Cancer survivors and natural treatments

Find out the hardships cancer patients and survivors had to endure and what alternatives could be taken to prevent Cancer

After noticing some blood in my stools, I was diagnosed with hemorrhoids by my local physician. I have a family history of colon cancer, and this problem made me wonder if I might be suffering from the same disease. I had no pain but I suspected something more than hemorrhoids was causing the problem. I was 38 years old at the time, and my wife, Keisha, and I had two young children.

I followed my instinct and scheduled a colonoscopy, which revealed a polyp that was positive for cancer. I was referred to a local surgeon in Atlanta. This surgeon tried to remove the polyp with minimally invasive surgery, but during the procedure, the surgeon noticed that the cancer was deeper than previously suspected. Also, it had spread to my lymph nodes.

I decided to seek a second opinion. There were no local CTCA facilities at the time but I called the location outside Chicago and traveled there for a consultation. The staff there made all our arrangements. Keisha and I flew there with our daughter, we were picked up at the airport, and hotel accommodations were made for the week we spent there meeting with different doctors and having tests done.

The timing worked out well for us because the CTCA facility outside Atlanta was opening up. So after our experience with getting a second opinion, I decided to pursue treatment at CTCA—at the new facility that was just a short drive from our house.

Getting through treatment

After surgery, my treatment has consisted of chemotherapy and radiation. I took Xeloda at first, and now I am taking a combination of Xeloda and oxaliplatin.

The medications cause fatigue and sensitivity to cold. My care team at CTCA prepared me for these side effects. They took away my gelato when I first started treatment because they knew it would be painful for me to eat something that cold. The sensitivity lasts for a week or two after each treatment. Other side effects have also been addressed by my care team. My naturopathic clinician and dietitian recommended B complex, glutamine, L-glutamine, supplementing my food intake with a protein shake, and making sure to eat fruits that would help keep my energy levels up, like bananas and berries.

I was one of the first patients to be treated at Southeastern Regional Medical Center. It was really helpful to have the surgeon and radiation oncologist in the room at the same time discussing my treatment. The team has gone out of its way to provide the best care possible. The radiation team stayed late when I needed it, and everyone arranged their schedule around mine. My doctors took whatever time was needed to answer whatever questions Keisha and I had about my treatment and recovery.

With this support, and the support and amazing care that Keisha has given me, I have been able to continue working. No one at my workplace even knew I had cancer while I was going through chemotherapy and radiation. When I was about to undergo surgery, I let my coworkers know. They were so inspired by my ability to continue working while I was coping with treatment.

With your doctor’s approval, start slowly and work your way up. The American Cancer Society recommends adult cancer survivors exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week. As you recover and adjust, you might find that more exercise makes you feel even better.

Sometimes you won’t feel like exercising, and that’s OK. Don’t feel guilty if lingering treatment side effects, such as fatigue, keep you sidelined. When you feel up to it, take a walk around the block. Do what you can, and remember that rest also is important to your recovery.

Exercise has many benefits and some early studies suggested that it may also reduce the risk of a cancer recurrence and reduce the risk of dying of cancer. Many cancer survivors are concerned about cancer recurrence and want to do all they can to avoid it.

While the evidence that exercise can reduce the risk of dying of cancer is preliminary, the evidence for the benefits of exercise to your heart, lungs and other body systems is substantial. For this reason, cancer survivors are encouraged to exercise.

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