I love everything about nature. I can spend hours walking in a garden, a field or along a river, looking at things and finding things. I love eating from nature and taking natural supplements. I was working with a functional medicine practitioner trying to treat all my symptoms naturally before I found out I had cancer. I followed a very strict natural anti-inflammatory diet and took high-grade supplements for 6 months in an attempt to feel better and I was diligent. I thought and probably said a few times that I would never choose chemotherapy or radiotherapy if the time ever came. I felt I had seen people literally deteriorate before my eyes after these treatments and wondered why people would choose to continue if that was the result. I always thought I would find a natural way to deal with it and that gave me a sense of control.
Well... I have crossed over the "I really want to live" threshold. The minute I got a stage 2 Cervical Cancer diagnosis, my mindset towards chemotherapy and radiation changed. The medicine is confusing at first, but you learn about your specific situation very quickly. A lot of information is thrown at you. But not ALL the information at once as it's very overwhelming. You leave your life in the hands of experts who can put stuff in your body at a very specific concentration and combination to get rid of the thing that's trying to kill you, while it tries to kill you too, all to try to save your life. Drip Drip Drip. I mean flippen heck. But you do it. You dive right in. Because you WANT to LIVE. At this stage, I am also well aware that no amount of turmeric, meditation and positive thinking is going to fix this. Nor did I cause this by not eating right or relaxing enough but by a high-risk HPV infection that my gynae never picked up or tested me for. It was time to bring in the big guns.
The chemotherapy infusion room is as you see it in the movies. Little booths with Lazy boy chairs, comfy pillows and a stand they hook the bags of medicine onto with a monitor below. Vincent Palotti has very friendly staff who are so kind to all of us and a nice side view of Table Mountain - I can’t compliment or recommend them enough. There is lots of banter between the nurses keeping the spirits up and can be very amusing. You make friends and share bits and pieces of your stories and watch people get to ring the bell signalling their last Chemo treatment. It is always a bit emotional but inspires hope all the same. Some are accompanied by their husbands, mums, sisters, partners and if you are lucky like me their aunts, cousins and friends too. Some do it alone, especially the long-haul patients who have long or overnight treatments, but seem perfectly OK going solo.
So given my love of nature and natural things I was very happy to hear that one of my chemo drugs (Paclitaxel) is made from Tree Bark. None the less it is not a great situation. So much poking and prodding and lying in machines and the amount of meds you have to take to counteract the symptoms of the chemo is eyewatering - but it is not forever. Just for now while your body goes to battle and they really help make the experience not so unpleasant. I have completed 10/12 rounds of chemo over the last 13 weeks as well as 11/25 radiation sessions and haven't felt too bad thanks to the side medications. There is maybe a day or two after the Chemo when I feel exhausted and weepy and nauseous. But the cancer is primed for radiation with the chemo and we are hoping to melt this baddie away for good.
There will be things to deal with post-treatment that I am sure won’t be pleasant. It’s a long road that needs to be managed for the next few years but I am just taking one day at a time right now and grateful to be on the road to recovery from this terrible disease.
My oncologist says most cancer patients continue to work as occupational therapy and it is important for mind, body and soul during this time. This will be my work and my way to make a financial contribution to my family on my path of recovery and healing - I can't think of a more inspiring way! If you do want to contribute you can "Buy me a coffee" :)
If you can't contribute that's also OK! Keep reading, take care of your body, go home hug your family and be grateful for every day you have together. Also, find out your HPV status : )
Love,
Kel x
P.S. Please feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions or want to know more about HPV or my experience with Cervical Cancer and how to prevent it.
