I’ve just received my final chemo on Monday 🎉🎉

While most people are celebrating Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day if you are celebrating with friends, like I would have been 😹), I’ll be in bed recovering ❤️‍🩹 from my final infusion of chemo. While this part isn’t fun, it’s a huge celebration for me! 🎉This is the final week of feeling fatigued, nauseous 🤢 and generally awful before starting to get back to ‘normal life’.

I’ve retained about a quarter of my hair – which is thin and greasy, and you can see the scalp in patches, but I have at least, with the cold cap, retained some hair when many people lose all of it in the first round of chemo. I have been using a red light cap on my head and will soon be getting injectable treatments from our team at TFP to help my hair grow back faster. I’m curious to see what it will look like as apparently it often comes back dark and curly, which will be interesting with my straight white long bob existing hair! I think I’ll be wearing my wigs for a while yet! (Check out my IG @drcatstone to see the hair loss and some of my wigs 😻)

I have decided to not go back on the hormone blockers, which is a big decision. I examined the research and discussed the risks vs benefits with my medical team (who have been amazing), and have decided that for me, hormone blockers carry too much risk to my mental health to attempt them again, even with the help of antidepressants. I would still encourage any person who is offered them to try them, as they reduce the risk of cancer recurrence by about half if you can take them for 10 years, but I had the worst 1% of symptoms, with rage, intense fatigue, uncontrollable crying and suicidal ideation. I can’t see myself living in that state for 5-10 years, and my mood was negatively affected for almost 2 years after taking Tamoxifen for just one month 🥴. A lot of what I read about remission emphasises the importance of positive mental outlook and mindset, which is my usual natural state, and I feel that positive mindset will stand me in much better stead in my intention for the year of being permanently cancer free, healthy, happy and in the best shape of my life (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) by the end of 2025.

So I have come off the antidepressants and have started high dose melatonin (which is antioxidant, and lowers estrogen naturally, as well as giving a great sleep!) along with other supplements recommended by Erin, the incredible science based naturopath who works out of our Takapuna clinic. Plus it’s been a full time job getting well from cancer, with 2h of hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) 5 days a week, weekly acupuncture and lymphatic physio, counselling and all the medical appointments! 

We have been trialling IV Vitamin C infusions combined with Healite photobiomodulation (boosting the energy and health of cells with targeted low level light), and are ready to launch them at the clinics! I’ve been the Guinea pig for these treatments and have had them 2-3x a week in my second and third weeks post chemo. It’s nice to also receive a relaxing neck and shoulder massage during the treatments, and turns a ‘medical’ IV access into a nice relaxing pamper session instead! The team has done a wonderful job of pampering me during these sessions 🥰

I’ve been really fortunate to feel almost normal other than my first week post chemo, and my medical specialists have commented about how well I have been all the way through, despite my bloods showing I’m having a good response to chemo. I credit the IV Vitamin C, Healite and hyperbaric oxygen with playing a significant role in this, as supported by the research I did prior to the treatments. Plus I am so incredibly fortunate to have a team that has allowed me to fully focus on getting well and not worry about work 🙏

I’m about 50:50 as to whether I will have radiotherapy. When I had it for the first breast cancer on the left side, the cancer recurred within the area where I’d had radiotherapy. For the early stage grade 2 cancer I’ve had, the radiotherapy only gives me a 3% improvement in survival rate at 15 years, but because the lymphatics around my breast and arm are already impaired, the risk of lymphoedema (permanent, painful swelling of the arm) is more than 50%.

I’ve been using the Healite on my breast to help with the lymphatic drainage as the research suggests that photobiomodulation (re-energising the mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ of the cells – with light) can be extremely helpful alongside lymphatic drainage for helping to get the lymphatic system back on track. The fact I’m getting IV Vitamin C and a relaxing neck and shoulder massage at the same time is an added bonus! (Can you tell I’m super passionate about TFP starting to offer this treatment?) 

Because I’ve been on chemo, I’m advised to not do treatments such as peels or fillers for another 3-6 months, so I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my Healite treatments when I have the IV Vitamin C and massage. My skin is glowing and many people are commenting on how well I look! This seems to be unexpected in a chemo patient, even my oncologist recently commented how well I looked! 😹

On 31 March I will be winging my way to Mexico to visit my mama, and will then go to a medical health retreat for 3 weeks at the end of April/early May. I’ve looked at 3-4 different options and will most likely go back to Sanoviv, a medical retreat in Tijuana that I attended as a companion for a friend almost 20 years ago. I will continue many of the integrative treatments I’ve been doing alongside chemo, and adding in a few more. I’ll have a team of 7 medical specialists wrapped around me for the 3 weeks I’m there, with an oncologist, medical doctor, nutrition specialist, fitness specialist, chiropractor, counsellor and energy specialist. I have an appointment with their oncologist this week to tailor my treatment plan, and I love how similar their philosophy is to ours with a focus on education, personalisation and holistic care. I looked at some of the solely cancer based clinics, but they looked and felt like hospitals, and some didn’t have the equipment I’d be looking for ie they only had soft sided hyperbaric chambers which don’t give the same results as a hard sided chamber. The solely cancer-focused clinics would also likely have a lot of terminally ill cancer patients there, which feels quite heavy, and not the environment I’d prefer to be in, whereas Sanoviv has a broader spectrum of different patient concerns, including those who just attend for wellness (like I did with my friend when I last went there). 

I read recently about a new trend coming out as the ‘me-moon’ – instead of a honeymoon or baby moon, you travel solo to a place or journey that fills your soul and is a celebration of something, and I love this concept. Many people are doing it to signal a significant life transition, so I’m seeing the trip to Mexico and medical health retreat as my ‘me-moon’ celebration of the transition from going through cancer to being permanently cancer free! 

I’m really looking forward to having Botox before I go away, but I’ve just found out that the chemo nullifies all my vaccinations, so I’ll have to time my vaccinations and Botox carefully. We recommend no vaccinations within 2 weeks of Botox as we don’t want the immune system to be on high alert when we inject Botox as it could theoretically increase the chance of developing immunity to the Botox and which could possibly reduce its effectiveness. The risk is low, but I get so much of a positive effect on Botox beyond just the cosmetic that I don’t want to take the risk. 

I’m sad to have not been doing my (irregular) peels as they definitely make a big impact in the skin, especially when used regularly, as Sheridyn has written about in this month’s skin blog. Tina has also crafted an excellent medical blog about cosmetic treatments for men, how men request slightly different things to women – and why. Please check them out if you haven’t already! 

So today I’m wishing you a happy Valentine’s Day/Galentine’s day for Friday! If you’re stuck for what to get someone we do wonderful gift vouchers 💝, or maybe you could drop some not-so-subtle hints about how you’d love a TFP voucher from your giftee, and make life easier for them to make you happy! 😉

Wishing you a fabulous February and so much gratitude for all your love and support.

Botox®,  Prescription Medicine

Botox® treatments work by relaxing facial muscles that cause wrinkles and lines when you smile or frown. Botox® is a prescription medicine containing 100 units of Botulinum Toxin Type A. Botox® has risks and benefits. Ask your doctor if Botox is right for you.  

All medicines, medical devices and treatments carry risks and benefits. Individual results will vary. Botox® is not a funded medicine. For product information check with your Cosmetic Nurse or Doctor. For further information visit https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/ProductDetail.asp?ID=1753

Supplier Allergan Aesthetics, an Abbvie company, Auckland 

The Face Place.