What would you do if your doctor tells you he no longer knows what to do? That seems to be what my oncologist is saying to me now. The problem is the cancer cells have weakened my bones. My doctors already used a relatively-new procedure called Kyphoplasty to stabilise two bones in my lower back. I was put under anesthesia and the expert inserted cement-like putty into the lower part of spinal column. It took me a while to agree to this procedure. A kind nurse helped me come to a “yes” by explaining the risks and benefits of the procedure and giving me useful material to read. A friend later told me her brother contracted an infection from this procedure —-but that was about 12 years ago when the procedure was still new.
I resisted my oncologist’s push for another Kyphoplasty procedure to fix the T6 bone in my spinal column because the surgeon doubted it would help. The bigger problem that I am having now that has exasperated my oncologist is the near collapse of my sternum and some rib cage bones. The surgeon considered inserting a rod but don’t think my bones are strong enough for that.
My oncologist was leaning towards referring me to a thoracic surgeon in New York city but wondered whether I was up to making the trip. I felt led to speak words of encouragement to him as he tried to come up with a solution and his computer would not cooperate. I thanked him for all what he’s been doing for me adding, “Just do the best you can for me and we leave the rest to God.”
He asked whether I wanted to check into a hospice. That is an option my friends and I had explored earlier but we decided against that after the hospice people said I have to give up all curative treatment. We wanted the kind of care( and low cost) they give at a hospice but were not willing to give up on treatment.
What pushed my oncologist to the point of exasperation was seeing how the skin on my legs have been scarred by the interaction of my meds with the antibiotics prescribed for a sore on my ankle that was not healing.
When that kind of sore (probably caused by poor circulation since I do not have diabetes) first appeared on my legs three years ago I followed my nutritionist’s recommendation and that healed the sore. The nutritionist had told me to swallow one tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with three drops of oregano oil every 4 hours. She also told me to apply some of the mixture directly on the sore and surrounding area. If I remember correctly it was after 2 or 3 days that I started to feel the oils weighing heavily on my chest so I decided to start taking the mixture every 8 hours, and then every 12 hours until the sore cleared. I ordered organic oregano oil made by Northern Spice and Herb company (said to be a highly reputable company) through Amazon.com and along with it a book, Cure in A Cupboard that offers many remedies based on oregano oil (the most powerful natural antibiotic, even touted as a treatment for HIV-AIDS and flesh-eating bacteria). It is also anti-viral and antifungal. Coconut oil has some of the same properties but is milder.
Anyway, I had wanted to use the same simple oregano remedy when the sore (small but very painful) appeared again on my ankle a few months ago but decided against it because the doctors have me back on Coumadin ( a blood thinning medication)and also I didn’t know whether or not it would interfere with my chemo drugs.
It seems the antibiotic I thought would be safer than my natural oregano remedy did interact with my other meds and has caused me many problems. The antibiotics (the prescribed tablets and ointment) inflamed my skin and made me feel like my nerve endings were on fire. I still have trouble sleeping at night when the pan is worse.
One nurse said, “Well if you can’t sleep and you are in pain that is a big problem.” She said I should show my legs to the oncologist when next I saw him and she also warned that meds like Neurontin that may stop the pain in my legs also have their own side effects so I might be better off letting my body heal itself from the pain.
So when the oncologist heard my sleepness nights complaints and saw my legs he said, “I’m going to prescribe Neurontin and take you off chemotherapy for 2 weeks.” I don’t want to add more drugs to my regimen. I don’t want to go three weeks without treatment. We agreed that I should return in one week.
Maybe, this is a good time for me to check into a holistic healing center. The kind Nowlin, a church friend, checked into and got cured of three kinds of cancer. He said he raised the $25,000 treatment cost by writing to friends and relatives.