Top tips for reducing digestive symptoms related to cancer treatment

Today's post is by Sophie Tully BSc MSc, a Nutrition Scientist at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition on how you can improve your digestion following cancer treatment.

You've probably been hearing a lot in the media recently about the importance of the gut in promoting overall health. Researchers are increasingly linking our digestive function and the health of the ‘good’ bacteria that live in the gut to everything from mental health, energy, autoimmunity, autism, allergies and of course cancer. As such, supporting digestive health is important for everyone who wants to improve or protect their health. Undergoing treatment for cancer puts a huge strain on the body and in particular can lead to some very nasty digestive tract side effects that leave you feeling worse than is often necessary, as well as leading to further potential complications of treatment. Supporting the digestive tract is vitally important, not only to help reduce the severity of symptoms but also to help ensure your treatments can work as well as possible without further reducing your body’s natural defences.

Pauline's Long and Far Reaching Breast Cancer Journey

Today's post is from one of our beneficiaries, Pauline, 64, from the Wirral who has kindly shared her experience of finding an alternative path for breast cancer. 

I was diagnosed in 2001 with breast cancer. Of course it came as a huge shock to me but I realised that prior to my diagnosis I had been through a very sad period in my life - separating from the man I loved and being severely depressed.

The only physical symptom was the lump I found whilst crying myself to sleep one night. At the time I refused all orthodox treatment.  It wasn't until 2005 that I underwent any treatment, when I had ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) in Spain - electrical voltages basically cooked the tumour and it came out through the breast.  I lost most of the breast and thought I was clear, so had become less diligent with my routine, but slowly it came back.

Lamb & vegetable curry with cauliflower rice

Today's post is a recipe from Jenny Philips, who specialises in supporting people with cancer through nutrition. She is running an Outsmart Cancer Cookery Masterclass with us in London on Sunday March 13th, you can book your tickets here. 

For those of you eating meat, this is a very easy to digest and totally delicious recipe. The flavours really come through and it has a mild heat from the chilli, but nothing too overpowering. Pulses such as chick peas can be substituted for a vegetarian option.

Cauliflower is the new star of the low carbohydrate world, and here it makes a great alternative to rice.

Finding an integrative path for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Today's post is from one of our beneficiaries, Olive*, 47, from Kent who has kindly shared her experience of being treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

After a year of getting regular boils in my armpits and round after round of antibiotics I got concerned when one lump wasn't responding.  After another nine months of hospital visits starting with the breast clinic, chest clinic and skin clinic, I ended up with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) at the Haematology clinic.

Having never heard of this condition it did not register that this was cancer.  I was on my own when the consultant broke the news, having had so many visits to the hospital I thought this would be another 'we can’t find anything wrong'.  It was a shock to say the least.  I had no warning or pre-counselling about what I was about to be told.

I drove to work after that in my state of shock and the first people I told were my boss and a colleague.  They cried with me.

Holistically healing from breast cancer

Today’s post is from one of our beneficiaries who has kindly agreed to share her story. Maria, 44, from Canterbury talks about treating breast cancer and her own journey of physical and emotional healing.

I was diagnosed with stage 1 grade 1 breast cancer in September 2010. Overwhelmed at times, and in deep shock, an instinct for self-preservation kicked in as I sought to make sense of the experience. This manifested as an urgent and fervent effort to find out as much as possible about the particularities of my disease, and how I can make positive lifestyle changes.

Becoming a Cancer Widower

Today is our second post from John, who recently lost his wife to ovarian cancer. Last week John spoke about the politics surrounding cancer research in the UK, this week he shares a more personal take on his experience of becoming a cancer widower and offers some advice on coming to terms with loss.

Cancer Widower – I never thought I’d be describing myself as that.  But at 4:50pm on 8th October 2015 my status as Husband slipped away from me, along with the woman I loved, and I joined the wretched ranks of millions who live in the shadow of cancer and its unstoppable trail of misery and fatality.  On the front of the leaflet handed to me by a very caring hospice nurse was the quote “Grief is the price we pay for love, it is the cost of commitment”.  A price worth paying in my book - I would just have to find the strength to deal with it.

Palliative care at home

My wife’s name was Beata.  She was just 37 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, shattering our happiness in a heartbeat.  Sadly, as is usually the case with ovarian cancer, it had already spread when it was detected, so Beata’s prognosis was poor from the outset.  Despite this, she did everything she could to try to fight her illness, showing the most amazing strength and determination during her three year battle, but in the end she eventually ran out of options and was referred for palliative care.

Cancer: Dying for a Cure

Today's post is from John, who shares his personal experience of supporting a loved one through cancer and discusses how the way we approach cancer desperately needs to change.

Three months ago my wife died of ovarian cancer, after a three year battle to try to overcome her illness.  Her name was Beata and she was just 41 years old - a beautiful young woman with a beautiful spirit, full of love, kindness and excitement about the wonders of life.  We had been married for just six months when she died and were deeply in love - soul mates, best friends and a great team.

Like millions of others before her, her life and mine had been taken over by her cancer from the moment she was diagnosed.  Our lives revolved completely around doctor and hospital appointments, research into treatments and diets, and putting into practice healthy lifestyle changes that we hoped would make a difference.   She was forced to accept a punishing treatment schedule with systemically damaging side-effects and virtually no prospect of a cure, just to be able secure what little extra time she could.

She twice had major surgery, underwent twelve gruelling chemotherapy sessions that caused her a great deal of physical and mental suffering, participated in demanding clinical trials of experimental drugs, had ports and tubes implanted in her to make it easier to administer drugs and blood tests, and had numerous emergency visits to A&E to deal with life-threatening symptoms from her treatments.