Yesterday Bob and I met with Dr. Christopher Jolles, a gynecological oncologist in Utah.  We drove down together and had a fun time talking on the way.  My parents treated us to lunch at Whole Foods in Salt Lake, where I enjoyed eating a salad.  It was nice after only having carrot juice for days now.  I ate too much, but luckily, it was salad.


We enjoyed visiting with my parents, my sister Lisa, Bet and Britt, and Nan and her kids.  Lisa almost couldn't get away from work, but when I texted her to say "that's okay, I know sometimes work is more important than your sister who has cancer", she decided to come!  :)  [Love you, Lisa!]

A few people have wondered what natural therapies I have been trying, so I will answer that. Basically we want to be doing all we can that will not do harm.  I have been taking vitamin B17 (laetrile), in the form of apricot pits.  There is a book entitled "World Without Cancer" that talks about laetrile being effective against cancer.  Bob used this with great success years ago when he had a fast growing tumor on his ear.  The pits are extremely bitter, but if they do kill cancer cells, I can handle a little bitterness.  I have not tried following them with chocolate chip cookies like my Father in Law did when he had cancer.  Maybe that is the secret to success?

I have also been juicing carrots and doing a juice fast.  I have been surprised how good I've felt since doing this.  As long as I take the carrot juice with supplements, I am not hungry.  So, I take Turmeric, an enzyme supplement, Standard Processes multi-vitamin, vitamin d, vitamin k, iodine, and calcium supplements, along with some herbal supplements (lower bowel herbs and herbal calcium), and slippery elm and coconut oil.  When I started this, my symptoms- cramping, etc. disappeared within 2 days, and my hcg dropped.  It is also important to have adequate zinc and enzymes for the laetrile to do its job.

Dr Jolles was very nice to talk to, was amazingly respectful of the natural treatments that we have been doing and told me to continue with them, but to make sure I am not taking excess folic acid (this type of cancer requires folic acid to survive).  He was aware of laetrile as a cancer therapy, and asked us a few questions about it.  He answered all of our questions in great detail and told us more of what to expect. 

Dr. Jolles is one of the most experienced in dealing with this type of cancer.  It was the first cancer to be killed by chemotherapy drugs, back in the 1950s.  It has been studied almost more than any other cancer.  There are very few deaths from this kind of cancer, when the proper protocol is followed. 

One interesting fact, he said it was good news that I had a miscarriage in January.  An abnormal pregnancy before a molar pregnancy usually means the cancer will be less resistant to chemotherapy.  Especially since  they were so close.  A molar pregnancy right after a healthy pregnancy isn't as easy to cure.  They don't know why this is.

If I do get the chemotherapy treatment, it is not a simple "shot", as my doctor here had described.  Rather, "one treatment" consists of one week (Monday through Friday), of i.v. chemotherapy treatments with one type of medicine, then another week, Monday through Friday, of a second type of medicine. 

After they get the hcg numbers to drop to 0, then they will do three more rounds/treatments.  So, the minimum would be 8 weeks of i.v. chemotherapy.  The side effects are minimal, but not fun:  sores in your mouth and throat (with possible hospitalization for this), sensitivity to light, etc.

He gave me an exam, a prescription, and orders for more blood tests (blood count, hcg, and a liver function test), and ct scans of my brain, lungs, pelvis, etc.

I asked him what the risks would be if we continued with the natural therapies that we have been doing (instead of starting right into chemotherapy).  He said we would discuss that after we see the ct scans. If the cancer has spread or there are tumors, I don't think he'll want me to consider that.

He wanted the ct scan right away, so his secretary scheduled one with the hospital in Riverton.   I got to end the carrot juice fast in a hurry with a huge sugary crystal light drink in preparation for the ct scan, then have my body injected with dye for the scan.  The ct scan was an interesting experience. 

By the time we were done with the ct scans and blood tests, it was after 10pm.  We stopped at Wal-Mart to grab a few things, and found out that the "Hunger Games" dvd was being released that night.  There was a party going on at Wal-Mart with lots of customers dressed up in wild costumes, standing in line to get the dvd.  Crazy. 

We got home and crashed into bed around 3am. 

The range of emotions and thoughts from all of this is impossible to explain.  I just want to be led to make the best decision.  And at heart, I just want to do things in an all-natural way.  But, I don't want to die of cancer, either.  Mostly, I just want to be done with this, and get to focus on real life instead. 
 
We go back to meet with Dr. Jolles on Monday to discuss the results of these tests.  He doesn't want to do it over the phone.  So, we get to have another quick trip.