It’s been 8 weeks since my diagnosis: stage 4 cervical cancer. I referred to a book I had read years ago. Luckily, I had it in my kindle on my phone. This book was written by a medical doctor. According to this doctor, most, not all, cancers are preventable through our diets and people with cancer can improve their condition through their diet as well. As I read this book once more, I put together an action plan for me to follow once I got home from the hospital. I advised the oncologists that I was refusing conventional treatments to see if my diet could shrink the tumor. They said that it would not work. I had to give it a try. I gave it 4 weeks.
With just me to support myself in every way, I often sat in stillness to ponder the upcoming weeks at home. The thought of getting through this on my own was concerning. With my extremely weak energy-level and frequent lightheadedness, I wondered how I would take care of myself. Once I was discharged from the hospital and wheeled over to my car, I had to take it day-by-day, moment-by-moment. The main thing was to stop if I felt lightheaded so I would not faint.
So there I was, after spending 7 days in the hospital, not feeling quite ready to be sent off to take care of things on my own. But there I went. First, I needed to get supplies and groceries. Then, more produce at another store. The entire time moving slower than normal, taking rest breaks when needed, and leaning on the shopping carts for support while walking.
Not only was I embarking on a special diet and taking care of it all on my own — I needed to make sure the rent and bills were paid as I spent money on healthy foods that tend to be more expensive; I needed to take care of employer paperwork and follow-up with doctors’ appointments; I needed to muster as much energy as I could to take care of a double load of laundry as soon as possible so I’d have clothes to wear. Prior to each errand, I checked my energy-level, making sure I was able.
Needless to say, I didn’t get it perfect. The apartment was a mess but sanitized. It remained messy for several weeks. I simply kept the kitchen and bathroom clean. Belongings sat wherever I dropped them. I rested when I became tired and slept when I was sleepy. Did not exert myself when it wasn’t necessary.
During these first 4 weeks is was also a constant battle for me to gain weight. I needed to gain 15 to 20 pounds to get my energy-level up and rid of my anemia. I ate several meals a day and still could not gain weight or keep my energy-level up and constant.
As the weeks passed, I did not feel any better. At the end of the 4 weeks, I felt that it may not have been enough time. I considered another 2 months but after consulting with the oncologists, my gut indicated that I may not have two months if I continued with my diet alone. Although I had wanted to avoid the chemo and radiation, something told me, it was time. It’s me — just me, taking care of myself. What concerned me was, if I got sick and nauseous from the chemo, how would I take care of myself? How would I cook my meals and feed myself if I were feeling ill? That’s what I was fearful of.
The first 4 days of radiation treatments went pretty smoothly. The 5th, and last day of radiation was the first round of chemo. This first round went smoothly except for what I managed to mess up. It all started the day before. I got a speeding ticket as I rushed to my radiation appointment in the early afternoon. Then on the way home, I locked my keys in my car in the parking lot of a grocery store. Luckily, the customer service clerk lent me her phone to call for a police officer to break into my car.
That afternoon, I went without enough food and water for several hours. In my condition, it’s critical that I eat and drink on schedule as it affects my energy-level the next day. Well, the next day was the first round of chemo. My blood pressure was very low. It required a round of saline since I was dehydrated. This amount of liquid filled my catheter bag faster than usual. I noticed it was time to empty it but once I got a dose of the benadryl in my IV, I felt loopy. I felt drugged and waited for that feeling to subside. I soon felt my seat and the hospital blankets that covered me were drenched. “Oh no!” I was mortified! The catheter sprung a leak, spilling chemo-urine where I sat. I could not believe it. I felt so bad. The nurses got set to deal with this hazardous material. I needed to change into scrubs and my soiled clothes needed to be sealed in a hazmat bag. “Wash it twice,” instructed the nurse. All surfaces were wiped down with clorox wipes. And that was the end of that ordeal. I told the nurse, “I’m so sorry.”
I got the last of the chemo that took 30 minutes and I was done. I was surprised that I felt okay with the chemo in my system. I hoped and prayed I would continue to feel okay for the next few weeks until it was time for the second round. I needed to make sure to keep eating, especially protein and keep hydrated to prevent from getting nauseous. Most of the time I’m not hungry but I keep feeding myself, following the clock instead of my lack of hunger cues to make sure to eat every 3 hours.
This has been one of the scariest things I’ve done in my life. If you know of anyone who is navigating their cancer journey alone, please feel free to send them this information. I help people who have no family support get through their cancer ordeal to help them figure out all of the things they’re dealing with during this difficult time in life. Things like:
- Fatigue and low-energy
- Frequent lightheadedness
- Taking care of themselves on their own
- No appetite
- Don’t know how to cook
- Following a shoestring budget
- 20 pounds underweight
- Anemic
- Running errands and grocery shopping
- Preparing meals
- Keeping hydrated
- Taking medication timely
- Keeping the bills paid
- Maintaining the household budget
- Getting familiar with their medical insurance to minimize medical costs
Please forward this to anyone you think it would help. If you are one of those people and would like to enroll in my 12-week coaching class, go to: https://www.lifeeverrising.com/enroll.
When you enroll in this 12-week class, you get weekly 60-minute one-on-one calls. During each 1-on-1 call, we will design a plan that’s right for you. Also, email support will be available for any questions you may have.
- You will get a simple diet plan that will strengthen your body’s immunity
- You will get your budget figured out so you can maintain the bills with ease
- If you don’t know how to cook, you will learn basic cooking and meal prep so you can save money on your meals
- You will have support and encouragement throughout the 12 weeks so you won’t be doing it alone
- You will get ideas that will help you to get it all done
- And much much more
Or if you need more information, watch the short video on my coaching class by visiting: https://www.lifeeverrising.com/class.
Have a good day.