Off The Artemix

Photo Of The Day: Sleepy Kitty - Mr. Bingie Butterbutt

I stopped taking the artemisinin last night. Phew, that's going to make life easier. It has been serious dedication to stop eating at 4:30 pm each night. There are still a few pills left in the bottle, but we stopped because there were a few signs that perhaps my liver and kidneys were getting tired. I won't get into the details - nothing scary, just a little too much information. For the next few days I'm going to try and flush my system with more of my vegan diet (especially my green smoothies), and lots of water. In a couple more days, when I feel like my body is ready, I'm going to start the high dosage of artemether. Our goal is to do a 1-2 punch on the cancer cells and see what happens. I should only be on the high dosages for 3-5 days, we're going to feel it out. After that it's smooth sailing until the MRI on January 13th.

I'm excited and nervous about the transition. I'm hopeful and excited, but at the same time, sometimes I worry that I haven't done enough. The artemisinin is shockingly non-invasive, and easy to consume, I wonder if it's even working. I try not to think negatively about this treatment, but I'm human. Things just pop in my head from time to time. I'm excited to get the results and find out. Patience is incredibly important, and yet so hard to come by. It probably doesn't help that I read Tug McGraw's book recently, which in its final chapter detailed his death from a glioblastoma which is what my brain tumor progresses into (eventually). Big mistake. I don't think I needed to know all the heartbreaking details. I've been looking to books and videos to uplift me and give me strength. The problem is that some books are just flat out sad. It's tricky stuff.

At least, if this protocol doesn't show up as effective, I still have more tricks up my sleeve. That, my friends, is what I'm so grateful for today. There are always more ways around the same problem! I'm also grateful that I only have the diffuse astrocytoma and not the glioblastoma. I'm so grateful for that!!