Posted on 12/19/2018 8:31:57 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Every time I work up a good sweat, I feel like my cancer cells are sweating, too.
Over the past 7 years, running has been a constant for me. I ran cross country in middle school, but quit because I didn’t think I was good enough (silly me!). I’ve always been into fitness and ran casually in college, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I really buckled down and started running consistently.
I ran my first marathon in 2012, and since then, I’ve run over 40 marathons and ultras. In fact, in September, I completed the Northcoast 24-Hour Endurance Run.
I’m more determined than ever to keep running. That’s because in July, I learned that I had stage IV metastatic breast cancer.
I found a lump when I was in college, 15 years ago. I had ultrasounds done, but the doctor said it was nothing—just dense breast tissue. A few years ago, I said something to my OB-GYN about the same area. I had manual exam done there, and the doctor thought it seemed fine.
But in the late spring of 2018, I found new lump in my breast. Everything happened really quickly after that. I had a mammogram, ultrasounds, and three different biopsies.
That weekend, my husband Chris and I went for a rejuvenating 37-mile hike. On Monday, the doctor’s office called and said there were seven tumors in my right breast. And further tests found it in my lymph nodes, in my lungs, and in my bones.
I went from being active and on top of the world climbing mountains, hiking and running, to thinking, “Holy cow. I have stage IV cancer.” It’s a terminal diagnosis.
The day I got the call about my diagnosis, my husband picked me up and we hiked eight miles. That’s the way we cope with things—we get out and get active.
One of the first things I asked my oncologist was, “Can I still run these long distances?” And her answer was emphatically, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Since the cancer is in my bones, I was worried I would set myself up for a fracture. But she told me that running can strengthen bones, and to keep doing what I’m doing. I just need to listen to my body now more than ever.
So I’m able to keep running, but I do notice some differences. One of the biggest side effects has been fatigue. My runs haven’t been as long or as fast, but I make a conscious effort to get out every day.
In September, I ran the Columbus Marathon. A few days leading up to it, I was feeling extreme exhaustion. I was on a treatment to get my blood count back up, and I had just gotten a flu shot. I felt terrible the morning of the race.
But as we were standing in the chorale, the song “Thunderstruck” by ACDC came on. It’s just the coolest song that really gets you pumped up. There were fireworks. I turned around to my husband and just started sobbing—then he was crying. There’s so much joy in running, being with all the people just as crazy as you are.
My husband and I created shirts that say “Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer,” on the front, along with the phrase “Bound and Determined” on the back.
That’s what I am—determined to raise awareness about what metastatic breast cancer really is. A lot of people look at breast cancer being curable, which it can be, if it’s caught early. For stage IV, we still need research, and all the help we can get.
The median life expectancy for my stage is two to three years, and according to data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, just over 1 in 4 women with metastatic breast cancer will make it to five years.
I’m trying to do everything I can to give myself the best chance—I’m on a plant-based diet, I’m maintaining my exercise, and I’m continuing to run. It’s been an incredible journey.
My whole mission is to encourage people to stay active despite whatever circumstances are thrown at them. You never know what will come about in your life, but I want to tell people to keep doing things you love, whether it’s a 5K or 100 miles—just put a smile on your face and enjoy the heck out of it.
A plant based diet can be a good diet, as long as she also includes a couple of eggs every day.
Jim Fixx comes to mind. She should read his book. He died with the same premise.
Thank you for posting this. More power to her...she’s one determined woman.
That said, I would consider a different approach.
There are some nutritional supplements that work against cancer. (I will only recommend multiple online searches.) Good luck to her.
May God be with her... it humbles me to think how selfish I’ve been in my life... when I have been blessed with so much.
Many of my friends who were life long runners, have developed breast cancer. There are those who say that burning carbs is problematic and runners eat more carbs. In fact runners eat more. Some nutritionists suggest eating lots of fat. Cancer loves carbs. Your eating lots to run. So you are causing your cells to divide too many times. So you are older than your years.
I guess she never considered that beating the crap out of ones body can result in bad things happening.
I read Dr. Mercola’s column a lot and he definitely feels a ketogenic diet is best for cancer, or at least cycling in and out of ketosis.
And I would think continuing to push her body would be terrible for her immune system while fighting cancer.
George Burns smoked cigars and lived to be 100. Can you be too healthy?
I would think any source of hormones could be dangerous for breast cancer, meats or dairy. Organic raw milk cheese might be better, but still would provoke an insulin response that could encourage tumor growth.
Once cancer has spread to the lungs, long term survival gets real iffy. Can deal better with bone mets.
Once a cancer has spread to the lungs or liver, it gets very difficult. Pray that this lady is one of the lucky ones. Making it to 5 years is a huge win.
He also looked like he was 100 for about 40 years, too.
ergo vegans cause cancer?
Doing things like 37 mile runs is excessive behavior.
Excess kills.
Grieve what from your emotional past that keeps you away from moderate behavior.
Image? Attachment? Fear? Someone beat you? Ridiculed you?
It is killing you.
Sweating causes your body to lose electrolytes. She should rehydrate herself after exercise.
My wife has it. She had a lumpectomy about six years ago. The surgeon told us he got it all, so she opted for no post op radiation or chemo.
She was in a lot of pain the last couple of years, then we learned in April it had spread to her back and spine, eating almost through to the spinal column.
It was too late to operate or stabilize with cement, so she had radiation to stop the worst of it.
We went keto right away, I think it has helped. Her second PET scan showed a large reduction.
I try to keep her under 15g of carbs a day. Ideally, these would be “good carbs” from greens, etc., but she wants the junk, like a tiny cookie or 5g size bite of chocolate. She’s pretty good about limiting herself.
She’s been bedridden until just recently. Now she is able to use her walker a bit, and she can come down stairs on her own when we go for doctor’s visits.
She’s on Letrozole, an estrogen blocker. Her oncologist wants her to take more drugs, saying we’re not doing all we can, but they make her sick. She said it’s time for another PET scan. Maybe it will change our mind if it’s getting worse.
We asked her for the average prognosis in cases like this, she said 18 to 24 months, but added she has patients that are ten years into it.
When we had our first consultation with her, I told her we are doing keto. She said eat what you want, diet is not important, everything in moderation.
After the results from the second scan came in, I reminded her we are doing keto. She said very softly, diet is very important. I don’t think she wanted those nearby to hear that.
I was on the phone with her assistant and told her we are doing keto. She said it’s good for losing weight but not for cancer, because the brain needs glucose.
I called her out on that and started to tell her about a George Cahill study from he 60’s that shows the brain can run on 66% ketones. She said she had to get back to work.
Those who sell “supplements” as cures to anything are among the lowest of the low, IMO. They profif by scamming vulnerable people.
The fact is, no “supplement” is going to kill cancer. Neither is any fad diet. Cancer cells consume the same nutrients as other cells, except that they consume more if they are growing rapidly.
The only way to kill cancer is to specifically target the cancer, either with surgery that will remove it, or with chemo or radiation directly aimed at the cancer. And stage IV cancer has already spread throughout the body, making it incurable because it cannot be targeted physically, and it will become resistant to chemo.
Criminal negligence on the part of her doctors. She should have demanded a biopsy when she first felt her lump. A biopsy would have picked up pre cancerous cells.
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