Health Update #3

Ann’s Update, 10/11/09
Thanks all for your concern, prayers, well-wishes. I’m feeling your support.

*Called my brother, Bob, who checked with Aunt Jane no first level family breast cancer incidences in our family. Auntie Yoshiko had it in her 70’s and didn’t have it removed.

*Called my brother, Harry, who suggested that my pace of life may have contributed and may continue to do so. While I appreciate those comments made in love, it does sound a bit like I caused my own demise. Similar advice from others to be more positive and pray harder was addressed in a book I read yesterday as energy draining and along the lines of the response I think about when I might think why me (which I haven’t at all), and think, “Why Not me?”

*Continuing to tell people as it comes up.
The New Member Team at church, good support for me, cried with and for me during our meeting this morning. We talked about the best time for the Leadership Meal to be held around my needs and the timing of our head cook’s knee replacement. One of the single friends hung around afterward and we talked about so many of life’s decision made somewhat fearfully w/o someone close to bounce it off of.

*Talked to my brother, Larry, and his wife, Judy. Larry is a Dr. of Oriental Medicine, retired but for me is willing to come out of retirement and draw on his knowledge and his network to get info on breast cancer and eastern protocols with herbs and acupuncture. He also will come out to spend some time with me helping me with practical applications of them. It will be after we get back from the Mayan Rivera trip which is the 2nd week of November.

*Checking in on emails, it’s my turn to get the travelling friendship bracelet which my high school classmates started back in Feb. of 2007. Good timing. At this time, I just wanted 3 of them to know so the group could focus on Jane whose prognosis of cancer back in May of 2008 was for a few months and here she is in October 2009 back in chemo again, but ever so much alive. None of us get out of this life alive, but we’d all like it to be long and as pain free as possible.

*Faxed 20 pages of lab report results requested back in May from Dr. B. and just completed last week with my GP hoping that might jog some response from Dr. B.

*In preparing that, realized that Dr. Duven is a general surgeon. Googled, I couldn’t find a breast care specialist– kept directing me to breast augmentation and cosmetic surgery.
Will do some more study on who to have the surgery done by. I know a couple of nurses, so will see if there would be any recommendations from them. Things will be clearer after the Tue MRI./Thurs.results as to what we’re dealing with.
Teresa’s Dr. for her breast surgeries was Dr. Gerralds, Dr. Geralt? Again having trouble finding much of anything on the internet. Maybe another day.

*Talked to my piano student’s parents, she is an anethesiologist, and he is a surgeon specializing in prostate. They wanted to know what the findings were and she allayed my worries about my compromised lung situation with surgery and he suggested strongly that I talk with Dr. Waid just to hear from another Dr. before decisions are made. He said that I wouldn’t have to make an appointment, just talk to him on the phone. He said Dr. Duven is an excellent surgeon specializing now in only breast surgery. I told them both what I was thinking about and they each felt it was very smart.

*Also one hospital has a 1-2 day stay, the other 3 day with quite a bit of cost difference. One hospital has a 45 day scheduling window, the other sooner, and in either case there’s a 7 day requirement for a pre-op physical from the regular doc. Teresa recommended to me to listen to Dr. B.’s CD on preparing for surgery. She didn’t stay with her first breast surgery; stayed one night with her 2nd.

*I talked with Teresa about what I’m seeing as best for me, and etalked to Kristi, and it’s nice that we’re all pretty much in agreement. I must not be foggy-brained yet.

*While I was faxing and copying materials at the church, Dave, church leader came in and asked me how I am. I told him and I could tell he hears so many stories in his day. Then he and I discussed having the Leadership Meal on the 9th and he said he’d talk to Pastor Ed about it being the best thing for the team. It would be a special meeting because they normally meet on the lst Monday.

*It’s funny that at times like this, I do think of long time friendships who were there for me and I for them in the past, and no longer in my life. I wrote to one of them today so that if she does hear about it through the grapevine, she’s heard it from me first with no expectation that she respond. That was good thing.
Marc and I talked about people in our lives, and how good it feels to have longtime friends be there during fun times. And how we wonder how it will be during times that are more difficult. Either way, it’s a time to be grateful.

*Said goodbye to Marc as he headed back to Texas, and he’s thinking logically about making my load easier and will support me on getting automatic bill pay set up.

I’d say it’s been a very productive decision-making day. (Val, that’s an acknowledgement!)

Ann

Health Update #2

Sat. pm 10.10.09
Hi, so appreciate each of you!

I’m writing to you an update on this morning’s 10/9/09 email. Dr. Gelband called me back today and we chatted. He has some new components he is working on, and suggested that when I’m in Chicago sometime that I come in. I asked him if Monday was too late, and I smile inside that I was able to get an excited reaction from him that—“We’ll make the time work!” I’m still hoping for a call back from Dr. Sandy as to what her recommendations are. What I appreciate about Dr. Gelband is his help to get a handle on the amounts for me on my supplements at this time with the muscle testing. He’s so skilled on that. He tells me that any disease process like this has an emotional component and getting the body back into balance is paramount.

He says antioxidants.(I’m thinking VIVIX, carotomax, E, C, B, Flavomax). I especially want to get the proteins tested because of the estrogen effect. What I plan to have him do is test me on what my normal intake is and then do a separate testing on the nutrients, then combine to see if my strength stays the same and see what the difference is. Just curious as to what my instincts have been.

Kristi G. wrote and reminded me about Dr. Bevacqua’s alkaline/acid list and the CarotoMax and FlavoMax. Shirley said 9 CarotoMax. Linda and Sally have played into that mom role, and reminded me to take VIVIX, Vitalizer and my other stuff daily. Phyllis wrote and talked about toxins. That’s also hopefully going to happen with the trip to Chicago, as he does have the foot bath, sauna, and Chee sp? machine. Diane, a nurse for 29 years says to get every question answered to my satisfaction and don’t let the Doctor roll over me.

Some of you may know that I was diagnosed 34 years ago with vaginal cancer and upon addressing things, turned Stage 3 around in about 2 months to nothing. My son & Esther, and others have doubted that it could have been accurate at the time, and I really attribute this to almost a modern day miracle. Anyway, two diagnoses, from 2 different doctors not knowing about each other and then going to a 3rd clinic with a nutritionist who also confirmed it was there and it was gone…it’s not been documented (both doctors are dead, records gone and I’m glad because of insurance concerns.)

I have my car scheduled to get the back bumper fixed at 8 am Monday and have a loaner car from the body shop. Hope that it’s travel worthy, and if not, West Bend insurance can get me one fast so I can get to Chicago and back safely. In the book, it talked about how this disease is so much more difficult for single women. Wouldn’t you think single men? They get breast cancer, too. I have a great support network, most guys don’t develop that early on.

James let me go early today from the grandkids, so I’ve been reading a great book which explains the testing and to understand the aftermath of treatments. I plan to have a dialogue with Teresa soon when both our times allow so she can honestly tell me about her decision-making, what are the best questions to ask the oncologist.

Time, that’s in shorter supply these days. I have 4 calls to return from customers in the last few days. I just remembered New Member Class Team meets tomorrow and they’re an important part of my support and so a reminder email needs to go out to them. Marc will be in town tomorrow long enough to say goodbye to before he boards the plane and I’m sad about that already.

Please know I appreciate your prayers, that’s a given. Other insights are appreciated as well, and I probably won’t be responding individually. I believe the choices before me are doable, and hearing well wishes or suggestions directly from anyone is great. The fact is I sift through information for fun, a generalist and getting more specific now.

Remember, no long faces, no doubts about Shaklee not having saved me from my family genetics. Cure isn’t an option, it’s like my other health conditions is something to work with for the rest of my life….and I’m up for it. Survival sounds too desperate. I have had fleeting moments of thought about, “Is this a virus, drift from the bomb testings in Los Alamos, NM when I was growing up in southern Colorado (my cousin thinks so)”. Will knowing that change anything? Right now I’m leaning toward most effective, the least traumatic for me, Ann Midori Fujimoto Barry, for a long-term treatment.

Do me a favor, it won’t hurt my feelings that you just delete these, no need to respond unless you want to, but I probably won’t explain or defend anything. I will consider your suggestions. I’m keeping a notebook full of notes in case I need to refer back to anything.

Thanks,
Ann

Health Update #1

This is October, which is breast cancer awareness month.  My ask of you is to update your health history by having a mammogram. I did and much to my surprise was called in for a biopsy and the read on that Friday on the core biopsy was  ductal carcinoma in situ, Grade 2. Also, Grade 1, infiltrating ductal carconoma  with multifocal ductal carconoma in situ, comedo-type, Grade 2.  Yup, pretty much Greek to me, too.   The treatment protocol for such things is surgery, radiation, chemo. This came down about noon yesterday and since that time I’ve  gotten health insurance clearance and scheduled an MRI for a clearer  understanding of what we’re dealing with and that’s scheduled for Tuesday with a  hoped for Thurs. return. Dr. Duven suggested a 2nd opinion, talking to the specialists to read the pictures, doing my due diligence on internet and reading. There was time for that yesterday and more planned time on that tonight after I spoil my grandkids today. I’ve called and talked to Robin in Dr.  Bevacqua’s office. She’s going to work me in ASAP with a consult.

I want to thank Esther, Kristi, Dr. Kevin for helping me on the front end know what to  think before going in for the biopsy. I told people as they called or needed to know, for example my son, Marc flew in on Wed. and since that am was the procedure and I was told not to lift anything, he went shopping with me for our family and friends supper that night. He came in for a respite w/o his family  and I hated adding to his burdens as I desire not to for you. Let this information be a prompt for you to do whatever it takes to be healthy—up your Shaklee supplements please.

I’m in the best shape I’ve been ever in my life and I want to live and give grief to my great-grandkids….so no long faces please. I called Marc’s cell at 12:50 and both James and Marc were at my house by 1:30 to talk. James first knowledge. Sally, Paula, Teresa were by bringing back the display items I  gave them for the Women’s Health Event at UNI at 4:30 and I got my hugs. Teresa  being a cancer survivor told me to cry, take a couple of weeks to think.   Shirley called last night and wanted to know the prognosis and reminded me of  the carotomax wash—9 a day and amazing things occurred upon reexam. I got a  message from Vicki wanting to make sure we have coffee next week so she find out  everything I know and am feeling.

So, please just think of this as another of my 9 lives as a cat. I’m  doing well, in touch, I believe.  Am enjoying Marc’s visit and family, and my  house is cleaner than it’s ever been, and more study time.  It helps both me and you that I wasn’t spending time on the computer filling up your messages.

It’s important to act early on health issues, and to build a good Shaklee income so you can pursue your health needs w/o insurance dictating your choices. The question of what you can do is add me to your prayers and thoughts and see me as  I am… I’m feeling very peaceful and calm…don’t think I’m in shock.  Always  the teacher, I’m bringing you along on this saga and not expecting you to  want to read about it, but it’s there if you want.

So there you have it as I throw all my stuff together to spend the day with grandkids. We’re planning Lollipop concert, Chuckie Cheese, and playtime with the neighborhood kids.  Now, you go have fun.  I plan to have my business cards along on our outings!

Welcome!

Hi everyone. I’ll be using this site to keep everyone informed about what’s going on with me. Check back soon!