non-hodgkins lyphoma

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie,

I just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear your news. I do know how this illness can affect families, so I'm here if you ever just need someone to talk to.

On the natural remedy side, I can't say I have come across anything specifically. I have used aromatherapy treatments and massage, but this must be done with caution and may not be suitable for everyone depending on the stage of their cancer.

Angelfish [sm=hug.gif]

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie

I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. I have also had experience of this illness with my Dad and felt so powerless. All i could do was stay with him and be company for him which i know he appreciated. I now do Reiki on my neighbour who has a form of bone cancer. She checked with her doctor and he said it would be fine. I don't know if you know much about Reiki but it's a very gentle form of energy healing and can be of great benefit to cancer sufferers. I personally don't feel that Reiki would ever make the illness worse but your brother ought to ask his doctor if he wants to give it a try, just incase they disagree. My thoughts are with you and your family,
Hannah xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Thank you both for your replies. I am looking into Reiki as an option for him to try but unfortunately he is not as open to ideas as I am. I mentioned to him that maybe taking some Vitamin C and a few other nutrients might be a good idea to build up his immune system a bit and he hasnt even tried that yet. Your replies made me feel alot better though so thanks alot for listening.
Smoothie x

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie

I think echinacea can be used for building up the immune system but again, he needs to check with his doctor incase it conflicts with his current medication. I do hope some of this helps and people on this site are so supportive if you're feeling down. It's probably affecting you and the rest of your family nearly as much as it's affecting him and i really feel for you all.

Love
Hannah xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

There are times you can never be a prophet in your own land and health advice is a case in point. By that I mean family will always listen to a stranger to take advice no matter how well meaning we are. Let your dad know what success you have had with complementary therapies and suggest he sees a Naturopath.
All the best

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie,

I have NHL and am about to start chemo (R-CHOP). I take a natural Chinese medication recommended by a herbalist I 'met' through this forum.

I'm not sure about advertising so if you're interested, I can put you in touch with this herbalist as well as the medication.

I am also a Reiki Master and use Reiki everyday - it certainly calms the Spirit and helps with grounding.

Love and Light
Lyndsey

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Thank you all for your replies, it certainly helps alot. I am going to see my brother today so I will mention what you suggest Selenite and see what he says. Again thank you all so much. x

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

hello smoothie, i have to say it must be a very difficult time for you. vitamin c was the start of my interest in alternative health, and i know there has been lots of reports about its uses, some good, and some bad, i can only report on my own experiences. My two boys when aged between 3-5 years used to come down with the usual viruses, temperature, vomiting, coughs and colds, on one occasion i wondered if perhaps high dose vitamin c may help, i took a chance and gave him a massive 1000mg/1gram of vitamin c, bearing in mind the rda in the uk is just 60mg per day. To my amazement within 30 mins of taking this his temperature was normal, and he was running around as if nothing was wrong. This proved to be the case time and time again. However i thought that this was very good, at a later stage i wondered if i was doing the right thing, by preventing them from getting the virus, would they get it later in some other form? i dont know. they dont appear to have.we all take now 500mg per day of vitamin c 833% the rda, and have done for some years, and i think it has helped the immune system.

in your case all i can say is ask your gp what he thinks. my own opinion is it wont do any harm, and with any luck will help

good luck and kind regards mike

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Smoothie, I'm thinking of you and sending Reiki.

I know what Solas means about not being a prophet in your own land, too!

Lyndsay, I'm also thinking of you.
XX

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi
im so sorry to hear of your troubles , this is a very emotional time for you all.
Im a nurse and specialise in stem cell collection and transplantation.
I also am an aromatherapist and practice reiki, i agree with the suggestions regarding the reiki but am cautious of using aromatherapy on your brother if he is undergoing chemo as many of the oils can cause a chemo crisis.
There are many new chemo cocktails and would always discuss any other form of treatment with his oncologist first .
Most of them will be quite open to other forms of treatment and relaxation but dependant on timing ie they must first see results from the current treatment to determine its efficiency and cannot do that if other forms of treatments are ongoing at the same time .
As far as boosting his immune system i agree with the above suggestions and would also suggest xango juice , green tea is also a powerfull antioxidant but if taken in capsule form then run this past his oncologist .
I work with 2 very highly respected oncologists and an immunologist and one of them is very against green tea while the others are all for it s use .
There is a place for both orthodox and complementary treatments in your brothers case and others like himwhich is why i practice both.
We have come a long way in the treatments of NHL and cancers especially with stem cells and new chemo regimes.
I hope this helps and if i can do anything else please let me know ,
love n hugs
Lynn xxx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Once again I cant thank you all enough for your replies. Unfortunately my brother has now received several different types of chemo but none of them seem to have helped at all. They have told him that its a very aggresive type he has and that they cant do anything else to help him. Its so sad that just a few weeks ago he was putting all his trust in his dr and now he's asking me to help him with alternative suggestions and is willing to try anything. I took him vitamin C and loads of other thingsout of desperation really and it did cheer him up. But now I am feeling awful for maybe raising his hopes. I would have liked him to have seen a specialist in his type of cancer but he put all his hopes in the one he had and didnt have the chance even for a second opinion. I have been reading about B17 but think I am just getting desperate now. I think I will mention the green tea though so thanks for that. Any more suggestions will be very gratefully received. x

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Im so very sorry to hear that , you must be devastated and i do really understand how you feel .
When i was 24 someone very very dear to me was diagnosed with a teratoma again very aggresive and at that time stem cells were not even considered .
He was told the same thing as your brother !!
maybe thats why i went into the field im in now ..... to try and help others like him and myself i suppose as i felt totally helpless and powerless to do or suggest anything at the time.
Life is very precious .
A friend of mine is an oncology specialist nurse and he says more than any treatments a positive mind and outlook and visualising destroying the cancer cells invading your body has done more for his patients than many of the treatments , i know you said your brother was a little dubious of some complementary treatments but maybe now is the time for him to consider fighting this with there help, boosting his immune system , eating healthily and getting relaxing treatments and staying positive .There are many organisations around and others in the same situation that can help both him , yourself and your family through this ,
Stay strong and im sure many others here will be sending love and healing prayers to you all ,
Love n hugs ,
Lynn xxxxxxxxxx
[sm=grouphug.gif][sm=grouphug.gif][sm=1kis.gif]

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Many thanks again. It was so upsetting when he finally said to me that he is now willing to try anything. What a shame that natural remedies are often left as a last resort when the docters have finished with you. He had the stem cell treatment which didnt help him. The last treatment he had was something that they hadnt tried on his type of NHL before, apparently they have had good results with it for Burkitts. He didnt continue with that though as they said it wasnt touching it at all. On Monday he has the chance to go in and have Rituximab in the hope that it'll give him a little more time. I was wondering, Lynn, if you could tell me if this is likely to help when given without chemo? He wants to know what I think and I really dont know what to say. He is now taking Vit C, green tea extract and a load of other things that I hope will build up his immune system. At least its giving him hope and today he does seem more cheerful.

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

hello smoothie, i just found this post regarding vitamin c in latest health news-- just thought it may interest you

In addition to the long-known benefit of scurvy prevention, current research associates increased intake of vitamin C with a variety of other positive effects on health, including decreased risks of cancer, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease. Most likely, these benefits are related to the vitamin’s antioxidant capabilities. The current recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 60 milligrams of vitamin C per day is based on the minimum amount needed to prevent scurvy, but may not be sufficient to protect against other diseases. To reevaluate the RDA for vitamin C, two researchers reviewed the biochemical, clinical and epidemiological research into the role of vitamin C in disease prevention. Based on data from 238 studies, these reviewers concluded that an increased vitamin C intake is necessary to help prevent diseases besides scurvy, resulting in a new RDA value approximately two times greater than the present one. The article presents an excellent overview of the antioxidant capabilities of vitamin C, particularly its function in humans.

kind regards mike

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie
as far as the cocktails and chemo goes i rely on the oncologists i work with who incidently i have the utmost faith in .
I will talk to one of them on monday about this and get back to you and i promise i will.
I feel for your family so much and if i can help in any way im only happy to do so ,
feel free to e mail me in private if you wish
love lynn xxx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Thanks Mike... I have increased his vitamin C. And thanks again Lynn for your help and advice. I spoke to my brother this evening and told him about you all and he said to thank you all so much for helping us. I cant talk to the family in the way that I can talk on here because I have to be strong for them all. I feel betternow as he told me that even if the pills and vits etc dont work, it has at least givenhim something to aim for. He said that after I have been talking to them they have fresh hope and enthusiasm. I had been feeling so responsible in case I was raising false hope. My parents are really relying on me to put things right.He had 2 days of real doom and gloom whenhe wasfirst told that the drs could not do much more for him. It upset him so much to see his children playing and thinking that he wouldnt be around to see them grow up. But he is now able to look ahead slightly more and because I am such a strong believer in natural remedies its rubbing off on him a bit as well. Thanks again to you all xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Smoothie, have you checked some of the previous posts in this forum to see what others have done??? I've listed many of the things that I have been taking now for 21 months with great success. My cancer is supposed to be very aggressive and fast moving, but it's not behaving as such-PLEASE use any and all methods you can find. Increase his pH, strengthen his immune system and don't listen to the nay-sayers. I take high dosages of many things-he has everything to gain. RDA is out the window on this ! I take a boat load of Vit-C everyday along with lots of other things. It's not too late!!!! They told me I was in big trouble in Mar 2005-PLEASE heed my words and get him going on this quickly!!!

kcat

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Dear Kcat, many thanks. Its so nice to hear from someone that is having success with the natural approach to fighting cancer. I have to rush off to the dentists now but as soon as I get in I am going to read all your posts and try to track down everything you are doing. Thanks for taking your time to tell me this. I have just found statistics that claim that 40% of people that die from cancer die from malnutrition? My brother doesnt feel like eating much at the moment and feels that that is another sign that he's going down hill, so I have him on Ensure now which is a meal replacement in the hope it'll keep his strenght up. How much Vitamin C do you take. He is taking about 1,000mg at the moment.
xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie
ive spoken to the oncologist and specialist nurse this am reagrding your brother .
Does he have a B or T cell NHL ?
They both said take the treatment , yes normally given with chemo and esp in B cell lymphomas but well worth trying nonetheless as it has very few side effects .
Some patients get an allergic reaction with the first infusion but after that there are no problems , his white count will be checked and it will affect his immune system but apart from that there are no other nasty side effects .
Did he ever have this initially with his chemo ? our oncologist was a little surprised if he has not , he did say centres around the country are different and this drug is very expensive , very sad i think if we consider costs to health huh !! but far too true of many places .
Tell him to take it and to keep going with the complementary treatments , anything thats boosts his system and gives him hope will help him cope .
Im thinking of you all ,
Love n hugs
Lynn xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Smoothie, I would feel so wonderful if anything I tell you could help your brother. I take MASS doses of Vit C every day-probably 4-5000 mg PER DAY easily along with so many other things. I wish I had someone to ask about this when I was diagnosed. I rejected chemo and radiation due to the way it ravages the immune system, which is what you need to combat this monster. As I said regarding RDA (ridiculous daily allowances), I pay no attention to them. Their amounts are VERY conservative-you are fighting a formidable enemy-hit it with everything you've got. I have a Gleason score of 8 with my cancer-not good-but, despite that very bad number, we are experiencing some good results. Check the post 'totally cured' by jualsy to see what her friend did after receiving the prognosis from the doctors. Read my posts-I'm doing a great deal of things-hit it hard!!! It's the enemy. Vit C is water soluble, the body eliminates what it doesn't need or want. I stated in one of my posts that despite the massive doses I'm taking, my blood chemistry is 'near perfect' or so the lab says. CANCER CAN BE BEATEN-your brother can do it with all of our help. I would be pleased to be one of those who helps him find a place called health.

kcat

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

hi, smoothie, im going to stick my neck out here, and say have the therapy, and then later hit it with massive doses of vitamin c, the thing is i dont know for certain, but i know thats what i would do if it was me

take care, and all the very best to you,

kind regards mike

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Lynn....thank you for asking these things for me. I cant believe it but he cant remember if he has the Bcell or the Tcell lymphoma. He went to the hospital today and was given something similar to the rituximab he thinks. He did have the rituximab with his first lot of chemo - R-CHOP. He seemed to improve for a while. It almost seemed as if the harder they hit it with the chemo afterwards the more aggresive the tumour became. He then had chemo with stem cell transplant and this didnt work and they have said that its not worth trying that again. His own docter was away on holiday so he saw 2 others. The one said vitamins were fine as they could do no more for him anyway! The younger docter actually told him it was a good idea and if he wanted they would prescribe them for him. He also said it was psychologically good that he has a regime as they have withdrawn.
Kcat....thank you again. I will tell him to increase his Vit C to the amounts that you are having. I am so pleased that you are doingwell. I have read every one of your posts and you've helped me so much.
Mike...I agree with you and luckily he did decide to have whatever it was that they offered him today and I too believe in the Vit C and its exactly what I would do also.
I have printed out your replies and will show my brother when I visit tomorrow. I cant thank you all enough. It is giving us all the strength we need to get through this
Smoothie xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Something else I meant to ask in the hope that someone knows the answer. I asked him why they couldnt operate and remove the tumour. They have told him that it has not spread anywhere else. The reason they cant operate, as I understand it, is because the cancer cells will now be in his lymph fluid and will cause a secondary tumour somewhere else. But surely when you have been given such a short time to live wouldnt it be worth the extra bit of time you would have until the secondary growth appeared? Maybe this is something else that they dont know the answer to. It amazed me to think that the one dr he saw yesterday encourages the use of supplements but they dont tell you unless you ask....?
Thanks again
Smoothie xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Hi Smoothie
with this type of disease because of its nature and the stage and widespread distribution of cells in the system surgery is not advised , also now its a case of quality of life for your brother .
To have surgery would entail anaesthetic and post op care plus also after chemo, radiotherapy etc tissues do not repair so well , more complications could very well ensue and often do and this is not something one would wish for himas well, that by no means " give up " i may add . cancers do spread depending on the type with surgical intervention in some cases hence the need for back up chemo and radiotherapy afterwards , cases are individual .
No 2 people are ever the same in how they respond to treatments either orthodox or complimentary and im sure you have come to realise this with the posts from others , i have seen so much improvement and shrinkage of tumours to complete remission from a positive attitude and outlook , i truly believe in " mind over matter " cancers can be fought and we are much further advanced than ever before , stay strong and positive , take everything offered even if its been tried before does not mean it wont have an effect and continue to take the vits etc , the stronger he is the better he will feel and his body able to fight back ,
much love
lynn xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Smoothie, as I stated from my experience only, the reasons I rejected the orthodox treatments (chemo-radiation) wasto help my immune system. You stress Vit C but please take note of ALL that I'm doing. I feel each and every thing I'm doing is an arsenal against this enemy. For example, keep his pH up-cancer lives in an acid state, DOES NOT do well in an alkaline environment. I blend a variety of things in the morning to take with my first BATCH of supplements including bananas, yogurt, various frozen fruits, egg, etc. which makes a very nutritious morning starter since I run three miles and lift weights every day.
I need it to be able to do all that. I've never counted them, but I probably take 40-60 capsules and tablets per day. People have told me I'm crazy-I hope to be able to hear that for many years. Has your brother been able to eat lately? A variation on what I take in the morning could possibly help. Did you read the post in 'totally cured' by Jualsy? Try it all-you have everything to gain. Please be assured of my continuing concern for him.

kcat

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Thank you for that info Lynn. Now I understand why they dont want to operate. He thinks he has High grade B cell lymphoma.
Kcat I have taken on board everything you are doing. I am trying to keep giving him encouragment to take the vits, tablets etc. I will show him your post so that he can see that the number of things he is taking is really not that many! I showed him your previous posts today and it really gave him so much encouragment. You cant believe how much you have inspired him to really give it a try. He went into hospital yesterday to review his pain killers and to have rituximab.... I was quite pleased that was all he was expecting off them but they also gave him a chemo tab (Etopside) to take every day. For some reason I would feel more optimistic if they hadnt given the chemo to take. I am trying to build up his immune system and they go and give him more chemo. At the end of last week they gave him days to a few weeks to live and said there was nothing else they can do... and now they give him chemo tabs. None of his previous chemo has helped in fact its made it more aggresive, but he is afraid not to take it and I certainly dont want to give him any doubts as I really dont know enough about it. He was much more cheerful today though and not at all tearful. He has alot of backache.... dont know if that would be from the drugs or the tumour. Again he asked me to thank all of you that reply to my posts, as the feeling of support you are all giving us is incredible.
Kcat...you said in one of your earlier posts that you would feel wonderful if anything you could tell us could help my brother...well you are helping us all so very much... I just cant thank you enough.
Smoothie xx

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

Smoothie, by virtue of the fact that the chemo treatments have had an adverse effect, you give more credence to what I say regarding the immune system. I absolutely reject it and what it does. Again, I am only speaking from my experience, but I will not take anything that compromises my immune system. The urologist I saw in June of this year stated only my immune system can cure me-he does not have the ability at this time. Also, they are saying nothing more can be done but keep taking the chemo-for whose benefit???? I am NOT a cynical person, but I do not trust anyone who has a separate agenda when it comes to one's health. MASS DOSES !!!!! His immune sytem needs all the help it can get!!!

My best to you and your family.

kcat

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

I agree with you kcat. It almost feels to me as if once he had told them that he was taking vit C etc they wanted to get involved again. Could it be that they are worried that the naturaltreatments might do more to help him than they did? At least this way if there is an improvement they can say that its the chemo. I can just hear them! Also they gave him the name of a phamarcy that might be able to help him, they in turn gave him contact details for a clinic that give injections using mistletoe, then he gets the contact details of yet another person that is sendinghim shark cartilage. When they sent him home to die last week they left him feeling very isolated and alone which is why he improved and cheered up when I started giving himnatural things to try. One extreme to another I would say. He was diagnosed 12 mths ago and I would like to know where all these others have been during that time. I am feeling very annoyed about it tonight. He was very sick this morning .. I blame the chemo tabs.

RE: non-hodgkins lyphoma

I think you have found some answers, Smoothie. Mass doses-kick the chemo!!!! I'm with you all the way!!!

kcat