Supplements & Alternatives

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In the last month I have had a few conversations where alternative treatment options have come up. I’ve been asked to share some info by a few, and I thought it might be helpful for anyone who is interested. This is a very quick list. I’ll go into more detail in the future on each of these – but I hope this is helpful 🙂

-William


I spend my days in front of a computer, so I had lots of time to research and read when Tamika was diagnosed. I have too many links and too much information to share in this post, but here is a short list of the alternative things we found and used and continue to use. I’ll provide a brief description of how we use each item. I guess because it’s the internet I should put a disclaimer up…it will be at the bottom…darn internet 🙂

A quick note on diet:

We made the decision early on to make a drastic change in diet. Right before Tamika was diagnosed we had spent a couple weeks going mostly vegetarian (just for a cleanse) so it was pretty easy to keep up some of the changes. We cut out almost all sugars, purchased only organic & non-gmo, started juicing (carrot & kale) and stopped drinking alcohol. There are various studies I’ve read that linked sugar, alcohol, pesticides and growth-hormones to cancer…so we reacted to this information with drastic changes in diet. It has been nothing but a good thing, resulting in weight loss and better overall health. While we’ve relaxed a little since Tamika is cancer free, we’re still pretty strict about what we eat and drink.

The Quick List:

• Frankincense Oil (boswellia carteri)

Tamika used it to treat swelling from lymph-edema, pain, tenderness…really just whatever hurt or was wrong. There is a lot of information out there about this oil and its ability to boost immune functions and attack cancer tumor cells. Tamika uses it straight or mixed with carrier oil (coconut) and applies it directly to the skin (arm, breast, lymp-nodes, joints) and has also taken it internally (a couple drops in water or juice). It reduced her swelling, stopped pain, got rid of headaches. She still uses it daily for aches and pains. I use it…it works. We are currently testing several brands to find a less expensive solution to share with our friends (like you) but we continue to use DeSensua because it worked.

Where to buy: directly from DeSensua 

• Good Belly (probiotic juice)

This was the only real source of sugar other than fruits during treatment for Tamika. The probiotic helped keep Tamika’s digestive system working. It tastes great and really helps when you can’t eat anything. This was a daily meal replacement during treatments. Blend with Ice, Organic Fruit (banana, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry) and Vitamin C (below), Flax Seed Hull (below) and non-gmo non-soy protein powder – this is still a weekly treat for us.

Where to buy: Find a grocery store near you that carries it on the website – http://www.goodbelly.com/

• Flax Seed Hull (lignans)

This powder is made from the hull of the flax seed. We add a scoop to our blended GoodBelly drinks. When you do research on Flax Seed  or Lignans you’ll find lots of good information. This is a inexpensive source of some great plant super-food for your body.

Where to buy: We get them on Amazon – http://amzn.to/1X6B3Ak

• Liposomal Vitamin C

If you’ve done any research you have likely found numerous articles on the benefits of this vitamin. Liposomal Vitamin C is able to be absorbed by your body so there is less waste and a more immediate benefit. We add a dose to our blended GoodBelly drinks, or just add it to a shot of juice. There are several brands, we’ve tried a few. None of them have a great taste – so mix it with something 🙂

Where to buy: We get ours on Amazon – http://amzn.to/1X6B9bh

• Papaya Leaf Tea

After reading a few articles about the benefits of Papaya Leaf Tea, I just decided it was too easy and I had to do it…even if it did nothing but make tea. I found a source of organic Papaya Leaf (can you guess where…yep, amazon) and purchased a couple of cool tea balls. I put a small scoop in a cup of tea and we drink it straight…no sugar added. It’s a little bland, and I’m sure you could get creative and add some other tea to it, but we just make it a point of drinking it a couple time a week. During treatments I made it for Tamika almost every day.

Where to buy: We get it from Amazon – http://amzn.to/1X6Bmv6

• Alpha Lipoic Acid

A friend who had been through this fight was sharing her journey with me right after Tamika was diagnosed. She talked about GoodBelly and Alpha Lipoic Acid. If you’ve been on facebook at all this year you’ve seen the plexus craze, and guess what they talk about…a lot? Alpha Lipoic Acid. No, I’m not into plexus…and I never will be. When we talked with our doctor about this supplement to avoid neuropathy caused by the chemo he indicated that several people had benefited from it – but not all. Well, that was enough for us. Tamika started taking it every day and still takes it. It’s cheap. It’s good for you. What’s not to like 🙂

Where to buy: Again, we get it from Amazon – http://amzn.to/1X6Bpa9

• CBD Oil (hemp oil) – This is the only item on the list we haven’t used, yet.

When doing my research I found a lot of good information on CBD oil, and many sources for it. We never purchased it as in the beginning Tamika wasn’t sure she wanted to use it. But after reading more and more about its benefits, we would not hesitate to use this oil. We have even talked about using it just because it’s good for general health, and we want to continue to do whatever we can to make sure our future is cancer free. The source I like the most was BlueBird Botanicals. The reason I personally would try their oil is that they publish test results of the oil, and they have a special blend that includes Frankincense and Black Cumin – all have a place in boosting immune function and killing cancer. You can check out their website: bluebird-botanicals.com

Why share all this information? If you’ve read any of Tamika’s story, you likely know that her cancer was growing at an alarming rate, and that her response to chemo was just as rapid. No doubt about it – chemo played a big part in her recovery. But even before chemo started there were results from applying the Frankincense oil – reduced swelling, reduced pain, increased range of motion (left arm) – it was a very real change. And I have no doubt that using these alternative played a big role in Tamika’s recovery.

I hope that these resources can help you. I want you to win your fight against cancer!

William

Disclaimer: This post is here to share my experience only. It is not medical advice. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your treatment plan, diet, supplements or medications.

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wsteffenauer

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