Hello Everyone.

Thanks to you we are here in Mexico to continue my wife’s healing journey. It’s still Wed. 4/9 here. After 3 days Aqa Aakhu is not feeling sick at all. While we were in NYC she had gotten sick again taking all of the neutraceuticals. Our doctor here, Dr. Carbajal, recommended that she cut back to the 5 most important supplements and add back one every few days until we discover which was making her ill. I am happy to report that she has added back in all but one, the boswellic acids, and hasn’t had and nausea or weakness. Today was her first day back on salsalate and there were no side effects, so we’ll give it one more day before we add the boswellic acids. The salsalate is an anti-inflammatory; cancer often inflames the tissue around the tumor and other locations in its effort to build new blood vessels and expand into new tissues. The boswellic acids are also anti-inflammatory and also have an effect on reducing the nuclear factor kappa B (NF kB) resistance of cancer to chemotherapy.
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/abstract/280/7/6170

The doctors here are also considering tamoxifen for Aqa Aakhu, which we are against unless God intervenes. Studies have shown that breast cancer is more aggressive in pre-menopausal women. The doctors feel that it may be best as a precaution for her to take tamoxifen, which will push her into early menopause. We feel that this is too extreme at this stage and intend to see how the current treatments are working before we consider taking that path.  Too often we’ve seen the fear of cancer drive people into fast and radical decisions. Even we were guilty of that. After the first surgery, we should have come to the Oasis of Hope. Instead Aqa Aakhu began taking Herceptin, which did nothing against the cancer ( it grew back to half it pre-surgery size in 6 months) AND weakened her heart. So she had a 2nd surgery in December 07. Do not make hasty decisions out of fear of cancer and death. There are quality of life issues that have to be considered after your cancer treatment is over. It’s one of the things I like best about the Oasis of Hope that this is one of their primary considerations. Check further down for the blog called “Details, Details” for more on this.

We are also reading a book recommended by Maitefa Angaza called “Radical Forgiveness”. This book is wonderful and it brings you back to viewing the difficulties in your life from a different perspective. Touches on some Maat/Sekert things if you’re familiar. Stop seeing yourself as a victim of your life (not that I do that (-:). The challenges are really opportunities to heal yourself and others.

The food is wonderful and overflowing. Have you ever had fresh strawberry juice? Get cancer, come to the Oasis of Hope and you too, and your companion of choice, can have fresh strawberry juice!  The atmosphere here is wonderfully supportive. We feel like old pros now and we’re giving out advice to the newly arrived patients and companions. Met a couple from Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar, North Carolina, Canada. Some of our other friends from last time are here: John and Jenny from London are here this week and another couple, Larry and Suzanne, from Florida left Tuesday.

Tomorrow there is a Q&A with the doctors so I’m looking forward to that.  We were in the discussion with Dr. Contreras on monday and he mentioned that there are some expansion plans in the works. The hospital is looking to open some clinics in the US, Europe and possibly Australia.  I don’t know if they’ll include all the food and lodging, but I look forward to hearing more about it when we return in June. It’s now after 11pm local time, signing off.

Ankhner/Khalfani