Well…it’s time to update my journey with Orbital Malt Lymphoma.
With my OCPD I’ve been hesitant to continuously jabber about every little
milestone, stumbling onward until a summary of my journey slowly accumulated,
making more sense to whomever reads the blog.
During my previous updates, decorating my radiation mask was
on the agenda. At this time, I have no plans on creating something beautiful or
scary. Looking at the mask in my walk-in attic, sitting on its personal chair,
still gives me the creepy shivers and I haven’t gotten warm ‘n fuzzy with the
idea of spending any more time than necessary with the beastly contraption.
Guess I could take a hammer to the indestructible mask but I don’t have the
heart to sling a tool and needlessly bang-on a protective device that actually
was instrumental in shrinking my eye tumor. So the mask will stay on the chair
in the attic to remind me that I have to be thankful for all its help and even
though lymphoma is never truly cured, if necessary, I have it inside my being
to don the mask once again.
So here it goes….
If you are reading this blog and have been diagnosed with OML
take a deep breath and know that the experience that I’ve had with the disease
is my own personal journey. With all the misinformation swirling around the
web, scaring the heebie jeebies out of us that has been diagnosed with OML, I
don’t want to make your journey seem more difficult or anxious. Hearing the ‘c’ verdict and the claustrophobic
procedure of treatment is mind-boggling enough without dosing additional health
dilemmas and miniscule beauty tribulations to the worry pile. And even though
in this update you’ll read plights that has occurred since the conclusion of my
radiation treatment, you will also see how I have found my own personal remedies
for each distressing bump in the road.
(Disclaimer: The following
information is not to be taken for medical advice. Contact your healthcare
provider for detailed information on your health and wellness treatments.)
LYMPHOMA & IMMUNE SYSTEM
Looking back, I have absolutely no idea why I didn’t properly connect the dots to lymphoma and a severe impaired immune system. For some reason, getting rid of the tumor meant that my body would quickly recover back to normal. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach when my oncologist read my first blood work report a month after finishing my radiation treatment. To be frank, my immune system was off the charts, down to the lowest of lows. In fact, when my family physician read the report he was shocked. He had never seen a body immune system report that didn’t even register on the charts. A vitamin deficiency blood test was ordered to see what additional supplements could possibly help me to stay well. I agreed to the testing. I also informed the doctor that since I had been diagnosed with lymphoma, my hubby had begun pushing all sorts of supplements down my throat. It seemed like every other day another supplement would arrive in the mail. The time period of taking the vitamins was an incredible thirty minutes at a time. I was drinking so much water before bed that a visit to the porcelain goddess was a frequent affair. And the vitamin report came back with no deficiencies.
Looking back, I have absolutely no idea why I didn’t properly connect the dots to lymphoma and a severe impaired immune system. For some reason, getting rid of the tumor meant that my body would quickly recover back to normal. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach when my oncologist read my first blood work report a month after finishing my radiation treatment. To be frank, my immune system was off the charts, down to the lowest of lows. In fact, when my family physician read the report he was shocked. He had never seen a body immune system report that didn’t even register on the charts. A vitamin deficiency blood test was ordered to see what additional supplements could possibly help me to stay well. I agreed to the testing. I also informed the doctor that since I had been diagnosed with lymphoma, my hubby had begun pushing all sorts of supplements down my throat. It seemed like every other day another supplement would arrive in the mail. The time period of taking the vitamins was an incredible thirty minutes at a time. I was drinking so much water before bed that a visit to the porcelain goddess was a frequent affair. And the vitamin report came back with no deficiencies.
FOOD & GERMS
The most important discussion with the oncologist was changing my eating habits, food preparation techniques and watching closely for places where germs reside. Now this OCPD gal didn’t need to be reminded about germs. I have accumulated so many books about germs that there is actually a germ section in my hubby’s office. And I personally need to purchase stock in a hand sanitizer lotion company. This gal doesn’t venture into bowls of party chips or peanuts. And shaking hands is a big no-no. I had the doc’s germ order taken care of right out of the starting gate and tons of informative books about the sneaky unseen bugs to keep me busy for awhile.
My eating habits and food preparation had to change. One thing I learned during my treatment was tumors love sugar. A cancer test to locate tumors was an intravenously glucose sugar high. Tumors raced to the sugar first. Tumor + sugar spelled trouble. Also, my medium-rare steak had to go. No sunny, over-easy eggs. All foods had to be thoroughly cooked and there is nothing as unappealing as a well-done steak or overcooked egg but bacteria in foods that won’t harm a healthy individual can wreck havoc on an impaired immune system. Darn, no sushi. Now was time to diligently rinse and wash the veggies. Peeling fruit was a hazard waiting to happen, so it was constant scrubbing before using a knife since bacteria from the skin can easily contaminate the fruit to be eaten. In my daily life, preparing food had become an overdone chore and time consuming obligation.
WILD OIL OF OREGANO
Desperate to find a way to stay well and avoid the next step of IVIG Therapy, this gal decided to Facebook post my dilemma. Immediately I had two friends who responded, experiencing the same immune system problem but in different scenarios - one had Lyme disease, the other an allergy to all antibiotics. Both of their Wellness doctors recommended, ‘Wild Oil of Oregano’ and I decided to give the herb oil a try. (Keep in mind, that this is not the same as grocery store oregano, its wild and known for its antibiotic properties, no known side effects.) You can read more: http://curingherbs.com/wild_oregano_oil.htm
Desperate to find a way to stay well and avoid the next step of IVIG Therapy, this gal decided to Facebook post my dilemma. Immediately I had two friends who responded, experiencing the same immune system problem but in different scenarios - one had Lyme disease, the other an allergy to all antibiotics. Both of their Wellness doctors recommended, ‘Wild Oil of Oregano’ and I decided to give the herb oil a try. (Keep in mind, that this is not the same as grocery store oregano, its wild and known for its antibiotic properties, no known side effects.) You can read more: http://curingherbs.com/wild_oregano_oil.htm
After taking WOO for over a year, on my last visit to the oncologist, he’s amazed that I haven’t been suffering from bouts of illnesses and haven’t had to take the IVIG Therapy. My white blood count is almost back to normal and my immune system is on the rise. I credit the Wild Oil of Oregano. The doctor is so interested in how WOO produces natural antibodies for the immune system he is doing his own personal research.
HOW TO TAKE WOO
Wild Oil of Oregano is from the mint family. Very strong tasting and I’ve slowly acquire a taste for the herb. To start taking WOO, a couple drops of the oil in a glass of water twice/day. I increased the dosage of the oil drops slowly over time, reaching 7 drops. At this time, I’m putting the oil directly under my tongue and then drinking a glass of water. I’ve stayed well with only two bouts of illness and recovered quickly, like a normal person with a normal immune system. I am a believer in WOO. Thanks Roxie and Laurie! xoxo
Wild Oil of Oregano is from the mint family. Very strong tasting and I’ve slowly acquire a taste for the herb. To start taking WOO, a couple drops of the oil in a glass of water twice/day. I increased the dosage of the oil drops slowly over time, reaching 7 drops. At this time, I’m putting the oil directly under my tongue and then drinking a glass of water. I’ve stayed well with only two bouts of illness and recovered quickly, like a normal person with a normal immune system. I am a believer in WOO. Thanks Roxie and Laurie! xoxo
BEAUTY TIPS
Being a
woman concern with her looks, there were some major hurdles to overcome. I
faithfully used the Aquaphor the radiologist recommended during the radiation treatment
but soon discovered that the heavy cream clogged pores. Through trial and error
I found solutions that worked for me.
Eyelashes
– In previous posts, concern about losing my eyelashes raised my alarm
level. Radiation therapy did make my left-side eyelashes thin. For special
events, I quickly learned to apply false eyelashes to make both eyes appear the
same. Then I discovered a miracle in a bottle, Emu Oil. On days when I
didn’t wear makeup or right before bed, I’d dab on the oil. In no time, my lashes
grew fuller and longer. I am in love with Emu Oil as you’ll soon find out.
To make my
lashes look fuller without applying false eyelashes, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel
Eyeliner works wonders. I do recommend you purchasing the Bobbi Brown
eyeliner brush since it makes the gel makeup easier to apply. If you’ve never
used gel eyeliner, I recommend an appointment with a professional makeup artist
at Sephora – it’s free.
Hair –
During and after my radiation treatments, I paid a lot of attention to
my bangs and the hair on the side that was getting radiated, but didn’t pay extreme
close attention to the rest of my hair. Then one day my hubby asked, ‘Why are
you losing so much hair?’ Yep, my blonde hair was getting thinner, dropping
unnoticed on the bathroom tile floor, not big chunks but steadily breaking off.
Having a thick head of hair all my life, the thought of thinning put my OCPD
mind in overdrive. Applying Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner made my hair so soft and smelling
delish. And finding Pantene, AgeDefy hair remedy did the final trick. My hair
stopped breaking off, my bangs and the radiated side of my hair grew thicker
and fuller. I had fortunately found another miracle or two in a bottle.
Nails
– I quickly learned that having an immune disorder and nail fungus go
hand-in-hand or toe-to-toe. Appointments at a neighborhood nail salon is a big
‘no no.’ Yes, I could find a reputable day spa in my area where the tools and
equipment are thoroughly cleansed after every client, but the only drawback is the
nail polish needs to be removed weekly to check for fungal infections. To cheer
myself up, an online search of the wealthiest women and critiquing their nails,
found that the majority never ever use polish but buff their nails to a shine. For
example: photos of Princess Kate and the new prince, her nails are buffed not
polished. The lower the income….the more fake or nail deco…so I took a trip to the
nearest beauty supply store in my area and got all the goodies that was needed to
buff my nails to a shine. Now I feel like a queen! My podiatrist’s
recommendation: apply Tea Tree Oil twice daily with a
Q-tip to keep the annoying fungus away.
Ears - Sadly to say, the radiation treatment damaged my hearing ability. I've always had a little difficulty in hearing high pitch sounds but now....it's time for hearing aids and tomorrow is the big day.
Skin – I really don’t know how you can sum-up dry…dry..dry. The radiation therapy gave my skin a severe case of dryness. Personally, I’ve always loved the Glytone Retexturize Body Lotion. It is one of the best lotions in the cosmetic industry. It is a moderately expensive lotion to use but does a fantastic job with skin issues, brown spots, dryness, etc. At this time, I alternate Glytone RBL and Moroccan Argan Oil Lotion. I always finish up my skin treatment with a smidgen of Emu Oil on top of the lotion. Don’t ever forget, even without radiation treatment, it’s an ongoing issue to keep the skin soft as you age.
Face –
The face needs to be treated a lot more gentle than skin. Remember to
always thoroughly wash hands before touching the face. I’ve found a wonderful
skin cleanser, Avalon Organics, CoQ10 Repair, at my local supermarket and it’s
taken the place of one of my expensive facial cleansers.
After cleansing my face, I make a paste out of
good old baking soda and water, apply it to my face and allow the mixture to
dry for 3 – 5 minutes, gently wash off and pat dry. Then use a nighttime
moisturizer but add a few drops of vitamin oils to the cream – A, E & C. The
best moisturizer I’ve found for dry skin, First Aid Beauty, Ultra Repair Cream. This cream is a thick, rich, emollient
product that hydrates deep down with exceptional penetration – skin so soft.
I never
forget to dot on Emu Oil over the cream concoction to seal the deal. Among Emu
Oil’s top 10 properties that have been investigated scientifically includes its
ability to penetrate the skin, will not clog pores, and is composed of
essential fatty acids or those basic building blocks the skin needs to make
repairs and other compounds. Love…love Emu Oil!
Eyes
– Swelling under the eyes can occur during and after radiation
treatment. I’ve found that eye products containing caffeine are the best to
eliminate any under eye puffiness. I use the Glytone Eye Cream
at night and Lancombe, Genifique Yeux before applying makeup.
I have
fallen in love with Bobbi Brown, Corrector & Creamy Concealer Kit and this
under the eye makeup successfully camouflages dark circles and helps to disguise
eye puffiness. I recommend an appointment with a professional makeup artist at
Sephora – it’s free.
And of
course, I always dab on a bit of Emu Oil for those lashes before
putting on my sleeping eye mask. Radiation is the culprit of dry eyes and eye
drops before slipping on the mask gives the eyes a refreshing break while
slumbering.
Always
remember, take the journey one-step at a time and mentally don’t ever get ahead
of schedule during treatment, for it’s the best way to travel down the road in
dealing with lymphoma. Hopefully, some of the information given to you today will
make your radiation treatment a little easier to trek.
May God Bless & Keep
You! xoxo
What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the Spirit.
~Author Unknown ~
Hi Brenda! I just stopped by and was reading a few of your posts. I had a quick question about your blog and was hoping you could email me back when you get the chance -emilywalsh688 (at) gmail.com- Thanks : )
ReplyDeleteEmmy