Lucy's Love-oma (a dogs' Lymphoma journey)

Lucy tribute video in the works

2009-09-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make a tribute video for Lucy. Since I am video artist, I have made these before for people in my life that have passed on. I'll post it when its ready.
Thanks for all your comments. Please continue to provide feedback on the remedies and treatments. I will keep working on this blog so that it can be of help to other dogs.
This picture was taken in early summer near the time she diagnosed.
peace
jamie

Lovely Lucy

2009-09-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is with a very sad heart that I have to share the news now that Lucy passed on last night at 9pm. She was such a trooper, but in the last three days the effect of the cancer in her body became too strong with increased heart rate and fever, and swollen belly. She was in pain and her body was starting to shut down. I made the difficult decision and she was helped on her way with a painless medication by a wonderful vet. She didn't show any fear and was conscious and aware. She was ready to go. There was no resistance. I had spent 8 hours that day sitting in the garden with her on soft grass in the shade with a warm breeze.

I'll update the blog entries in a few days so that all the medical history is here and make sure all the links are active.
I am certain that the natural treatments she went through helped her to live a full and happy summer for the last 4 and a half months, pain free and surrounded by love. She did so well!

More photos soon too and a video clip.
If you have any questions about the treatments ffeel free to post a comment and I will get back to you.

peace and grace
R.I.P. Lucy-Love
xxx

Tuesday Sept 8th 2009

2009-09-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml Twice a day. NOT TODAY YET
DAY 60 PREDNISOLONE 2.0 ml x2/day (80% of the original dose)
DAY 3 PREDNISONE quarter tablet (ran out of Prednisolone temporarily)
OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb: Stopped at Day 50 for a break from the OPC.
DAY 69 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 85 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
Nox Vomica 30 + H (from homeopathic vet) For nausea. Tuesday/Wednesday 3 doses.

DOWNSWING
Lucy managed to keep her spirit up while I was away for 7 days. But last three days she is not doing well. Loss of appetite, but swollen belly, nausea (vomited), restless at night, panting.
Not going to write too much today.

NOX VOMICA
Just given her a dose of this homeopathic remedy to see if it will help the nausea.

Thursday August 25th 2009

2009-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml Twice a day.
DAY 48 PREDNISOLONE 2.0 ml x2/day (Reduced to 80% of the original dose)
DAY 50 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb: Stopped at Day 50 for a break from the OPC.
DAY 57 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY73 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
Nox Vomica 30 + H (from homeopathic vet) For nausea. Sunday/Monday 3 doses.

UPSWING
So very good news.... another UPSWING! Hooray. Thanks for the support, from Lucy's blog readers :) We appreciate that a lot!
After four days of refusing to eat anything but the 'Macdonalds' of dog foods... MILK BONES... she has begun to eat meat again, and has her energy back. She is doing well again.
She lost a bit of weight this last week, but is putting it back on now.

STEROIDS & NAUSEA?
The vet thinks the nausea may be a side-effect of the steroid Prednisolone rather than caused by the Lymphoma. It is a known side-effect in some dogs. I reduced the dose back down to 2.0ml morning & night. Combining that with the Nox Vomica, and stopping the OPC for now, seems to have done the trick.

NOX VOMICA Homeopathic Remedy
Lucy wasn't eating at all on Friday or Saturday. On Sunday we went back to the vet who gave us some Nox Vomica for Lucy to see if nausea was causing her lack of apetite.
Not sure if it was the Nox Vomica or combination of things (I stopped the OPC as well and decreased the dose of the steroid Prednisolone), but on Monday morning I had the idea to go to the coffee shop nearby where they give her dog biscuits. It worked. She snapped into her mental routine and got all excited and ate two big biscuits... So that gave me the idea to go and buy a box of MILK BONES (full of coloring and preservatives.. YUCK!), but at least she would eat them perhaps? I was right. BUT unfortunately then she would only eat Milk Bones until last night. Now she is starting to eat ground beef with them and today hopefully some ground pork as well.

GOING AWAY FOR A WEEK
I have to go on a trip for work to Amsterdam, and so Lucy will be taken care of by my partner, who has to take time off work to do that. I have arranged for some of her favorite friends to drop by to take her for walks too, to keep her spirit up, and also for another friend to come by and do an energy healing session. It's hard to leave her. I have deliberated long and hard, but it feels ok. Thankful for the upswing of course!!

Saturday August 22nd 2009

2009-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

DAILY

not today (nausea) ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 43 PREDNISOLONE 2.5 ml x2/day (100% of the original dose)
not today (nausea) DAY 48 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 52 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY68 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
not eating Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
Ipecac - 3 doses (nausea treatment)

DOWNSWING (see below info)
Waiting for an appointment time with the vet. Concerned that new complications are rearing their head... central nervous system? She seems less steady on her feet... nausea... slight cough...

UPSWING
The sheep Sorrel decoction on her elbow overnight seems to be rapidly shrinking the inflammation there. Much improved. The size of the lump on her back leg is stable and seems to no longer be attached to the muscle underneath but floating in the skin instead. It is soft and perhaps still reducing in size.

FOOD/WATER/NAUSEA?
Refusing all food today. Did not eat much yesterday. Threw up all the water when she finally did drank today.
I am going to try syringing some ginger infused tea into her mouth. This is supposed to be very helpful for nausea in chemo patients.

COUGH - sounds a bit phlegmy
She started to cough a little since yesterday. Just now and then.. maybe five or six times during the day. Just one cough, as if clearing the throat.

ENERGY
She seems weak. Wants to lie outside on the cool ground.
Slow walking, although the usual keyword triggers will still rouse her to bark and be playful. (eg... "is there a skunk?"... "where's the cat" etc ) Her gait is a little slower and she has stumbled occasionally on some surprisingly simple steps since last few days.

SCHIRRINUM Instructions

2009-08-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

SCHIRRINUM 30c : 3 doses at 8 hours apart. Repeat weekly on Wednesdays.
First dose in evening, 2nd dose next morning, third dose next evening
Cover bottom of lid with a layer of remedy pills, and dissolve in half a cup of water (20 minutes). Stir ten times and then give her 2 tsps. Keep it covered and repeat the stirring for the next two doses. Use a clean tsp each time. Do not put a used spoon back into the mixture.

Wednesday August 19th 2009

2009-08-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

FAILED ATTEMPT TO WEAN OFF THE STEROIDS.
Lucy is now back at the original dose of Steroid, so its official now that I wasn't able to wean her off it. Lymph glands have become smaller again now, as a result. They are not so hard as two days ago. Lucy was beginning to refuse food again on Monday, and so that was the day I decided to go back up to the original steroid dose. She is eating again, but still being picky. I am hoping that that the eating now returns to normal as well in the next few days.
She's doing the steroid 'stare' again... and lots of panting...all known side effects.

Kangen Water - Dogs are acidic?

2009-08-17T17:43:00.001-07:00

Can't find the post where I wrote about this originally but my vet told me Kangen water is not good for dogs, since they are acidic, not alkaline...
No idea where to check on this information, but I am sure she knows better than I do. So no more Kangen for Lucy.
If anyone out there has more info on this, I'd appreciate any comments or shared info you may have....

Prednisolone/Prednisone INFO

2009-08-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Overview (Click here for the website I got this info from)

The immune and inflammation systems of pets and people constitute essential safeguards against infections and disease.

However, in some situations, inflammation is dangerous and leads to severe damage in tissues and organs.

Similarly, the immune system, often for no apparent reason, can attack the body and cause great damage or even death.

Many of the resultant medical conditions are called autoimmune diseases.

There are a number of drugs available to control inflammation and suppress the immune system in animals and people. Among the most prominent of these are prednisone and prednisolone.

These drugs belong to a class of drugs known as glucocorticoids, because they are related to cortisone and they contain glucose in their molecules. These drugs also are related to the steroid hormones normally produced by the adrenal gland.

The effects of glucocorticoids can be observed in every organ system and these drugs should not be used except when necessary.

Prednisone is rapidly converted in the liver to prednisolone. Except in cases of severe liver disease, the drugs are considered the same (equivalent).

Prednisone/prednisolone are anti-inflammatory drugs, which reduce the swelling, pain and redness associated with inflammation.

An important effect of these drugs is that at high and very specific doses, the immune system is suppressed.

Prednisone is a prescription drug and can only be obtained from a veterinarian or by prescription from a veterinarian.

Brand Names and Other Names

This drug is registered for use in humans and animals.

Human formulations: Prelone® (Muro), Key-Pred® (Hyrex), Predalone® (Forest), Predcor® (Hauck), Delta-Cortef® (Upjohn) and various generic preparations

Veterinary formulations: Delta-Cortef® (Upjohn), Prednis-Tab® (Vet-A-Mix), Meticorten® (Schering), Solu-Delta-Cortef® (Upjohn), Sterisol® (Anthony), Cortisate-20® (Anthony) and various generic preparations

Uses of Prednisone/Prednisolone

Since prednisone has effects on nearly every body system, the uses of this drug are wide and varied.

The drugs prednisone/prednisolone are used to treat allergies, inflammations and autoimmune diseases when the underlying cause cannot be treated or prevented. Examples include treatment of bronchial and lung diseases, skin diseases, intestinal diseases, spinal cord and brain diseases and diseases of the blood.

Prednisone is often a supplemental treatment for various cancers.

It is required as a supplement in the adrenal gland disorder, Addison's disease (hypoadrenocorticism).

It is used as a treatment in bacterial (endotoxic) shock.

Prednisone is used to treat a variety of immune system and autoimmune disorders .

Precautions and Side Effects

While generally safe and effective when prescribed by a veterinarian, prednisone can cause side effects in some animals.

Prednisone should not be used in animals with known hypersensitivity or allergy to the drug.

Prednisone should be avoided in fungal infections.

Prednisone should not be used in pregnant animals, since it can induce labor.

Extreme care must be taken when stopping prednisone therapy. If an animal has been on prednisone for an extended period of time, slow weaning off the drug is critical to avoid serious complications.

Prednisone may interact with other medications. Consult with your veterinarian to determine if other drugs your pet is receiving could interact with prednisone. Such drugs include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Adverse effects include increased thirst and appetite, panting, vomiting, restlessness and diarrhea.

Some animals may develop stomach ulcers from prednisone use.

Long-term use of prednisone may result in loss of hair coat, weakening of the muscles, liver impairment and behavioral changes.

How Prednisone Is Supplied

Prednisone is available in 1 mg, 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 50 mg tablets.

Prednisone 3 mg/ml syrup and 1 mg/ml suspension is available.

The injectable forms of prednisone vary. Some injectable forms are 20 mg/ml up to 125 mg/ml concentrations.

Dosing Information

Medication should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian.

Doses of prednisone vary widely depending on the reason for prescribing.

Anti-inflammatory doses range from 0.1 to 0.3 mg per pound (0.2 to 0.6 mg/kg) up to twice daily.

Immunosuppressive doses range from 1 to 3 mg per pound (2 to 6 mg/kg) up to three times daily.

Doses for various diseases range between 0.1 to 3 mg per pound (0.2 to 6 mg/kg).

The duration of administration depends on the condition being treated, response to the medication and the development of any adverse effects. Be certain to complete the prescription unless specifically directed by your veterinarian. Even if your pet feels better, the entire treatment plan should be completed to prevent relapse.

Monday 17th August 2009

2009-08-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 38 PREDNISOLONE 1.5 ml x2/day (60% of the original dose)
DAY 48 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 47 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY63 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
Amino Acid supplement (RAN OUT) 9 drops in food twice a day. Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)

FOOD
Apetite is low. Did eat can of wet Evo dog food this morning. Refused egg. Needs encouraging to eat. Didn't eat breakfast till 1pm today. Yesterday ate some hot dogs. Will try again with Raw food tonight.

ENERGY
Slow walk this morning. Obviously not feeling too well. No poop either. Long pee ( as per normal with steroids)

STEROID DOSE
Have increased it back up to 2ml, so now at 80% of the original dose.

LAST FEW DAYS - Outdoors for Lucy
It's been my partners birthday. We were supposed to go to a cabin but discovered that dogs not allowed inside. Instead we spent the weekend in Vancouver.
Friday morning I took her to Spanish Banks beach. Gentle walk and short swim.
We took Lucy to Jericho park on Saturday. So nice. We saw a pair of Merlins (birds of Prey). It was a nice walk and sit. Lucy had fun. Played with a large stick.
Sunday we took her to the beach for another short swim. It was getting hot and it really cooled her down.

ELBOW CALLOUS
Not getting better as quickly as one would expect. We are putting ointment on it. Have tried Iodine. And moisturising it with Grapeseed Oil. Its always been there. Where she flops down to lie down, so its a callous. But it is dry and cracking, so has become sore and bleeding a bit in a couple of spots.

FAN
We were given a new stand up fan. She seems to like that and lies near it in the breeze of it. The weather is getting hotter again here now, after a week or so of moderate temperatures.

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION (by Rene Caisse)

2009-08-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Sheep Sorrel
(dog-eared Sheep Sorrel, sometimes called Sourgrass)
Rumex acetosella, Family Polygonaceae

Grows up to 18 inches tall. Identify by narrow arrow-shaped basal leaves.
Use whole herb including root. pH 4.5
Sheep Sorrel makes up:
35% of the Essiac formula
100% of the Sheep Sorrel Decoction formula

Harvesting
Leaves and stems of both male and female plants are most potent in May and June in Northern Hemisphere, just as the flowers are forming. “...picked in the Spring before seeds form and dried and powdered”
Seeds are best collected in August when fully ripe and just about to drop.
Roots should be harvested in November or December after the first frosts
Thrives in acidic conditions (as does cancer) preferring neutral to acidic conditions of sandy soils, good loam and clay.
One piece of root remaining in the soil is enough to regenerate growth (like cancer)
Infiltrates surrounding ground sending out fingers of roots (like cancer) and forms a defined territory of growth (that it will cannot be forced to grow beyond even with artificial seeding).

INGREDIENTS:
30 fl. oz either filtered, distilled or bottled mineral water (pH7) ( 30fl oz = 0.88 of a litre = 3.75 cups)
1 fl.Oz sheep sorrel herb as: (1fl oz = 1/8 of a cup)
7g powdered leaf and stem (both male and female plants, May-June Harvest)
1g powdered root (November harvest, after first frosts)
1g crushed seed (August harvest)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring water to boil, add powdered herb and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover, allow to stand for 12 hours.
Reheat the decoction to steaming - DO NOT REBOIL!
Bottle in prepared sterilised small bottles, preferably 30ml maximum. Seal immediately and well, remembering that the decoction contains no preservatives. Refrigerate as soon as the bottles have cooled.
Don’t strain through (cheese)cloth
“... to strain it through cheesecloth destroys it... do not strain through cheesecloth or anything else.” Rene Caisse

USE:
Topically as an undiluted lotion, either to bathe the affected area once or twice daily, or to soak sterile gauze swabs to use as dressings. Change the dressings once every 24 hours.
Diluted 10 ml decoction with 20 ml water warmed to blood heat, as a mouthwash once daily or as an enema or douche once every third day last thing at night on going to bed.

INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION
Rene Caisse - injected the decoction into human muscle. “intramuscular injection to the forearm”
Decoction - tested on mice
“One oz of the powdered herb put in 30 oz of pure water, brought to a rolling boil and boiled for five minutes. This would reduce the boiling to 28 oz’s. Turn off the heat and let stand overnight. Then pour off liquid into sterile bottles (or fill one c.c. ampoules to keep for intramuscular injection. One ampoule should treat two mice (innoculated with human cancer) every day. Do this every day for 9 days. I am sure you will get results.)” Rene Caisse

Other Treatments Used by Blog Followers

2009-08-12T18:10:00.001-07:00

I am going to start a list here of blog readers suggestions:

MARITIME PINE BARK EXTRACT: Josie from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Wisp, 11 year old Border Collie.

"Dr. Robert Macdowell out of Australia. I got very excited about their "support" system they offer dogs with lymphoma. It is one- a Maritime Pine Bark extract- a super anti-oxident combinded with an herbal remedy. They were so quick to get back to us and very helpful. We are ordering the stuff very soon. And our new vet looked over the concoction and thought it would be great. It can also be used in conjunction with other treatments which i like! The testimonials on the dogs doing this treatment with lymphoma were very impressive. You should check it out."

YUNZHI: Gloria from Hong Kong.
16 year-old Shih Tsu.

"I am feeding him a chinese supplement, which is the extract from Yunzhi, a type of fungus found on broad-leafed trees and pine trees. I think it's something similar to chaga tea you mentioned on your blog."

Researchers and traditional herbalists have discovered that polysaccharides in Yunzhi mushroom possess broad immune stimulatory properties that helps to bolster the body's defenses against microbes and an array of cancers.

Hydrazine Sulfate - How does it work? Where can I get it?

2009-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

www.alternative-cancer.net/78_alternatives.htm
Published on: 9/12/2007 Last Visited: 9/12/2007 This is a common industrial chemical that was first proposed in the treatment of cancer in the 1970s by Joseph Gold, M.D., of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute.Its use is based on the fact that a cancer cell is known to derive it's energy from fermenting sugar instead of by burning oxygen, as normal cells do. Gold reasoned that hydrazine sulfate would inhibit the liver's ability to deliver sugar to the tumor and, in that way, inhibit tumor growth.

WHERE TO GET HYDRAZINE SULFATE?
It requires a prescription from a vet. In order to make that possible, I phoned Judy Taylor at the Syracuse Center for Cancer Research to find out as much as I could about it. After that, armed with the information she gave me and the link to her website, I asked my homeopathic vet if she would look into it herself, and I told her that I wished to try it with Lucy. She agreed to do some research herself and also phoned a natural pharmacy near me, where it turned out to be available. (It is used on humans too, so is not as hard to find as some may think). After that my vet was happy to write me a prescription.
Despite some early rapid weight loss when Lucy was first diagnosed, Lucy has now regained all the weight she lost, and has a healthy apetite. The low dose of Prednisolone steroid is also very active, I believe, in keeping her apetite strong, but the Hydrazine Sulfate is reputed to work well in conjunction with Prednisolone.

Wed August 12th 2009

2009-08-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 33 PREDNISOLONE 1.5 ml x2/day (60% of the original dose)
DAY 43 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 42 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 58 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
Amino Acid supplement 9 drops in food twice a day. Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION
Skipped one night with the Sheep Sorrel on Lucy's leg. (Intuition).The next day it seemed to have again broken down the size and shape of the lump some more. Not sure what that means or if I simply examined the lump more the next day than I had for a few days before that?
A client of my homeopathic vet is coming to day to pick up some of my sheep sorrel decoction to try on her cat that has an open tumor sore on its shoulder. Will let you know what happens...

FOOD
She is happily back to her Raw food again. Drinking normally.

MOOD & CAMPING
Happy and playful. We are going with Lucy to a cabin/camping spot on 16 acres near the beach for five days this weekend. She thrives on being in the outdoors, so hoping this will be a nice boost for her and most of all, is the doggie equivalent of a 6 year olds trip to Disneyland :) We'll be visiting old growth forest as well at Cathedral Grove and scouring the beaches at low tide.
Will post photos when we get back.

Sunday August 9th 2009

2009-08-09T17:40:00.001-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 30 PREDNISOLONE 1.5 ml x2/day (60% of the original dose)
DAY 40 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 39 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 55 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.

GOOD NEWS... Lucy has bounced back again gradually after a few days back on the steroid. I have brought the dose up to 1.5ml twice a day. (the liquid suspension is 5mg/1ml of liquid, so 1.5ml is equivalent to a 7.5 mg tablet dose which equals 15mg/day. Her original dose was 25mg/day)

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION
The sheep sorrel soaks in overnight through the skin. This feels like a good way to introduce it to her system, in addition to the more well-known Essiac tea given orally. In the 1930's Rene Caisse was injecting Sheep Sorrel into muscle tissue, with great success at fighting cancers. However since I don't know how to do those injections, I am hoping that by soaking in through the skin a similar treatment is occurring. I am curious if anyone out there has managed to find a vet willing to try injecting it?

BLOG FOLLOWERS
Lucy's Love-oma now has a site counter. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that about 50 people a week are currently reading Lucy's blog. We hope the information we are posting here proves useful to those of you out there that are also fighting canine lymphoma.

SOME QUESTIONS sent to us by a blog follower in Nova Scotia:

So, a few things- you are suggesting we avoid the steroids altogether? So far we have started the essiac tea, twice a day like Lucy, cottage cheese with flax oil twice and two meals of boiled chicken with some steamed carrots. Honestly, she seems so great- and since we started this stuff- only three days ago- she seems like a whole new pup- so we are very grateful for this. You said that steroids decrease the validity of the homeopathic approach? I have read pages and pages over the last days and never read that- but we are new and certainly don't know much right now- we are just trying to know everything we can.

I also found through reading that i did not think a remission was even possible without chemo? You seem to think it is- can you please tell me everything you can about that?
Our vet is telling us to wait for the signs that your Lucy had before we consider the steroids- rejecting food, loss of weight, etc. He has already explained that steroids really do, unfortunately, only buy some precious time with your dog...

It's great to hear that the Essiac tea is helping your dog.

STEROIDS & REMISSIONS?
It was my homeopathic vet who told me that the Steroid treatment prevents the possibility of a remission. I will ask her to give me more information about this so that I can share it on the blog. The steroid seems to be a life-saver at critical times when the dog is crashing hard. However, it is best not to give it unless they need it... That is my own personal feeling about it, which vets seem to agree with. But each person must do only what they feel is right.
The reason seems to be that the steroid is useful to reduce cell inflammation and out-of-control cell responses, but in the process it also shuts down the natural healing processes. My homeopathic vet feels that some healing might still happen, if the steroid dose is significantly reduced, but the regular vet's doses would be too high for the cell's natural healing processes to happen.

This quote from WIKI:

Corticosteroids inhibit the inflammatory response to a variety of inciting agents and probably delay or slow healing. They inhibit the edema, fibrin deposition, capillary dilation, leukocyte migration, capillary proliferation, fibroblast proliferation, deposition of collagen, and scar formation with inflammation.

CHEMO & REMISSIONS?
Since I have decided not to pursue chemo treatments, I have not done much research on it lately. However when I did that earlier on, it seemed that it could only buy time in the form of a remission, but never a cure. So chemo might extend the life of the lymphoma animal by a few months, but those months would be more traumatic for the dog, due to the side effects and actions of the chemo treatment itself. Other factors for me about the chemo are the cost and the fact that it is modelled on human treatments. Chemo doesn't seem to work as well in dogs as it can in humans. It costs an average of $8-10,000 to treat a dog over several months with chemo. I don't have that kind of money, but if I did I would not choose the chemo path even if I was treating myself.
Since Lucy is only 6 years old, I feel that the homeopathic and 'alternative' treatment paths offered Lucy the best chance of a long-term remission. No-one ever seems to talk of a cure being possible, however the woman I spoke to in NY who is the main researcher for the Hydrazine Sulfate (which my vet had never heard of), has had successul results, extending the life of lymphoma and other cancer dogs by as much as 8 YEARS!

So to sum it up, I am currently putting my faith in the combination treatment of Essiac Herbs, Sheep Sorrel compresses, Hydrazine Sulfate, the OPC herb (ordered online from a cancer researcher in South Africa) and the homeopathic remedies prescribed by my vet. This is quite a load for Lucy daily, but she seems to respond very well to them all, without any obvious side effects.

There are labels for these treatments on the right hand side of this blog with links as well so you can find out more about these treatments.

Tuesday August 4th 2009

2009-08-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 25 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (Back up, but still a 40% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 35 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 34 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 50 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

JUST TODAY

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump.

STEROIDS, STEROIDS, STEROIDS... MIRACLE OR CURSE?
So when we chose to put Lucy onto Prednisone steroid treatment, it was an act of desperation. She was crashing severely and refusing food and water for ten days. I had to force feed her with an oral syringe into her mouth at that time. She lost 2 kilos of weight in two weeks.
However I did not know that once a dog is on steroids, it halts the natural healing process. That was not explained to me at the time. It acts as an immune suppressant, and so can only buy your dog time, but will prevent any chance of them going into a cancer remission... which is the obvious preferred goal.
For that reason, once Lucy was back to her normal diet and activity level and seeming comfortable and happy again, I discussed with the vet the option of weaning her off the steroids. The risk is that if she needs the steroids again, they may not work as well a second time. The bonus being that if she copes with being weaned off, the other therapies may then kick in giving her a chance of going into a cancer remission.

DIFFICULT TIME DURING THE LAST 48 HOURS
So over the last three weeks we have been reducing the dose of steroids. Her Prednisolone dose came down to 0.5ml last Friday (31st July) as planned (a 0.5 ml reduction each week for four weeks, to wean her off steroids). She started to crash physically on Sunday night... 48 hours after this new lowest dose began.
The lymph glands swelled up again very large and hard and tight. She had a difficult time sleeping on Sunday night, so I slept on the floor with her. She kept close to me.
On Monday she had no energy at all and went out into the garden to sleep by herself... NOT something she has ever done before (being a typical border collie, she likes to keep close to her humans as much as possible.) I was scared.
PALE LIPS & COOL SKIN
I noticed that her lips were pale, and her skin very cool to the touch, considering the hot weather. Being a holiday in Canada, my own vet's office was closed. I called an emergency vet and did some quick online research. Pale lips is usually caused by either Anemia or Low Blood pressure (which can be caused by internal bleeding). Either way it can be very serious.
I left a message for my own vet to call me back on their emergency line as well.

INTUITION & COURAGE
I sat in the garden with her, and meditated on what to do. Having been around dogs most of my life, experiencing both human and animal 'western' medical systems (both of care and of billing!), I had to decide now whether I should now drive to the 24 hr emergency clinic, despite them being unfamiliar with her case and health details.
It can be so hard to make a decision, especially when you are choosing alternative therapies for the good of your beloved companion, who can't speak for themselves.
I had already had one battle with a conventional vet, who was angry with me for choosing homeopathic & alternative options (and so consequently charged me $50 for my homeopathic vet to have access to Lucy's own xrays that I had already paid $200 for!)

I decided to give her another dose of the steroid, to bring her back up to 1.0ml and then I sat and I waited for my homeopathic vet to phone me back...
MIRACLE! Within 45 minutes of the extra dose, Lucy was transformed! It was so strange to see her go through 24 hours of such obvious decline & body distress.... (panting, pale lips and skin, exhaustion, hiding) to deciding to chase a crow up the garden and then coming to ask me for food. After which she hunted down a tennis ball and insisted I throw it for her.
So I gave her another 1ml dose in the evening, and have increased it again this morning to 1.5ml.
The glands are reducing in size again and her appetite is returning now as well.
I thought I would be able to handle the transition off the steroids much more bravely, but it was horrid. I hope that I have not caved in too easily, with increasing the dose again? My new decision is to keep her at the minimum dose needed to prevent this kind of crash. I will not put her back up to the full amount but nor will I try to reduce it to zero again for the moment. It seemed she was getting the full benefit of the drug at a dose of only 40% of the original dose, so there is no need to go higher than that. Sooo... SHE IS BACK ON AN UPWARD SWING AGAIN now.

FOOD
During this new downswing, she totally lost her apetite again. She went back to wanting only biscuits and stopped drinking water as well. This is exactly what happened the first time around before we put her on the steroid.
Now that her Prednisolone dose is back to 40%, she is eating again. It may take me a few days to get her back onto the Raw food. She refused it so far, but did eat two small cans of canned EVO this morning as well as some grain-free biscuits.

BUMP ON HER RIGHT ELBOW
Lucy has always had a callous on her right elbow since she favors lying down on that side. However I have noticed that she 'flumps' down more heavily since her illness began. It may be that the glands in her legs feel awkward, or some other discomfort is causing her to flop down more heavily from a different angle. Anyway she has made that callous irritated and it is a bit raw/scratched looking. She keeps licking it, so I have been cleaning it with 2% iodine (disinfectant) since yesterday, and today I put a soft dressing on it to pad it a little and give it a chance to heal up again.

Thursday July 30th 2009

2009-07-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
DAY 20 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 30 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 29 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 45 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

JUST TODAY

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump.
SCHRHINNUM 3 doses 8 hours apart. Twice today.

Sheep Sorrel Decoction : Soaked Dressing on tumor lump
Excited! The mast (?) cell tumor on Lucy's back leg shrank by about 30% in 24 hours with the Sheep Sorrel decoction soaked dressing. I shaved that area yesterday lunchtime and tapped a soaked gauze dressing on there. Before doing this, the lump was one hard irregular shaped mass, about half an inch high and diameter of 3/4 of an inch. Today it is smaller and softer and seems to be breaking down.
Shaved Chest & Heat Wave
Due to the heatwave and the need to apply soaked dressings, and have a better look at what is going on with the enlarged lymph glands, I shaved Lucy's chest area again yesterday. She seems quite happy about it. It's amazing how soft her skin is!
You always hear that heat waves are not good for people with chronic ailments, so I am paying particular attention to keeping her cool. She gets hosed down in cold water two or three times a day as well as keeping her in the shade as much as possible, and less exertion than normal. However I feel it's good for her to run a little every day to keep her lymph system active. (Not sure if that is scientific... but feels right to me).

Food & Energy
Appetite very good still, despite being on a reduced steroid (Prednisolone) dose of only 1ml (=5mg) twice a day. She is happy and playful, despite the temperature in Vancouver today being over 32 degrees! Big smiles.

a shamanic photo from our trip away.. a jaguar and a dog

2009-07-29T21:34:00.001-07:00

Wednesday July 29th 2009

2009-07-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

DAILY

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day
DAY 19 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 29 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 28 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 44 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

JUST TODAY

SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on neck for 30 minutes, and on back left leg lump.
SCHRHINNUM 3 doses 8 hours apart. Tonight and twice tomorrow.

Appetite normal. Not so voracious as the steroid 'obsessive' eating drive that she was experiencing on the higher doses. Her lymph nodes seem to have stabilised again, although still bigger than they were on the higher dose of steroid. I am feeling positive about the steroid reduction again today.
It is very very hot in Vancouver, so we are staying inside in the cooler air mostly. Luckily our back garden is in the shade, so we can go out back to play for a while every now and then.

Poop back to normal. Perhaps she was cleansing something from her system yesterday?

Shaving her fur. I plan to do this later today. We are having a heatwave here, and lots of dogs walking by have had the clippers treatment :) I am also going to shave the area where that new lump is, so I can put a Sheep Sorrel soaked gauze pad onto it.

Tuesday July 28th 2009

2009-07-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on neck for 30 minutes
DAY 18 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 28 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 27 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
DAY 43 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

APPETITE
Appetite low this morning. Ate some rice with an egg, after refusing raw dog food.
Lunchtime - would only eat dog biscuits... but ravenously.
Evening - ate with gusto, back to normal. Raw food.

SLIMY POOP
Her morning poop was rather small & odd looking. It seemed to have a slime on the outside layer. Looked like the kind of phlegm you would see when you cough up bronchitus.
Only one poop so far today... despite going for two more walks...

RIGHT BACK LEG - New MAST CELL TUMOR??
A small lump has appeared on the outside of her right leg-upper shin. It feels similar in texture and nature to the Mast cell tumor she had removed from under/just behind her right front leg last November 2008. Could it be another Mast cell tumor?
The vet told me it was very odd (impossible? or extremely rare?) for a dog to have two kinds of cancer at the same time.... and a Mast Cell tumor is not the same as Lymphoma... Is there a chance she does not have Lymphoma after all? But then why are her lymph glands so enlarged?
Time to revisit the vet? Perhaps she needs to have another lymphoma test or more blood tests?

Sunday July 26th 2009

2009-07-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on neck for 30 minutes
DAY 16 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 26 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 25 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 41 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

PREDNISOLONE dose is now down to 1.0ml (equivalent to 5mg of the tablet form she was originally on) which is an 80% reduction from the original dose.
Today I noticed that her throat lymph glands are bigger and harder again. So the reduction in the dose is now beginning to show in her body response.
This is a difficult time.. I am nervous, but still feel we are doing the right thing. The next few days are crucial, to see if her own body system will kick in and take over from the steroids. Her appetite is also reduced. She did eat, but not as eagerly as normal. Most people's reports seem to concur that the steroids cause a rampant hunger and appetite as well as to reduce the lymph swelling size. That certainly holds true for Lucy. We have been letting her eat as much as she wants.
Last night I also soaked a Gauze pad with Sheep Sorrel Decoction and wrapped it around her neck for half an hour.

We have just come back from a walk at Jericho Park. First we saw a Flicker bird... (first nations here believe the Flicker is a call to Prayer and to raise the Chanuppah (medicine pipe).
Then we sat for a rest in the shade, only to realise there was a large Grey Heron a few feet above us in the tree, watching the beaver pond.
And then we watched THREE Belted Kingfishers, as they fished (successfully).. watching the water from overhanging willow branches. I think it must have been a breeding pair and one offspring.

Here is my prayer for the Flicker bird to carry behind the veil:
Creator, Great Spirit, All That Is, All That Ever Was, All That Ever Will Be, As you are the perfection in all things, perfect flow, perfect health, perfect love, perfect cells, We acknowledge that we are a part of this magnificent design of life, and that we too, contain within us and are but one small part of the same perfection. We thank you for the beauty of the lives we live and the loves we all share. We thank you for lucy's big radiant loving self, and for the joy she feels in her body when she runs and plays and swims. We thank you for the perfect normal functioning of her cells returning now, as she re-aligns herself with your perfection, and chooses to stay longer in her beautiful strong and healthy body. For this we are so grateful. And so it is.

... and one photo from last night in East Vancouver at the Luminaires event. There was a massive thunderstorm and heavy rain, but in a lull in the storm you can see Lucy and I standing next to a solar powered 'Burning Man' chariot. Very cool design. The batteries for it are charged by riding a stationary bicycle, so it is powered by people power and the sun.

Friday July 24 2009

2009-07-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction
DAY 14 PREDNISOLONE (1.5ml x2/day) Going down to 1.0ml for evening dose
DAY 24 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 23 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 39 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

Hot in the city... walked to the library and back (about 12 blocks total). Had to go slow with Lucy on the way back, but I think that's normal for this kind of heat. Yesterday she was very playful at the beach with my friend Sachia who is visiting from Cortes Island.

PREDNISOLONE
Dosage drops down tonight to 1ml x2 per day.
Lucy's belly lymph glands are back to normal size. Still enlarged (but stable) on hind legs and throat and front shoulders, but encouraging that the belly ones have shrunk back to normal. Onward!!

ESSIAC
Twice a day. Feels good. I am doing it too now as well. Works as a general cleanse and immune booster on me. (I don't add the extra ml of Sheep Sorrel to my tea).

Tuesday July 21st 2009

2009-07-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction
DAY 11 PREDNISOLONE (1.5ml x2/day)
DAY 21 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 20 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 36 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

BACK FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE
All is well. Lucy and I had an amazing trip up North to a private valley where friends have their cabins. She has put on more weight, despite having the Prednisolone reduced down to 1.5ml doses now (twice a day). On Friday she'll be weaned down further to 1ml.
The lymph glands have become very small on her low belly, though still enlarged on her neck, they have remained stable in size there and still much much smaller than they were.
So Far, So Good!
She is now firmly back on her Essiac tea 10ml, with an additional 1ml of Sheep Sorrel decoction added to it. She gets that by oral syringe into the mouth twice a day. She seems quite happy to 'drink' it down, without resisting it when I syringe it into the side of her mouth.
I am also continuing with the IP6 & Inositol capsule, and the Sutherland OPC, which is also twice a day.
Inthe morning she gets one capsule of Hydrazine Sulfate.

And so onward we go.
I feel Lucy had such a wonderful mental and emotional break in the countryside. She 'smiled' every minute of every day, revelling in it all. Her energy level was high. However I made sure she didn't do too much physical exertion at one time, but smaller bursts throughout the day. 2 or three shorter walks each day in the valley, exploring, rather than a big hike.

Monday July 13th 2009

2009-07-13T22:25:00.001-07:00

Lucy and I are going to a country cabin for five days to sit in awe of trees and poetry.
She is doing very well. Lymph lumps still seem to be shrinking. She is back on her raw food diet, and eating heartily. The Prednisolone seems to agree with her just fine and she doesn't mind the taste of it.
I won't be on internet up there (Williams Lake), so won't post again until Sunday.
bye for now
jamie

Saturday July 11th 2009

2009-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

DAY 15 PREDNISONE (morning - last dose)
DAY 1 PREDNISOLONE (evening - first dose)
DAY 26 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

No ESSIAC tea
No Chaga tea

DAY 11 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 10 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 10 ph 8.5 Alkaline 'Kangen' Drinking Water

STEROID - DOSE REDUCTION BEGINS
Switched to Prednisolone from Prednisone
Gradual dose reduction begins today wean off the steroids if possible.
Prednisone dose was 25mg/day
First week of Prednisolone is now 20Mg/day.

RAW FOOD
Lucy started to eat Raw food again, and her diet has returned to normal.
She's loving raw carrots as snacks in the afternoon, plus some kibble if she's really hungry midday.
Raw food with some kibble added (morning and evening)
Feeding her as much as she wants, to keep her weight up.

Photo: Lucy waiting for more carrots!

Wednesday 8th July 2009

2009-07-08T12:25:00.001-07:00

DAY 12PREDNISONE
DAY 23 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

Reintroduce weekly homeopathic remedy
SCHIRRINUM 30c : 3 doses at 8 hours apart. Repeat weekly on Wednesdays.
First dose in evening, 2nd dose next morning, third dose next evening
Cover bottom of lid with a layer of remedy pills, and dissolve in one cup of water (20 minutes). Stir ten times and then give her 2 tsps. Keep it covered and repeat the stirring for the next two doses. Use a clean tsp each time. Do not put a used spoon back into the mixture.

No ESSIAC tea
No Chaga tea

DAY 8 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 7 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 7 ph 8.5 Alkaline 'Kangen' Drinking Water (discontinuing from now on - see below)

FOOD
Morning: Organic pork sausages x4, medium rare, one egg (poached), one carrot (raw)
Afternoon: EVO small bite dog kibbles.

DRINKING: Normal, but we ran out of Kangen water last night, but she refused to drink the ordinary filtered water in its place, and resorted to a puddle outside. Soon as I filled it up again with Kangen water this morning, she drank from her bowl again. So she likes Kangen :)

Visit to the Vet Today

Introduce WEEKLY SCHIRRINUM dose (see above)

DISCONTINUE ALKALINE WATER?
Homeopathic Vet says dogs & cats have acidic bodies naturally. Alkaline is not good for them. This contradicts what I have read online... but is that because they are just trying to sell the product?

WEAN LUCY OFF PREDNISONE?
Waiting for them to call me to confirm this approach that I have requested. I think it helped a lot to get her apetite back but I am concerned about its long-term use preventing the chance of remission, however small that chance may be.
Could be risky, but alternative is that a remission is not possible, since using Prednisone is only "buying time". (I was rather shocked to find that out today.. I wish that had been made clear at the time that it was suggested for her to take it. ) If she is successfully weaned off it, and the other remedies keep her functioning well, this would be a cause to celebrate.
However, on the down side, it is possible that she will regress without it, and returning her to Prednisone a second time might not be as effective as the first time.
It is a difficult choice but my intuition says it is a good choice to make right now. If she starts to regress when we start lowering the dose, then the vet says they would then recommend returning her to the current dose.

Monday July 7th 2009

2009-07-07T12:36:00.001-07:00

DAY 10PREDNISONE
DAY 21 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No homeopathic remedies today

No ESSIAC tea
No Chaga tea

DAY 6 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 5 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 5 ph 8.5 Alkaline 'Kangen' Drinking Water

FOOD: Ground lamb, browned well.
DRINKING: Normal

Not Panting
The weather has cooled down a lot now and so Lucy seems more comfortable with regard to the heat, less panting. I was wondering if it was the heat causing her to pant or the medicines or body reactions going on inside. Now I have my answer.

Sun July 5th 2009

2009-07-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

DAY 9 PREDNISONE
DAY 20 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No homeopathic remedies today

No ESSIAC tea
CHAGA mushroom tea 10 ml x2

DAY 5 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 4 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 4 ph 8.5 Alkaline 'Kangen' Drinking Water

FOOD Apetite (almost) normal again. Eats and returns to the bowl a while later to eat more, instead of eating all at one time.
Morning & Evening: 'British Banger' sausage, rice, 4 or 5 dog biscuits.
Afternoon: some EVO kibble and biscuits.
WATER: Drinking normally.

Planning to get her back onto Raw foods as soon as she will agree to eat it.
Also planning to start using the Liver Tonic from the vet again, now that her appetite has returned. I had stopped adding things to the food, incase they deterred her from eating.

Sat July 4th 2009

2009-07-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

DAY 8 PREDNISONE (new batch 50mg tablets - one-quarter tablet twice a day = 25mg per day)
DAY 19 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No homeopathic remedies today

No ESSIAC herb tea (need to brew new batch)
CHAGA mushroom tea 10 ml x2

DAY 3 OPC - supplement
DAY 2 CF IP-6 & Inositol - supplement (NEW)
DAY 2 ph 8.5 Alkaline Drinking Water (NEW) ('Kangen' water)

Spent too much time driving around on errands. The sun grew stronger throughout the day.
Lucy was with me for the errands and so got to see her old friend Joe Laughlin, when we went to the storage locker. She didn't get a lot of playtime at the park, but she got a lot of human contact! She smiled a lot all day.
Generally her body seems stronger and her energy good.
I tempted to be able to soon use the word 'remission'...? (touch wood!)

Chaga Tea - information

2009-07-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

Recommended by Finlandia Natural Pharmacy for immune boosting and cancer fighting properties.
Drink twice a day. 1 tsp per cup of tea.
http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/the-chaga-natures-medicinal-mushroom/
Wilderness Medicinal Mushroom
Fire making aside, the chaga mushroom is also well known for its huge load of immune stimulating phytochemicals and betulin that can be consumed as a tea. Some of these compounds are derived from the birch tree and bark it consumes and concentrates in its flesh.
The chaga fungus has some of the highest amounts of anti-oxidants of any substance consumed by man. Siberian folk medicine and modern uses of a tea made from Chaga fungus include:
boosting the immune system
treating stomach diseases
Intestinal worms
Liver and heart ailments
Cancers including those of the breast, liver, uterine, and gastric
Hypertension
Diabetes
anti-tumor activity
The active compound inotodiol which works against influenza A and B viruses and cancer cells.
Activity against HIV-1
As an anti-inflammatory
Some experts claim the Chaga is the best anti-cancer mushroom of all.
Properties and Ingredients of Chaga include:
Polysaccharides that enhance the immune system; treat cancer, live, HIV virus and other bacterial and viral infections.
Betulinic acid to counter viral infections and tumors
Triterpenes to lower cholesterol, improve circulation, detoxify the liver, treat hepatitis, bronchitis, asthma, and coughs.
Germanium (a free-radical scavenger) to cleanse the blood, normalize blood pressure, and prevent tumors.
Other nucleosides, phytonutrients, minerals, and amino acids including saponin, magnesium, chromium, iron, kalium, beta-glucan, inotodiol, isoprenoid, and others.

Alkaline Ionized Water - information

2009-07-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Kangen Water - Ionized Alkaline Water

Alkaline ph water (is this a fad perhaps?) All of a sudden everyone is buying Kangen water filtering units for $2500 for the miraculous effects of drinking alkaline ph water. We think its worth a try. It is available from Finlandia Natural Pharmacy for 50cents a liter for 8 weeks. After that they make you buy the machine... however Sheilas' mum already bought one, so at that point we'll start getting the water from her instead. It is a bit controversial since Kangen is somewhat of a pyramid marketing system, I think...and cost a lot more than all the other water ionizers on the market. NB There are other brands that do the same thing but dont cost as much!

OPC information

2009-07-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

This info was sent to me by a friend who had a dog and a cat both fight off cancer.

I am adding a link below for the OPC that I am giving you. You will have to email him to ask about dosage. You can find info on Oleander as a cancer treatment in this site (which is a great resource) under Oleander
I wouldn't do the OPC and the Artemisinin at the same time however.
Sutherlandia OPC

Marc Swanepoel is a naturopath who is completing his PhD in Africa working with people with AIDS and Cancer. He developed this formula using the herb Sutherlandia fructescens (commonly known as the Cancer Bush) and the Nerium Oleander, which we have written about quite extensively in our articles on Anvirzel and Oleander Soup.

The Medical Resarch Council of South Africa has recently conducted a study on the Sutherlandia fructescens and have found it to be perfectly safe. Historically it has been used for:

enhancing well-being
immune support
longevity
stress, depression and anxiety
wasting from cancer, TB, and AIDS
quality-of-life tonic for cancers, HIV/AIDS and TB
appetite stimulant in wasted patients, but not in healthy people.
influenza
Chronic Fatigues Syndrome, ME Syndrome and Yuppie Flu
viral hepatitis
asthma and bronchitis
type 2 diabetes
mild to moderate hypertension
rheumatoid arthritis
peptic ulcer, gastritis, and reflux oesophagitis
hot flashes and irritability in menopause [www.sutherlandia.org]

The Sutherlandia plant is so popular with the indigenous people, it was chosen to be on the South African national postage stamps

Marc's research on AIDS and Cancer has been very successful, and once his PhD thesis has been accepted, he's promised us a copy. With cancer he is realizing a success rate upwards of 70%.

Marc has recently found a company to help him process and bottle his product which has brought down the price considerably. We are in contact with a few people using it and they are more than satisfied with the results.

You can purchase Marc's Sutherlandia OPC at www.sutherlandiaopc.com. And since Marc is a wonderful supporter of this site and our work (you'll see a link to us at his site) write to him after you order, write to Marc at: marcswan@global.co.za and tell him that you heard about his product thru the International Wellness Directory.

Instructions for use:

Liquid

Start off by taking 5ml (1 teaspoon) once per day during mealtime for 2 days.

Increase dosage to 5 ml twice per day with meals for a further 2 days.

Increase dosage to 5ml three times per day with meals for 1 month.

If no improvement, increase dosage to 10ml three times per day for 2 months.

If still no response, the dosage can be increased to 45ml per day (3 x 15ml)

Capsules

Start off by taking 1 capsule with breakfast for 2 days.

Increase dosage to 1 capsule twice per day (2 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for a further 2 days.

Increase dosage to 2 capsules twice per day (4 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for 1 month.

If no improvement, increase dosage to 3 capsules twice per day (6 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for 2 months.

Being a naturopath, Marc also recommends, as we do, a liver cleanse. In fact, in any degenerative illness, you always want to do a complete detox, so check here: Cleaning House ─ The Correct Way to Detox.

Notes from the inventor:

The shelf life of both the liquid and capsules is 18-24 months although I never sell anything that is older than 6 - 9 months.

One bottle is enough for one month for stage I and II cancers. For stage III and IV cancers one should use more and a bottle will only last for 2 weeks.

One should observe a difference within 2 months. However, as cancer is really just a symptom of a deeper problem, one should also introduce certain lifestyle changes (diet, stress, etc) AND should do a few liver cleanses for the product to be effective.

ESSIAC TEA information

2009-07-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

RENE CAISSE - Pioneer of Essiac Tea for Cancer since the 1920's

Rene Caisse devoted over fifty years of her life to treating thousands of cancer patients with Essiac. So effective were her free treatments that in 1938 her supporters gathered 55,000 signatures for a petition, amongst other petitions, to allow Rene Caisse to continue treating cancer patients. A bill was introduced in the Ontario legislature to (allegedly) "authorise Rene Caisse to practice medicine in the Province of Ontario in the treatment of cancer and conditions therein". Due to the machinations of the medical establishment, the bill failed to pass by just three votes.

INOSITOL AND IP-6 information

2009-07-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Q. How does IP-6 with inositol help the immune system?
A. Scientists who study IP-6 with inositol have discovered many amazing things how this combination works. While many cancer drugs work by killing all cells, both cancerous and normal, IP-6 with inositol only affects cancer cells. When cancer cells in the laboratory are exposed to IP-6 with inositol, they lose their aggressive nature, stop dividing uncontrollably, and eventually die. The combination of Ip-6 with inositol does not affect normal cells.
Researches have also discovered that this powerful combination boosts the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, those important white blood cells that “naturally” kill cancer cells. Increased NK cell activity can result in the increased killing of cancer cells, as well as cells infected by viruses. And, finally, researchers have discovered that IP-6 with inositol also acts like an antioxidant to help prevent cellular damage.

Friday July 3rd 2009

2009-07-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

DAY 7 PREDNISONE (new batch 50mg tablets - one-quarter tablet twice a day = 25mg per day)
DAY 18 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No homeopathic remedies today

No ESSIAC tea (need to brew new batch)
CHAGA tea instead (NEW)
DAY 2 OPC - supplement
DAY 2 Artemisinin - supplement
DAY 1 CF IP-6 & Inositol - supplement (NEW)
DAY 1 ph 8.5 Alkaline Drinking Water (NEW) ('Kangen' water)

Food:

Water: Drinking normal. Started her on 'Kangen' water which we put into the fountain water bowl. Alkaline ph water (is this a fad perhaps?) All of a sudden everyone is buying Kangen water filtering units for $2500 for the miraculous effects of drinking alkaline ph water. We think its worth a try. It is available from Finlandia Natural Pharmacy for 50cents a liter for 8 weeks. After that they make you buy the machine... however Sheilas' mum already bought one, so at that point we'll start getting the water from her instead. It is a bit controversial since Kangen is somewhat of a pyramid marketing system, I think...and cost a lot more than all the other water ionizers on the market. NB There are other brands that do the same thing but dont cost as much!

Body: Lymph glands stable. Still enlarged but so much better than before. Their shrinking seems to be due to the Prednisone? Although its not a naturopathic treatment we decided to try it because her lymph glands were so enormous that they seemed to be stopping her from eating. The Prednisone is also known to restore apetite.
She ran the whole length of the garden again today. This is the first time in weeks! She is very perky today and seems to be feeling very well.

PLAYTIME
Lucy came to UBC (work) with me today and we drove on errands. She had to wait in the (underground, shady) car at Finlandia Natural Pharmacy. This is where we get the alkaline ph 'Kangen' water, the Hydrazine Sulfate and the Prednisone as well as all her vitamins & supplements.

Thursday July 2nd 2009

2009-07-03T19:33:00.004-07:00

DAY 6 PREDNISONE
DAY 17 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
ESSIAC tea
No homeopathic remedies today
OPC supplement
Artemisinin supplement

Food: English sausage. Lamb minced (like burger meat), and a very little organic canned food (Ellen DeGeneres). Appetite good but still picky. Will only eat small portions at a time. Wait a few minutes and then call her back to the bowl and she will eat more. This is really the first day she is eating unprompted form her dog dish again (rather than insisting on being fed by hand - DiVa!)
Water: drinking normal
Body: Lymph nodes stable, shaking a little from time to time, stools soft, but no more diarrhea

PLAYTIME
Just neighbourhood walks. Good energy.

Wed July 1st 2009, Canada Day

2009-07-03T19:33:00.003-07:00

DAY 5 PREDNISONE
DAY 16 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
ESSIAC tea
No homeopathic remedies today
Food: Eating sausage and hot dog. Some EVO kibble, and cooked Lamb shank.
Body: Lymph nodes stable, shaking a little from time to time, stools soft, but no more diarrhea
Water: drinking normal

PLAYTIME
CANADA DAY. Relaxed at the beach. She was quieter than her usual beach behaviour. I built her a 'cave' under shelter in the cool sand. She loved it. She looked like she was in a foxhole, keeping watch over the desert sands.

EVENING. Relaxed at Leigh & Mandy's with their dog 'Beau'... a huge Akita. Lucy was boss ;)
She ate some dog food (EVO kibble) and some Lamb shank BBQ'd just for her. Yum.

Tues June 30th 2009

2009-06-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

DAY 4 PREDNISONE
DAY 15 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
ESSIAC tea starting again tonight
No homeopathic remedies today
Food: Eating some hot dog and fish this morning, but not enough for a meal yet. Dog biscuits.
Body: Lymph nodes all smaller again, shaking a little in morning, still got diarrhea
Water: drinking normal

FOOD
Has got her appetite back somewhat more today, and ate 'real' food for first time last night after 10 days or so of food struggles. Has eaten some hot dog and some fish (cat food) this morning, but not enough to constitute a meal. Gave in and bought some more of the Petcetera Organic dog biscuits. Its the only thing they sell that seems healthy (!)... their organic dog biscuits with chicken and carrot morsels and no preservatives.
Refuses to eat dog food. (Raw or otherwise). Refused Baby food. Refused egg.

DIARRHEA
One 'soft' stool last night followed later by total diarrhea an hour after eating the chicken pot pie.

Chronology of Homeopathic Remedies & other Treatments

2009-06-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

dark green= ongoing medicine treatment
red=not going well or bad reaction to medicine
light green= improvement or good reaction to medicine

Early May 2009
Lymphoma Diagnosis

By needle aspiration by traditional vet
Xray shows no internal tumors.
Swelling of lymph nodes on left side of body mainly.

8th May 2009 19.8Kg (Her normal weight)
First Consultation with homeopathic vet

CARCINOSIN 30c First and Third Week
THUJA 30c Second and Fourth Week
AANGAMIK DMG Food supplement started (ongoing)
9 drops in food each meal.

ESSIAC TEA started (ongoing)
Essiac Tincture from vet used for first week. After that tea made from fresh herb and root recipe instead. 15 ml morning and night. Syringe into mouth.

2nd June 2009 19.2 Kg

LIVER TONIC started (ongoing) Drops 30ml. 2 drops twice a day.
ARSENICUM 30c Bad reaction
Lucy lost 2 kilos of weight in the two weeks following the Arsenicum treatment. At that time she became listless and refused to eat/drink.

4th June 2009

SCIRRHINUM 30c Good reaction
She perked up again, but still had no appetite and not drinking by herself.
This began a tense two weeks of difficult feeding and encouragement with constant weight loss.

6th June 2009

PHOSPHORUS 30ch (from health food shop)

16th June 2009 17.2 Kg (lost 2Kg in 2 weeks)

HYDRAZINE SULFATE started (ongoing)
Daily capsule in the morning with food. 50 mg

June 23rd (Thursday) & 24th (Friday) 2009

IPECAC 30c Good Reaction & appetite returning.
3 doses

June 25th (Saturday) & 26th (Sunday) 2009

SCIRRHINUM 30c
3 doses, evening, morning, evening June 25-6 2009
Pulsatilla 30c + H (On Hold - not used)
Ledum 30c (On Hold - not used)
Appetite returned a little bit. Eating bready foods only and tiny amounts.

June 27th (Monday) 2009

NOVO-PREDNISONE started (ongoing)
25 mg/day (50mg tablet: quarter tablet in morning, quarter at bedtime)
Appetite returned. Gaining weight again.

June 30th 2009

SUTHERLAND OPC started (ongoing) - supplement
one capsule twice a day

July 1st 2009

IP6 & INOSITOL started (ongoing)
one capsule twice a day

KANGEN ALKALINISED WATER started (ongoing)

July 8th 2009
Visit to Vet 17.1Kg
(Weight has stabilized. Same as on June 15th)

SCIRRHINUM 30c
3 doses, evening, morning, evening
Repeat ongoing each week

Discussed option to wean Lucy off Prednisone.

Kangen Water ? Stopped now. Vet says its not good for dogs or cats whose bodies are supposed to be acidic not alkaline. This contradicts the online water marketers... but most likley because they are just trying to sell the product?

Friday July 10th 2009

SCIRRHINUM 30c
3 doses, evening, morning, evening July 10/11th 2009
Repeat ongoing each week

Saturday July 11th 2009

STEROID - DOSE REDUCTION BEGINS
Switch from Prednisone tablet to PREDNISOLONE liquid. 2ml x2/day
Gradual dose reduction begins today wean off the steroids if possible.
Prednisone dose was 25mg/day
First week of Prednisolone is now 20Mg/day.
2nd week will be 15mg
third week 10 mg
fourth week 5mg
and then we stop it altogether, so that the herbs and alternative treatments plus her own body immune system can kick back into fighting the cancer.

Friday July 17th 2009

STEROID (Prenisolone) - DOSE REDUCTION 1.5 ml x2/day
2nd week 15mg/day

Tuesday July 21st 2009