Life with an Indolent Cancer

Watch and wait. Strategically manage. Close follow up. See you in 3 months. Have a nice day. Bye.

These are all things I hear every time I go to the oncologist’s office. Last week I had my 3-month status check CT scan. I have been in remission 3 times with what they deem to be indolent (slow growing incurable) lymphoma. This time things have gone a bit longer than normal. Okay, a lot longer than normal. I was diagnosed with this recurrence in April 2008. Usually my recurrences last 3-5 months. It’s been 18 months. Thankfully, after 14 years on this journey, watch and wait works for me.

Maybe it’s because I don’t necessarily “watch and wait.” I understand that there are many things in my life that I can actively participate in which will decrease my cancer activity and hopefully my cancer load. I meditate twice a day, which brings down my stress, calms my mind and emotions, and allows me to feel more balanced. I eat a very colorful plate of organic food (veggies, fruit, nuts, grains) at lunch and dinner. For breakfast, I eat rolled organic oats and drink a fruit smoothie with water, not dairy. I clean with non-toxic chemicals. Baking soda is my favorite for cleaning those stubborn tub stains. I dance, walk and rebound most days. My white blood cells love me when I rebound (mini-trampoline) and create more white blood cells. Sometimes, I do yoga. I love yoga. I juice greens and carrot/apple several times a day and take Juice Plus+ (www.NCGsharesjuiceplus.com) to help me get all my fruits and veggies for the day. I laugh every day. Sometimes I laugh at a funny movie, my dogs or my husband, but sometimes I just do the HA HA laughter technique I was taught years ago and laugh all by myself. I should really video tape those moments. I bet it would make for good viewing. I build my immune system by going to my naturopathic oncologist and receiving immune boosting vitamin C IVs. I take an alternative drug called Low Dose Naltrexone, which my medical oncologist supports. I take supplements that are based on my bloodwork results and suggested by my naturopathic oncologist.

Somewhere in my 14 years, my optimistic side met the side of me that doesn’t take “no” for an answer or in this case, “incurable” for an answer. This combination makes the “watch and wait” periods less stressful. I live in today, for today. I make goals for tomorrow. Some pretty exciting ones lately. Yet, I live in the now. I know that now is the only moment I can control. So when I think about what to eat, I choose to eat healthy so I have more “now” moments. When I think, I think more powerful, positive thoughts. I use the super power of choice wisely.

And when I have a bad day, where my body or spirit is tired, I honor and nuture myself. I take a nap, watch my favorite movies, call my friends, read a book or whatever strikes my fancy. Although I don’t claim that this is incurable for me, the fact of the matter is I have lived with it active for 18 months and I have lived well. I do believe it is because I am actively participating in my care and choosing wisely.

At my appointment earlier this week, my oncologist told me that the cancer growth has stopped and it has even decreased in slightly in a few areas. In May, it was on my spine and hip bone, in my spleen and becoming more aggressive. Now, with the latest news, the doctor doesn’t believe that the Hodgkins has transformed into the more aggressive type. There is no evidence on my skeletal areas and my spleen is only midly prominent. Great News! I have been participating in my care for years, and since May 2009 I stepped things up to be sure I was making the best choices for my health as much as possible. A doctor can only do so much and offer so much. Your body’s normal state is health not sickness. Your participation in care is VITAL to your health.

Now I ask you…How have the choices you made allow you to actively participate in your cancer care?

As I enter back into the watch and wait phase, I ask myself how else can I actively participate in my care.