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MUST READ: Healing Power of Wholesome Diet for Brain Tumor Patients by Jeanne M. Wallace, PhD, CNC, Brain Tumor Society
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Welcome! My name is Teresa and I have a teeny, tiny meningioma. Doctors will tell you meningiomas are benign, they grow slowly, and you'll probably outlive them.
But benign brain tumors have a
worse survival rate than breast cancer , resected tumors often grow back, tumors grow around blood vessels and nerves and can't be touched, and a brain surgery at age 65 when it might be big enough to worry about could be difficult, so a "watch and wait" stance isn't quite enough for me.
This blog is about my journey through "total wellness", anything natural and with good science behind it that *might* help keep the tumor from growing or shrink it entirely.
My diagnosis:
Pea-sized 5-6mm left parafalcine meningioma. Just in a "watch and wait" stage. It was found via CAT scan after I fell off a truck in June 2007.
My theories:
Since some meningiomas are similar to uterine fibroid tumors, follow the actions that doctors take to naturally shrink women's fibroids.
Also, per Dr. Wallace, many nutrients strengthen the body, reduce inflammation that tumors cause, and inhibit tumor growth. Follow what she says!
My action plan in order of importance:
- Rediscover God. Develop faith to be healed, to accept His wisdom, love, and provision. (This was a late-breaker for me but it is now all important).
- Build a great relationship with an MD you trust.
- Go vegetarian (already did long ago).
- Reduce xenoestrogen exposure. This is harder and more expensive than it sounds.
- Fight inflammation per Dr. Wallace (I use fish oil and the acai health drink, MonaVie)
- Massively boost antioxidants per Dr. Wallace (again, MonaVie/acai)
- Seek out foods and supplements with known estrogenic tumor fighting properties (this is called inhibiting angiogenesis). I take Indole-3-Carbinole, nattokinase, and bioflavonoids.
- Eliminate body fat, it stores toxins.
- Improve overall physical fitness. Why take pills if I'm out of shape?
- Engage a chiropractor for their holistic slant and approach to total wellness.
- Stress reduction (yoga and other).
Migraines and headaches
I do get migraines. As a preventative (prophylactic), I have taken MonaVie for over two years. For me, it's very effective. Not saying it would be so for anyone else.
For breakthrough headaches, I take butterbur.
If I can't stop the headache before it cascades, I simply take Rx promethazine and go to bed! I do not care to have narcotics in my life at this stage.
