remainder of the week and being meticulous of the foods my body needed for dinner, nutrient dense (omega-3 fatty acids with salmon, nuts, berries, garlic, colorful vegetables, beets and a little 100%% cacao for a treat). This is pretty much what my menu looks like everyday anyways. Some staples I’m doing daily now are two Brazilian nuts, walnuts, organic berries, seeds such as flaxseed, chia and hemp, green tea, mushroom coffee, cinnamon, garlic, fermented foods like kimchi/sauerkraut, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables and healthy fats from avocados and EVO. Again, not to far off from my standard diet I have been doing for years I’m just more disciplined with it now.
I turned to my go to heaven sent friend Danielle who is a root cause practitioner, you can check her out at Revive Health Wellness, This girl knows her stuff and has been such a lifeline for me since I started this journey. I believe God is calling her to help me heal. Fun fact, Danielle and I went to college together at Villa Julie College and carpooled to classes back when I was going through my first cancer journey. Crazy how things can come full circle in life. Besides reassuring me that I have been doing all the right things in regards to nutrition with my diet and high vitamin C intake, as expected she had instant immune boosting recommendations such as a good quality vitamin B complex and camu camu powder—that’s a new one for me but I added it to my amazon cart and I’m gonna give it a go, although she warned me it’s not going to taste great but it’s effective. Tried sarsaparilla root tea today that she also recommended that has high antioxidant properties. I’m learning so much about the medicinal powers of teas and have become quite the tea girl. She also recommended a bioenergetic scan to learn about environmental sensitivities, pathogens, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances and receiving her feedback with the results has really helped me better understand some root causes that I can target with a specifically outlined protocol and other lifestyle changes. This has made me feel so hopeful and optimistic that I’m not just focusing on surface level symptoms and targeting disease but really doing a full kitchen sink clean out of my body to have it aligned and balanced.
I’ve been on a road of exploring health hacks for years now and have incorporated some practices for a while but admittedly have not been consistent enough to make the habits stick enough and could do better. I’m working on becoming an earlier riser so I can prioritize these practices that will help my central nervous system and overall wellbeing. The last two mornings I started with natural vitamin D with sun exposure outside first thing in the morning, even with the crisp fall morning air, while doing breathwork and grounding/earthing with my bare feet in the grass. I favor the Wim Hof Method breathing techniques and have been doing cold showers which is another pillar of his method in addition to commitment which is the foundation to fully learn to master your body and mind. If you’re not familiar, I highly encourage you to learn more, you can check out The Wim Hof Podcast-- show was created in 2021 but still relevant today or look up on YouTube. I’m sure many of you have caught onto the be cold plunge fad but Wim, I would say, is the original iceman that proved the vast benefits of cold exposure and breath. Earthing is another essential part of wellbeing. Humans need to connect to natural EMF through our planet. Think about it, before the creation of rubber shoes, cavemen and native people were barefoot. The earth offers everything we need, but in today’s modern world we have literally lost touch of that and need to effortfully connect again. If you haven’t checked it out, watching the short documentary on Earthing is mind blowing. https://www.earthingmovie.com/
Earthing in its purest form is ideal but there are other ways to receive EMF through products. I’ve been standing on the original earthing mat for years at my standing desk for work even since 2020 with the transition to telehealth. You can also get mats to sleep on. You can also find some spas that offer EMT beds. I’ve used the zen bed a few times at Salt Works Spa in Harford County (https://saltworksspa.com/) and recommend you check out all of their unique services they offer. You can get package deals that also includes their Full Spectrum Sauna which is a different world from traditional saunas, but both have amazing health benefits.
So, the take away messages today are live each day with purpose, prioritize and invest in your health, breathe, get grounded, get cold and hot exposure, get sunshine, listen to your body and slow down when you need to, stop fomoing, reach out to your tribe and people who are rooting for you and care about your wellbeing and stop living in fear.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW-C, and I’ve been working at Kennedy Krieger Institute for almost 15 years, and I specialize in OCD, anxiety and related disorders with children and adolescence. Essentially what I teach my clients daily is how to cultivate a meaningful, purposeful and values driven life and to not live a life guided, dominated and driven by anxiety and fear. Living in fear can be one of the most debilitating things…. Unfortunately, I’ve seen so much suffering firsthand in my practice and the only way to gain freedom in life is to embrace uncertainty and have radical acceptance that ultimately we cannot control our final destination. Let go the need to control and live without fear!
I will end with my grateful moments….. grateful for my mother Jenny Dover who always has and will always be my number one supporter and has been attending my doctors’ appointments with me and we were able to enjoy a nice dinner at The Tarks Grill and Bar after my appointment yesterday. She’s my true number one!! Also grateful for old friends I’ve lost touch with over the years who have heard of my news and reached out with authentic concern and care…. All my close friends who continuously check in often to see how I’m doing. My job and supervisor who are giving me permission to prioritize my health and reduce work related stress. I’m grateful that I have a comfortable home with a nice environment to work from and where I feel comfort and joy. Shout out to Michael…for putting up with this new hippy forming version of me and our weekends that are starting to look a little different in some regards but also still getting to enjoy loving life together and looking after my wellbeing encouraging me to get better rest and reminding me I’m not indeed missing out on things such as football games and that the foods I’m no longer eating is nothing much! Grateful that although I have a significant amount of disease in my body now that I’m not in any pain or discomfort and can function and do all the things I love to do. Grateful I have the financial means to support myself and have access to good healthcare and invest in my health. #nofear #newnormal #immunity #earthing #healthiseverything
Nicole you are so strong and positive. You are in my prayers daily Keep the faith <3
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