- CAREYCORN1
The Marriage of the Two . . .
When the Big "C" comes into your life, you want the best line of defense. You want the best care that will give you the best odds. I not only wanted to use traditional medicine but I wanted to incorporate integrative medicine into my treatment. I wanted to stack the deck.
I strongly believe in integrative medicine. As a Reiki practitioner I have experienced first hand the healing that can take place when used. Treatments are natural, non-invasive and don't interfere with any other protocol. I want to treat my cancer with a marriage of the two - traditional and integrative. Â When I was diagnosed, I contacted my friend, Maureen Anderson, who is the head Doctor of Integrative Medicine in Beaumont. Â She recommended that I see Dr. Michael Walker, a Naturopathic Oncologist. Â I was all for that! Â He would be able to give me recommendations of natural things that would help me through chemo and it's side affects.
My appointment is for Tuesday, June 27th. I make the appointment in Royal Oak, as it's closer to my house. Â I arrive early, which helps since I forgot to fill out the paperwork that was given to me when I made the appointment. Â Did I tell you I was on information overload?
My friend, Maureen greets me in the lobby and takes me back to her office. Â We chat about her daughter's upcoming wedding. Â So happy for Erin! Â I ask her about Michael. Â She tells me he looks young, but he isn't that young and we're so lucky to have him. Â Okay then, I'm intrigued to meet him. Â
While, I'm filling out the questionnaire, Dr. Walker pokes his head in, and yep he's young. Â We finish up our conversation and I go to his office. We start with why I'm there. Â I explain the diagnosis, telling him it's my second dance with the Big "C". Â I tell him I'm looking for help to deal with the chemo and it's side effects. Â I do ask him as a Naturopathic Oncologist how he feels about chemicals going into my body. Â After a lengthy discussion, bottom line is it's the proven treatment to treat cancer. Â Yes, the cancer was removed with the mastectomy but to guarantee no rogue cell has gone elsewhere, the chemo will cover my entire body to kill off any runners. Â It's like a dandelion, if it's yellow and you remove the plant, root and all from the ground it won't come back. Â But if that dandelion is the white one with all the seeds, when you remove that weed, the white fluffy seeds fly everywhere. Â The chemo is just guaranteeing I've taken care of any white fluffies. (Okay, he didn't say white fluffies, but that works for me).
Diet has a huge impact on quality of life, especially during chemo. Â Now the oncology nurse has told me there is no diet to follow, they just want me to eat. Â Dr. Walker tells me otherwise. Â I tell him there may be a bonus here, I'll lose some weight. Â He doesn't want me to lose a lot of weight; body mass helps with chemo. Â Well there will be no problem in the body mass department.
He would like me to follow the Mediterranean diet. I basically like most things on the list until her says he'd like me to eat oily fish 3 times a week. I do not like sardines or anchioves. Â I'm in luck, I do like salmon. Â I agree to eat it twice a week. Â The rest of the time I'll eat chicken with red meat occasionally. He gives me information about a study in Spain. Â It's found that following a Mediterranean diet can prevent recurrence. Keep stacking the deck Dr. Walker.
We discuss the effect of chemo: Â nausea, fatigue being the main ones. Â It's like listening to a broken record. Â I can never seem to get away from those two. Â We discuss the effects it can have on my heart. Â He wants me to take Ultra Omega-3 and UBQH to give my heart a boost while going through chemo. He also puts me on a Probiotic to help my stomach handle the chemo. I am to begin before I start chemo. I guess I'm a pill popper now; something new for me. Â
We discuss what services in integrative medicine will really help me with the chemo. Â He suggests acupuncture the day before treatment. Â It will help with the nausea. Â I ask about Reiki. Â I'm not sure if I should have a treatment prior, during or after the treatment. Â The answer: Â any time I receive it will be beneficial. Â Further on down the line, oncology massage and guided imagery will also help. Â
We discuss exercise. Â He reiterates what Dr. Hanna and Donna have told me. Â Exercise will help my energy level. Â Even if it's a small walk a day, it will help. He said swimming would be a great form of exercise. As soon as I go home, I'm ordering a mastectomy suit from Land's End so when I get the green light to swim, I'm ready!!!
Dr. Walker lets me know he will work with my oncologist all through my treatment. He tells me to call should I have any problems arise. I've just begun with him, he plans on working with me all the way through radiation.
I have another expert on my side, someone else who has knowledge to help me navigate through this journey. Â I'm feeling optimistic!
