The Low Down

It is turning into whirlwind city again.  BUT not enough to cause the magnitude of panic that hit me back in March of 2010 though and that is a good, good thing :)

I am a seasoned veteran now.  After nearly 2 years of chemo I am pretty sure I can handle what is coming my way in about a week or so.  I hope...

I should find out today exactly what day we are going to do this procedure.  I had my angiogram mapping procedure done on Tuesday.  They ran a catheter into my femoral artery in my groin and mapped out all of my veins, the tumors, how the tumors were supplied with blood, how many cc's my liver could hold, and just the general anatomy of my liver etc.  Looks like once again I am a bit unique. Apparently most peoples livers are supplied by one of three main arteries (I have totally forgotten the names something like duodenal, mesenteric, something gastric sounding) and I happen to be one of those people who are not like the others.  1 out of every 1000 people have a liver that gets supplied from a different artery (not bad or good, just different) and I am that 1.  I am guessing that if I ever became a candidate for a liver transplant it might be a bit hard to find a donor due to this....just a guess.

During the procedure they placed 5 coils (I was told they look like tiny caterpillars or pipe cleaners) that  block off certain veins supplying blood to the right and left lobes of my liver.  These coils will never come out.  They are made of platinum.  Who knows, I might just set off the detector in the airport now. These were placed in these positions in order to block off one side of my liver while they inject radiation into the other side.  They are planning to hit the left lobe first, then approximately a month later they are going back to hit the right side.  Apparently there are lots and lots of veins that supply the gut and liver and I was told that it is extremely hard to kill the blood supply to the gut.  So I am told that these platinum coils that never come out will never be a problem.  Its like bling in my insides! Kinda cool and a little freaky at the same time.

I have been a little sore from the mapping procedure.  They went in right in the crease of my thigh (imagine bikini line crease) and the spot where they went in is tender plus the leg and up into my gut just a little bit are achy.  I was told by my nurse friends that this is normal.  Needless to say I am not very comfortable being up on my feet for a length of time and I really don't like to walk too far or be in my car for longer than possible.  It makes things achier.  Don't get me wrong, it isn't painful really, just achy in a strange way that just feels different from anything I have ever felt before...but then again, except for a biopsy and port placement I have never had a surgery so this is all new to me.  On the plus side the incision is only about 1/4 inch long and it is barely visible :) Waay better than the port scar.  It is a little unnerving though having someone tell you not to cough too hard or lift anything heavy (over 5 lbs) because you might bleed out...can you say paranoia?!

I promised an updated list of supplements....I finally got them all together and organized.  I am waiting on the PSK (he has one that is supposed to be far superior in absorption on order) and butyrate to come in and those will also be added to this mix.  This is what I've got so far.  I will also include the names of the companies that make them if you are interested.  My ND and I went through all of my supplements and as much as I would like to find cheaper ones out there, he insists that these are the superior products and I should stick to these.  He did say that the Eclectic Institute Milk Thistle can be a substitute for the milk thistle listed here.  So far this is the only substitute that has been acceptable.  I think this may be different for preventative treatment vs therapeutic treatment.  Right now I need the GOOD stuff.

Here is what they look like :) Curamed is missing

Supplement list:

Resveratrol Extra by pure Encapsulations   1tab/3xday
COQ10 by Integrative Therapeutics  1chew/3xday
Ecomer Shark Liver Oil  500mg by Scandinavian Formulas   2tab/3xday
Ultra Potent C, by Metagenics  1 tab daily
Vit D3 & K2 liposomal spray by Protocol  2 sprays/day
Milk Thistle Extract 250mg by Vital Nutrients  1tab/3xday
EGCG Green Tea Extract 275mg by Vital Nutrients  2tab/3xday
Oncotonin by Cardiovascular Research  2 tab evenings
Artemisinin by Allergy Research Group  2 tab/3xday
Liver Support by Vital Nutrients  1 tab/3xday
Detox Formula by Vital Nutrients  1 tab/3xday
Benfotiamine 150mg by Doctor's Best  1tab/3xday
Pure Lean Nutrients by pure Encapsulations  1tab/3xday
Curamed by Terry Naturally, 2tab/3xday
Urea 28 grams daily in pomegranate juice
LDN 1.25mg 1 tab in evening
2 Quarts of green tea daily
PSK (on order)
butyrate (on order)

I will also be starting DCA after I am safely out of my last radiation treatment.

breakfast

I am also on a strict Ketogenic diet now.  NO sugar of any kind (no fruit, honey, etc) and NO carbs (grains, potatoes, etc.) I try to stay under 30g of carbs every day.  I have to say that after all of the other dietary changes I have done in the past three years this one has been the easiest for some reason.  I have really been enjoying my diet lately.  Truthfully the only time I have missed sugar at all is in my morning Earl Grey (I've been using stevia lately).  So far it's been a piece of cake...sugarless, carb-less cake :)