I'll explain! I'm enjoying the support of abiraterone from Dr Onc and his team of delightful staff. I have to have prednisolone tablets daily and infusion of bisphosphanate every four weeks to make use of all the extra calcium I am taking daily. This is intended to build up my skeleton where the rats have been at it and to prevent osteoporosis since I was chemically castrated by the above abiraterone etc!
The results have been good. Not only can I walk without crutches or obvious limp, I am back at my job of gardener. I have been up ladders in the trees during the last few days. I can lop sizable branches and saw some of the larger ones; jobs that have needed to be done for months. Then I can drag the resultant mass of greenery across the garden to where I do the shredding.
Some weeks ago I changed my diet to fresh fruit and raw carrots and reduced sugar as far as possible. Main meals are much the same as formerly and I have eaten muesli cereal with milk for breakfast for many years. I avoid all sugary desserts in favour of fruit and I try to eat some raw carrots and an apple every day. At the same time I acknowledge my immune system as the reason why I have reached my octogenicity before any serious illness. Using imagery and focussed breathing exercises I intend to strengthen and direct The Team to search out, disarm and dispose of all my metastastes, wherever they may be. I've had pains in my pelvis as a result of fractures, which have healed. I'm left with an ache in my right hip, the iliac crest not the joint, and also a tender spot in the roof of my mouth close to the back teeth. The latter is probably infection not the rats but I cannot be sure. I've been Xrayed by my dentist and the teeth and roots appear OK. So I sent The Team in to investigate and the problem is much better.
So, Team Leucocytes, my abiraterone and past pelvic RT are all working together to defeat the enemy. At least I have something positive to do when I'm resting or when I can't settle to sleep at night. I think about my special Team all through the day and thank them when they do a good job. I'm sure this has a positive effect on the immune system and I am hesitant to poison it with chemo later, the last treatment option left to me.
