Grasping at Herbs ...Straws?
7-24-2008
So we met with the doctors again this afternoon to plead for a cell/marrow boost from Devon.
However, they still think that despite his marrow being aplastic (requiring a transplant to recover)
it would be futile because "he is actively dying" (brain, liver, heart, lungs, tummy shutting down).
My final argument was at least (for palliative care), that if they could see that his liver/heart/lungs are stable,
and that his gut is improving by Monday, would they consider doing a marrow boost?
And they said yes they would re-consider it.
So we are fiercely reminding God, Who we know is the best champion for little Jaymun.
I know that even if we do not give Jaymun a marrow boost, the Lord is in charge -
He can work with empty marrow, make the blood cells grow back, and protect Jaymun for any length of time.
However, if we honestly think there is a good chance there is something we can do, ie. marrow boost that may temporarily (weeks/months)
ameliorate symptoms related to marrow aplasia, reduce his suffering, and enable Jaymun to enjoy time at home,
then I think that is a good option. I got the feeling from them that if they had Devon's cells on ice right now,
they would probably have used them already. So that almost answered that question for me (because I know Devon's heart and maturity).
Having said that, all this "herbal" research isn't going for nothing.
I had not given him any supplements (other than an ounce of Aloe)
from the 14th through the 21st. He had been on a downward GI trend for weeks,
but we were trying to give his tummy a complete rest,
and it wasn't working. The hygroma episode last week merely distracted us from the growing problems in his gut
(Part of the reason the docs were sensing the time to let Jaymun go).
So after the subdural drain was removed and I saw no real improvment,
on Tuesday I started my own [herbal] "tummy regimen".
I mixed together equal parts of liquid Aloe Vera, Chlorophyll, and water with alternating usage of other supplements
(Slippery Elm, Green Tea, Astragalus, Echinacea, N-Acytl Cysteine, Una da Gato, Vitamin E, Beta-Glucans with short-chain Fructo-oligosaccharides based on my old human breast milk studies)
(I keep an exact supplement log - posted here). He's been getting 10cc's per hour (that's only a third of an ounce) and its coming
out his bottom already so we know we're getting it through his GI.
My arguments (expressed quite vociferously) were that since then there is already slight improvement, not a trend downwards,
a marrow boost would give him the best chance to have any quality of life for the next two months.
Let's pray his gut heals even if the new white blood cells are slow coming in.
Let's pray that possibly his marrow recovers all on its own (without blasts), and without needing a cell boost from Devon.
Let's pray that even if it doesn't start by Monday, the rest of his body is not failing -
and we have wisdom then to choose if, how, and possibly where to do a marrow boost.
Let's pray that we can enjoy a window home together with him healthy again.
At that point there will be plenty of time to pray that miracles on top of miracles,
that window of weeks turns into months,
months turning into years and a lifetime
...a lifetime free of cancer.
Although I know it is not my decision,
I would like to be the one to get to see Jesus before Jaymun does.
THIS WEEK HERBAL DOSAGE CHART (7/22 - 7/26)
| Each batch mixed thoroughly and separated into 10cc syringes (administered 10cc per 1.5 hour through NG tube till gone) | ||||||||||
| 26-Jul | 25-Jul | 24-Jul | 23-Jul | 22-Jul | Components | |||||
| Miscellaneous: | PM | afternoon | AM | PM | PM | AM | AM | PM | ||
| Water oz. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Digestive Healing / Prebiotics | ||||||||||
| Liquid Aloe Vera oz. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Aloe Vera Juice | ||
| *Slippery Elm capsule | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Slippery Elm | ||
| Glyco capsule (oligosaccharides) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | Cordyceps, Shitake+Maitake
Mushrooms, Acetylated Mannans, Beta (1,3/1,6) Glucans chains, Glucosamine Sulfate, Tragacanth Gum, Arabinogalactan, Aloe Vera, Anogeissus latifolia, Guar Gum, Rice starch |
||
| Vitamin E (hospital pharmacy 100) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Liquid Chlorophyll oz. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Chlorophyl | ||
| Immune System / Anti-Cancer: | ||||||||||
| Green Tea (Starbucks) | 45 cc | EGCG, caffeine | ||||||||
| *Green Tea (NSP capsule) | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | EGCG, polyphenyls | |||||
| *Una de Gato | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | Uncaria tomentosa (Oxindole alkaloids), astragalus and echinacea | ||||
| Liver / Kidneys: | ||||||||||
| Milk Thistle (tablet crushed) | 1 | Silymarin, N Acetyl Cysteine | ||||||||
| N-Acetyl Cysteine | 1 | 1 | n-acetyl cysteine, tumeric | |||||||
| AntiOxident: | ||||||||||
| Noni oz. | 1 | 1 | 1 | Noni, Grape/pear juice, grapeskin extract, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid. | ||||||
| Super AntiOxident capsule | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | tocotrienols, lycopene, alpha lipoic acid, rose hips, milk thistle seed, tumeric root | |||||
Scientific resources that confirm the purpose and effectiveness of the above regimen for Jaymun's Typhlitis:
(also read about this week from a perspective a few months later)
Gut Barrier and Septic Infection:
1996 May Role of the gut in multiple organ failure: bacterial translocation and permeability changes.
Glyco (beta-glucans):
2002 Dec [Mobilization of mesenchymal infection defense]
2008 May Dietary modulation of immune function by beta-glucans.
Cat's Claw / Una De Gato
2002 May Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis)...
2007 Mar The potency of immunomodulatory herbs may be primarily dependent upon macrophage activation.
Green Tea:
2004 Oct Pharmacological effects of green tea on the gastrointestinal system.
2004 Feb Multiple effects of green tea catechin on the antifungal activity of antimycotics against Candida albicans.
1995 Nov Antimicrobial properties of tea (Camellia sinensis L.).
Milk Thistle:
2002 Nov Immunostimulatory effect of Silybum Marianum (milk thistle) extract.
Aloe Vera:
2001 Oct The wound-healing effect of a glycoprotein fraction isolated from aloe vera.
2004 Jul The effect of Aloe vera A. Berger (Liliaceae) on gastric acid secretion and acute gastric mucosal injury in rats.
Vitamin E:
2007 Jul Influence of DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate on indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.
N-Acetyl Cysteine:
2007 Mar N-AcetylCysteine Improves Intestinal Barrier...
Slippery Elm:
2008 Jun Supporting Gastrointestinal Health with Nutritional Therapy
Chlorophyl:
1955 Aug Complete healing of peptic ulcer with water soluble chlorophyll; report of a case.
1955 Apr [Surgical wound treatment with chlorophyll-glutathion.] (N-acetyl cysteine is a precursor to glutathion)
