My friend, Lisa, just send me the BEST present ever: a holiday elf video clip that she made for us that is absolutely hysterical. The boys and I were completely cracking up this morning watching it and I think they made me watch it at least fifty times...
Check it out: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1453249490
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Long-Awaited Update
Since five different people -- within the span of five days -- have emailed and/or called me to say that they miss reading my blog updates and want to know how I am doing, I decided that it's time for me to come out of "hibernation" and actually post an update...
There are a number of reasons why I haven't written in weeks. The most simple and clear-cut is that life with kids (especially during the holidays) can be crazy busy, as many of you know. But I cannot blame my silence entirely on that -- I would be exaggerating to say that I haven't had one spare moment to write in the last 5 weeks and that it's entirely because of the kids. I think that the real reason I haven't written is more complicated and can, in part, be attributed to the fact that once my chemo treatment ended I was so incredibly ready to embrace a "normal" cancer-free life again and writing regularly in my blog didn't necessarily fit into that picture. While it definitely took a couple weeks after my final treatment for me to start feeling a sense of relief (it's hard to truly feel "relief" when you still feel completely lousy), once I started feeling well there was no holding back. I have embraced "normalcy" with every ounce of strength that I have: I am back to my old routine of dropping the kids off at school and picking them up every day, I try to work out 4-5 times a week, our house is beautifully decorated for the holidays and much of my Christmas shopping is done, I am immersed in a pro-bono marketing consulting project for the American Cancer Society and have also been talking to a number of other companies about paid consulting work (which I hope to start in February, but more on that later), and Pete and I (or just me when Pete is working late) are trying to pack in loads of fun holiday activities with the kids. All very "normal", all very time-consuming, and all a very welcome reprieve and distraction from thinking about cancer.
I don't mean to imply that everything is totally peachy-keen. While I am definitely feeling better than I did during my chemo weeks, I still have lingering symptoms which remind me constantly of what I have gone through. I also, unfortunately, have developed a few NEW symptoms recently, including non-stop tingling in my toes and feet. My nurse seems to think the tingling is probably nerve damage from the chemo drugs and it's unclear as to whether or not this issue will resolve or be permanent - only time will tell. But again, just another daily reminder that my body is still healing from a fairly traumatic year. Lastly, my first post-treatment CT/PET scan and my colon-part 2 surgery have both been scheduled (for January 2 and January 4, respectively.) I have known all along that these two "bridges" still needed to be crossed, but until recently, they seemed so far off in the distance. When I got the confirmation email from the surgeon's administrator this week, however, I realized with a wave of panic that these dates are only 3 weeks away! I am not ready to be back in the hospital for 4-5 days. I am not ready to feel run-over by a tractor again, albeit a smaller tractor than last time. I am dreading having to re-adjust once again to a new digestive system. I so desperately just want my old cancer-free body back.
And so, despite my attempts create a "normal" life in these past few weeks and to fill my days with a myriad of distractions, I know that my current life is not really a sustainable kind of "normal." It's more of a "this-is-really-fun-for-a-short-time-while-I-keep-my-mind-off- other-things" kind of normal. I don't have much desire to spend my days working out, lunching with friends, leisurely shopping, etc. This lifestyle works for some woman, but it's not for me -- and not just because it's not financially sustainable for our family, either. While I have enjoyed having these past few weeks to relax and recover physically, I have not necessarily found myself spiritually or emotionally fulfilled. I have been pre-occupied; I have been distracted; I have been happy; I have been having fun. But this is definitely not a sense of "normal" that is going to make me feel emotionally healthy and balanced (e.g., so that I do not immediately fall into a panic every time I have an approaching scan or similar test), nor will it make me feel spiritually happy or fulfilled long-term.
And so, therein lies my challenge for 2008: I need to figure out how to retain all the things that I love about my current state of "normal" (e.g., having time to spend with my kids, getting stronger physically) while also introducing new things which will give my life a greater sense of purpose and a greater sense of emotional balance. I was joking with a couple girlfriends of mine about the fact that, before my diagnosis, I was constantly struggling -- as every working mom does -- to figure out how to balance career and family. And as if that were not challenging enough, I have now added the additional requirement that the career piece must be meaningful and purposeful. Ugh -- this damn cancer experience has made my life exponentially harder! So creating a new purpose-driven, healthy, balanced, happy life is my goal for 2008. It's a heck of a New Year's Resolution, don't you think?
Anyway, my apologies to all of you who have faithfully and regularly checked my blog these past 5+ weeks and have been blinded by the silence from me. I desperately needed a break from cancer life for awhile and I appreciate your understanding and support during my "hibernation." With my surgery and tests approaching (and with my holiday shopping almost done!), I will definitely post more regular updates going forward.
There are a number of reasons why I haven't written in weeks. The most simple and clear-cut is that life with kids (especially during the holidays) can be crazy busy, as many of you know. But I cannot blame my silence entirely on that -- I would be exaggerating to say that I haven't had one spare moment to write in the last 5 weeks and that it's entirely because of the kids. I think that the real reason I haven't written is more complicated and can, in part, be attributed to the fact that once my chemo treatment ended I was so incredibly ready to embrace a "normal" cancer-free life again and writing regularly in my blog didn't necessarily fit into that picture. While it definitely took a couple weeks after my final treatment for me to start feeling a sense of relief (it's hard to truly feel "relief" when you still feel completely lousy), once I started feeling well there was no holding back. I have embraced "normalcy" with every ounce of strength that I have: I am back to my old routine of dropping the kids off at school and picking them up every day, I try to work out 4-5 times a week, our house is beautifully decorated for the holidays and much of my Christmas shopping is done, I am immersed in a pro-bono marketing consulting project for the American Cancer Society and have also been talking to a number of other companies about paid consulting work (which I hope to start in February, but more on that later), and Pete and I (or just me when Pete is working late) are trying to pack in loads of fun holiday activities with the kids. All very "normal", all very time-consuming, and all a very welcome reprieve and distraction from thinking about cancer.
I don't mean to imply that everything is totally peachy-keen. While I am definitely feeling better than I did during my chemo weeks, I still have lingering symptoms which remind me constantly of what I have gone through. I also, unfortunately, have developed a few NEW symptoms recently, including non-stop tingling in my toes and feet. My nurse seems to think the tingling is probably nerve damage from the chemo drugs and it's unclear as to whether or not this issue will resolve or be permanent - only time will tell. But again, just another daily reminder that my body is still healing from a fairly traumatic year. Lastly, my first post-treatment CT/PET scan and my colon-part 2 surgery have both been scheduled (for January 2 and January 4, respectively.) I have known all along that these two "bridges" still needed to be crossed, but until recently, they seemed so far off in the distance. When I got the confirmation email from the surgeon's administrator this week, however, I realized with a wave of panic that these dates are only 3 weeks away! I am not ready to be back in the hospital for 4-5 days. I am not ready to feel run-over by a tractor again, albeit a smaller tractor than last time. I am dreading having to re-adjust once again to a new digestive system. I so desperately just want my old cancer-free body back.
And so, despite my attempts create a "normal" life in these past few weeks and to fill my days with a myriad of distractions, I know that my current life is not really a sustainable kind of "normal." It's more of a "this-is-really-fun-for-a-short-time-while-I-keep-my-mind-off- other-things" kind of normal. I don't have much desire to spend my days working out, lunching with friends, leisurely shopping, etc. This lifestyle works for some woman, but it's not for me -- and not just because it's not financially sustainable for our family, either. While I have enjoyed having these past few weeks to relax and recover physically, I have not necessarily found myself spiritually or emotionally fulfilled. I have been pre-occupied; I have been distracted; I have been happy; I have been having fun. But this is definitely not a sense of "normal" that is going to make me feel emotionally healthy and balanced (e.g., so that I do not immediately fall into a panic every time I have an approaching scan or similar test), nor will it make me feel spiritually happy or fulfilled long-term.
And so, therein lies my challenge for 2008: I need to figure out how to retain all the things that I love about my current state of "normal" (e.g., having time to spend with my kids, getting stronger physically) while also introducing new things which will give my life a greater sense of purpose and a greater sense of emotional balance. I was joking with a couple girlfriends of mine about the fact that, before my diagnosis, I was constantly struggling -- as every working mom does -- to figure out how to balance career and family. And as if that were not challenging enough, I have now added the additional requirement that the career piece must be meaningful and purposeful. Ugh -- this damn cancer experience has made my life exponentially harder! So creating a new purpose-driven, healthy, balanced, happy life is my goal for 2008. It's a heck of a New Year's Resolution, don't you think?
Anyway, my apologies to all of you who have faithfully and regularly checked my blog these past 5+ weeks and have been blinded by the silence from me. I desperately needed a break from cancer life for awhile and I appreciate your understanding and support during my "hibernation." With my surgery and tests approaching (and with my holiday shopping almost done!), I will definitely post more regular updates going forward.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Cutting Room Floor
I just found out that the Good Morning America segment on Dr Rachel Remen aired LAST Thursday. Who knew! And apparently, not only did all of my oh-so-profound-and-witty comments end up on the cutting room floor, but so did the entire interview that they conducted with Dr Gullion about integrated medicine!
DARN, this was suppose to be my big break! Now I'm back to square one on figuring out how to launch my next big career move. Oh well! I still feel flattered that he chose me to participate and, besides, Dr Gullion sent me a certificate for a free "integrative healing service" as a thank you. Maybe I'll be divinely inspired about what to do next while I am getting massaged...
DARN, this was suppose to be my big break! Now I'm back to square one on figuring out how to launch my next big career move. Oh well! I still feel flattered that he chose me to participate and, besides, Dr Gullion sent me a certificate for a free "integrative healing service" as a thank you. Maybe I'll be divinely inspired about what to do next while I am getting massaged...
Yahoo Video
There was an interesting video on Yahoo yesterday regarding the chemicals that are being found in our bodies. The video supports much of what I have written about in prior blogs -- maybe my ramblings aren't so crazy after all! :)
Click here if you are interested in watching it:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/223/popup/index.php?cl=4978183
Click here if you are interested in watching it:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/223/popup/index.php?cl=4978183
Monday, November 12, 2007
I Finally Feel Like Celebrating
Not much news to report....As far as I know, my TV debut has not yet aired on Good Morning America and I am not sure when it will. I'm planning to call Dr Gullion's office tomorrow to check in and see if they have heard anything. I'll keep you posted. And if I can find someone who is more tech-savvy than me to help, I'll even try to figure out a way to include the clip as a video on my blog. No promises, but I'll see what I can do.
As for me, I am feeling better every day. I told Pete that, when everyone was sending me emails of congrats and flowers a couple Mondays ago, I was having a really hard time feeling "celebratory." I knew that I still had another 7+ days to go of feeling awful and it was hard to feel much like celebrating at that point. But now that a couple weeks have transpired and I am finally on the upswing and starting to feel better, I find that I am beginning to celebrate: my step is a bit lighter, my mood a bit happier, my smile a bit broader...I saw my friend, Amy, on Friday night and she said that she hasn't seen me this upbeat and chipper in months. I think that it's finally safe to say that the old Julie is coming back and that the Bitch lost this battle in a big fat way! :)
As for me, I am feeling better every day. I told Pete that, when everyone was sending me emails of congrats and flowers a couple Mondays ago, I was having a really hard time feeling "celebratory." I knew that I still had another 7+ days to go of feeling awful and it was hard to feel much like celebrating at that point. But now that a couple weeks have transpired and I am finally on the upswing and starting to feel better, I find that I am beginning to celebrate: my step is a bit lighter, my mood a bit happier, my smile a bit broader...I saw my friend, Amy, on Friday night and she said that she hasn't seen me this upbeat and chipper in months. I think that it's finally safe to say that the old Julie is coming back and that the Bitch lost this battle in a big fat way! :)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
My Screen Debut
My television debut screening yesterday went great. I actually ended up playing a much bigger role than I imagined. I thought going in that I would just be an "extra" in the background while they interviewed Dr Gullion, but there were many times that the (enormous!) camera was directed solely at me. Yikes -- it was definitely nerve-wracking!
We basically staged a mock check-up appointment. Dr Gullion asked me questions about how I was feeling after my last treatment and he talked about next steps in my monitoring plan. We also talked about my experience regarding the integrative medical options that the cancer center offers (such as acupuncture, massage, guided imagery, etc) since this is really the focus of the work that Rachel Remen supports and which she has mentored Dr Gullion on establishing. Apparently, this is also the award that Dr Remen will be receiving -- it's an award that recognized the top six individuals who are leaders in the field of integrative medicine. During the interview, the reporter asked Dr Gullion if he ever could have imagined creating an integrative medical practice 40+ years ago when he was going through medical school at Columbia University. Dr Gullion said that the idea of combining Eastern and Western medicine and alternative therapies was completely unheard of in those days. He very much credits Rachel Remen and the other recipients (who, by the way, will also include Dr Andrew Weil, the nutritionist whom I have mentioned previously) in bringing integrative medicine to the forefront.
Anyway, the camera man taped us for about an hour, but of course, the whole segment is primarily about Dr Rachel Remen (they were leaving to go film her after us) and will probably only last about 15 minutes tops and so much of what they filmed with Dr Gullion and myself will inevitably end up being edited out. But who knows -- maybe my 2-seconds of coverage will launch my new career! Hee hee!
Anyway, the camera crew thought that the piece might be airing this Friday morning so if you have a chance tune in or TIVO it. Again, it's on Good Morning America. I'll let you know if I hear confirmation before then.
We basically staged a mock check-up appointment. Dr Gullion asked me questions about how I was feeling after my last treatment and he talked about next steps in my monitoring plan. We also talked about my experience regarding the integrative medical options that the cancer center offers (such as acupuncture, massage, guided imagery, etc) since this is really the focus of the work that Rachel Remen supports and which she has mentored Dr Gullion on establishing. Apparently, this is also the award that Dr Remen will be receiving -- it's an award that recognized the top six individuals who are leaders in the field of integrative medicine. During the interview, the reporter asked Dr Gullion if he ever could have imagined creating an integrative medical practice 40+ years ago when he was going through medical school at Columbia University. Dr Gullion said that the idea of combining Eastern and Western medicine and alternative therapies was completely unheard of in those days. He very much credits Rachel Remen and the other recipients (who, by the way, will also include Dr Andrew Weil, the nutritionist whom I have mentioned previously) in bringing integrative medicine to the forefront.
Anyway, the camera man taped us for about an hour, but of course, the whole segment is primarily about Dr Rachel Remen (they were leaving to go film her after us) and will probably only last about 15 minutes tops and so much of what they filmed with Dr Gullion and myself will inevitably end up being edited out. But who knows -- maybe my 2-seconds of coverage will launch my new career! Hee hee!
Anyway, the camera crew thought that the piece might be airing this Friday morning so if you have a chance tune in or TIVO it. Again, it's on Good Morning America. I'll let you know if I hear confirmation before then.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Good Morning America
I got a call from Dr Gullion last week that totally took me by surprise. Usually the nurses call me - I never get a call directly from him! It turns out he had a favor to ask of me. Apparently, his "life mentor" is Dr. Rachel Remen, the author of the book Kitchen Table Wisdom which I mentioned in prior blogs. I had no idea that Dr Gullion even knew her. I absolutely love her! Her book is one of the big reasons that I survived through all of the uncertainty and fear that clouded the first few months of my treatment. She is truly an inspirational and amazing person and an incredible writer. The stories in her book helped me tremendously as I grappled through mind-numbing fear to make sense of my diagnosis.
Anyway, she is apparently being honored with a very prestigious life-achievement award and Good Morning America is going to feature her in an upcoming segment. As part of the show, they want to include video footage of some of her proteges, including Dr Gullion. The favor that he asked me was to come and be the patient that he is "treating" while the video taping is going on. How fun! Of course I told him that I would be happy to help -- who wouldn't want to be on Good Morning America, plus I love the idea of being associated (even in this minuscule way) with Dr Remen. And so tomorrow morning I am off to my national TV screen debut taping. Hopefully I don't end up on the cutting room floor!
By the way, my dad thinks that it's good karma that Dr Gullion asked me. He thinks that Dr Gullion probably prefers a healthy, vibrant-looking patient who has a great chance at surviving, rather than some near-death, crawling-through-the-door patient. If that's the case, I am thrilled to be chosen and happy to oblige!
Anyway, she is apparently being honored with a very prestigious life-achievement award and Good Morning America is going to feature her in an upcoming segment. As part of the show, they want to include video footage of some of her proteges, including Dr Gullion. The favor that he asked me was to come and be the patient that he is "treating" while the video taping is going on. How fun! Of course I told him that I would be happy to help -- who wouldn't want to be on Good Morning America, plus I love the idea of being associated (even in this minuscule way) with Dr Remen. And so tomorrow morning I am off to my national TV screen debut taping. Hopefully I don't end up on the cutting room floor!
By the way, my dad thinks that it's good karma that Dr Gullion asked me. He thinks that Dr Gullion probably prefers a healthy, vibrant-looking patient who has a great chance at surviving, rather than some near-death, crawling-through-the-door patient. If that's the case, I am thrilled to be chosen and happy to oblige!
Finally Feeling Better
Well, it's safe to say that I am finally starting to feel better -- HALLELUJAH!
It's been such a long week -- I definitely got really, really knocked out by this last round of chemo. I had all the usual symptoms -- neuropathy, hot flashes, severe headaches, fatigue, etc. -- but it seemed like they were all more intense and lasted longer this time. I think that this cycle was harder from an emotional standpoint as well. Previously, I knew that I only got two weeks in between cycles and so I wanted every day to drag on as long as possible. I wanted to pack as much living in between my chemo appointments as possible, and so I definitely turned a blind eye to some of my symptoms and plowed forward. By comparison, now that I am done with chemo, I find that I am so impatient. I just want these next few days and weeks to fly by!! I am so tired of feeling yucky -- I want to fast forward to the point that all my symptoms have faded and I am back to my old self again.
But, as is the story of this whole journey, I need to just take things one step at a time...Ugh!
It's been such a long week -- I definitely got really, really knocked out by this last round of chemo. I had all the usual symptoms -- neuropathy, hot flashes, severe headaches, fatigue, etc. -- but it seemed like they were all more intense and lasted longer this time. I think that this cycle was harder from an emotional standpoint as well. Previously, I knew that I only got two weeks in between cycles and so I wanted every day to drag on as long as possible. I wanted to pack as much living in between my chemo appointments as possible, and so I definitely turned a blind eye to some of my symptoms and plowed forward. By comparison, now that I am done with chemo, I find that I am so impatient. I just want these next few days and weeks to fly by!! I am so tired of feeling yucky -- I want to fast forward to the point that all my symptoms have faded and I am back to my old self again.
But, as is the story of this whole journey, I need to just take things one step at a time...Ugh!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Further Next Steps
The other "next step" that I forgot to mention in my last blog entry is that, now that I am basically done with chemo, I get to move into "monitoring mode." This means that I go back to see Dr Gullion (chemo oncologist) and Dr Poen (radiation oncologist) in one month for my first post-treatment check-up. At that point, they will check my blood counts to make sure that everything is moving back toward normal and they will lay out a rough monitoring schedule going forward.
As Dr Gullion explained to us today, there are basically four possible scenarios of what can happen now:
1) The cancer could be completely gone and will never come back again. As far as I am concerned, this is really the only option, but for the sake of thoroughness, I'll share the other scenarios as well...
2) The cancer might come back in the same place. He explained that this is virtually impossible for me, though, since the tumor was basically gone by the time that I had surgery and also because Dr Garcia-Aguilar (my surgeon) removed all of the cancerous tissue plus much of the surrounding tissue during surgery. So Dr Gullion admitted that the chance of this scenario happening to me is "essentially non-existent." I love that!
3) Additional polyps might appear in other parts of my colon. He explained that it takes about 18 months for a polyp to appear and another 18 months for it to become cancerous. Hence the need for yearly colonoscopy appointments so that we can "nip these in the bud," so to speak, before they turn monsterous.
4) Future scans sometimes reveal metastatic cancer spots on the liver or elsewhere. For me, this would mean that somehow some of the cancer cells miraculously survived everything that we have thrown at them these past 9 months and migrated into the blood stream. This would obviously not be good and so, again, it's not an option, as far as I am concerned.
According to Dr Gullion, the most important years will be the next five. In general, if one of the last three scenarios is going to happen, it generally happens within five years for colon cancer patients (the same is not true for all cancers.) If I can make it to Thanksgiving 2012 without any reoccurance then my chances of the cancer coming back approach 0%. I love the fact that Thanksgiving will forever anchor the anniversary of my completion of cancer treatment since it's such an appropriate occasion for celebrating life.
As Dr Gullion explained to us today, there are basically four possible scenarios of what can happen now:
1) The cancer could be completely gone and will never come back again. As far as I am concerned, this is really the only option, but for the sake of thoroughness, I'll share the other scenarios as well...
2) The cancer might come back in the same place. He explained that this is virtually impossible for me, though, since the tumor was basically gone by the time that I had surgery and also because Dr Garcia-Aguilar (my surgeon) removed all of the cancerous tissue plus much of the surrounding tissue during surgery. So Dr Gullion admitted that the chance of this scenario happening to me is "essentially non-existent." I love that!
3) Additional polyps might appear in other parts of my colon. He explained that it takes about 18 months for a polyp to appear and another 18 months for it to become cancerous. Hence the need for yearly colonoscopy appointments so that we can "nip these in the bud," so to speak, before they turn monsterous.
4) Future scans sometimes reveal metastatic cancer spots on the liver or elsewhere. For me, this would mean that somehow some of the cancer cells miraculously survived everything that we have thrown at them these past 9 months and migrated into the blood stream. This would obviously not be good and so, again, it's not an option, as far as I am concerned.
According to Dr Gullion, the most important years will be the next five. In general, if one of the last three scenarios is going to happen, it generally happens within five years for colon cancer patients (the same is not true for all cancers.) If I can make it to Thanksgiving 2012 without any reoccurance then my chances of the cancer coming back approach 0%. I love the fact that Thanksgiving will forever anchor the anniversary of my completion of cancer treatment since it's such an appropriate occasion for celebrating life.
What Next?
So I went in for my eighth and LAST chemo session this morning. Ironically, it almost didn't happen! Apparently, my white blood count is low (despite the extra bonus week that I got and despite the Neupogen shots) and Dr Gullion said that my liver function is also a bit abnormal. He was not surprised by either of these results given what I have been through, and I got the impression that, had this not been my last cycle, he would have delayed me again. Luckily, he didn't and we pressed forward. Hallelujah!!!
I actually cannot believe that I made it through all eight cycles of chemo -- when I came out of surgery five months ago, I was so depleted that I literally could not imagine how the heck I was going to make it to this day. It seemed like such an overwhelmingly daunting climb. I think that I am still in a state of shock, to be honest. The reality of being done hasn't really sunk in yet. This is probably partly because I am not exactly QUITE done yet...there are still a couple more things that still need to happen before I can say that I am truly at the top of this crazy mountain. Specifically, I am technically still undergoing chemo as I write this -- I have my continuous pump of 5-FU attached and won't get "unhooked" until this Wednesday.
Also, I still need to have two more surgeries. One of the surgeries is fairly minor (I need to remove the "caribiner"/port that I had implanted many moons ago.) The other surgery I am calling "Colon - Part 2." While this surgery is not as minor as the port-removal will be, it is supposedly much less intense than my abdominal surgery in June. I'll spare you the details, but I basically need to have some final adjustments made to my colon so that everything works properly. I knew in June that I would need to have this "Part 2" surgery done at some point, but I just couldn't think about it (and so didn't write about it) until now. I think that my mind could only process small bits of the journey at once, and now that chemo is almost completely behind me, I can open my mind to this next -- and truly last! -- section of the climb.
My surgeon says that I can have the surgery done at any point after Thanksgiving (he wants my body to be able to heal from chemo until then), but I decided that I need a longer break. I don't want to even think about cancer during the holidays and I certainly don't want to spend any time in the hospital (apparently, I'll be in for about 5 days again -- ugh!) All I want to do for the next couple months is relax, work on healing my poor body, gain some weight back (what a perfect time of year to be trying to gain weight, don't you think??) and just enjoy the magic of the holiday season with my family and friends. And so, since there is really no rush, I decided to hold off on both surgeries until early January.
So this is where we are...Today was a milestone day, no doubt. I feel like the most difficult sections of my mountain are behind me and I can finally breathe a slight sigh of relief. The top of my mountain is clearly in sight now, and I have faith that I will be there very soon. But for now, I am completely and utterly exhausted -- both physically and mentally -- and so I am going lay down quietly on the side of my mountain, just shy of the top, and rest for a bit. And, as I lay here, I can look around with wonder at how far I have climbed and reflect on how beautiful the climb has been at times. I know that sounds crazy to say, but it's true. I remember my friend, Cathy, telling me early on that during my cancer journey "blessings will unfold before me that I might never have recognized otherwise" and this is so true. In much the same way that other parts of this journey have fallen miraculously into place (such as having Michael and Miranda as neighbors, meeting Isabelle and Denis in church, having my liver freckle open the way for me to have surgery at UCSF, etc), I think that it's also fortuitous that my treatment is ending shortly before Thanksgiving. I cannot imagine a more amazing thing to be thankful for than the blessing of life and the love of friends and family that I have been given this year.
I actually cannot believe that I made it through all eight cycles of chemo -- when I came out of surgery five months ago, I was so depleted that I literally could not imagine how the heck I was going to make it to this day. It seemed like such an overwhelmingly daunting climb. I think that I am still in a state of shock, to be honest. The reality of being done hasn't really sunk in yet. This is probably partly because I am not exactly QUITE done yet...there are still a couple more things that still need to happen before I can say that I am truly at the top of this crazy mountain. Specifically, I am technically still undergoing chemo as I write this -- I have my continuous pump of 5-FU attached and won't get "unhooked" until this Wednesday.
Also, I still need to have two more surgeries. One of the surgeries is fairly minor (I need to remove the "caribiner"/port that I had implanted many moons ago.) The other surgery I am calling "Colon - Part 2." While this surgery is not as minor as the port-removal will be, it is supposedly much less intense than my abdominal surgery in June. I'll spare you the details, but I basically need to have some final adjustments made to my colon so that everything works properly. I knew in June that I would need to have this "Part 2" surgery done at some point, but I just couldn't think about it (and so didn't write about it) until now. I think that my mind could only process small bits of the journey at once, and now that chemo is almost completely behind me, I can open my mind to this next -- and truly last! -- section of the climb.
My surgeon says that I can have the surgery done at any point after Thanksgiving (he wants my body to be able to heal from chemo until then), but I decided that I need a longer break. I don't want to even think about cancer during the holidays and I certainly don't want to spend any time in the hospital (apparently, I'll be in for about 5 days again -- ugh!) All I want to do for the next couple months is relax, work on healing my poor body, gain some weight back (what a perfect time of year to be trying to gain weight, don't you think??) and just enjoy the magic of the holiday season with my family and friends. And so, since there is really no rush, I decided to hold off on both surgeries until early January.
So this is where we are...Today was a milestone day, no doubt. I feel like the most difficult sections of my mountain are behind me and I can finally breathe a slight sigh of relief. The top of my mountain is clearly in sight now, and I have faith that I will be there very soon. But for now, I am completely and utterly exhausted -- both physically and mentally -- and so I am going lay down quietly on the side of my mountain, just shy of the top, and rest for a bit. And, as I lay here, I can look around with wonder at how far I have climbed and reflect on how beautiful the climb has been at times. I know that sounds crazy to say, but it's true. I remember my friend, Cathy, telling me early on that during my cancer journey "blessings will unfold before me that I might never have recognized otherwise" and this is so true. In much the same way that other parts of this journey have fallen miraculously into place (such as having Michael and Miranda as neighbors, meeting Isabelle and Denis in church, having my liver freckle open the way for me to have surgery at UCSF, etc), I think that it's also fortuitous that my treatment is ending shortly before Thanksgiving. I cannot imagine a more amazing thing to be thankful for than the blessing of life and the love of friends and family that I have been given this year.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Ten Thousand
Can I just point out a really amazing fact?? As of today, there have been more than ten thousand visits to my blog.
TEN FREAKING THOUSAND!!
That means that an about 40 people have visited my site every day since I started writing. Friends have visited to check in on me and see how I am doing, or to hear about my progress in my climb up the mountain, or to hear all of my learnings about how to live a healthier life, or just to hear my ramblings about life in general. And I cannot tell you how amazing this makes me feel; I am stunned beyond words. Ten thousand visits in nine months!
I have obviously watched my little traffic counter inch its way up each day, but I think the enormity of what it means truly hit me today. There are tears running down my face right now as I write and I can't help but be reminded of a Ray Carver poem that I published a couple months ago (and which I framed and gave to Bonnie before she died):
And did you get what you wanted
from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved.
To feel myself beloved on this earth.
I feel beloved. Because of the love and support from each of you, I can called myself beloved. And in the end, I think that is really all any of us can ask for in life. So thank you for taking this journey with me -- I could not have done it alone.
TEN FREAKING THOUSAND!!
That means that an about 40 people have visited my site every day since I started writing. Friends have visited to check in on me and see how I am doing, or to hear about my progress in my climb up the mountain, or to hear all of my learnings about how to live a healthier life, or just to hear my ramblings about life in general. And I cannot tell you how amazing this makes me feel; I am stunned beyond words. Ten thousand visits in nine months!
I have obviously watched my little traffic counter inch its way up each day, but I think the enormity of what it means truly hit me today. There are tears running down my face right now as I write and I can't help but be reminded of a Ray Carver poem that I published a couple months ago (and which I framed and gave to Bonnie before she died):
And did you get what you wanted
from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved.
To feel myself beloved on this earth.
I feel beloved. Because of the love and support from each of you, I can called myself beloved. And in the end, I think that is really all any of us can ask for in life. So thank you for taking this journey with me -- I could not have done it alone.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Chemicals in Children
Check out this CNN article about the high level of chemicals in children...It's scary!!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/22/body.burden/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/22/body.burden/index.html
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Treatment Delayed
I just got a sweet note from my aunt wishing me luck tomorrow for my last chemo session and I realized "Yikes -- I need to update my blog!!"
You see, I am not going to do my last chemo tomorrow. I decided (in agreement with my doctor) to delay my treatment for another week. A small group of friends have been planning a family-friendly group getaway for next weekend and I really, REALLY want to go. It's a wonderful group of friends and I would be so sad to have to miss it! And if I do chemo tomorrow then next weekend will inevitably be a bad weekend for me and we won't be able to go. When I mentioned this to my doctor, he agreed that delaying my last chemo by a week would not jeopardize my success since he has given me the maximum dosage every time and I have only had one other delay. Therefore, I willingly and enthusiastically afforded myself a much-needed emotional, soul-healing break.
So, I told my aunt that I'll hang onto her prayers and good wishes for one more week and bring them with me when I go in for my last treatment next Monday (October 29th) at 8am.
You see, I am not going to do my last chemo tomorrow. I decided (in agreement with my doctor) to delay my treatment for another week. A small group of friends have been planning a family-friendly group getaway for next weekend and I really, REALLY want to go. It's a wonderful group of friends and I would be so sad to have to miss it! And if I do chemo tomorrow then next weekend will inevitably be a bad weekend for me and we won't be able to go. When I mentioned this to my doctor, he agreed that delaying my last chemo by a week would not jeopardize my success since he has given me the maximum dosage every time and I have only had one other delay. Therefore, I willingly and enthusiastically afforded myself a much-needed emotional, soul-healing break.
So, I told my aunt that I'll hang onto her prayers and good wishes for one more week and bring them with me when I go in for my last treatment next Monday (October 29th) at 8am.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
My Dad's Advice
My dad sent me the following email in response to my head lice posting:
Jules, Forgot to mention the other day...when I was a kid, parents treated lice by washing your head with kerosene. The luckiest kids were those who didn't get lice. The second luckiest were those whose parents didn't smoke. ~Pa
Ha, ha, ha!! My dad is a funny, funny guy! :)
Jules, Forgot to mention the other day...when I was a kid, parents treated lice by washing your head with kerosene. The luckiest kids were those who didn't get lice. The second luckiest were those whose parents didn't smoke. ~Pa
Ha, ha, ha!! My dad is a funny, funny guy! :)
Interpreting The China Study
Awhile back, I wrote about a book called The China Study which my oncologist, Dr Gullion, had recommended to me. In the book, the author (T Colin Campbell) shares research and a number of studies which support the hypothesis that a typical "Western" diet (which includes relatively high amounts of animal protein and fat versus a "Eastern" diet that is more typically dependent upon vegetables, fruits and grains) is linked to many of the diseases for which our culture is known, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease. I found the book to be fascinating to read -- in particular, because the author references such a huge number of studies which all seem to point to the same conclusion, but also because Campbell seems, from all measures, to be a highly-credited and reputable nutritionist (unlike many of the other authors of diet books on the market today.) He has authored hundreds of scientific papers, sat on numerous government expert panels and has helped to shape national and international diet and health organizations, including the World Cancer Research Fund.
Despite all of these credentials, however, I have still been left with a lingering sense of doubt since reading the book...How can eating foods such as yogurt or eggs or chicken be that bad for us -- haven't people been eating these foods for hundreds of years? Is a strict vegan diet the only path to healthy living or is there some middle ground? There are obviously millions of people who eat animal-based products every day and yet live to be almost a hundred (including my Grandma and Grandpa and my Aunt Jo!) -- how can this be so if what Campbell says is true?
I have read two things recently which have helped me to make better sense of what The China Study suggests and so I wanted to share them here in case some of you are also left wondering how to interpret the book's recommendations. The first comes from a daily newsletter to which I subscribe. In it, one of the members wrote:
As a faculty member at Hawthorn University (a health and nutrition university), I have debated the validity of The China Study dozens of times with my students. I think the study has a lot of value, but I disagree with the interpretation of the data. The China Study compares apples to oranges as far as I am concerned. Comparing the rural Chinese diet, which was mostly home-grown, whole organic foods, plus a VERY active lifestyle to the American diet, which is mostly processed foods fed to sedentary people seems like a poor comparison. They did look at the difference between rural and urban Chinese, but they failed to take into account the loss of nutrients from having food transported rather than fresh, the increase in pollution, the decrease in activity, increase in processed foods. If you look at the data you will see that they found that that the rural people had higher nutrient levels in their blood.
My other issue with The China Study is that it does not take into account biochemical individuality. Each person is different, and will thrive on a different diet. There are many different diets around the world which are healthy. What they have in common is whole foods, organic foods, animal foods and foods rich in the fat-soluble nutrients. What I take away from all this is that combining a fresh, local organic diet containing some amount of animal foods and rich in fat soluble vitamins with an active lifestyle leads to vibrant health.
The second perspective on the risk of animal protein came from a book that I just finished reading called Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber. I will write more about this book in a separate blog entry since I think that it's an extremely important book for every parent of my generation to read, but for the purposes of understanding The China Study recommendations, I want to simply share what the author says about animal protein:
Ecologically speaking, a food chain consists of a series of organisms who pass chemical energy through each other. Each link of the chain is officially referred to as a "trophic level." At the bottom are the producers: the green plants that transform sunlight into food, thereby making chemical energy available to everyone else. The primary consumers (e.g, insects) feed on the producers directly, the secondary consumers (e.g., birds, rodents, etc) feed on the primary consumers, and so forth. About 90 percent of the energy transfered from one trophic level to the next is dissipated as heat and because so much food energy is lost, fewer organisms can be supported at each succeeding level. In order to survive, therefore, each individual must consume many individuals from a lower level. Thus, as organisms continue to feed on each other, any contaminants that accumulate in living tissue -- such as pesticides -- are funneled into a smaller and smaller mass of organisms.
Because of this, we see why a diet rich in animal products exposes us to more pesticide residue than a plant-based diet alone, even though the plants are directly sprayed. For the most part, the flesh of animals we eat contains more pesticides than the grasses and grains we feed to these animals. Indeed, the largest contributors to total adult intake of chlorinated insecticides are dairy products, meat, fish, and poultry. Similarly, the FDA's Total Diet Study, which regularly monitors the concentration of contaminants in cooked, table-ready foods, continues to find traces of DDT (a pesticide banned more than 30 years ago!) in many types of food, but particularly those of animal origin.
As someone who has taken more statistics classes than I care to remember, I find that I agree whole-heartedly with the first perspective: while I think that Campbell is on to something important, I don't think that he is necessarily comparing apples to apples. You cannot compare a largely organic, locally-grown, highly-vegetarian Chinese diet to a largely non-organic, industrialized (and hence, not locally grown), non-vegetarian Western diet and reach solid conclusions. There are just too many variables! There is no way of knowing whether animal products are bad in and of themselves or whether they are bad because they are not locally grown or if they are bad because they are not organic (and hence, contain significantly higher levels of toxins than a vegetarian-based diet). Teasing apart these issues would require numerous, complex studies. Some of these are likely going on today, but I have not read about any yet.
And so we're left to draw our own conclusions. For what it's worth, my family still eats animal products, although much less than we used to. Furthermore, we try, whenever possible, to make sure that we are buying products from animals that are organic and/or grass-fed. What does this mean on a day-to-day basis? Well, our kids still enjoy butter on their toast every morning, although now it's organic butter; I still pack organic cheese sticks in their lunch; they enthusiastically wolf down hot dogs every couple weeks (albeit nitrate-free hot dogs made from healthy, grass-fed cattle that are hormone and anti-biotic free!); we regularly eat meals such as lasagna or mac & cheese; and 4-5 times a week we eat some sort of meat for dinner, although we tend to stick with wild fish or free-range chicken, rather than red meat (beef, pork, ham, etc.) Furthermore, our proportion of animal products to veggies/fruits/grains has changed quite a bit since I was diagnosed. As I mentioned before, animal products used to constitute about ~50-75% of our diet but now they represent only about 30% (about 10% for me.) Instead, we stuff our kids full of tons of fruits and veggies (I literally pack them 2-3 fruits and/or veggies every day in their school lunches) and loads of fresh whole grains (bread, pasta, muffins, etc -- all made with minimal, wholesome ingredients.) These are the things which now make up ~75% of their diet.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what the right answer is regarding The China Study recommendations; I am also struggling to figure out the right balance of foods to live a healthy life. But I feel comfortable that the way that my family eats now makes sense and is much healthier than how we used to eat. I learned the hard way not to take my body for granted, and from my new "no regrets" perspective, I feel like I can't go wrong by sticking with organic, whole foods that come from the Earth.
Despite all of these credentials, however, I have still been left with a lingering sense of doubt since reading the book...How can eating foods such as yogurt or eggs or chicken be that bad for us -- haven't people been eating these foods for hundreds of years? Is a strict vegan diet the only path to healthy living or is there some middle ground? There are obviously millions of people who eat animal-based products every day and yet live to be almost a hundred (including my Grandma and Grandpa and my Aunt Jo!) -- how can this be so if what Campbell says is true?
I have read two things recently which have helped me to make better sense of what The China Study suggests and so I wanted to share them here in case some of you are also left wondering how to interpret the book's recommendations. The first comes from a daily newsletter to which I subscribe. In it, one of the members wrote:
As a faculty member at Hawthorn University (a health and nutrition university), I have debated the validity of The China Study dozens of times with my students. I think the study has a lot of value, but I disagree with the interpretation of the data. The China Study compares apples to oranges as far as I am concerned. Comparing the rural Chinese diet, which was mostly home-grown, whole organic foods, plus a VERY active lifestyle to the American diet, which is mostly processed foods fed to sedentary people seems like a poor comparison. They did look at the difference between rural and urban Chinese, but they failed to take into account the loss of nutrients from having food transported rather than fresh, the increase in pollution, the decrease in activity, increase in processed foods. If you look at the data you will see that they found that that the rural people had higher nutrient levels in their blood.
My other issue with The China Study is that it does not take into account biochemical individuality. Each person is different, and will thrive on a different diet. There are many different diets around the world which are healthy. What they have in common is whole foods, organic foods, animal foods and foods rich in the fat-soluble nutrients. What I take away from all this is that combining a fresh, local organic diet containing some amount of animal foods and rich in fat soluble vitamins with an active lifestyle leads to vibrant health.
The second perspective on the risk of animal protein came from a book that I just finished reading called Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber. I will write more about this book in a separate blog entry since I think that it's an extremely important book for every parent of my generation to read, but for the purposes of understanding The China Study recommendations, I want to simply share what the author says about animal protein:
Ecologically speaking, a food chain consists of a series of organisms who pass chemical energy through each other. Each link of the chain is officially referred to as a "trophic level." At the bottom are the producers: the green plants that transform sunlight into food, thereby making chemical energy available to everyone else. The primary consumers (e.g, insects) feed on the producers directly, the secondary consumers (e.g., birds, rodents, etc) feed on the primary consumers, and so forth. About 90 percent of the energy transfered from one trophic level to the next is dissipated as heat and because so much food energy is lost, fewer organisms can be supported at each succeeding level. In order to survive, therefore, each individual must consume many individuals from a lower level. Thus, as organisms continue to feed on each other, any contaminants that accumulate in living tissue -- such as pesticides -- are funneled into a smaller and smaller mass of organisms.
Because of this, we see why a diet rich in animal products exposes us to more pesticide residue than a plant-based diet alone, even though the plants are directly sprayed. For the most part, the flesh of animals we eat contains more pesticides than the grasses and grains we feed to these animals. Indeed, the largest contributors to total adult intake of chlorinated insecticides are dairy products, meat, fish, and poultry. Similarly, the FDA's Total Diet Study, which regularly monitors the concentration of contaminants in cooked, table-ready foods, continues to find traces of DDT (a pesticide banned more than 30 years ago!) in many types of food, but particularly those of animal origin.
As someone who has taken more statistics classes than I care to remember, I find that I agree whole-heartedly with the first perspective: while I think that Campbell is on to something important, I don't think that he is necessarily comparing apples to apples. You cannot compare a largely organic, locally-grown, highly-vegetarian Chinese diet to a largely non-organic, industrialized (and hence, not locally grown), non-vegetarian Western diet and reach solid conclusions. There are just too many variables! There is no way of knowing whether animal products are bad in and of themselves or whether they are bad because they are not locally grown or if they are bad because they are not organic (and hence, contain significantly higher levels of toxins than a vegetarian-based diet). Teasing apart these issues would require numerous, complex studies. Some of these are likely going on today, but I have not read about any yet.
And so we're left to draw our own conclusions. For what it's worth, my family still eats animal products, although much less than we used to. Furthermore, we try, whenever possible, to make sure that we are buying products from animals that are organic and/or grass-fed. What does this mean on a day-to-day basis? Well, our kids still enjoy butter on their toast every morning, although now it's organic butter; I still pack organic cheese sticks in their lunch; they enthusiastically wolf down hot dogs every couple weeks (albeit nitrate-free hot dogs made from healthy, grass-fed cattle that are hormone and anti-biotic free!); we regularly eat meals such as lasagna or mac & cheese; and 4-5 times a week we eat some sort of meat for dinner, although we tend to stick with wild fish or free-range chicken, rather than red meat (beef, pork, ham, etc.) Furthermore, our proportion of animal products to veggies/fruits/grains has changed quite a bit since I was diagnosed. As I mentioned before, animal products used to constitute about ~50-75% of our diet but now they represent only about 30% (about 10% for me.) Instead, we stuff our kids full of tons of fruits and veggies (I literally pack them 2-3 fruits and/or veggies every day in their school lunches) and loads of fresh whole grains (bread, pasta, muffins, etc -- all made with minimal, wholesome ingredients.) These are the things which now make up ~75% of their diet.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what the right answer is regarding The China Study recommendations; I am also struggling to figure out the right balance of foods to live a healthy life. But I feel comfortable that the way that my family eats now makes sense and is much healthier than how we used to eat. I learned the hard way not to take my body for granted, and from my new "no regrets" perspective, I feel like I can't go wrong by sticking with organic, whole foods that come from the Earth.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Good news!! An article on Yahoo today talks about the death rate for cancer dropping thanks in large part to the progress made in recent years against colorectal cancer. Yippee!!
Cancer death rates dropping fast
Good news on the cancer front: Death rates are dropping faster than ever, thanks to new progress against colorectal cancer.
A turning point came in 2002, scientists conclude Monday in the annual "Report to the Nation" on cancer. Between 2002 and 2004, death rates dropped by an average of 2.1 percent a year.
That may not sound like much, but between 1993 and 2001, deaths rates dropped on average 1.1 percent a year.
The big change was a two-pronged gain against colorectal cancer.
While it remains the nation's No. 2 cancer killer, deaths are dropping faster for colorectal cancer than for any other malignancy — by almost 5 percent a year among men and 4.5 percent among women.
One reason is that colorectal cancer is striking fewer people, the report found. New diagnoses are down roughly 2.5 percent a year for both men and women, thanks to screening tests that can spot precancerous polyps in time to remove them and thus prevent cancer from forming.
Still, only about half the people who need screening — over age 50 —gets checked.
"If we're seeing such great impact even at 50 percent screening rates, we think it could be much greater if we could get more of the population tested," said Dr. Elizabeth Ward of the American Cancer Society, who co-wrote the report with government scientists.
The other gain is the result of new treatments, which are credited with doubling survival times for the most advanced patients.
In 1996, there was just one truly effective drug for colon cancer. Today, there are six more, giving patients a variety of chemotherapy cocktails to try to hold their tumors in check, said Dr. Louis Weiner, medical oncology chief at Philadelphia's Fox Chase Cancer Center and a colorectal cancer specialist.
"I can tell you the offices of gastrointestinal oncologists around the country, and indeed around the world, are busier than ever because our patients are doing better," he said.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
No More Phthalates in California Toys! Yippee!
The bill passed!! The bill passed!! Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation today that forbids companies from manufacturing, selling or distributing toys and childcare products in the state of California which contain phthalates (see the press release below.) You might remember, these are the chemicals which I talked about a while back which can be found in many flexible plastic products, including things like baby bottle nipples, bath toys, pacifiers, etc. Given how enormous the California market is, I have to believe that this legislation will make companies stop and take notice and hopefully change their practices across the board. Phthalates should NEVER have been used in children's products in the first place, but better late than never. It things like this that make me LOVE living in California!!
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Protect Children from Toxic Toys
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation to protect the health of our state’s children by prohibiting the use of phthalates in toys and childcare products designed for babies and children under three years of age.
“We must take this action to protect our children,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger. “These chemicals threaten the health and safety of our children at critical stages of their development.”
AB 1108 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) will protect the health of our state’s children by preventing exposure to toxic chemicals. Specifically, this bill will prohibit the manufacturing, sale and distribution of toys and child care products intended for use by children under the age of three that contain phthalates. Scientific research has shown that these chemicals have a number of negative health effects, including links to cancer and reproductive defects.
Led by the Secretary for Environmental Protection, the Governor has called for the establishment of a Green Chemistry Initiative to develop policy options for implementing green chemistry policies. Instead of making chemical policy through the legislature on a case by case basis, the goal of this initiative is to work with scientists from California and around the world to evaluate the health effects of chemicals and possible alternatives in a comprehensive manner.
“A comprehensive and unified approach is needed to ensure good accountable policy and I encourage the legislature and all interested parties to participate in the development of this important initiative,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Head Lice Treatment
I was just sorting through some of Luke's school papers and came across an information sheet about head lice. Anyone reading this who has children has undoubtedly had to at least think about these nasty little critters, since they seem to go hand-in-hand with the beginning of every school year.
What caused me to pause as I read the literature, however, is the fact that the only treatment plan to get rid of head lice that is recommended by our school district is a product called NIX. Luckily, Pete and I have not had to deal with head lice in our family yet, but I can assure you that if/when we do, I will not be dousing my children's heads with NIX!
The NIX website describes the product as containing "permethrin." A quick online search lead me to Wikipedia, which described permethrin as follows:
Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical, widely used as an insecticide, an acaricide and as an insect repellent. It belongs to the family of synthetic chemicals called pyrethroids and functions as a neurotoxin. Its use is controversial since, as a broad-spectrum chemical, it kills indiscriminately; as well as the intended pests, it can harm beneficial insects including honey bees, aquatic life, and small mammals such as mice.
And herein lies the problem with pesticides....they are designed to kill living, celled beings. They don't discriminate between the cells of a lice nit and the cells in your child's body. There have to be other options, I thought! Head lice has been around for years....what did parents do before the development of synthetic pesticides?
It took me another 10 seconds to research "natural treatment for head lice" and I came up with a number of options, the most compelling of which is to completely coat your child's hair with olive oil and let it stand for 30 minutes. The logic being that "The oil covers the lice and eggs, preventing them from breathing. Unlike pesticides, suffocation does not seem to be something lice can build up immunity against!" Granted, this particular treatment method requires multiple applications and so might not work quite as quickly as a product such as NIX, but in my opinion, getting rid of head lice quickly is not worth the risk of applying a known neurotoxin to my child's body.
Like I said, we have never had to actually deal with the problem of head lice in our home (and hopefully we never will!) and so maybe I am truly naive as to how horrible the problem of head lice can be, but from where I stand today and from all that I have read these past 9 months about pesticides, I would be extremely hard pressed to use NIX or any similar product on my child's body just for the sake of getting rid of head lice faster.
Definitely let me know if you have have tried other natural treatment options that have been successful so that I can pass the word along to fellow parents! And if you want more information about the olive oil option, click here.
Lastly, I know that there are a handful of teachers and administrators from Luke's school who are faithful readers of my blog...Please let me know how I can help to gather and disseminate information out to parents about ways to get rid of head lice in a more natural way! I want to help!
What caused me to pause as I read the literature, however, is the fact that the only treatment plan to get rid of head lice that is recommended by our school district is a product called NIX. Luckily, Pete and I have not had to deal with head lice in our family yet, but I can assure you that if/when we do, I will not be dousing my children's heads with NIX!
The NIX website describes the product as containing "permethrin." A quick online search lead me to Wikipedia, which described permethrin as follows:
Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical, widely used as an insecticide, an acaricide and as an insect repellent. It belongs to the family of synthetic chemicals called pyrethroids and functions as a neurotoxin. Its use is controversial since, as a broad-spectrum chemical, it kills indiscriminately; as well as the intended pests, it can harm beneficial insects including honey bees, aquatic life, and small mammals such as mice.
And herein lies the problem with pesticides....they are designed to kill living, celled beings. They don't discriminate between the cells of a lice nit and the cells in your child's body. There have to be other options, I thought! Head lice has been around for years....what did parents do before the development of synthetic pesticides?
It took me another 10 seconds to research "natural treatment for head lice" and I came up with a number of options, the most compelling of which is to completely coat your child's hair with olive oil and let it stand for 30 minutes. The logic being that "The oil covers the lice and eggs, preventing them from breathing. Unlike pesticides, suffocation does not seem to be something lice can build up immunity against!" Granted, this particular treatment method requires multiple applications and so might not work quite as quickly as a product such as NIX, but in my opinion, getting rid of head lice quickly is not worth the risk of applying a known neurotoxin to my child's body.
Like I said, we have never had to actually deal with the problem of head lice in our home (and hopefully we never will!) and so maybe I am truly naive as to how horrible the problem of head lice can be, but from where I stand today and from all that I have read these past 9 months about pesticides, I would be extremely hard pressed to use NIX or any similar product on my child's body just for the sake of getting rid of head lice faster.
Definitely let me know if you have have tried other natural treatment options that have been successful so that I can pass the word along to fellow parents! And if you want more information about the olive oil option, click here.
Lastly, I know that there are a handful of teachers and administrators from Luke's school who are faithful readers of my blog...Please let me know how I can help to gather and disseminate information out to parents about ways to get rid of head lice in a more natural way! I want to help!
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