It is my humble pleasure to welcome David to the blog's front porch today.
David is sharing his journey with pancreatic cancer and how he has chosen to treat his cancer. His story is rich with Hope and is truly a must read for each of us. Not only does he detail specific details of his treatment plan, but he also includes many links to the research that has guided the medical decisions he has made.
When mom was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer we would have given anything to have met David and been encouraged by his uplifting story. In his generous way, he is giving you the gift of his experience and what he has learned along the way.
If pancreatic cancer has touched your life, please join me and be inspired by David's story:
My journey with pancreatic cancer
Mine started with a lump in the umbilicus,
which led to a CT scan and a diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer (PC). Out of nowhere
I had no symptoms and no idea apart from the lump which I thought was a boil or
infection.
The tumour was 4 x 3 cm in the tail of the
pancreas – the tail is more rare and even more fatal as I remember but at least
the operation is easier with less side effects as pancreas bile duct etc all
continue working normally as most insulin is made at the head of pancreas. They decided it was operable and it was
removed along with the spleen. They removed the lump at the umbilicus and all the
cancer they could see on the CT scan and took random tissue scrapes from around
the internal area. The lab result showed the umbilicus was also cancer and two
or four lymph nodes removed also tested positive plus many of the tissue
scrapes were also positive - so stage IV cancer.
Medical Treatment So Far
After 8 weeks of recovery we decided to do
some chemotherapy and after discussion with the doctor I agreed to try the
FOLFIRINOX. This is the latest best option – most effective but most toxic
chemotherapy regimen. The doctor admitted many people cannot tolerate the
treatment. Because I am relatively young and healthy he put me on the maximum
dose. It involves two days in hospital on intravenous drip every two weeks
depending on how your immune system holds up.
Basically White Blood Cell count must stay above 3000 or you have to wait another week or lower
the doses etc. I had it for 5 treatments over I guess 10 weeks and my immune
system held up fine and I was mostly okay just very nauseous for the two days of
treatment plus usually one or two more.
Side Effects
I lost weight mainly as it is difficult to
eat whilst taking the drugs due to nausea and general ill feeling and for a day
or so after. Felt some nerve endings deadened in the feet and hands but not
much and it went away quickly after each treatment. I was taken off it as the
cancer marker dropped on first treatment but spiralled upwards afterwards so
the doctor concluded it wasn’t working and we did a second CT scan at about 5
months after the initial scan. The scan showed 3 cm tumour in the liver plus
3mm in the lung classic metastases in PC. The doctor recommended a second
regimen of chemo therapy but was honest in agreeing it was not nearly as
effective and largely palliative I declined and since then have had no further
treatments and am now just doing monthly blood tests and am still luckily
symptom free – the tumour in the liver is in ‘good’ place away from the main
blood supply and not pressing on anything.
Now this might seem very bad and is
classically fatal since chemo cannot remove a tumour just shrink or stop the growth
both temporarily. However the surprise for the doctor was that I only had two
tumours given the initial start point of spreading and subsequent rises in the
cancer marker.
So What Else was I doing
In parallel to the conventional treatment I
started to look around at other options and eventually came across the Budwig protocol. I was attracted by the theoretical basis for the protocol, the
quality of the scientists who researched it, including Warburg a Nobel prize
winner who put forward an alternative scientific explanation for cancer the
basis for the protocol but not the solution. Budwig put forward the solution
which could be done from home.
So after two treatments of FOLFIRINOX I started
doing Budwig as well. In fact I did it even in the hospital since I had a
private room with refrigerator. I have been on it ever since and as far as I am
concerned it can’t interfere with conventional treatment as it is based only on
normal food. Anyhow I reasoned it’s not a gamble to try alternatives if the
outcome of conventional medicine is likely death. It’s an easy protocol in principle but a big
shock to most people’s diet absolutely
no processed foods, flour, eggs, meat, fish, sugar, coffee, black tea, dairy
except for the cottage cheese required, cooking oil of any kind including olive
oil to name some of the exclusions. Basically you can’t eat out at all and I
haven’t except for drinking green/herbal
tea while my wife eats. The main issue of the protocol is it takes
typically about 4 – 5months to start to turn around blood tests so you must
stay alive that long - that’s partly why I agreed to the chemo to buy time. Due
to the poor outcomes of conventional treatment and their toxicity I have always
considered Budwig to be my primary treatment and worried mainly if Chemo would
affect Budwig not the other way around.
Leaves
Whilst I was looking into alternatives we
started asking locals here what they did (I live on the edge of a tropical
forest) and most don’t have the money for chemo or doctors.
Piper Betel
So we heard about Piper Betel leaf which
locals widely chew for health and as cure for cancer. I met several people who
claimed they cured their cancer with the leaves alone – I have no reason to
doubt them - one is a nun the other my gardener (who showed me dormant lumps
all over his body the nun did not). I searched the internet and found research
papers out of India/China which support the view that it clearly has
anti-cancer properties based on research on mice and is non-toxic. And a whole
host of other health benefits.
Further research showed up other leaves
also with research including Papaya Leaf long used by the aboriginals for
cancer and Phyllantus Niruri.
I take Piper Betel 8 leaves a day (vile tasting
but hot and spicy). Most local here people grow the vine.
Papaya leaf two medium leaves juiced with
red cabbage and a green apple (low sugar) to make it taste a bit better and
take half in morning rest in the evening.
Phyllantus I take in capsule form 4 a day or
2 gm (2 x2)
Supplements
Vitamin B (the protocol is Vitamin B
deficient), turmeric 2gm a day(4) and 4x grape seed extract.
Vitamin D but only through daily 20 min of
sunbathing – vitamin is included in the Budwig protocol (sunbathing) as its anti-cancer
and very supportive of liver and most cancer patients have low levels.
Conclusion
I have no idea if the leaves (or anything
else) are helping but I know they are very supportive of the blood system and
general health.
So that’s where I am continuing with my
leaves and the Budwig protocol with dropping cancer markers. I have discussed
this with my oncologist and he agrees something I am doing is helping and I
have his backing to continue as I am since he doesn’t have anything better (or even
as effective) to offer. Is it a temporary turn around I don’t know. All I can
say is I have done the research and made my decisions and am okay with whatever
happens - confident that I won’t die regretting I didn’t try this or that. If it doesn’t work I may return to chemo but
that’s an admission you are going to die but it may buy time. I am far from
that at the moment.
Support
I have the tireless support of my wife (her
family) and our 5 dogs they all play a big part in me enjoying my time and
comforting me in the odd moments of doubt when medical tests have been poor. I
live in a very beautiful place and am finally fully content in my life, which
would be the saddest part of dying leaving them behind. I have also listened to
many of the teachings of Adjan Brahm an Australian Buddhist monk who talks on
variety of subjects every Friday with his own unique look at life including
pain, illness, end of life issues, meaning of life, life after death,
reincarnation, consciousness, meditation etc among huge array of topics about
life in general and how to deal with it
- which have been and are very
comforting and calming and are available online at
https://bswa.org/teachings/?teaching_topic=560&teacher=564
What would I do different
If I could redo I would have started Budwig
the day after diagnosis. I would still have had the operation since the
operation is big factor in living longer but I may never have done chemo. I may
have decided to wait and see for a couple of months and just done testing –
I’ll never know.
General
It is now coming up to 7 months since
diagnosis and I have no symptoms. I have stayed in total control of my
treatment listened to the doctor’s suggestions but done my own research, not
just general comment but to the research papers that support a particular
regimen, so I am very well informed to ask a lot of questions. Research alternatives
and don’t be afraid to try since the conventional treatment will probably
result in death what you risk at most is months against a possible different
outcome. I have been surprised about how
uncertain the treatments are considering how long research has been going on, for
ongoing treatment we have CT scans, how you feel and somewhat unreliable cancermarkers like CA-125, CA-19-9 and from these few clues interpret what is going
on – and you can only do CT scans intermittently so it comes down to mainly how
do feel - its more of an art than a science.
Since the site originated in the States I see CA-125 seems to be commonly used
but the paper below suggests for Pancreatic Cancer CA-19-9 is better - read and ask I would.
If I remember I will ask my oncologist about that when I see him in about a
week.
Throughout I have been/am very certain I am
not going to die. It’s not a conscious decision it comes from very deep – 6th
sense you might say. I have never asked the question “how much time do I have
to live”, partly as it is somewhat unfair on the doctor, but also it’s also a
very pessimistic way of looking at things – maybe leading to acceptance. Perhaps
I will get to that stage but I am far from that now. All medical experience shows
a positive outlook tends to create positive outcomes. I can see the statistics
but I am only interested in what I can do to change the accepted outcome.
I am still slightly revising my regimen and
probably will continue to do so as I learn more about Budwig and other
alternative options.
I include some of the links I have saved - look
at them and look for more to inform yourself as much as possible - don’t let
your treatment happen to you - be in control - that’s very calming . Good luck!
Piper
Betel Research
https://academic.oup.com/carcin/article/34/7/1558/2463075
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4301554/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4129089/
http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/7/5/477
http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/ex1401511.html#tosupp
Papaya
Leaf
https://beatcancer.org/blog-posts/papaya-leaves-a-powerful-cure-for-cancer
https://papayaleaves.wordpress.com/
Essiac
Tea (Ruth Essiac canadian)
http://www.healthfreedom.info/cancer%20essiac.htm
http://www.cloudstrust.org/order.html
Phyllantus
Niruri
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20192590
https://www.rainbow.coop/library/antimetastatic-effects-of-phyllanthus-niruri/
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2016/9729275/
http://www.rain-tree.com/chanca.htm
Tumeric
https://www.superfoodly.com/best-turmeric-curcumin-supplement/
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/10/report_curcumin/Page-01
Reactive
Oxygen Species
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880197/
Alkaline
Food Charts
https://www.avocadoninja.co.uk/pages/list-of-alkaline-foods
Tumour
Markers
http://www.hvm.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2015.75-78.pdf
Vitamin
D
I
sunbathe 20 min a day - the best way to get Vitamin D
https://www.cancercenter.com/community/newsletter/july-2013/vitamin-d-and-cancer/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=150182
EFT
Emotional
Freedom Techniques – Paul Ardennes -
free for kindle
Qi Gong
Healing Art of Qi Gong - Hong Liu / Paul Perry
https://ymaa.com/sites/default/files/book/sample/Simple-Qigong-Exercises-for-Health.pdf
Thank you David for sharing your journey... You raise hope and offer an encouraging hand out to each of us traveling this path. Knowledge does indeed give power, and your words inspire us to research and ask questions until we find that calm place of peace and control... Praying for continued health and blessing as you journey on!
And as always, we want to remind each one reading here to check with your cancer team, always, always... each pancreatic cancer case has unique challenges and it is so important to go over all treatment plans and therapies with your oncologist. Nothing on this website should be construed as medical advice... we share these words to inspire, to encourage and to offer options for the fight.
None of us travels alone. Together is so much better!
Graced to be walking this road with you, Always,
Jane
April 2018 Update
