Hi, (Thurs. pm 10.15.09),

Whew, you can look forward to this slowing down now. Decision made. MRI read confirming everything we knew on the biopsy. Ann P. sent me a wonderful summary of that.

There was no new information for me, more confirming for Dr. Duven, but I want to have the best odds for myself and that means having both breasts removed. I’m scheduled for Tues. the 27th, although there may be a slight chance Dr. Duven would work on his day off to do it on the 23rd which would give a weekend recovery time. They don’t see any concern about making that Shaklee incentive trip Nov. 10-15 to Mayan Rivera.

Tomorrow am, I hope to switch out the rental car then head to Chicago. Linda from Milan, IL. will go with me to Dr. Gelband’s as he balances the organs and systems.(Jean, I’ll drop the Shaklee DVD off on my way through CR.) Tomorrow, I’ll stay overnight at Linda’s place. We’ll be the presentors at two Shaklee parties in Iowa City Saturday am and pm. People are all ears about environmental toxins!

Today, I got back from the MRI read to a note left in my mudroom from a very unhappy customer. And a call from someone whose order apparently is in post office heaven. So, that does answer some of your questions if I’m staying current with my stuff, and the answer is no, but I’m not stressing about it. More important things happening.

Got calls today from a couple of people not on email and fairly close to me who wanted a complete rehash of events. I told them that I would snail mail them the prior updates to bring them up to speed instead. I was able to talk in person to most of my piano studio.. It was poignant when one parent reminded me she had lost her mother to breast cancer and one of my piano students said her classmate (5th grade) had lost her mom. Lots of offers to help from the piano families. Another parent, a nurse, sings accolades about Dr. Duven. I have to
thank Laura for her truly amazing ability to listen, and capture my feelings and then pray for me so beautifully. She only got a 12 minute piano lesson today between her telling me about how it felt to be in the amazing Chicago Marathon with 4000 World Vision runners who raised over $700,000, and our church with 74 runners/walkers and almost $39,000 raised that will provide clean drinking water for many villages…and me telling her my news.

Tonight the organic buying club met and ordered and I am trying frozen pomegranite seeds. Sounds fascinating as does most of the other things I get to try.

First Kristi’s notes from Dr. Sandy Bevacqua’s call yesterday afternoon, then notes from today’s MRI from Ann P.

Dr. B- Biofilm/ what is going on in the gut? Biostasis is disrupted, so what is going on? Heavy metal toxicity, etc? What is the chemical toxicity? There is a wrench in the works, what is the bottom line, something is going on….. are you ready to get to the bottom of it? Focus on intestinal issues- very important. Get rid of animal fat and dairy in the diet, coffee, etc that causes acidity. Juicing/veggie juices huge benefit.

Osteopenia/osteoporosis is happening when we pull minerals from the bone for shortages in the body and the hallmark is calcifications showing up in the body– and gets stored again this way b/c it’s “old” minerals and isn’t used very well. Not absorbing minerals well from the intestines is probably the underlying issue. Important also for detoxification.

Detoxification in the body doesn’t work properly = toxins rising in the body and many toxins are known carcinogens.

Biofilm in our body is the slimy layer- organized, complex, many species of flora- yeast, fungus, bacteria, viral, etc. Different communities along the intestines, etc. Ie; Lactobacillus and Bifidus go to different areas of the intestines. Aerobic and Anaerobic bacteria are both present- very shocking. Antibiotics, etc (? Was that right?) obliterates biofilm, stress, auto-accident, surgery, loss of loved one, etc can also break apart normal healthy biofilm. Need nutrition to drive the immune system to kill cancer cells and protect us. Perhaps a serious digestional issue???

Get rid of cancer…. you need to do 3 things:
1. Create normal pH in the body- normal cells like neutral/alk pH and oxygen and good nutrition. The cancer cells like acid pH, no oxygen, and poor nutrition- sugar. We need to alkalinize the body (good prevention) Test the morning urine midstream 7.0 to 7.5 pH is ideal.
(Mine is 7.0) (6.5 to 8 is typical range but not in cancer). 70% alkaline diet recommended. No cow Dairy. rare goat/sheep dairy. NO FLOUR of any kind. No wheat. Sugar to no more than 10 gm per meal (fruit, etc) Veggies, sprouted foods, bean, seeds, clean grass fed, organic grass fed animal proteins. No Coffee. (Fax to Dr B your pH, etc to be tracking it) (Hallelujah Acres, Hippocrates Institute… alkalinize you day 1, types of programs at institutes thru America) Immune system will pop off and kill the cancer cells as soon as you alkalinize and boost nutrients) 4.0-9.0 pH paper with 2 blocks- Robin will help with where to get the strips.(Apparently all strips are not made the same, so I ordered from Dr. B.)

2. Boosting Immune System (I’m boosted, plus suggestions from both Dr. G and Dr. B.)

3. Detoxification- big deal, not needed immediately but clearly is needed. (could be bad Biofilm and if you turn it over you need to detox to get that waste out from the biofilm releasing– so Dr B has put together a biofilm turnover program as toxins are there not just in fat stores) Can be testing waste for chemicals. If you detox and release too much chemical at a time it can be VERY TOXIC and people can actually die. Needs to be gradual and not too intrusive to the system… “toughing it out” isn’t a great approach. vivix is a detoxifying and stabilizes endocrine function.
(I’ve experienced the type of detox which is “hold onto the
shower curtain” type of thing and it’s much better to do gradual).

Getting a “DIAGNOSIS” is huge— don’t identify WITH IT… it’s not who you are. Don’t take the diagnosis on yourself and instead take action!

Ann is the CAPTAIN of the recovery team. Dr B is the biochemist. Who is the spiritual leader?(Connie May and my Orchard Hill Church Family) Team needs to align with her decision and support her on the process. 75-86 pretty ideal glucose range, (I’m higher than that) minimize cancer cell replication. Mineral balance very important for cancer. Iodine. Dr Brownstein- thyroid, iodine, why we need it, etc. good authority and writing books on this. Iodine drives the Cyto. P-450 enzyme/reactions…. eating up like crazy b/c of all the toxins we are hit with and we use the iodine to detox the body (zinc, manganese, boron, tin, calcium, iodine, etc.) We aren’t born with extra organs… why take them away vs. saving the organs and restoring their intended function. Taking away organs is taking away the body thermostats. Not a good idea.(This discussion was about killing off a thryoid as is often done–we were NOT talking about my issues as my thyroid tests were fine) Ioderal is her favorite iodine supplement. (metagenics also a good one). Midwest is severly deficient in iodine (and vit. D)

Sometimes you stress the body to make it better. Toxin to treat toxins sometimes is very effective. ie black salve for melanoma….
Need to consider drastic measures for mold issue– get name for the mold species. (One of my many homework assignments). Iowa is high mold due to pesticide chemicals. (we have poor quality food in Iowa)
(There was more, but Kristi had to leave). The big thing that Teresa reminded me of was Dr. Sandy said, “Ann, with your team in place, with your health practices already, with your clarity of purpose, I’m NOT worried about you!”

And I’m not either.

MRI READ
Ann,
I left today’s appointment with Dr. Duven with a very positive feeling about his expertise and ability. He answered questions in a straightforward and honest way and with a caring and gentle manner without making either one of us feel hurried or as if we asked a dumb question.

I was happy to hear him say there will be NO muscle tissue removed as he will be taking the breast tissue away from the chest wall and no muscles, tendons, or major nerves will be excised. Sensory nerves will be affected/removed which supply the breast, which will result in numbness in the chest area, however no major nerves serving the arm will be affected which control arm movement. (Nerves do regenerate so I say never assume that the numbness will be permanent…it could be, but why squelch the possibility and hope that there may be some feeling regenerated….this is my personal philosophy…I’m not a doctor) This surgery is referred to a “Simple Mastectomy” which means “the breast tissue (lobules, ducts, and fatty tissue) and a strip of skin with the nipple are removed”.

In addition, a “Sentinel Node Biopsy” will be done…meaning that the first one or two lymph nodes that cancer could travel to will be removed and a frozen section done to determine if there is any spread beyond the breast tissue. There will be one incision…Dr. Duven’s technique allows the lymph nodes to be reached through the incision made for the mastectomy. There will be one drain placed which will draw off fluid from around the incision into a soft plastic tubing. A dressing and compression-like bra will help relieve any discomfort, and staples will be removed at a follow-up visit. A shower can be taken the next day…yeah!!!!

This will be done at ambulatory surgery which does not involve an overnight stay. Normal activities and self-care can be resumed immediately depending on how you feel….it will take a few days of rest just to feel like doing much but moving around will help the general anesthesia be metabolized through the body; no exercises with arm until after the staples are taken out, then specific exercises are given.

The concern was raised with regard to possible limited lung capacity and the importance of deep breathing following surgery to reduce any chance of pneumonia development or other lung complications. A consult with the GP will be made with regard to that.

A referral will be made to an oncologist for evaluation, discussion, and recommendation. (I promised Dr. Christ that I would go get all the facts and so when Dr. Duven wanted me to follow through on that part so that I would know what the treatment plan they would recommend, I, of course agreed. What is typical for a lumpectomy is radiation in order to get the same results as a mastectomy. Because of the types of cancers, a lumpectomy wasn’t a choice. They’ll recommend chemo whether there are any cancer cells in the nodes or not I’m guessing. What I’m formulating in place of doing chemo is the work with Dr. Sandy and Dr. Gelband, plus some of you have some fabulous suggestions that show you’re thinking ahead of all this too. Teresa has offered to make me juice like I did for her when she was recuperating from her breast surgeries, and Francy is a strong proponent of wheat grass.)

Discussion of lymphedema (swelling of the arm which occurs when many or all lymph nodes are removed and lymph flow in the arm is reduced). In addition, discussion with regard to prosthesis and reconstructive surgery. (Although this is all good information, I see
lymphedema and reconstructive surgery to be non issues. I will be seeing a Jill Roberts for a compression bra to help following surgery and a pouch for the drain.)

I respect your decision Ann, regarding removal of both breasts and understand your thoughts/doubts/fear regarding the second breast possibly developing cancer at a future date. I was confident that Dr. Duven gave his opinion honestly regarding if it were his wife he would recommend removal of the one breast which showed the cancer and not the second since the MRI showed no suspicious areas, however, this is YOUR decision and yours alone. What you decide is right for you. Thanks. Ann P.

(After Ann left, I asked the nurse to look at the strange difference in coloration from the biopsy. She said 3 times, “Boy are you bruised! And just healing so the lighter area is healing first” . )

I hope this helps you… Ann P.
It did Ann. I hope the rest of you are up for helping me, too, on what I need whatever that will be coming up.

Ann B. now.
So my Shaklee friends, when do you think I need to stop my herbs? I think it was that, or else I was too active following the biopsy or whatever. I had stopped herbs for 5 days. It has NOT been a problem for me, but after two nurses quite emphaticly commenting about my bruising, I feel like this is something I need to think about ahead of the coming surgery. Suggestions?

So, I will be spending next week getting myself organized for what’s to come in the next 10 days, then the plan for the week following surgery for recovery which includes end of month happenings with Shaklee, and redoing student’s schedules, so having things in place and thought through instead of through any anesthesia fog. With today’s sharing of this news for the first time to so many, I’d like to get them the updates and have everyone up to the same place.

The biggest focus is to come up with a chemo alternative that I truly believe will work and I’ll do and stick with. I see so many people who have that initial rush of desire to get well and will do almost anything, to just slip back into old habits and have a rapid decline in their health. I know that you’ll all second the motion that I need to evaluate everything I have on my plate, and make changes that have a healing effect.

I’ll pop back in when there’s something to share. Just know I although I appreciate your thoughts… the amount of messages is so daunting, that I probably won’t respond. And if you have a differing opinion as to what you’ve read here, you are entitled to it and probably better to not share it with me. The idea is for me to heal and not stress which happens when I’m defending my decision as happened again tonight by someone close to me. I love that so many are sending funny emails, but I’m really buried, so thanks for the thought and let me ask for that when I can appreciate it more.

I’ll trust that you will take the time like me and in concert we can put plans for a healthier life into action.Okay? OK!

Ann