Prayers Requested

I type on the eve of an important day of my leukemia journey. Tomorrow, after I receive my eight-hour IVIG treatment at the cancer center, I will go to the radiation center for my first treatment. In 14 years of leukemia, I have not received radiation. With the onslaught of new chemotherapies and immunotherapies, the use of radiation with this leukemia, has lost favor. However, in my opinion (and the opinions of my most respected physicians), I believe it still possesses value for some patients such as myself. We know that almost any standard chemotherapy will not be survivable for me. We know that all oral and IV medications pose the risk of anaphylactic drug reactions for me. Yet, we also are vividly aware that if I do not reduce my tumor load, that I am going to lose this hard-fought battle.

For most of the two or three years that I have researched the use of splenic irradiation, I believed that it really only had potential for palliative relief of pain from the very enlarged spleen. Now, we believe that by reducing the spleen and tumor load, that my rate of infections could decrease. That would be a welcome improvement after this past year. A recent German study also showed other biological mechanisms by which the radiation has the potential to reduce the size of the spleen and the enlarged lymph nodes as well as reducing the tumor load in the bone marrow. Complete hematological remissions have been achieved with splenic irradiation - that is my hope and prayer for me.

Tomorrow will be an arduous day. I would have preferred to remain busy all day before the first radiation treatment versus sitting in the IV chair all day - with nothing much else to do but pray and ponder the possibilities. Learning that the walls of the room where I will receive my treatments are made of 3 feet of steel, did little to comfort me. It takes 3 feet of steel to protect everyone else from the very rays that my body will be absorbing.

Some have asked for specific prayers that I need - here are those needs:
-For the radiation to help me and not to harm me
-For me to FINALLY achieve a complete remission - doubtful from a medical viewpoint, but not impossible with God!
-For God to protect my very compromised bone marrow from bone marrow failure and for my blood counts to return to normal
-For God to protect my immune system and guard me from infections
-For wisdom and compassion for those who will be treating me - wisdom especially those who will calculate the doses of radiation
-For the side effects to be minimal so that I can continue with my daily tasks and enjoy my upcoming birthday and holidays

Other patients have also inquired about what alternative therapies I will use while undergoing radiation. The additions to my already extensive alternative protocol include:

-Shark liver oil / Alkyglycerols (Just call me JAWS!). This can prevent severe reduction in WBC during radiation. It has immune enhancing effects and can increase survival of radiation patients.
-Ginger (anti-nausea)
-Grapeseed Extract
-Extra Vitamin C. Reduces side effects for radiation patients.
-Extra beta-carotene
-Maitake MD Fraction
-Vitamin A - can enhance the effectiveness of radiation. Increases the sensitivity of the cancerous cells to the radiation. Improved survival rates.

Of what I was already using, that also has value with radiation:
-Electroacupuncture
-Curcumin. Helps to protect healthy cells from the side effects of radiation.
-Green Tea Extract. Makes cancer cells more sensitive to radiation.
-Aged Garlic
-Selenium
-Whey Protein. Helps to reduce pain during radiation.
-Fish Oil. Improves selective killing of cancer by radiation.
-Probiotics
-Coenzyme Q10
-Melatonin. Longer survival rates and fewer side effects with radiation.
-Barley Grass / Green Drinks - twice daily.

(Supplement guidance from my own family physician and Drs. Keith Block and Micheal Murray - both experts in the field of integrative oncology.)