Chemo Hack - Keeping Bathrooms Clean While "Chemo Toxic"

 

 

Ok, so this one may seem weird but to those going through chemo they know there is a 24-48 hour window after chemo treatments that they are supposed to make sure to use their own bathroom, clean after use and flush twice. They are essentially a walking "chemo toxic biohazard"... It sucks. It stinks even more because not everyone can make it so that they have their own bathroom dedicated to their use only. So in our house (since I have 5 kiddos and it's hard to tell a 5 year old they can't use the one that mommy uses". I also am not going to run up and down the stairs as much as I go after treatment when my body is ridding itself of the liter of fluid they have put into me PLUS all I drink to flush that out.

 

In my house we have on the back of the toilet in multiple bathrooms (since I was doing these anyway for the ones I use) a little container with reusable wipes so I can keep the toilet area always clean after each use. We then throw them in the basket shown to the left of the toilet and I wash them in the washing machine and air dry them when I need to refill it.

 

I just use a simple mix of;

 

1 c. distilled water

 

1c. Hydrogenperoxide 

  

 

10 drops of  essential oil for cleaning and freshening the bathroom (what person doesn't like a clean smelling bathroom?)

 

That's it, easy to mix and then I throw in the reusable rags. So simple and I can make sure that I don't expose my family to any chemo toxicity.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

Before trying ANY of the hacks I post PLEASE make sure that you discuss this with your healthcare provider to ensure they don't have concerns or objections due to a potential to interfere with your treatment. I have a very open and honest dialog with my whole team. Know that there are times that they have voiced concerns. I use research and common sense in what I do to help mitigate my treatment issues, they have all been approved and talked over with my team. I encourage others to do the same if they use these. Sometimes using tools such as Pub Med helps to bring researched based rationale into why I use the oils I do, and allows my team to make a researched based informed decision also.
 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons

 

 





Chemo Hack - "Detox" Epsom Salt Baths

 

 

Oh how I LOVE my Epsom salt baths.... THESE have been a real life saver for me during treatment weeks. I get SO sore from the IP (Intraperitoneal) Infusions. Plus the first one I get makes me SICK for a whole week. I haven't been vomiting sick but the best way to describe it is feeling like I am coming down with a really bad flu. YUCK, so what I have found is that after treatments (and getting kids fed and I bed) I sit and soak for a half hour in my "detox" bath at night. In the morning then I get the kiddos off to school and put some good citrus oils in with my favorite being grapefruit. Usually the first 3 days after my 2 days of chemo are my worst. Smells bug me anyway and some of my oils can be too much for me but the citrus ones work great and that and my bath help to calm my stomach until I can take the meds I need to PLUS they are a great uplifting way to start my day. That week one of my cycle generally ends up being a "work week" of me doing catch up on my business emails and such because I don't generally want to do much more than sit. I allow myself that, BUT don't think I am not working to change it. I have plans for this next cycle to see if I can get week one even more productive and give me more "better days" so I can feel a little more normal... I do these baths daily during the first week of my cycle in the mornings. It really does help. On my second week where my IP chemo doesn't have the extreme side effects I do it on the night of my treatment and the next morning to help my body to pull off the fluid and calm any residual pain I may have... These are my number one recommendation to friends that ask for any ideas to help people going through chemo. It's so versatile and I can use the oils that I need to help the symptoms giving me the most grief.

 

My favorites are;

 

On chemo night I use a balancing/grounding blend to help me calm down after all that chemo and the meds bring. It's a great way also to get ready to sleep at night being that can be a problem for me. My balancing/grounding blend contains spruce, rosewood, blue tansy, frankincense and fractionated coconut oil.

 

Grapefruit mixed with frankincense or wild orange work great on post chemo days for me

 

Grapefruit, lime, wild orange, or lemon just one of them is a simple, refreshing start to my day.

 

Grapefruit (do you see a pattern? Yup I LOVE grapefruit) and bergamot also is a nice way to start and lift my mood for the day.

 

The reason I use the quotes around the "detox" bath is because there is very little research out there to say that it actually detoxifies the body. I mean there are plenty of blog sites that say it does but it's REALLY hard to find anything to support that theory. NOW does that mean it doesn't somehow work that way? Nope, but if I am putting it out there as such I do like to have proof, something to back up that claim. I don't, I do know that it's recommended regularly to patients by physicians for sore muscles but that again doesn't have a ton of research to back it up. One article I read from painscience.com was really interesting in their take on the whole matter. Another good article I read was from How Stuff Works and while, again, there wasn't a lot of research to back things up there is a plausible explination as to why Epsom salt can potentially detox your body. What I do know is that for me, it works to help calm my muscles along with the warm water, I have found that I generally urinate more which helps pull some of that fluid off. I also tend to sweat during the warmth of a 1/2 hour bath which is a good "chimney" for expelling toxins from the body (as anyone that has drank a little too much alcohol can attest to as it "comes out" the pores.

 

I ALWAYS follow up my baths with a shower, that way I know I am washing all the stuff I have sweated and sat in for a half hour off my body. That way I feel good about getting dressed afterward also. For those going through Chemo you know that for 24-48 hours afterward you are considered "chemo toxic" and because it can be POTENTIALLY excreted from pores it's important to get that washed off. Also after my bath I do a full cleaning of our tub. I wash all areas with a mix of 1/3 water, 1/3 90% rubbing alcohol and 1/3 vinegar. I usually add a good essential oil to that mix to ensure I am getting my tub clean. That is important so that you don't expose yourself or others in your house to the chemo that gets excreted.

 

 

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

Before trying ANY of the hacks I post PLEASE make sure that you discuss this with your healthcare provider to ensure they don't have concerns or objections due to a potential to interfere with your treatment. I have a very open and honest dialog with my whole team. Know that there are times that they have voiced concerns. I use research and common sense in what I do to help mitigate my treatment issues, they have all been approved and talked over with my team. I encourage others to do the same if they use these. Sometimes using tools such as Pub Med helps to bring researched based rationale into why I use the oils I do, and allows my team to make a researched based informed decision also.
 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons

 

 





Starting A Conversation With Healthcare Providers

 

 

One thing I set out to do as I went through all of this was to make sure my healthcare team knew what I was doing beyond the treatment I was receiving from them. It's important that they are aware that when I am not with them I am still doing things and using oils that may effect how my treatment went. Obviously I have shared on here some of what I have been doing but there is more and I wanted them to know. While I will be sharing some of my "chemo hacks" later in this blog I wanted to touch on how I communicated all I am doing with my team.

 

First off I do have to take one minute to brag up the women in that picture. Obviously that's me sitting on the table but those other two beautiful ladies are my primary contact when I go in. Nurse Nikki (I am just guessing on how she spells that) is the one in purple. She was in on the surgery that literally helped change the prognosis of my cancer. Nurse Nikki was with my GYN Oncologist when he got 99%, all visible cancer removed from my abdomen. She is also the one that was there the day I first went in, she was that smiling nurse that was who I focused on when I realized my oncologist was a little strange for me. She keeps me laughing, she encourages, she is THAT nurse you want when you need someone to help lift you up when you don't feel strong enough. THEN there is Nurse Kathy, the short hair woman standing to my right. Nurse Kathy is my rock, she takes so much razzing from me and she completely matches my stubborness with hers. If I have a question she has an answer or will find me one. She questions me, especially about my oils, and makes me research and account for EVERYTHING I do, oh how I love that!! Without those two women my story wouldn't be as incredible as it is. I actually look forward to treatment days when I can go in and razz these two and my favorite chemo Kathy (different nurse in the infusion center). I have been able to stay strong, stay encouraged and go through every treatment better because of those women shown. I am SOOO blessed to have them a part of my whole story. My team extends beyond these two and includes my favorite "Chemo Kathy" who is my infusion nurse that willingly takes me and my silliness every treatment she is there (she only missed one so far), Judy who has put up with my crazy hair issues that I am having and Deb that comes in to check on my every treatment cycle. All of these women have endured my essential oil "craziness" and have listened and been very supportive. I thank God for this team and pray for each and every one of them because what they mean to my life and how this cancer story has gone is immeasurable. I can not say in words the true thankfulness I have for them.

 

So back to communicating with the team... This was really important for me being that I wanted to be open about what I was doing. Honestly I hoped to be able to make all of my treatment time easier with the oils. I wanted to be an example of how responsible use of homeopathic options through diet and oils could actually compliment what they were doing. This comes back to being a woman with a prayer and a plan. I knew God had given me an awesome medical team and the last thing I wanted to do was to make them frustrated with me. So a plan was needed to be respectful yet educate them as to why my plan wouldn't interfere with what they were doing. I also promised if anything showed in labs to be interfering I would stop doing them. 

 

My plan was simple, remember that the team I was dealing with REALLY truly care for their patients and wanted the best outcome possible. They know that their protocols work if followed the way they have it set up. Oils and homeopathic "remedies" can and have interfered with that process. So education was definitely key. That meant that not only did I need to ensure the oils I picked didn't interfere with their plan, but that I educated and showed them WHY they wouldn't. For that I needed those CA-125 cancer markers back so that I could show that they a) weren't interfering and b) were  potentially supporting in a way they hadn't seen before. Obviously seeing there were still changes in my numbers showed that if nothing else prayer and oils were not at all a problem before the chemo. I showed them studies such as the one done by the University of Leicester (Article written by the university about the study). I did explain that most of the research out there is very early and hasn't been tested on human subjects. 

 

My nurse kept bringing up that certain oils that shouldn't be used but couldn't tell me which ones those oils were. So I went out to answer that for her. What I found was a very good point brought up by renown oils expert Robert Tisserand in an answer to a question he was asked. This post on his web page was about a specific question but in the comments Robert Tisserand brought up a great point regarding using oils that have antioxidant properties. Again there is very little research on whether antioxidants would cause issues with protecting good and cancer cells during chemo (more concern is with radiation being part of the treatment counts on free radicals and oils could inhibit that action). I am not having radiation and being my numbers have continued to go down, so as long as we have positive changes (know that those numbers can go back up naturally) as long as it's not a big jump there isn't a reason to change anything.

 

Nurse Kathy, Nurse Practitioner Nikki and I then sat down (as captured by my hubby in the above picture) and discussed what I was using and I made them a whole calendar (Nurse Kathy loves calendars) of what and when I was using my oils, baths and vitamins. For them it gave a visual reference as to when I was doing what so they could bring it then to my doctor. I included the ingredients of any of the blends so they could see what oils were in those. For all of us it was a great way to openly talk about any concerns and the benefits I was seeing. One thing I found was that prune juice was COMPLETELY not me, and I didn't want to use their recommendations. I chatted with a nutritionist that reminded me of the fact that probiotics (enteric coated and containing prebiotics) could help regulate things being chemo causes constipation and I needed to ensure that didn't happen. Also due to the chemo higher doses were needed and didn't cause issues when doing chemo vs. some of the candida issues you can get normally. I was trying prune juice to mitigate that but UGH I am not a prune juice fan... SO I have been using a  pre/probiotic and that has supported my gut health during this process. 

 

For me, making this a whole team approach has been SO helpful and FUN! I know that sounds odd but I look forward to seeing the team and sharing how things went and working to come up with new ways to help and keep me from needing MORE meds or procedures. I have gained not only a medical team but friends that I enjoying dealing with and can talk things over with. I have learned A LOT about dealing with cancer and it's treatment and they have been SO willing to teach me. As you can see I am very blessed and can honestly say this is an important aspect for me. If I can't work with, learn from and ask questions from my team then I need to find a new team...

 

 

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons

 





 





CA-125 Cancer Markers...

 



I have to admit I have a HUGE love/hate relationship with science... The data, research and knowledge you can gain through it's processes and ability to prove theories is fascinating. Then there is the realm of taking God out of the equation even when I can look at what they have shown and see the BEAUTY in God's design, that always tends to bug me. Then there is this weird need from a lot of science to just take the natural, God made materials and make them man made... Why?

Anyway, it bugs me to no end and I fight that frustration a lot. ON THE OTHER HAND I enjoy the fact that I can take a cruddy situation, use some science and see results that I can put numbers and truth to. My CA-125 cancer markers have offered me some insight as to how things that my medical team and I have been doing along with what seems to be showing promise. Cancer at this point has become somewhat of a "challenge" for me. It's not going to define me, so this is where I find it's usefulness to go out and help others.

First off, I just want to explain, as simply as possible, what a "CA-125" cancer marker is. To determine treatment success certain "markers" have been found that show up when cancers are present. Using these markers at the beginning of a diagnosis gives a starting point to see whether there is change in the markers during courses of treatment. That allows medical staff to change or relook at what is or may not be working and adjust. For me the specific markers for ovarian cancer are the CA-125 markers. I want to point out that unfortunately these CA-125 markers can not currently be used to diagnose ovarian cancer BUT when taken at the time of diagnosis it's very useful to be able to see a change as treatments work. Other cancers have "markers" that have been identified also, this just happens to be the numbers that I deal with.

For those that want to read more about the science behind the CA-125 I suggest starting at the wiki link. It was very helpful for me to start the process of learning about it. Basically it is a protein that is specifically released by ovarian cancer in higher amounts than normal when that specific cancer is present. They use those numbers to determine things such as initial prognosis (>65 generally carries a poor prognosis) and then as the numbers change it can help predict prognosis after treatment (lower numbers, especially <30 carry a better overall prognosis after treatment.). These numbers can be present in those that don't have ovarian cancer due to other factors making them present naturally in the body. A healthy person can have a CA-125 of 5 and not have any chance of having or getting ovarian cancer. So knowing this can help as I talk about how I have used these numbers to see some awesome things God has done for me.

I specifically STILL (I am waiting until the end of all treatments) am waiting to see the initial results of my CT scan, for me I don't need that visual at this point so I can keep full healing in my brain. I just don't need that visual. My CA-125 on the other hand has been a useful tool as I blindly was using oils before any treatment started. I REALLY wanted to see if I could set out to help increase my chances for complete success from the chemo. The more resources I use I figure the better chance of a positive outcome plus decrease my chance to have any reoccurrence.

As I mentioned in a previous post I set out just to use a couple essential oils to see if there would be a difference in my course with cancer. Those methods were a) primarily topically and b) limiting how many oils I used. I knew there would be other factors involved seeing that I have had a VERY successful debulking surgery with 99% (all visible cancer) removed and LOTS of prayer. I honestly can't discount either of those two factors. But what I have seen so far definitely has made me step back and get excited. I have seen some VERY good CA-125 numbers with just using Frankincense and the Cellular Repair Blend (frankincense resin, wild orange peel, lemongrass leaf, thyme leaf, clove bud, summer savory plant, and naiouli leaf essential oils). Obviously I know every person is different but after doing the research and seeing what early studies in a lab showed it made me intested to see things for myself.

I found out quite a while after they were taken that my initial CA-125 results came back there were at 282, well above the "poor prognosis" numbers. THANKFULLY I hadn't asked and found that out before because that would have definitely messed with me on some level. I found that out after they drew a new set (per my request) the Friday before I started chemo to see if the frankincense and cellular repair blend had made any impact along with the surgery. My results?? 14.1. Yup, BLOWN AWAY, not to mention my nurse had rarely, if ever, seen numbers change that drastically. Talk about putting a grin on my face and some excitement in my heart. THANK GOD I had just given those oils a chance. I went INTO chemo with numbers they were hoping I would be at the END. Since then I have gone through one round of chemo and kept with the oils and I am now at 7, yes, normal numbers that any average person could be walking around with. God has blessed me with the tools to make everything I have chosen to do successful in a way I NEVER thought possible. My team and friends that are familiar with and work in oncology are all very excited with my progress and change in prognosis. Attitude plays a huge role in my success also, and having numbers like this REALLY helps to make keeping that positive attitude easier than ever.

UPDATE!! Here we are now and I have completed four cycles now, I am down to 2 left and only one month left of treatment. As of the first day of my forth cycle (they only do the Ca-125 on that day) I am at SIX!!! I was stagnant at seven for 2 cycles and now instead of going up like people had been preparing me might happen I went down one. I did change one aspect before that happened. I started taking my vitamins a few days earlier because I don't need my MEDS after the last treatment. SO I have 2 cycles to see if doing that is what made my numbers go down again. I will see in a week if that's the case and then the last week I will go back to the old time that I took then and see if I level off again. I will post my results after the next two cycles so check back!!


Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons

Walking On Faith

My life completely has changed, and you know what? THANK GOD

 I have cancer, I can't change that on my own. I would LOVE to, but alas I can't. SO I stepped out. I did what I have the hardest time doing, I gave EVERYTHING over to God and let it be known I am weak and broken, I can not do this on my own. I am SO thankful I did that. It's been a very humbling time for me. I tend to be someone that likes to control and make all the plans and see them through myself. For this I would have to trust and know that God's promises are true. I am so thankful for this opportunity because he definitely hasn't failed me.

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he will abide with you for ever." John 14:13-16

Telling friends and family that I had cancer has to be one time in my life that I truly saw the impact that God has made in giving me the strength he has. I was so humbled as friends cried, for me. I can not explain how that felt to hear the sadness and fear as they asked more questions and listened to my response. I am so thankful that I am able to walk out and say that God truly has this, that I WILL be healed and this will not be my end. Not one person I told doubted my resolve and they have supported, loved me, and PRAYED for me. To have a life that has surrounded me with blessings like this has made being strong so much easier.


Thanksgiving was a time to go see family and keep doing my essential oils to help support the journey I was about to take. I was able to enjoy time before heading into the whole treatment phase of things. I loved being able to see everyone and let them know that the biggest need I had was prayers and support as I walked out on my faith. Having those prayers and love with the support and strength from all of them really got me set to come back and get through the start of treatment...

Dec. 5th brought about my surgery and if you don't think that God had a plan and his hand in things... My surgery went better than planned even!! I had an incredible team that was able to get 99% (ALL VISIBLE cancer, the 1% accounts for any margins left) of the cancer!! I got that news right around my birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. While the surgery was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced I was able to make it out of the hospital days before they thought I would and on very little pain meds, which I ditched for Tylenol and oils once I got home. I was incredibly blessed by my mother in law and her sister who came for 2 weeks to help with my kiddos while my husband sat daily by my side at the hospital. Then when I came home they allowed me a good week to just heal and get my strength back. Again, I was humbled by how wonderfully things worked out. I was able to do what I needed to and not overdo things yet heal MUCH quicker than in the hospital. Having my family there with me instead of hospital staff was much better! Not that the hospital staff wasn't great, we had a lot of laughs, razzing and made some friends in the short time I was in there. Life sucks sometimes, it's what you do with it and those who know me will tell you something is horribly wrong if I don't find a way to laugh or have a bit of fun. Attitude is HUGE, if you can find ways to stay positive and drive yourself towards ways to keep your attitude positive, you CAN overcome just about anything. No matter if my story were to end with my death I never wanted to look back and see wasted time not enjoying all the blessings I have been given.

After surgery we went out to be with family again for Christmas and that's when I really hit the ground running with planning and getting ready to tackle and win this "battle" with cancer. It was this point that I made the decision that I would work hard to see what I could do to take all that God had given me with my strength, promises, oils, incredible medical team and knowledge to help others. I figure I am in this mess, might as well take it and turn it into a positive, right? So I started on my way to hatching some plans to make this process easier, less overwhelming and help people that decided that natural AND modern medicine were the way they were going to choose to go. I knew that the two could work together but I wanted a good plan to pass forward to let others use and build upon to help them be as empowered and blessed as I was.


Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons

The Day After The Bomb Dropped...



 

I am not a person who gets depressed easily, I rarely am in such a funk I can't function, but OH GOOD GOSH Thursday was THAT kind of day....



I got up that morning just exhausted, my kiddos came down to get ready for school and by this time only my eldest knew what was going on. The night before I had pulled just him aside, at 17 he understood what all was happening and was scared, sad and really worried. So I joked with him to get him in a better place before school. Inside I was just literally going though motions that I did every day. I kissed each one goodbye before they headed off, again, a normal ritual, but today after they all left I broke into sobs. It was still all overwhelming. Then, it would all just stop. So I sat  on my couch just strolling though Facebook or playing games on my iPad. Trying hard not to think about things. Then my phone would ring and this awesome picture of my oldest and youngest at home would greet me and the overwhelming sadness of the situation would again arise. I tried HARD to keep it all together, I didn't want to worry anyone more than the words "I have cancer" put there. I had to call and tell my dad the news yet. I dreaded that call, but yet it had to be done. I don't wish on ANYONE to have to tell their parents that they have advanced stage cancer. My dad's voice said it all and he tried had to be strong but I knew how scared he was, I hated that call... It killed me to do that to him. I hated making all the calls and really didn't want to talk with anyone as people called to see if I was ok. I felt bad but it was just too much all at once and I didn't even know for myself how I was actually doing. My overwhelming response to everyone was "God has this" and to remember I was incredibly stubborn and strong, that in all my years, the trials and successes, God had been there and carried me through and yet again that WAS going to happen. I have to admit although deep in my heart I knew this, on this day I didn't have complete confidence backing that statement.

I looked up stats regarding stage 3c ovarian cancer, 40% 5 year survival rate really didn't help things. I have 6 kiddos, a husband, an awesome family and tremendous friends. I couldn't believe those were my odds of being around to see all my kiddos grow up. 4 are adopted, how was me not being there going to effect them? My one biological baby, I couldn't believe there was a possibility that I wouldn't see how he turned out, he looks so much like me. It just made me so overwhelmingly sad and frustrated. Stats are dynamic and not static so first off I knew those could be changed. So I started looking up what oil protocols were out there. I mean I had 2 weeks until I had just the surgery to get started on oils that could potentially help me right? So I just searched as many places as I could to find what oils were beneficial. I already was aware of Frankincense because there had just had a very new study published online that was showing promise against late stage ovarian cancer. The problem for me was that most protocols called for quite a bit of oils to be ingested and that just wasn't what I wanted to do. I was OK with a little yet I knew I was going to be doing chemo and the nausea factor was there so I kept searching.

Then I got a private message from my step mother in law. There was a lot more to it but one part stuck out. She had been praying in her car after hearing from us heard, yes heard, "She will not die from this"... I believed that statement. I honestly had no reason to question it. God brought us back closer to home just months before I found out. God had this nagging feeling going that I needed to get in to get the pain checked. God had this, he just did.

I kept searching for how I could go about helping my body to deal with this crappy diagnosis and found that Frankincense, along with the cellular repair blend (Frankincense, wild orange peel, lemongrass leaf, thyme leaf, summer savory plant and niaouli leaf essential oils) had shown the most promise when put in a petri dish against cancer cells. I wanted to keep it simple. I kept seeing such complex "protocols" and that was too much for me right at this time so keeping it simple was do-able. I mixed up some Frankincense 1:1 with avocado oil for it's thicker coverrage properties and then put it in a big roller bottle. I rubbed that on and then added the cellular repair blend oil on top of the avocado oil and frank because I knew it sometimes irritated my skin. I rubbed that in and took two of the cellular repair softgels (which is a normal recommendation for that supplement) and decided that was going to be my trial. I was going to see if doing just that and my vitamin supplements could make a difference. Morning I did the oils, softgels and my vitamins then at noon, at night I would just do the oils. It wasn't going to hurt anything and if I got some positive results, all the better right? Chemo was already going to happen so what if I could get a jump start helping my body to mend itself? I am one who likes a plan so having one helped.

I had an oils class that night that I chose not to cancel, so I got everyone in the house fed and off to reading and then put everything together for the class. It got me up and active since I really hadn't left the couch all day. I figured this would be a good way to do so. The girls that came were SO fun and we did the class. I told them what I had just found out and asked that they didn't make a big deal about it. Those girls turned around and went back to class stuff like nothing had just been said. I couldn't help but smile, it was a turning point for me that I will never forget. They even helped set the next class date (because they didn't want to miss the next month's class making DIY Christmas gifts) for 2 days before my surgery. I was completely up for it, why not have fun before all that mess?

It was this day that taught me that God had me in his arms and all my sadness could be taken, I could give it to him and trust him fully to get me through this and that stats CAN be changed and I was going to be one of those that did it for the positive.

- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons. 

Let's Start At The Beginning, Shall We?

Let me start off by saying this is my story of my current journey through dealing with stage 3c ovarian cancer. Everyone is different and some of what I am using as far as oils may not work for everyone, nor a I implying it should. I have been asked many times about my story and so this is my way to share with others. I am also not a medical professional. This isn't medical advice but more my personal journey and sharing what has been successful during that.

Also, note that I am keeping the brand of oils I am using out of this blog. Trust me when I say I am using quality oils that aren't from Amazon (I LOVE Amazon and started with oils from there but switched because of lack of assurance they were authentic and quality assurance). I do have my email listed on this blog if you are curious, but other than that I want people to hear and be encouraged by my story, not feeling like this is a sales pitch for a brand of oils. You will notice that any blend I mention will have the oils in it listed in order from the bottle as a resource. This isn't a place I want people to feel the need to sell their brands, this again is my story and I left my brand out on purpose to keep this a place where my story can be told.

With all that said let's get to what brought me to the blogging side of telling my journey turning cancer from a tragedy to a celebration of God, my faith, family, friends and, yes, oils...

November 12th is that date that will now forever stick with me. It was a Wednesday and after a month of dealing with abdominal pain and FINALLY going in to see my nurse practitioner (OH how I hate going in to be seen...) I was scheduled for a contrast CT. I got to the appointment on time, it was early morning so that took a bit of work being I had 5 children to get up and out of the house to school. I got there and found out that I still had an hour wait as I sat there drinking this "water" for the CT. I texted my best friend Mary throughout that whole hour complaining that this really could have been done at home and how the fake sugar was upsetting my stomach. FINALLY I got in and they did the CT scan, they hurried me out and on my way, which at the time I was glad about but it didn't quite click until afterward why...

I quickly made it over to Costco after the CT Scan and got JUST about to check out when I got the call, it was my nurse practitioner and she needed to see me as soon as possible. I tried hard to get information out of her but couldn't get anything more concrete than "yes, this isn't good news and if you want your husband here, bring him". My heart sank and I still had to check out. I looked around and wondered if anyone else could see the tears or fear I felt. I got out and tried my husband but I knew he was unavailable for most of the day. So I headed 20 minutes back to the clinic praying and called Mary for support.

I sat there as the nurse practitioner told me the results of the CT scan showed ovarian cancer that had spread into the abdomen and possibly on my liver and lymph nodes. I was so numb other than realizing liver and lymph node involvement was DEFINITELY not what I wanted to hear. I listened to her and we went through all the tests we had done before to see if ANYTHING gave a hint to this. But I had already known, something had told me to go in, something had been nagging at me that this could be cancer... I realized then that God had put it in my heart to go in and thankfully I listened because this story could have turned out much different had I not.

So by this time my husband had called and was on his way home to grab my kiddos after school.I had to go back up and see the oncologist my nurse practitioner had made an appointment with. Everything just seemed to lead to something else, and now the fact I was going to see a oncologist the same day I found out I had cancer was SO overwhelming. I kissed my husband and had him say a prayer before I left to head out to the appointment. The whole way I just prayed that I could have the strength and that things weren't as dark as they seemed.

It's almost surreal those moments sitting and waiting to get called back, the oncologist was a gynecological oncologist so I was sitting in with pregnant women waiting to get checked and eagerly awaiting the birth of a new life and then there were some of us there for cancer. That just didn't seem right, I should have been there on the "other side" excited and hopeful and yet here I was just hoping the news wasn't a timeline of the rest of my life, ending in months rather than years...

The doctor was a bit awkward, just something about him was off for me, his nurse practitioner on the other hand was warm and very friendly so I concentrated on her. After a very uncomfortable exam I got dressed and headed to his office where he liked to talk so it was more comfortable. He told me then that I had stage 3c ovarian cancer that had metastasized to the greater omentum (the lining covering your intestines and internal organs), bowel, bladder and possibly some other areas. The good news was he didn't think the liver was effected and that's what kept me at the staging I was at. He wanted surgery to happen right away and chemo to start after I healed from the surgery. He told me he wanted to do 2 kinds of chemo therapy one IV, the other IP or Intraperitoneal  directly into the abdomen which had the best outcomes. He didn't give me stats or what this all meant for my future but did say they had the best outcomes with that treatment. I agreed to it, it took all of the time we talked to know I was going to do EVERYTHING I could to be here in the future for my family. I always thought I would go a more natural route until I was placed into this position. My decision was easy. So I headed across the hall where the nurse practitioner was sitting with Nurse Kathy who coordinated all the treatments. At the time Nurse Kathy was friendly but very regimented in handing me papers with surgical instructions and the fact I wouldn't see anyone before the surgery day was new to me. They wanted thanksgiving but I knew I needed that time with family to pray and just go over everything so it went to the next week. I was so numb and overwhelmed and now had a stack of papers with instructions for a surgery that scared me more than anything. I have NEVER had surgery, been in them during paramedic training and throughout my career a lot but never was that me laying on the table. Looking back now I feel bad for the anger and stubbornness I felt as Nurse Kathy handed me everything. She really didn't mean to come off as cold but at the time it was tough to find the compassion I needed right at that point. I felt very alone and not able to process everything properly and didn't have the comfort level with them to ask all I wanted to know about timelines so even though Nurse Kathy told me many times to call with questions, and I had quite a few in the coming days just about timelines, I didn't feel comfortable enough to call and ask.

I went home broken, scared, crying, praying... I called a few people to let them know what was happening and hoping that saying it would somehow change things. I was embarrassed, I am rarely EVER sick and now I was telling people I had cancer. Something about that made it so incredibly personal and hard to say. My life stopped for that day and yet the day kept going... hard to explain but that's how this all started.


Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. I am a mom, I am not a doctor, I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have learned in doing these types of projects and through my research. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use. Always when using essential oils for a medical condition or if on prescribed or over the counter drugs, seek advice from a medical professional (DR./PA/NP/Naturopath/pharmacist) on whether the oils will cause potential adverse reactions. 

These practices are what work for me and my family, if you chose to take and use them I encourage you take my research and do some of your own prior to using the tips I give. While I do a lot of research when putting these posts out it generally fits into what I would do with and for my family. If you have specific issues, allergies or conditions these practices may not work or may be detrimental to what you are intending to do for yourself. Again, I encourage wisdom and discussions with your healthcare provider to determine safe use of all posts that I provide that can be used for health reasons.