The Holistic Health Warrior

Archive for the ‘Sickness and Disease’ Category

Sick Building Syndrome

What Is Sick Building Syndrome?

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term that was coined to describe a building (commercial or residential) which causes the occupants to experience acute symptoms of sickness (respiratory problems and rash for instance) that often go away when they are not inside of the building.

The indoor air quality in these buildings is often a temporary condition, but sometimes it can be long term. Read the rest of this entry »

First of all, let me just start off by saying if you or someone you know and love are dealing with cancer, my heart goes out to you.  It is probably a very scary thing for you to deal with. I’ve gone through it with others so I know.

Secondly, I am not here to bash patients or doctors, sometimes we just don’t know any better. Nor am I here to tell you what to do or not do. That choice is yours. However, my goal to share information that is primarily based on facts and backed by medical science so that others may make balanced and “informed” decisions when it comes to their health care choices.

Now onto to peeve of the day.

While researching for an article I was about to write,  I noticed an ad for a prescription drug called Neulasta at the top of the screen. It was in the form of  “Myth or Truth”.  The question was: “Does Chemotherapy lower white blood cell counts that can lead to infection?” Knowing the answer is YES I could have just moved on with what I was doing, but I bit anyway and clicked the ad just to see what it said on the next page.

Of course, as the ‘Oncologist’ explained in a brief video, yes chemotherapy is indiscriminate when it comes to our cells, good and bad cells get obliterated, especially the white blood cells. It’s our white cells that help protect us from infection.

The solution according to this ‘Oncologist’ was to get injections of Neuplasta which is supposed to help raise white blood cell counts.

Well, in theory this appears to be a great idea, right? Yes of course. And according to the studies they conducted,  it did show some positive results.  But MY point is, is it really the BEST possible way to achieve this feat? I assure you it is not. And here is why:

#1) The ingredients:

According to the package insert: “Neulasta is a man-made form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), which is made using the bacteria E coli. G-CSF is a substance produced by the body. It stimulates the growth of neutrophils (nu-tro-fils), a type of white blood cell important in the body’s fight against infection.”

Our immune system cells are complex and prolific. Other experts will tell you, no synthetically produced substance can do the job that our innate system can do when ‘fed’ the proper building blocks of proteins (amino acids) , vitamins, minerals,  select herbs. Plus  stress relief, sleep, H20 and oxygen that are proven to boost the immune system naturally.

Secondly, and this is just my opinnion, but I personally would not want a substance injected into my body that was configured from the bacteria E-Coli if I already had my immune system obliterated with Chemo (which I would never do in the first place, but that’s beside the point)

Besides the pegfilgrastim, all injections come with additives. This one in particular has a sweetener, solvent and preservative.  Again, this is just my opinion, but injecting foreign substances into a body that is already immune compromised is just asking for trouble.

#2) The side effects.

Again, coming from package insert are listed as

• Spleen Rupture. Your spleen may become enlarged and can rupture while taking Neulasta. A ruptured spleen can cause death.
• A serious lung problem called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Call your doctor or seek emergency care right away if you have shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or a fast rate of breathing.
• Serious Allergic Reactions. Neulasta can cause serious allergic reactions. These reactions can cause shortness of breath, wheezing,dizziness, swelling around the mouth or eyes, fast pulse, sweating, andhives. If you start to have any of these symptoms, call your doctor or seek emergency care right away. If you have an allergic reaction during the injection of Neulasta, stop the injection. Call your doctor right away.
• Sickle Cell Crises. You may have a serious sickle cell crisis if you have a sickle cell disorder and take Neulasta. Serious and sometimes fatal sickle cell crises can occur in patients with sickle cell disorders receiving filgrastim, a medicine similar to Neulasta (pegfilgrastim). Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of sickle cell crisis such as pain or difficulty breathing.

But the most common side effects are

• The most common side effect you may experience is aching in the bones and muscles. If this happens, it can usually be relieved with a non aspirin pain reliever, such as acetaminophen.

So their solution to LOSING your white blood cells to a toxic drug called chemotherapy that are necessary for fighting infection  is to take this drug called Neulasta. It may help improve your white blood cell count, but it will MOST likely cause you more harm as well, so here, take another drug to relieve those symptoms, which will put more stress on your other vital organs such as your kidney and liver.

Is this making any sense?

Ok. So I will bring my rant to a close. I’m not telling you what to do. But I will tell you WHAT I WOULD do if I had cancer.

#1 The best way to combat any disease, including cancer, IS with your own immune system.  I would do all I can to boost my white blood cells and natural killer cells by taking oral, supplemental transer factors. 

#2 Decrease the stress burden on your mind and body. Above all the things that suppress the immune system and contribute to the growth of cancer is stress. Stress comes in many forms

#3 LOAD up on antioxidants. These are also proven to help the body kill cancer cells. I would EAT tons of whole foods, including lots of fiber, vegetables, and some fruits. Drink plenty of water to help move out toxins. Doing these things will help balance out the body’s Ph levels. Cancer cannot survive in a balanced PH environment.

#4 Get plenty of rest. Push the pause button and release stress daily. Hourly if I have to.

#5 Increase my oxygen intake with exercise and purified, portable oxygen in a can.  Cancer cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment. It also will help my body deal with stress.

#6 Have hope and stay positive. The brain releases hormones that help the body to heal and fight disease. These hormones are suppressed when we are negative and hopeless.

Source: http://www.drugs.com/pro/neulasta.html

Well, that about wraps it up.

Enjoy the day!

More Thoughts from Mellisa McJunkin

Health and Wellness Warrior

Question: What are you without an immune system?
Answer: You are dead.

As morbid as it may sound, it’s true. When your immune system is weak you will get sick. When your immune system completely fails you will die.

If I could show you a way to boost your Natural Killer Cells by up to 437%, would you be interested in hearing more? Of course you would.

Get Healthy and Wise with  Extreme Health 4Life

Why Lowering Glucose Is A Mistake

Current diabetes treatments can knock 20 years off your lifespan … make you look 15 years older than your age … and hasten your death. It’s a fact: You can have “perfect glucose” and die from diabetes! See the proof…

Another shocker: Glucose monitoring does nothing to prevent diabetic complications (as proven conclusively by two studies published in the British Medical Journal).

Conclusion: Neither glucose monitoring nor drugs are protecting diabetics — or extending their lives. The real key to healing Type 2 and prediabetes is reversing your cells’ insulin resistance — not just lowering your blood sugar. And this is easy to accomplish by following this new drug-free program…

Question: What are you without an immune system?
Answer: You are dead.

As morbid as it may sound, it’s true. When your immune system is weak you will get sick. When your immune system completely fails you will die.

If I could show you a way to boost your Natural Killer Cells by up to 437%, would you be interested in hearing more? Of course you would.

Get Healthy and Wise with  Extreme Health 4Life

Chronic heart failure is not a pretty disease to watch one suffer from or lose the battle to. I know because I watched my own Dad suffer for years off and on  and I ultimately watched him die as I  held his hand while he took his last breath July 26, 2009.

I wish this information on the benefits of acupuncture had been discovered years ago. Maybe it would have helped my Dad have a better quality of life those last few years. But nonetheless my prayer is that by passing this on, it might help someone else now.

New research by a team of researchers in Germany suggests that acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure. (Credit: Heidelberg University Hospital)

Source: Science Daily July, 2010