In Search of the Less Poisonous

After doing my share of readings of what worked and what did not work in cancer therapy, I have come across warnings against the use of shampoos, hair conditioners, skin lotions, cosmetics for the many poisonous ingredients that are in there. These poisons, many claim, make these products likeable.

I initially shrugged all these off, it could make one crazy just to think about all these. However, multiple myeloma seems to be a "poison-induced" cancer. Many patients have been found to have been exposed to insecticide, fertilizers, strong cleaning agents, etc.

Add to this the argument that we are very careful of our food, but we are indifferent (and sucker) to cosmetics because - skin absorbs what we put onto it just as well as our stomachs and intestines.

Okay, so I am in. My search led to me Simple Mom's site (simplemom.net), where she and her group of blogger friends have found a way to do a "'poo-less shampoo'" and an organic conditioner, and a facial treatment that is purely natural.

To make the long story short, I am one month into the facial treatment of 3 parts olive oil and 1 part castor oil. So far so good. Will let you know when I have reached the three month mark. And if I will get a supermodel complexion, I will post my photo here. If not, I will just tell you how much money I saved!

I am also one month into the 1 part baking soda plus 1 cup of water as a 'poo-less' shampoo. I altered my routine by using my tea tree oil shampoo once a week. This works better for me because it makes my hair looks and feel better. I will keep trying other combinations.

I have not tried the 1 part apple cider vinegar plus one cup of water' as conditioner yet. Maybe I should get into it and see what happens.

My only problem now is my skin lotion. It is winter and the heaters are quite notorious at drying the skin. I've used coconut cream lotion - it was okay, but during the first few minutes I smell like pina colada. I am about to finish the last bottle. What shall I do: shall I order more bottles, or shall I just use coconut oil direct as one blogger suggested? I have not tried it yet and if the smell is not too different from the one I am using now, it should be okay, right? And I have half a tub here in my kitchen. Hmmm.

Oh, well. That's living - we keep growing, learning, trying new things, discarding some of those things we hold almost sacred before, and embracing things considered gross a few days ago, like coconut oilfor skin lotion. I am glad to be alive! Cheers!

MM Update

Okay, I know this is quite late for a new year update. On the other hand, each day is a new lease of life worth celebrating - it just happens that yours truly did not know what to say. Before today.

Well, you know that I got back home from my Philippine trip not quite refreshed, to put it nicely. All my cbc, wbc, platelet, neutrophils, etc. were down, so I was taken off meds for a couple of months. January I had a checkup and my oncologist had to change my drug. Started it January 12. So far, so good, less side effects although of course I don't know how much havoc it is causing inside. But still.

The downside is that this in a weekly IV infusion so I have to travel and be absent from work to get it. But after all I have gone through, a weekly trip to Baltimore is actually a great way to get out and update my medical knowledge!

Am hanging in there! As my friend who was born and raised in the heart of Cebu puts it, "Payts lang gyud bai!" (Keep fighting!)

Whatever your challenges are, let me say this to you, "Payts lang gyud bai!"