“I had a breast cancer, five years ago, which required six sessions of chemotherapy. After each of them, for four days, I was very weak and exhausted. Plastic surgeon, I was unable to exercise … I stayed at home, lying down, with nausea, strong headaches, intolerance to any smell of food, a metallic taste in my mouth, mouth ulcers and severe constipation due to antivomitives.
Last May, when a lymph node recurrence was diagnosed, with the same chemotherapy protocol, I looked for how to better endure them. I wanted to stay active, to work, to take my treatment head on, knowing that it is all the more difficult morally as we know the side effects that we are going to suffer. I read a lot about diet and cancer, as well as on the effect of the short fast, of two or three days, practiced before the chemo, in particular the studies carried out in the United States by Dr. Valter Longo. Being a doctor, it made sense to me to leave the digestive system completely empty before chemotherapy, in order to prevent digestive side effects.
My oncologist was skeptical and not very supportive. Oncologists fear that we lose weight and that we lack the strength to “hold” in the face of treatments. However, we agreed that I would try. Until then, I had never fasted in my life … I am not a follower and I also consider that beyond 48 to 60 hours, one can put oneself in danger. At no time did I see it as a way to treat my Cancer, but as an aid in trying to both reduce the side effects of chemo as much as possible and increase its effectiveness on cancer cells.
Indeed, studies show that our healthy cells are genetically programmed to resist fasting, since humans have always experienced periods of famine. When fasting, they go to rest and decrease their energy metabolism to resist, while cancer cells are not programmed to cope with the fast. However, the latter need a lot of energy since they reproduce and multiply very quickly.
Results : when they receive chemotherapy, they absorb much more of it in an attempt to satisfy this need for energy, which they are deprived of by fasting.
My chemo takes place on Wednesdays. So I have my last meal on Sunday evening. From then on, I only drink water, lemon juice, tea. And I prepare myself a glass of vegetable juice per day in which I combine carrot, celery, fennel, ginger, turmeric … In total, I absorb 3 to 3.5 liters of liquid per day. I don’t have any cravings, except once, when I fell in love with a handful of almonds, interesting for their good polyunsaturated fatty acids and authorized during the fast if one is hungry, like two eggs.
Profits ? I’m in great shape and I continue to work, with a lot more energy in fact: on Mondays, I operate all day from 8 am to 4 pm, almost without stopping, but with a lot of hydration. Tuesday, I consult non-stop, without fatigue, I just have a few headache. And, on Wednesday night, coming out of chemo, I salivate, I’m hungry. It is without comparison with the nausea that I had five years ago! Last Wednesday, I devoured a dish of pasta with mushrooms and I had no digestive symptoms. This allows me, the next day and the day after, to do without antivomitives, which trigger migraines and make me muddy. I had three chemo and I have nocanker sores, just a slight change in taste. As I start to eat normally the next day, I immediately regain the kilo and a half lost and I maintain a stable weight.
I feel rather full of energy, even if I have, despite everything, small drops in diet, because it remains a heavy treatment that weakens. Still, this time, I preserved my professional and social life. I even have the strength to do indoor fitness two or three times a week. Psychologically, getting rid of side effects as much as possible boosts morale. And I also feel “pro-active” in my treatment. Taking charge of your illness, looking at it, facing it, not only helps to fight, but also to get better, because you feel like you are doing something good for yourself. And to heal. “
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