Part 27. Cancer ,Turning a Negative into a Positive

 Positive unexpected benefit after Cancer Treatment.

Yes! The irony of enduring Chemotherapy Treatment Episode 7 and Radiotherapy Episode 8was that it in fact altered my lifestyle so much that some of my existing chronic diseases lost their severity.

Pre Throat Cancer

 I suffered from Chronic Heart Disease (two heart attacks and a double bypass), type 2 diabetes, and Rheumatoid arthritis.

I had been a non-smoker for 15 years a moderate drinker and was 112 kilograms in weight. My cholesterol level was high and my sugar reading was double to three times the acceptable level.

Rheumatoid Arthritis I had had for over 20 years with heavy medications to try to control it. Severe pain in different joints of my body daily. The worry was that my movement in the future could be reduced to a wheelchair.

THEN CAME A STAGE 4 THROAT CANCER DIAGNOSIS

Post Throat Cancer Treatment.

At the end of my Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatment, my weight was 59 Kilograms. During treatment, my mind was on getting through each day with my pre-existing conditions present but not focused on as you would expect. they were still there and would escalate on occasions mainly the sugar diabetics as I was still receiving all my nourishment through the nasogastric tube, my rheumatoid was minimal as I was suffering treatment side effects and my heart condition was not in my thoughts.

As described in previous chapters my throat cancer treatment my NEW me diet mainly consisted of Fish, Chicken, and Vegetables the only meats were generally small servings of lamb occasionally.

Previously I used to enjoy large servings of steak many times per week .

It was about 18 months after chemo and radiation treatment when the severity and trauma of dealing with throat cancer started to subside and turned away from "24 Hours of Cancer Thoughts" that I started to realize changes in my day-to-day activities. It did take me many months after treatment for me to straighten up and lose my stoop, it dawned on me that my joint pain from the Rheumatoid Arthritis was nowhere near as painful and the frequency of the attacks were now only occasionally. My first thoughts were that my focus was on throat cancer and maybe I didn't realize it or it was masked by my overall body condition.I had lost a great deal of weight from 112kg to 59kg (I was now 72kg) which had taken a weight load of my ankle joints but my shoulder joints, wrist, and Jaw pain had also diminished which what I thought necessarily attributed to my condition.

It was then that I realized that my diet was 50% based on fish (mostly Salmon) which contained omega 3 oil in conjunction with the shutdown suppression of my immune system during chemotherapy treatment and reboot combined had altered its effect on my joints. 

I still have a "Spike" when a joint will inflame usually caused by a stress movement which sets it off, but the intensity and longevity of the pain has reduced significantly. I have now reduced my rheumatoid medication to a minimum daily intake; a long way from being convinced I would require a wheelchair 20 years ago.

Chronic Heart Disease

As previously explained my Fish/chicken and vegetable diet caused by the chemotherapy and radiation treatment had reduced my weight significantly plus the bonus was the cholesterol levels from the red meat fats had also diminished. Now my cholesterol measured in my blood tests are high in "good" cholesterol and low in "Bad" cholesterol as such my risk factors have decreased significantly.

I DO however occasionally will eat the lamb fat off a chop so that I don't deprive my body of this fat in case it needs it.(Hedging my Bet). My Heart Specialist is very happy with this health change.

Type 2 Diabetis

The change in my diabetes is not as prevalent as above, my sweet tooth I still have to keep under control as my readings still increase with consumption but the high extremities I used to experience have halved (not sure if it is because I am more health conscious).

In Conclusion

SUGAR WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME ALIVE! 

During my inability to swallow for nine months I survived on my nasogastric tube feed Episode 11which was high in sugars and did drive my readings high on the maximum scale. Without it I would have died !

I have learnt now that your body consumes itself ! When your body is starving it uses your fats for energy first then it starts on your muscles to fuel your existence. When my nasogastric tube was removed my main intake was by way of fluids so I would eat ice cream and drink flavored milk if I had to; as long as It stopped my weight slide. As my solids intake increased (which was slow) I gradually decreased my sugar intake. Now, today I still take diabetic medication to keep the levels in check but the amount of medication has decreased.

TURNING A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE ! YES EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT!

PREVIOUS EPISODE                  NEXT EPISODE                    BACK TO HOME PAGE

                                                HELP AND SUPPORT LINKS