Lately there have been several discussions in my online support group about which diet is better for ovarian cancer. Or which supplements? Or which naturopath has the right plan? Some of these discussions can easily escalate to disagreements, which is when I leave. Do I really need to fight and bicker with women who share the same journey I do? No.
And most importantly, these discussions offer no concrete proof of any treatment or diet that promises healing. Sure, there are cases where "my aunt did the 'xyz' protocol and she's healthy 20 years later." Great! That's wonderful news! But guess what? Maybe she would have been healthy 20 years later, no matter what she did, be it chemo or some other protocol. Not nearly enough people who have done this or that protocol are still healthy 20 years later. If any of these protocols were successful even 80% of the time, why would anyone undergo chemo and all the ugliness that goes with it?
I'm beginning to think that if it's going to come back, it's coming back. Sure, a healthy diet is better for anyone, but the realist in me says that now that I have cancer, if it seriously mattered what I eat or don't eat, why do chemo? Why not just a healthy diet and forego the chemo? Or maybe I should combine the two???? Or maybe I should just do the chemo and eat whatever I want. Or, just maybe, there is no guarantee that what I eat or don't eat will keep it from coming back. Yes, there are women who have done everything right; some have survived and some have not. Just as there are women who have eaten whatever they wanted; some have survived and some have not. Will eating the right things help us to live with this disease in a stable state, longer? I have done a lot of reading, and I can unequivocally say I have no idea. In the end, maybe we all should just do what feels right to ourselves, for ourselves. The last thing we need is to feel guilty about the decisions we make.
Above all, what we really need in trying to live with this disease is peace of mind. I think I would rather concentrate on achieving that as opposed to freaking out if I put a chocolate chip cookie in my mouth.
