Yep, 2 days into 1 post! I'm just going to jump right in....The tumor has shrunk in just the 5 days that I have been here.
Driving to my consultation was a mixture of apprehension and hope. I was apprehensive that the bile ducts would be obstructed, which would cause me to have a drain and bag. I was hopeful that I would only need a stent. The ultrasound tech thought the ducts were in good shape, clear but inflamed and a stent would be the way to go. I now just wait for the Dr. to schedule my surgery date.
Typically, you don't get an opportunity to get a new ultrasound so early in the stay at the spa. But because of my upcoming stent surgery, I was fortunate to get a preview of my weeks progress. As the tech was looking for blockages you could clearly see the tumor in the liver. The tech measured the width at the widest point and the length at the longest point. The length has shrunk more than 2cm and width has shrunk more than 1 cm!! Although this isn't a good way to measure the actual size of the tumor...it is progress. This is a clear demonstration that the treatments are working. I will not know how much the tumor has shrunk until I finish up my stay at the spa. It amazes me how effective these treatments are based on the 4 principals of creating the hostile environment for the cancer.
Let me tell you one of the treatments that I have started. The hyperthermic chamber - fighting cancer with heat. To do that, we raise my body temperature up to 104 degrees. Today I only was able to raise it to 101 for 45 minutes. Healthy cells can withstand higher temperatures for short durations, while cancer cells are wimpy and die off. I do this treatment once a day along with the near infrared sauna. The sauna targets the whole body, looking for rogue cancer cells that are trying to hide. I also use the infrared spotlight that focuses on the tumor colony, that has decided to make my liver their new home, which they will regret, as the eviction notice is being served. The near infrared penetrates the skin up to 1-2 inches more deeply...making it a great way to target the cancer cells directly. This is also done on a daily basis.
It sounds simple to endure these treatments, but they are not. It requires me to focus on positive energy in order to endure the high temp over a long period of time. I have found that focusing on music while I am in the treatment has helped tremendously. I have my playlist and a portable speaker. After these treatments, I hop on an apparatus I fondly call the "make you move it machine". You stand on a platform that mimics driving on a very poorly maintained dirt road for 10 minutes. This helps my lymphatic system drain the carnage of the dead cancer cells from my body.
Many days I still a struggle to get out of bed. I struggle with getting continuous sleep, nausea and itching. I am hopeful these will be relieved with the stent. My day are consisting of 11 hours of back to back treatments. I am not very fond of my new vegan diet and I find myself fighting through the nausea to eat something that does not look appetizing. For example, a grilled eggplant will not EVER be a substitute for a grilled steak. But knowing that my body is fighting and producing results has kept me motivated.
Your support and prayers has also helped me in this endeavor.