ALOE VERA, PINK & PATRICK

FIRST OF ALL...I want to remind you of this...MY blog is strictly from the heart...my opinion and just a way for me to cope/heal with what I am going through.  If I offend anyone or say something you don't agree with-sorry in advance.  I am not a medical doctor...nor do I know everything. I will say this though...only being 34...I have experienced more than some 80+ year old woman when it comes to health "issues". 
With that being said...let me get started.

ALOE VERA

So some of you have heard my little rant about ALOE VERA. Yes that yucky stuff you can drink and just about buy it anywhere (Target, Wal Mart, GNC, VItamin World). Also the stuff comes in gel form to apply to your skin-oh yes that's right the stuff you use after bathing in the sun and your skin feels like its on fire.  YES-ok now that I have your attention.
What is so special about ALOE VERA...well let me share MY personal experience and in hopes you would spread this little info and help others going through my similar situation. 

It was Fall of 1996 when my Mom was going through her stage II breast cancer treatments.  She was having chemo and radiation after her lumpectomy.  It was into her 2 week of radiation that her radiation oncologist asked-"What are you doing"????   My Mom replied-"What do you mean...I am here for radiation today"?!?!  He responds-"NO-your skin would normally be like a red stop sign and you would be miserable.  Her response-"I am drinking ALOE VERA faithfully and applying it to my radiated skin each and every day after radiation-because the Dear LORD told me"... The doctor then goes on to say-"Out of my 20+ years of practicing you are only the 2nd patient with these same results and yes the other patient did ALOE VERA,too!"  My Mom feisty as she can be said,"THEN WHY DON'T YOU TELL ALL YOUR PATIENTS"???
His response..."It's not FDA approved".  So life went on as we knew it and my mom would tell others...
Fast forward to June 2005...I had my mastectomy for my stage III breast cancer and immediately started drinking ALOE VERA...once I heard of my treatment plan...I kicked up the ALOE VERA and drank a little more each morning-either like a "shot" or would mix it with some fruit juice.  Once I began my radiation after my chemo I continued to drink it along with applying thick ALOE VERA (that actually came from a local dairy) that had other vitamins and nutrients in it.  I would open the tub it came in and literally smear it on my skin as if I was a bagel...and spreading cream cheese all over.  I looked like a cupcake with key-lime tinted green frosting all over my chest.  I didn't care...I knew that it was doing its job.  After 27 radiation treatments...I can HONESTLY say I never even turned a shade of pink. 

I have known ALOE VERA to help people with IBS, and other health issues.  ALOE VERA has so many natural benefits...that I wish EVERYONE would drink a "shot" a day. :) Over the years of sitting in the oncologist office for yearly check ups and I have often seen other patients barely able to swallow or function because of their intense radiation-I am NEVER ashamed or afraid to ask them if they know about ALOE VERA.  I often think back to this sweet Hispanic family that was sitting in the waiting room waiting to see Dr. O-I could see the pain in their Fathers face.  I began to ask if they had tried ALOE VERA...the son looked at me like I was the smartest person he had ever met.  He then stated-"WOW! I never even thought of that...as kids that's what we would also drink-we would go outside to our ALOE VERA plant and then mix it in with some water"..."Or tear a piece off the plant and apply it to our sun burns".  

I feel that if I can help one other patient or their family member going through radiation (which is like a sun burn x100)...by sharing my experience and then it will snow-ball and they can share their experience...then ALOE VERA will be part of their "treatment" plan. 

PINK...PURPLE

Onto PINK...now this is a SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER.  Yes! Obviously you know by know if you didn't already-I had stage 3 breast cancer-went through a double mastectomy at the age of 27...but I am ALIVE!!!  I lost a few friends that I met along the way to breast cancer-and I hate it...just like any other cancers. Well here is my next little rant.  I use to sit in nursing school and one of my dear instructors made the comment about how we all see "PINK" ribbons... for breast cancer but what about RED ribbons for heart disease?!?!?  Good question. At first I got offended thinking-if she only knew.  But then I took a step back and thought absolutely...today our society markets a LOT of things just to make that extra dollar.  Who knows when BREAST CANCER awareness month is??? Of course-you do its October...we all see the PINK hats, shirts, stickers, pens, candy,jewelry, etc, etc,etc...but why if WE all keep buying this stuff year after year is there NO cure???  I tend to disagree and think deep down there is a CURE...but how would these large corporations continue to make money if they can't "market" the PINK ribbon.  They are able to continue to reel in millions of dollars-but where does the money really go?!?! We ALL need to be aware of ALL cancers...

So I've moved onto PANCREATIC CANCER awareness...PURPLE ribbons...how many of you know when the awareness month is?  How many of you know the signs/symptoms? How many of you know how SERIOUS this cancer is?   Exactly...I didn't either until I was diagnosed.  Well I have learned that after that "PINK" month...NOVEMBER is actually PAN-CAN awareness month.  How many purple ribbons do you see in November-I know...me neither! :( Signs and symptoms are so "silent" at times...that PAN-CAN really can be a silent killer. It is PAINLESS and grows without the patient even feeling a thing.
Some of the symptoms might be: weight loss, jaundice, dark urine, light color stool, itching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, back pain.  Oh and just to throw it out there...I had EVERY one of these symptoms...I related everything to nursing school/stress...up until my eyes were jaundice-then it was off to the ER.

PATRICK

The seriousness of this disease is just this...how many of you all had a "CRUSH" on the good looking PATRICK SWAYZE?  I'll admit it...I sure did-even as a little girl. He was a good looking man who many watched on the BIG screen...but then we often have forgotten how he "passed" on...yes it was PANCREATIC CANCER that he fought...and sadly lost his battle.  It is what just took place this week that put a smile (if that sounds right) on my face. Patrick's Widow-Lisa Niemi Swayze took it to congress and finally got FEDERAL attention on how serious PAN-CAN is and the lack of resources and treatments available.  PAN-CAN is one of the top cancer-killers-with a 5 year survival rate.  According to reports-PAN-CAN will be the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the US by 2020..and possibly as early as 2015. 

CANCER is horrible...we ALL know this. What I HOPE and PRAY for is that there TRULY is a CURE out there...that we all stick together and fight for it!!!  NEVER lose the FAITH, STRENGTH, and DETERMINATION to WIN!  We are ALL in this thing together called LIFE...and yes we CAN ALL make a DIFFERENCE.  BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY and ANY CHANGES!!!

Until next time...continue to PRAY, smile and as my pharmacist at Walgreens says..."stay well"
XO-Jamie...fighting CANCER and staying positive