A whole body, integrative approach to surviving chemo
Below is an update on my last chemo session and how it went. I started it three weeks ago and never actually published it. Even though it is not quite up to date with where I am in my treatment, I thought it was an important update and still wanted to share.
My last chemo session is behind me and two weeks post-treatment, I am feeling all layers of my health coming back online. Right after my last session, I was too exhausted to process that I would not be going back to the chair for additional Taxol and Carbo treatments. I had lots of text messages from friends and family asking me how I felt and I honestly could not answer that question. I needed to get home and take a beat to really be able to think clearly and tune into what I was feeling. I managed to do my compassionate body meditation when I got home and that was about it. My mind, body, and soul just needed to rest and recuperate.
The next morning I felt a little clearer and definitely mentally lighter. Even though my physical body still felt heavy from the chemo and all the drugs that were pumped into me to mitigate chemo side effects, I could tell that energetically I had let go of the weight I had been carrying since October when chemo started. It was easier to take a deep breath, stand up a bit straighter, roll my shoulders down my back and lift my heart. All very subtle shifts in my body. But the energetic body is our subtle body and sometimes we do not realize that we carry so much in that layer of ourselves. Especially when we are encountering stress. The challenging feelings I had the week before my last chemo session lifted almost immediately. I was reminded again that when we allow ourselves to sit and process the hard stuff, we then have room to be so much more spacious when these impermanent feelings lift. I was able to do an energy meditation inviting joy and gratitude into my body. Something I did not have the capacity to do the week before my treatment.
And although I felt mentally and emotionally lighter and like a page on this journey has turned, I was not quite in the mindset the week after treatment to feel the joy that I thought I would feel the moment I walked out of the infusion center. I think it was a combo of fatigue, the side effects of the drugs, and my body needing to concentrate on healing physically from the assault of chemo, which does not leave much energy for mental clarity. It is a good reminder that life is about the journey and not the destination and I had confidence that the joy would come. My focus right after chemo was to get through the first 11 days after treatment. I usually crash hard for the weekend after chemo, and then slowly but surely crawl myself towards day 12 when (most of the side effects) dissipate. And sure enough, in the last couple of days, I have found the joy I knew was on the horizon and I have such gratitude in my heart for the support I received throughout this tough time. I will be back in the infusion chair every three weeks through October to receive HER2 targeted therapy, but it will be without a freezing cold head, hands, and feet, and without all the side effects that come along with the Taxol treatments.
And now my focus is on supporting my body in the healing process. It will be much easier without the chemo assault every three weeks. And then on to radiation at the end of February. Because although the chemo part of this active cancer patient journey is behind me, there are still treatment steps left. And still so much to learn. About cancer. About myself. About my health. And about who I am becoming as I experience this lifequake.
Overall, chemo went as well as chemo can go. I managed to keep most of my hair with a combo of cold-capping and fasting. Probably 50% of my hair fell out, but it fell out evenly so if you did not know me before (or never paid attention to my hair volume, lol), you would not notice I had lost any hair on my head. My side effects were minimal compared to what some other people experience. My test results in between chemo sessions always looked really strong and I was able to continue teaching yoga and meeting most of my daily obligations when it came to caring for kids and continuing to run Metta Mama. I also concentrated a lot of time and energy to support my body’s natural healing intelligence so that it could be as strong as possible throughout treatment. I want to share what I think were the most effective things I did during chemo to support me through the process. What I share comes with the caveat that I am not a Dr., every body is different, and any protocol should be discussed with your oncologist.
- Mindset
From the beginning of my cancer diagnosis, I have focused on maintaining a curiosity mindset to get me through the unknowns in this process. Mindset work is really important to me; I am passionate about weaving it into the yoga classes I teach and I try to embody what I teach in my daily life (some days that is easier than others). Throughout this process, I have been trying to approach this journey with openness and a spirit of inquiry. One of the reasons I am focused on my mindset is to help me reduce my stress and anxiety. A fear based mindset is debilitating and stress inducing and does not serve anyone.
- Fasting Mimicking Diet
For 76 hours around the time of chemo I followed a FMD diet. I ate no more than 500 calories a day, mostly broths and veggies for two days before my infusion and for 24 hours after. This diet puts your healthy, rapidly dividing cells into quiet maintenance mode and makes the cancer cells more vulnerable to chemo as the fasting triggers a metabolic change in these damaged cells. In studies, fasting has been shown to stimulate the immune system, particularly the activity of cytotoxic T cells, which are crucial for attacking cancer cells, potentially enhancing the anti-tumor immune response. It has also been shown to reduce side effects like hair loss, fatigue, and nausea.
One of the main pieces of evidence I have that this diet was supportive is the fact that I kept a lot of the hair on my head. I was cold capping, so that was part of the reason, but I know people who cold capped and still had chunks of hair fall out. I lost about 50% of my hair, but it fell out evenly, And I did not lose any hair that was outside of the cold cap – around the ears and the bottom of my hairline. I also kept most of my arm hairs and my eyelashes.
I was intimidated at first to try fasting as I thought I would be hungry, but it really felt pretty manageable. It was mostly a commitment to shifting my mindset about what I needed to sustain myself. With this pause in eating, I was able to observe my hunger and take note of some habitual patterns I had fallen into surrounding food and eating.
I also felt lighter and intuitively eating less during chemo allowed my liver and my detoxifying system to focus solely on getting rid of the toxins from the cancer medications.
- Stress Reduction
When your body is under chronic stress and is releasing cortisol and adrenaline, it causes inflammation all over the body including the liver. This impacts its capacity to remove toxins from the body and leads to tissue damage. As a result, the liver may struggle to process harmful substances, allowing toxins to build up. It is not uncommon when you are in chemo for your liver enzymes to increase. Combine chemo with stress, and your liver is that much more compromised. I wanted my liver to concentrate on detoxifying the drugs, not stress.
Another reason for me in particular is that chemo causes chemically induced menopause. One of the hormones that is decreased during this time is progesterone. Your ovaries stop making it, and the task for making progesterone falls solely on your adrenal glands. Progesterone is your feel good hormone – when your progesterone levels are low you can have anxiety, sadness, and depression. Cortisol is a precursor to progesterone so when you are highly stressed, cortisol steals your progesterone. I wanted to make sure to mitigate as many feelings of anxiety and depression that I could.
I also stopped drinking coffee around the time of my treatments. Coffee can raise cortisol and when you are already in a state of stress and anxiety, coffee can heighten that feeling. Since my goal was to stay as stress-free as possible, I felt that eliminating coffee was just one more thing I could do to support my body.
In order to reduce my stress I upped my meditation game. It really helped me to be more mindful throughout the day. I found that the more I meditated, the more I was able to take a pause before I reacted to stressors that crossed my path. I also made an effort to attend a Yoga Nidra class at my yoga studio at least once a week for deep restoration. I prioritized sleep and made a conscious effort to titrate my media consumption. I also tried to pause throughout the day and do nothing but breathe for a couple of minutes, outside if that was available, to remind my body that it did not have to stay in a constant state of fight or flight.
- Community Support
People showed up. They called and texted and checked in. I received flowers, sweaters, and tea. They brought us meals. I felt guilty at first and then a friend said that feeding me and my family was her love language. And she encouraged me to be open to receiving. Not every interaction you have is transactional. And when you can be receptive and open to accepting help – it nourishes your heart and soul. And when that part of you is nourished, you start to heal.
- Detoxifying Pathways
Our detoxifying pathways are not talked about enough. Your liver, kidneys and your digestive system are some of the organs that work together to help clean out unwanted toxins. My main goal most days was to have a bowel movement as it helped to reassure me that toxins were being removed from my body on a daily basis. I ate lots of veggies and fiber, including a lot of sauerkraut for the probiotic benefits, drank lots of water (which also helps support your kidneys), and drank a lot of liver support tea. I also chose not to take any of the anti-nausea medications that were prescribed for me as they can make you constipated. I do want to acknowledge I was able to “make” that choice because I was not throwing up and was able to keep food down.
Your lungs are also one of your main detoxifying pathways so deep breathing and breath work were a focus as well. I have a few different breathing practices I utilize but 360 breathing is one that really resonates with me and it feels accessible to me to practice throughout the day. It encourages the connection between your diaphragm and pelvic floor and strengthens your core as well as helping your body cleanse itself.
- Movement
Movement has been shown in studies to help reduce the side effects of chemo so I tried to walk every day. It was not always a long walk, but it did help when I was feeling fatigue or anxiety or just plain gross. I also did simple stretches and some yoga poses to keep muscle tone and openness in my body. This was especially important in the right side of my chest where I had my surgery. Because of the sentinel lymph node biopsy, it gets very tight and uncomfortable if I am not lengthening it every day.
It has also been proven that your cancer recurrence risk is cut in half when you move for at least 30 minutes a day – and that does not have to be at one time. That includes walking. So even if you cannot get out and enjoy a stroll – you can walk around the house. Set a timer and get up every half-hour. Move your body!
- Immune System Support
I spent as much time as possible outside. Not only does it increase your natural killer cells which kill tumors, but being in the sun and getting vitamin D helps support your immune system. And being outside has been proven to lower your stress.
Foam rolling has also become a staple in my life. Fascia covers your entire body and it is the connective tissue that supports all muscles, bones, organs, nerves, and lymph. Foam rolling can help move lymphatic fluid, which carries waste products and toxins away from tissues, contributing to a healthier immune system.
Jumping is another way to stimulate and support your immune system. You can buy a rebounder or you can just jump in place. And it only takes two minutes of jumping to flush the entire lymphatic system. A further benefit to the body is that during this brief time span the white blood cells of the immune system triple in number and remain elevated for an hour.
I also took an immune support called Immunobel Pro which helped to stimulate my white blood cells after chemo and allowed me to cut down on the number of Granix shots I needed after each treatment.
There are other things I did to support my body throughout the last 5 months including specific supplements, acupuncture, and being mindful of my nutrition. The truth about chemo is that it is an assault on your body and anything you can do to support yourself is a huge help. Even if you just manage one or two of the things on the above list, you would be doing your body a favor. My overall view of health and wellness is one that is integrative and holistic and I am really grateful I was able to approach my chemo treatments with my whole body in mind. After 4 months of treatments I definitely feel really depleted (it is impossible not to), but having spent a lot of time tcaring for all layers of my body – physical, energetic, spiritual, meantl, and emotional – I know that I have a solid foundation for my health and vitality going forward.
