My dear sis is growing stubble on her head, she says.   The chemo is over and her body is trying to rebound, sprout some new hair and return to vibrant health.  Chemo sounded miserable. After the first round she wasn’t sure she would be able to do the whole 3 month course.  Her liver markers (especially her Gamma GT) shot way up.  But instead of continuing on an upward course these markers have been coming down…it is counter intuitive. Most people say the effects of chemo are cumulative.

Three cycles later, her liver markers are better now than they were after round one.  One probable cause is that after round one Andrea started taking some super strong probiotics to minimize the toxic stress on her gut and other organs. Other tips and tricks she found useful; when she felt nauseous or bileous she had a little runny porridge (a trick I learned for Laura on the Gerson diet). Sometimes for stomach pain, she drank fresh mint tea, or fresh ginger tea (boiling up a couple of inches of ginger root in a about 30 oz of water) . And to ensure all the toxins wooshed out as quickly as possible, a big bowl of prunes for breakfast.

For the entire 3 months, she has drunk nothing but bottled water (volvic) and 2 fresh veggie juices a day and eaten a very healthy diet – lots of veggies, fish, some roast chicken, homemade chicken soup, some fruit, no bread, pizza, pasta or other gluten items, no milk products, coffee, tea, alcohol, sweets or chocolate.  Between cycles she has been taking vitamin C, Curcumin, Kyolic, Kelp, vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2.

 I think if you asked Andrea she would probably say the most important thing she did was going for long walks. Sometimes she only tottered a short distance, but mostly she strode purposely over the local fields and meadows.  I also think being surrounded by loving  family and friends and the incredibly kind neighbors who set up a rota to cook for her must have boosted her immune system. 

I can’t wait to see her. I am headed over today to join my family in Spain for a much needed vacation.  My parents planned this nearly 9 months ago as a treat to celebrate their 60th wedding. It couldn’t be better timing.