My best friend, Laurelyn (31), died of melanoma

One of the best friends I will ever have died 3 years ago, at 31. Laurelyn died of melanoma that metastized to her lymph nodes, then spread to her bones and liver as well.

I sat with her as she lay dying. She was very thin and frail, her abdomen was distended with edema as her liver was shutting down. She was beautiful. I sat with her as the green-yellow death light moved through her body. I sat with my friend as she cried, she cried for her lost life. "I don't want to die", she said "there are things I haven't done." It broke my heart, there is a huge empty place in my heart.

She was treated for this metastizing melanoma with the removal of her cancerous lymph nodes, and interferon.

From "The Cancer Industry", by Ralph Moss, Phd:

"...The synthesis of interferon in 1980 unleashed a deluge of hype....

Reader's Digest told it's readers about the "wonder therapy," Newsweek about new "cancer weapons" and "the making of a miracle drug." Time spoke of "barely suppressed excitment among medical specialists" and a "gold mine for patients and for companies." Saturday Evening Post claimed that "the punters on Wall Street are already laying bets that interferon is a sure winner."

It wasn't until 1982 that reporters discovered the toxic side effects of interferon. That year 4 patients treated with the drug in France died. Suddenly there was wide-scale disillusionment: 'from wonder drug to wallflower," as one reporter put it.

Today interferon is approved for use in the treatment of two very rare types of cancer, hairy-celled leukemia and juvenile larygeal papillomatosis.... "

Interfron is used today in the treatment of hepatitis C. Why on earth Laurelyn was put on it, I will never know. She certainly didn't have hairy-celled leukemia or juvenile larygeal papillomatosis. I remember her telling me about how her doctor was excited to be trying it out on her ... ? ? ? WHAT THE HELL!!??

One thing that she told me was that if she "knew, then..." ~ she would have submitted to the surgery to remove the cancerous lymph nodes and nothing else.

I know that she would have lived longer had she submitted to NOTHING!

Yes, I sent her essiac. She varied between juicing & drinking Essiac to binging on sugar and subjecting herself to medical "practice". I don't think she realized the seriousness of her situation, until she was actually on her death-bed, she was young, after all, one doesn't accept the possibility of death at that young age. Death happens to old people, right?

And that was merely a continuation of the pattern of her life. She varied between extreme self-indulgence and incredible self-control and amazing feats of strength. She could do chin-ups. How many women can do chin-ups? I certainly can't! She could rollerblade for 20+ miles. She ran from Ben Lomond, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, to Santa Cruz. 11, 12, 13 miles? I dunno.
She could also eat an entire apple pie in a sitting.

Here are some pics I took of her. She was the only female tree worker that I know of in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She planted an American flag at the top of a Douglas Fir that was in the process of being taken down....this was shortly after 9-11













Cool, huh? I'm in awe of her:)

I miss her.

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lovely stuff on interferon, These are from a website re: Hep C & interferon


http://www.hepcsolutions.com/interactive/2004/may31C.htm


Today a new client informed us that after being diagnosed with Hepatitis C, Stage 4, just last week, he refuses to ever use Interferon and calls the drug ‘deadly.’

Prior to his being diagnosed with Hep C, melanoma cancer was detected in his co-worker, a 46-year-old female who was treated with Interferon.

Immediately after the first dose of this drug, she noticed her perfect vision shifting as she began to see spots and felt pressure in her eyes. After being told by her physicians that it was a natural and temporary reaction from the medicine, she continued Interferon until she became totally and permanently blind.

He says, “They basically ruined her life…she is devastated.”


http://www.interferon.ws/Side-Effects/success-rate_Dec22-04.htm


"my last appointment with my doctor, i told her i felt about as bad as i did on treatment. i have never suffered from any emotional or psychological problems pre-treatment. i have zero energy, depression, feel very weak, have no motivation, irritable, in general no fun to be around. i lost my job of 22 years, three months ago because of declining performance and a personality that no one wants to be around."

and side effects of the drug. *shocking* that the cancer spread to her bone marrow:


http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4009


Common side effects

Many people have one or more of the following side effects

* Fatigue - patients say this is the most disruptive side effect of all. Tiredness often carries on after treatment has ended. Most people find their energy levels are back to normal from 6 months to a year after their treatment finishes.
* Flu-like symptoms: fever, chill, headache, aching muscles and joints. Nearly everyone taking interferon has this side effect at first. It usually gets better as your course of treatment continues. These symptoms usually begin 2-4 hours after your injection and last for about 12 hours. Take paracetamol before your injection and every 4-6 hours afterwards for as long as you need to (take no more than 8 tablets in 24 hours). You can try having your injection and paracetamol before you go to bed to see if that helps.
* Feeling or being sick - this happens to about half the people treated
* Diarrhoea - you should drink plenty of fluids. If it becomes severe or persistent you could become dehydrated so you should tell your doctor or nurse.
* Loss of appetite - may increase as your course of treatment goes on. You may also have taste changes or a metallic taste in your mouth
* Temporary effect on the bone marrow. The bone marrow makes blood cells and a drop in its function can cause


- An increased risk of getting infections. This is due to a temporary drop in the number of white blood cells produced by the bone marrow. This is due to a temporary drop in the number of white blood cells produced by the bone marrow. Having a low white blood count means that you are less able to fight infections and can become very unwell. You may have headaches, aching muscles, cough, sore throat, pain passing urine or feel cold and shivery. Infections can sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your doctor urgently if you think you have an infection.

- Tiredness and shortness of breath. This is due to a drop in the number of red blood cells made by your bone marrow which is called anaemia. You may need a blood transfusion to treat anaemia.

- Getting bruises more easily. This is due to a drop in the number of platelets produced by your bone marrow. You may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs. You may have nosebleeds or notice your gums bleed when you brush your teeth.

Contact your hospital if you have any of these bone marrow side effects
.

* Interferon may have a harmful effect on a baby developing in the womb. It is not advisable to become pregnant or father a child whilst taking this drug. You should discuss contraception with your doctor before having the treatment.

Occasional side effects

Some people have the following side effects

* Skin rash or itching at injection site
* Hair thinning - this is more likely to happen with long courses or high doses of interferon
* Depression, confusion or extreme sleepiness. This is more common in older patients or those who have had depression before. Tell your doctor if you have these symptoms.
* Change in liver enzyme blood tests. This is usually very mild but your doctor may take regular blood tests to monitor for this.
* Heart problems. These are quite uncommon and nearly always get better when treatment is stopped. You should tell your doctor if you have had heart problems before.
* Loss of appetite
* Loss of fertility - you may not be able to get pregnant or father a child after treatment with this drug. It is important to talk to your doctor about your fertility before starting treatment. Women may stop having periods (amenorrhoea). This may only be temporary.

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lovely.

BTW, damn good book.

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