My First Time

Lately, I have been eating very well. This is because I have added Dhal curry to my menu. I am continuing my South Indian food sojourn. However, the variety of South Indian foods I can take are very limited at the moment and I will savour the rests when I recover. Not even Roti Prata (commonly called Roti Canai locally) this time but I will settle for Chapati (60% rye and 40% unbleached wheat flour mix specially for cancer patients).

This morning, my mother will be away for a medical check-up and so I will have to prepare my own lunch. So I thought yesterday, why not prepare Dosa (or more commonly called Tosai locally) for lunch tomorrow? I grew up near an Indian community and have been eating South Indian food since I was a kid and Dosa is one of my favourate breakfast meals. I will be having Dosa for lunch. Then the thought occurred, why not have Masala Dosa for dinner as well? The only thing missing is of course the chutney (or chatni as it is called locally). There's just too much work to prepare, so I will leave chutney out for the time being.

So far, I only know how to eat but as you know, making food is another thing all together. I have to thank my Indian grocer for giving me some tips because this is my first time I am making Dosa and Masala Dosa. I have completed all the preparation and just waiting for the time to cook. Making Chapati is so much easier and faster than making Dosa.

Because the foods I eat are so plain for the past 20 months, by just adding a little Dhal curry, the food taste really different, even without the salt and oil. I love to eat and would not mind to drive for a few 100 kilometers just to try out different foods in my pre-cancer days. So it was not easy for me to take the Gerson diet initially.

Dosa Recipe
Dosa (crispy savory pancakes) from South India is a staple food in its home region. This recipe will make approximately 20 Dosas.

Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours, 5 minutes

Ingredients:
- 3 cups brown rice (for cancer patients only, otherwise use white rice)
- 1 cup skinless split urad daal (skinless black gram)
- 3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste*
- Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil*

Preparation:
- Separately soak rice, fenugreek seeds and urad dal at least 6 hours or overnight in water.
- Grind to paste and leave it to ferment for 6 hours in a warm dark place.
- Mix together, add salt with water to make batter.
- Mix onion and chilies to the thin batter (if making Dosa Rava).
- Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil.
- Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
- Cook on both the sides, if desired.

Masala Filling:
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow split peas
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1-2 green chili
- 1 tablespoon oil*
- Salt to taste*

Preparation:
- Heat oil. Add mustard seed, peas, onions and spice.
- Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat or/until onions are turned into golden brown
- Add potatoes and mix and cook some more
- Add filling inside Dosa and roll. Serve hot with Chutney and Dhal Curry.

Note *: I do not use oil and salt in my cooking. Because I do not use oil to cook, I used a good thick stainless steel wok to heat the mustard seed, peas, onions and spices (no water is added) until it smells aromatic. Make sure you do not overcook the ingredients, otherwise it will taste very bitter.

A Long Night

Yesterday, I was feeling a little tired and so I took a little nap at 6pm. This is not my usual time for a nap and it would have dire consequences for me. After dinner, I was resting in my bed watching a National Geographic documentary and started to feel sleepy around 9.30pm. Since I had not taken my last doses of fungicide and Sanuvis drops, I quickly prepared the medication and also my oatmeal supper. By the time I finished, it was about 10.30pm and I quickly went back to bed. It was a long night for me. I was tossing and turning and could not fall asleep. At 3am, I got up and took a banana and guava, watched a little TV and then went back to bed. I think I finally managed to fall asleep by 4am and this morning, I only managed to wake up at 10am. Lesson learned is not to take a nap at 6pm, but yesterday I was really tired.

I Just Had To Say It
This morning, I was reading my email when I received a message from a reader from Singapore. He is also a stage 4 kidney cancer patient and if I got it right, he was diagnosed in May 2010. He also writes a blog and I took the opportunity to read some of his posts, particularly those about his cancer. I would like to quote something which he wrote "I felt frustrated talking to my oncologist. She was giving me standard answer and following a standard guideline on what she should do. I would have been more comfortable if she had been honest with me about what she knew and what she did not know, and was willing to explore alternative with me. It seems like she was representing the interest of medical establishment and I was more like a digit to her. My consultation with her was a far cry from my urologist who presented me with choices, was honest with my risks, the types of risks and the percentage of risks."

Normally, I would refrain from commenting about people's choice of treatment, whether conventional or alternative. But in this case, because it is also stage 4 kidney cancer, and after reading what he wrote about his encounters with his oncologist, I just had to write to him. I said "I am not trying to frighten you but I don't know if you are aware that chemo has very little effect on kidney cancer. For stage 4 kidney cancer, conventional medicine just does not work... I hope you start reading on alternative medicine which is your best hope and you must do quick before you poison your body with more chemo and Sutent. The longer you are on such treatment, the faster you will go... Why I am telling you all these? Because I want you to live and live you can if you make the right choice."

I know, it's not my business and I was very blunt. But I was thinking if there is an opportunity to save a life I would not want to waste it. I know because all my 7 specialist doctors told me their stage 4 kidney cancer patients ALL died. It's a question of how soon. You can see the testimonies of two person doing Sutent here:
Ray (M578),53-year-old male.
SC (TK826) was a 53-year-old male.

In the case of SC above, by the time he learned about alternative treatment, it was already too late. Within 1 month after started Sutent, his condition deteriorated and he died two months later.

I can only urge this guy to quickly read on alternative treatments for this is his best bet. Of course, if he wants to follow my footsteps, I am more than willing to show him how. On the result of his latest CT scan, this is what he said "My CT scan done on 5 Apr'11 shows that my tumors did not shrink, neither did they spread further; except for both my hip bones, to be more precise, my report says 'New bony metastasis involving the left ischial tuberosity and the right inferior pubic ramus.' ...Frankly speaking, I was disappointed when I knew my CT result."

Fungicide Therapy Trial - Day 9 Update
I feel very good physiologically. I do feel some pain around my back especially when I get up in the mornings but otherwise, I have no complaints.

I am getting used to the fungicide and taking two drops in 1/4 cup of water (instead of half) because I just had too much juices to drink. Except for more whitish phlegm, everything is cool.

This is my 4th day since I started re-balancing my pH using Sanuvis(Acidum L(+)-lacticum). Because it's buffered in 32% alcohol, I feel a little burning sensation around the throat when I take the remedy. I am starting to smell a little bit more from my sweat. This is expected.

Since I started taking the Dal curry, my appetite has improved so much I am eating much more. What can I say except bon appétit!

Less Invasive Conventional Treatments

Today, I will share some conventional treatments for kidney cancers. Why? Although I spend much of my time on researching alternative treatments, I do want to keep up to date on some of the conventional treatments for kidney cancers, especially if they are the less invasive types. There are quite a number of treatments out there (other than chemotherapy and radiotherapy), but my 7 specialist doctors has for some reasons kept them from me. Perhaps they are not aware because these treatments are prescribed by interventional radiologists. It should be noted that these treatments are not just limited to kidney cancer, but also suitable for other types of cancer.

Kidney cancer is the eighth most common cancer in men and the tenth in women. The most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma that forms in the lining of the renal tubules in the kidney that filter the blood and produce urine. Approximately 85 percent of kidney tumors are renal cell carcinomas. When kidney cancer spreads outside the organ, it can often be found in nearby lymph nodes, lungs, bones or liver, as well as the other kidney.

Symptoms
Many people has asked me about symptoms of kidney cancer. In my case, it's blood in the urine and 99% of the time, it's due to kidney stone. What is unfortunate is that when the symptoms shows, it's usually at late stage. Typically, those with kidney cancer are past the age of 40 and twice as often are men. Common symptoms may include:

* Blood in the urine
* Side pain that does not go away
* A lump or mass in the side of the abdomen
* Weight loss
* Fever
* Feeling very tired

Kidney Cancer Treatments

As vascular experts, interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using the vascular system to deliver targeted treatments via catheter throughout the body. In treating cancer patients, interventional radiologists can attack the cancer tumor from inside the body without medicating or affecting other parts of the body. For breast cancer, interventional radiologists use thermal ablation, as well as some laser therapy, to kill the cancer cells. Although the devices used are FDA approved, research to evaluate the long-term effects of these treatments is still ongoing.

Cryoablation

Recent interventional cryoablation data are showing near 100 percent efficacy for tumors up to four centimeters if localized to the kidney. Larger localized tumors can also be successfully treated with cryoablation depending on size and location. Ablated lesions show as dead tissue (scar) with no recurrences at one-year follow-up on imaging, after one treatment. The one-year benchmark is an established and well-accepted benchmark within the medical community.

Studies are ongoing to compare cryoablation to partial nephrectomy, and it is expected that the two treatments will be shown to be equivalent in the future. The interventional radiology treatment is less invasive and easier on the patient. This treatment spares the majority of the healthy kidney tissue and can be repeated if needed.

The treatment has an excellent safety profile, and most patients are sent home the same day as the procedure or go home the next day. The most common complication is a bruise (hematoma) around the kidney that goes away by itself.

These interventional treatments also offer valuable benefits to those patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. While not considered curative for these patients, the lesions can be re-treated as needed. Studies are underway on combination treatments. One such study uses cryoablation to kill the primary kidney tumor and immune system stimulation to treat any metastases. Traditional chemotherapy drugs and radiation are generally ineffective for kidney cancer.

Cryoablation is delivered directly into the tumor by a probe that is inserted through the skin using imaging to guide it internally. Cryoablation uses an extremely cold gas to freeze the tumor to kill it. This technique has been used for many years by urologists in the operating room, but in the last few years, the needles have become small enough to be used by interventional radiologists through a small incision in the skin without the need for an operation. The "ice ball" that is created around the needle grows in size and destroys the frozen tumor cells.

Thermal Ablation Treatments

The conventional treatment for kidney cancer without metastases is surgical removal by a urologist. However, some patients could benefit from minimally invasive, kidney-sparing treatment, such as those with high surgical risk, underlying illnesses, multiple recurrent tumors, borderline kidney function or only one kidney. For these patients, interventional radiologists may be able to treat the tumor with new, less invasive treatments using specially designed needles to eliminate the kidney cancer. The urologist and interventional radiologist work together in a multidisciplinary team to determine whether a less invasive percutaneous ablation can be done safely and effectively.

Radiofrequency Ablation

For inoperable kidney tumors, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a nonsurgical, localized treatment that kills the tumor cells with heat, while sparing the healthy kidney tissue. This treatment is much easier on the patient and is more effective than systemic therapy. Radiofrequency energy can be given without affecting the patient's overall health and most people can resume their usual activities in a few days.

In this procedure, the interventional radiologist guides a small needle through the skin into the tumor. From the tip of the needle, radiofrequency energy is transmitted into the tumor, where it produces heat and kills the tumor cells. The dead tumor tissue shrinks and slowly turns into a scar.

Additional Facts About RFA

* Is most effective when the kidney cancer is small in size (5cm or less)
* May be performed under conscious sedation or general anesthesia
* Is well tolerated-most patients can resume their normal routines the next day and may feel tired only for a few days
* Can be repeated if necessary
* May be combined with other treatment options

Efficacy

If the tumor is small, RFA can shrink and likely kill the tumor. Although early results are encouraging, long-term follow-up is necessary to determine the precise role of RFA in treating small kidney cancers. Current ongoing studies will determine long-term survival.

Because it is a local treatment that does not harm healthy tissue, the treatment can be repeated as often as needed. It is a very safe procedure, with low complication rates, and it has become more widely available over the last couple of years. The FDA has approved RFA for use in soft tissue tumors, of which renal cell carcinoma is one.

BEFORE

AFTER

A LIVER TUMOR TREATED WITH RFA Dead tissue appears larger and darker than the living tumor. Over time, the tumor shrinks as the body absorbs and excretes dead cells

Risks

The risks of RFA are similar to a biopsy, namely localized bleeding and some pain. Bleeding that requires action is uncommon partly because the heating from the radiofrequency energy cauterizes the tissue and minimizes the risk of hemorrhage. Heating of the tumor may cause heating of an adjacent structure, which can lead to some healthy tissue damage. This can be avoided by carefully reviewing the size and location of the tumor before the procedure. Tumors adjacent to structures such as bowel may not be candidates for RFA or may require special procedures (injection of fluid) to create safe distances between the tumor being treated and the adjacent bowel.

Arterial Embolization

Advanced renal cell carcinoma tumors are often quite large and invade adjacent structures and veins. They may even extend through the veins into one of the heart chambers. Some patients with advanced tumors may not be surgical candidates. Arterial embolization is an invaluable treatment option for such patients.

During embolization, an interventional radiologist inserts a small tube (catheter) into an artery in the groin and directs it to the renal artery that supplies blood to the kidney and the tumor. The doctor injects small solid particles or special liquid agents into the artery to block the flow of blood into the kidney. The blockage prevents the tumor from getting oxygen and other substances it needs to grow, causing it to shrink.

In some patients, arterial embolization may shrink the tumor substantially, rendering the patient a suitable surgical candidate. In others, arterial embolization effectively eliminates tumor-related symptoms and improves patients' quality of life.

Arterial embolization has also been used to facilitate surgical resection of large tumors. Blocking the blood supply to the tumor decreases the risk of bleeding and minimizes the amount of blood transfusion during surgery. Similarly, arterial embolization can facilitate ablation of larger tumors. Reduction of blood supply to the tumor renders ablation procedures (RFA or cryoablation) safer and more effective.

Fungicide Therapy Trial - Day 8 Update
So far, nothing much happened and the only uncomfortable feeling that I have is a mild heartburn sensation.

My coughing is becoming more regular and I noted that I have been having more whitish phlegm.

Petition for the European Members of Parliament

In re: Directive on Traditional Medicinal Plants

Dear Sir or Madam,

We call on the European Commission to stop the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD), Directive 2004/24/EC, which is set to remove access to the vast majority of herbal medicinal products beginning 30 April 2011.

THMPD abridges the rights of each European citizen to self-determination in managing health. It goes far beyond reasonable controls over dangerous products, and enters the realm of coercion by limiting options for treating health issues.

The public's access to herbal products that have traditionally been freely available must continue uninterrupted.

I consider that ancestral knowledge of medicine through plants cannot be annihilated solely for the profit of multinational pharmaceutical corporations.

This is of huge concern and I would ask you to take into account this danger warning before serious problems emerge.

Amendments must urgently be made to this directive so that it takes preparations made from non-European plants into better consideration.

I ask you to put, forthwith, the necessary pressure on the European Parliament as well as the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) in order that such amendments are proposed.

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

PLEASE SIGN YOUR PETITION HERE! Please click on the email icon below and email to your friends. Thank you.

Hydrazine Sulfate Protocol

Yesterday, a group of friends invited me to talk to a cancer patient and also to see if I could help her out. I will write more about her case later but for now, there are two thoughts that I want to share arising from seeing this case. I have said it before and I will say it again.

I do not believe in blind faith, meaning don't just listen to what I or people say about cancer treatments. If we really want to help, we should also supply all the resources to enable the decision makers come to an educated conclusion rather than merely relying on other people's desperateness. Most well meaning friends would just forward the therapy via email without checking or understanding much about the therapies and being caregivers and cancer patients MUST NOT JUST accept what people say. This also applies even if the referrer is a doctor/therapist. I know of some doctors/therapist who receive commission when doing referrals. It is important to know on what basis the treatment is based on. Otherwise, it just gambling of a life by taking up the therapy. I have seen many patients' condition deteriorating in three months or less after taking the wrong therapy.

I would also like to remind would be Gerson therapy adopters, PLEASE, PLEASE follow the therapy to the letter if you are not supervised by a therapist. Sometimes, doing a therapy partially does more harm that not doing at all. I know, it very difficult to the get all the supplements, but that should not be an excuse. This is because there are resources like the Internet, Gerson Institute and now with people like me and many others who are sharing the therapy for which you can ask. I believe if you follow the Gerson therapy partially, the patient will suffer as a result. For example taking of unrelated liver supplements in place of desicated and defatted bovine liver is not the same. Also taking a much lower dosage than recommended and many other "short cuts" or substituted supplements are sure way of not getting the results. Also taking other supplementary medication from other doctors/therapist without understanding if those are complementary to Gerson therapy would cause the patient to be loaded with more supplements to take. But the stomach can only take so much, taking package A supplements may mean the patient have to forfeit package B supplements. So be very careful with your choice.

It was by co-incidence that I was writing on cachexia and the remedy half-way yesterday (when my friends came over). I met the above cancer patient who is suffering from cachexia.

Cachexia
When cancer cells use sugar (glucose) as fuel, they only partially metabolize it resulting in a waste product called lactic acid. With the help of the liver, this lactic acid is then recycled back into glucose which the cancer will continue to feed on it. Eventually, the body's energy pool becomes depleted and the energy intake of a cancer patient can't keep up and weight loss results. This is the onset of cachexia. Main cancer patients dies because of cachexia rather than the cancer itself because the body becomes so weak without nourishment.

It should be noted that when a person goes for alternative treatments which includes the changing of diet into a diet like Gerson diet, there will be weight loss due to the change in diet rather than cachexia. Cachexia also exhibits itself in losing of muscles and fats in different parts of the body. Weight loss in cancer patients could also be due to the patient having problem eating and if it continues, it will certanily lead to cachexia.

This is one of the main reason why many cancer patients cannot gain weight. In particular, many cancer patients in the hope of gaining weight starts to consume more animal protein on the understanding that it will help gain weight. But what this patients does not know is that the more you eat, the faster the cancer grows. This is because the proteins that are being consumed are used by the cancer to grow. Remember that cancer hides itself from the immune system by using a protein coating layer over itself. So when cancer grows, it will take protein either from the food you eat or take it from your existing muscles. So very little of the protein that is consumed goes to the body. Many alternative therapies proposed a diet, the so called "starve the cancer", taking of foods that the cancer cannot use. This means staying away from foods that contains high level of glucose and oil.

From my own personal experience, starving the cancer while is a good way to prevent the cancer from growing, but the cancer patients also struggle to gain the weight back. This is because under normal condition, a person requires 2,000 calories per day and the food that starve cancers are typically low in calories. So the patient have to eat a lot. So whatever food that is taken by a cancer patient is normally used up by the body in the daily activities leaving very little for weight gain. So, what can we do?

Hydrazine Sulfate
According to Wikipedia, hydrazine sulfate is the salt of hydrazine and sulfuric acid. Known by the trade name Sehydrin, it is a chemical compound that has been used as an alternative medical treatment for the loss of appetite (anorexia) and weight loss (cachexia) which is often associated with cancer.

Joseph Gold, M.D., director of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute and the developer of hydrazine sulfate was one of the promoters to use it as an anticancer and anticachexia agent. Dr Gold spoke about the truth of hudrazine sulphate and can read more here.

A review of the clinical research concluded that hydrazine sulfate has never been shown to act as an anticancer agent; patients do not experience remissions or regressions of their cancer, and patients do not live longer than non-treated patients. There are many clinical trials done on hydrazine sulfate and you may find some of them here.

Like all alternative treatments, there will be proponents and opponents. It was reported that about half of all patients who take hydrazine sulfate experience weight gain, restored appetite, and a significant reduction in pain. Dr. Gold chanced upon hydrazine sulfate while looking for a drug that inhibits this gluconeogenesis process. Hydrazine sulfate can shut down the enzyme necessary for the production of glucose from lactic acid.

The Hydrazine Sulphate Minnesota Wellness Protocol Dosage
One 60 mg capsule every day for the first 3 days. With or before breakfast. One 60 mg capsule twice a day for the next 3 days. Before breakfast and before dinner. One 60 mg capsule three times a day thereafter. Approximately every 8 hours beginning with breakfast.

This protocol is based on a patient weight of 55 Kg and above; for a patient weight of 50 Kg and below, half dosages have been reported effective. Generally it is reported that hydrazine sulfate is most effective when administered by itself (no other medications given one-half hour before or after administration of hydrazine sulfate) before meals. If adequate response is made on 2 capsules daily, patients have been reportedly maintained on this dosage schedule and not increased.

Best efficacy with hydrazine sulfate has been reported by maintaining daily treatment for 45 days followed by an interruption for 1 to 2 weeks, then re-institution of treatment; this interruption has been reported to prevent the development of peripheral neuritic symptoms.

Note: It has been reported that there is an incompatibility of hydrazine sulfate with ethanol, barbiturates, and tranquilizers. Patients receiving hydrazine sulfate should thus avoid alcoholic beverages, tranquilizers, and barbiturates.

For a more complete explanation of this treatment, please visit Cancer Tutor's article on the same subject here.

Alkalizing My Body

For cancer patients, alkalizing the body is not so straight forward (especially for my case of kidney and lung cancers as these two organs regulate pH) and the mere eating of alkaline foods is not enough and the process is quite slow.

In case you miss my earlier post, this therapy is based on Dr. Waltraut Fryda's experiences with cancer patients and restoring full health to many of her patients by re-alkalizing the body.

Briefly, a cancer patient always suffers from over-acidification of the tissues. In order to deprive the tumor of a favorable environment, the tissue-pH value must be changed from acidic to alkaline. This is easier said than done because all alkaline-forming nutrition loses its intended effect soon after entering the bloodstream, as it is used up in the blood for buffering, before it can reach the tissue. All the juicing books that I have read also don't mentioned this. Many people just assumed it will happen but my personal experience says it does not happen so easily. So Dr Fryda devised this therapy to "force" the acidification of the blood by means of dextrorotatory lactic acid (DLA) that lowers the blood-pH value until it and the tissue-pH value reach the same level. By week 6, the acid substances will be discharged from the tissue into the blood, the pH value of which drops for a short time to very low values which will see the excretion of the pathological substances of the tissue via blood, liver, kidneys, and skin. A changeover will then last for about three days before the pH value of tissue and blood reach the same level.

Today, I will start to DLA therapy concurrently with the fungicide therapy. The dosage for DLA (i.e. Sanuvis - acidum L(+)-lacticum) is to take 30 drops (1/2 a teaspoon) orally 3 times daily, on an empty stomach. The pH re-balancing therapy will run for a period of 3 months before the whole body reverts to a normal PH. There are no known side effects.

Fungicide Therapy Trial - Day 6 Update
Yesterday after dinner, I took my fungicide dosage and a few minutes later, I felt very uncomfortable around my chest area. My stomach was also feeling a little bloated and churning a little. I retired to bed early at around 10pm after taking my forth dosage of the fungicide therapy. This morning, I woke up to a bad backache. Chest area still feel congested. I think I will feel much better after my morning coffee enema.

Since yesterday, I have been coughing a little more, but it's a dry cough. There were no phlegm.

Happy Labor Day!

To all my working friends,

Happy Labor Day!

Since I stopped working 20 months ago, I have also forgotten about holidays. I look forward to joining back the employment force again.

I will take a short break today and have my Dal curry. It's really smells good. My Indian neighbor was kind enough to come over to ensure everything is in order. She offered to help me procure the ingredients the next time. I just tried a sip of the Dal, wow, it's really good.

Fungicide Therapy Trial - Day 5 Update
So far, the only reaction I get after drinking the diluted fungicide is that my chest area feels a little compressed. I know something is brewing inside. I think the asoxystrobin is causing a little inflammation in my lungs and I believe this is a good thing. There is no pain.

Oh, I also noticed since I started the fungicide therapy, my coffee enema discharge is very smelly. This is good development.