Dapper, I totally hear you. I'm so glad to hear that your emotional health and relationships are so improved since transitioning. It all makes sense. Would you still have had cancer if you had transitioned earlier? You'll never know. But I think we really need to listen to our gut when it tells us to pay attention to those matters. Regardless, holding onto stress and negativity will never be good for our overall health, cancer or not. So, we grow and learn.
The five years prior to diagnosis,I was probably 50% vegan/vegetarian and 50% having a diet that included fish, chicken, turkey. When vegetarian I would eat eggs but mostly stayed away from dairy. Vegan/vegetarian or not, food through the 5 years was consistent at about 90-95% whole foods/natural/cooked at home. I trend to eating more plant based in the spring and summer and crave more animal protein/fats in the fall winter and that's where my diet tends to swing.
I don't believe that the estrogen base and biological terrain related to each other in a way that my baseline health was irrelevant. It's just a type of breast cancer- hormone based or not. My grandmother and mother both had the same hormone based breast cancer. For some reason, it was able to grow despite my starting place of health. However, I can't help but think that it would have been a lot worse if my starting point had been worse.
I don't really take anything for the inflammation. Rather than that I make choices that reduce or don't cause inflammation. Such as, dairy, sugar, wheat, red meat- all cause inflammation in your body. So I don't eat them, or eat them in very minimal doses. I drink lots of water and exercise regularly and that keeps my body circulating and prevents some buildup of inflammation. If I feel inflammation, which I will if I eat some of those items or if I'm stagnant for a bit, I'll detox and go on a really clean plant based diet for a few days, guzzle lemon water, and snap out of it.
When I was in chemo and my body was going to be more prone to inflammation I took high level doses of turmeric, which reduces inflammation, and mega doses of three different prescription level probiotics and the probiotics can also reduce inflammation. Which, actually, I do still take probiotics, just not the mega mega dose, so I guess I'm still taking one inflammation fighting supplement.
I'm glad you're taking care of yourself and being mindful of your choices, Dapper. Life after cancer can be a big mind f*ck when you sit back and contemplate choices and decisions with an ultimate goal of never going through it again.
|