I completed my integrative care consultation today, and I can honestly say, I felt this was the most critical appointment of my entire care team minus my surgeon with the magic hands. Integrative care is likely the most overlooked component of the treatment path; however, the world is becoming more and more aware of the options to treat the “C” word more holistically. This post doesn’t negate the value of conventional medicine, but I feel it brings the special forces to the fight. This is a lot of information and again can be different based on your own diagnosis, but I want to create awareness around such options. This one will be long, so grab a glass of wine or hot tea and get cozy!
First things first…only 5-10% of cancers are genetic. Most cases are a combination of metabolic conditions and environment. Understanding how metabolics impact “C” is critical to healing and prevention. There are four critical pillars your integrative care provide will focus on. Nutrition, Movement, Sleep and Stress. The goal of this care is to increase effectiveness of treatments, manage side effects during and after treatments, and help with reducing recurrence risk. I’ll discuss each of these in general, and also as they relate to my own health.
Nutrition:
Changing what you put in your body has so much impact. Bad diet can take decades to tear down your health, but a healthy diet can reverse it so quickly. The key to eating with the “C” word is to focus on lean proteins (75-90 g of protein/day is my target), health fats, fruits and veggies. Alcohol, sugar, and processed foods need to come off of your list. Following this diet helps starve tumor cells and induces apoptosis. I find this switch also helped improve digestive issues and heartburn. I never knew that the omeprazole I was taking for heartburn was reducing my levels of iron, B12 and magnesium. Everything in the body is so connected and diet is a way to help address the whole body. Based on my lab work, we’ll be looking at supplements such as magnesium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K2. K2 was not one I was tracking prior to this appointment, but it helps push calcium from your diet into your bones. The hormonal therapy for breast “C” can impact bone density.
Movement:
Movement is essential to any body, regardless of if it is diseased or not. A sedentary lifestyle will make you sick. No doubt about it. To mitigate the hormonal impact of Tamoxifen on the body, I will be incorporating 150 minutes a week of moderate level or 300 minute a week of minimal movement/cardio, 3-4 times a week of strength training (targeted at 75-80% failure) to support bone strength, and HIIT training once a week. Once I gain mobility back in my arm post radiation, I’ll also work yoga into that routine as it helps with the stress as well.
Sleep:
Sleep is also super important for health as it allows the body time to rest and detoxify. Post surgery, I was given a prescription to help me sleep while my body healed. I had no issues falling asleep but was always waking in the 2:00-5:00 am timeframe. Although I was only given 30 days’ worth, I found out the dosage is high for a female and that the longer you take Ambien, the less likely your body will regulate its own sleep cycle again. As we continue to heal the gut and address stress levels, she is confident my sleep cycles, or lack thereof will sort themselves out. Part of this battle is getting a consistent 8 hours of sleep a night and trying to sleep and wake around the same time.
Stress:
In reviewing my overall health, it was apparent that I am constantly in fight or flight mode. My digestive challenges and sleep patterns are highly indicative of that. I was able to take advantage of the federal governments deferred resignation option which gives me the chance to take a pause over the next five months while I work through treatment. We also went over breathing techniques and other means to trigger the vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been explored in recent years for its potential therapeutic effects in cancer treatment and management, particularly due to its role in modulating inflammation, immune function, and the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is one of the two main branches of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” functions. The vagus nerve is the primary nerve of the parasympathetic system, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis. Acupuncture and massage be incorporated into my protocol as well.
So, what’s the game plan from here? First steps are the metabolic/methylation panels. I am not entirely sure if insurance will cover all of these, but I feel the cost is worth the value of the results as it helps us baseline my body and select the right supplements etc. There is no point in me taking supplements that my body does not need. Here is a list of the tests ordered. You can look these up to get more details, but collectively, these tests tell you how well your body is processing nutrients, managing blood sugar and insulin, and maintaining cardiovascular and neurological health. They’re excellent for identifying both immediate health concerns and long-term disease risk. Information is power in keeping away disease and inflammation.
- Glucose, HA1C with Estimated Average Glucose, Homocysteine, Insulin, Insulin-like Growth Factor, Magnesium, Methylmalonic Acid, Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy.
Another interesting fact I learned today was around supplements like Vitamin C and melatonin. At low/normal dose, Vitamin C is an antioxidant and may protect health and cancerous cells. At high concentrations (through IV), it behaves not as an antioxidant but as a pro-oxidant in cancer cells, generating hydrogen peroxide, which cancer cells are less able to detoxify. This helps sensitize the targeted calls during radiation while protecting normal tissue.
A high dose of melatonin (prescription only) is a powerful free radical scavenger, reducing oxidative damage to non-cancerous cells that may be caused by radiation. It also helps reduce dermatitis and fatigue during treatment. It also helps sensitize tumor cells to radiation via pro-apoptotic effects, inhibition of cell proliferation and anti-angiogenic effects that reduce blood supply for tumors to feed on. Melatonin at high doses, also reduces inflammatory cytokines and supports immune surveillance during treatment.
Understanding how your body operates in an optimal state becomes a pathway for healing. Paired with conventional medicine, it can amplify efficacy of treatment, reduce side effects and help create a terrain in your body where the “C” word can never exist. It is possible to find balance in your body again after this journey.
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