Ok, so I know my post last week was all about extending my chemo run. And that was the plan ... until I went to bed that night.
It was kind of bizarre. I was totally on board with the decision. In fact I was the one who pushed for it with my oncologist, as he had said he was happy with my response and that further chemo was not necessary. But I still wanted to go a few more rounds.
And the next thing I knew, just a few hours after going live with that last blog post, I'd changed my mind. Just like that!
I obviously didn't act on it right away. I sat on it (and thought on it) for a week, knowing that I would be seeing Dr W (my oncologist) the following week.
I'm not a spiritual or a "signs" kinda person, but I really do feel like the universe was dropping some hints. And until that evening, I hadn't really been listening.
First and foremost, about six treatments ago I started to really smell the chemo while it was being administered. It was the weirdest thing. I didn't smell it first, and then all of a sudden every time they hooked the IV up this yucky, medicine'y smell would waft up and linger until about an hour after I was done. And each week it would get stronger. UGH.
I don't know if it was toxic build up, or completely psychological, or something else entirely. But I did have two chemo nurses say they'd heard of this a few times, so I'm hoping that means I'm not completely off my rocker.
Next is a couple that I met at the hospital while waiting for my last appointment. We got chatting, and comparing war stories (a common occurrence on the chemo floor at Princess Margaret), and she mentioned a book that she'd just read called Radical Remission - stating that it was life changing for her, and insisting that I read it.
This wasn't the first time someone had referenced that book, so I bought it - and holy shit, it really is life changing!
Seriously, everyone should read Radical Remission!! And not just people dealing with Cancer, but everyone!
There have been a few other signs as well, but more importantly there's my gut feeling and my intuition ... and ultimately, both of those have been telling me for the last week that chemo has done it's job (and done it quite well), and that it's time to start incorporating more holistic approaches.
Approaches that I had agreed with my oncologist that I would hold off on, for risk of them interfering with chemo.
So, that's what I'm doing!
On Monday I meet with an Integrative/Naturopathic Oncologist, so that we can go over what measures I can implement to rid my liver of the rest of these lesions (which chemo already shrunk by more than 80%), and to make sure that "reoccurrence" does not ever become a part of my vocabulary.
Ultimately, I'm going to start flooding and flushing my body! Flooding it with natural medicines, and flushing it of the poison and chemicals - and in turn the cancer.
So yea, smell ya later chemo! Actually, smell ya NEVER! And while I appreciate all that you did for me, we're over, and I'm moving on to greener pastures!