mpbser wrote:
* Bowel cancer is probably one of the cancers where lifestyle habits have the highest impact on risk. (ME: no duh) Therefore, lifestyle habits have the highest impact on cure. In other words, when it is estimated that 47% of colorectal cancers could be prevented by appropriate lifestyles, it stands to reason that CRC could be reversed by extremely healthy lifestyles. Besides, it couldn't hurt to try and if husband is doing chemo, it certainly would help to try to be in the best physical shape possible to counteract the damaging effects of such treatment.
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I truly wish the above statement was true. BUTT in my family that is just not the case.
My mother was a lot like your DH. 100+ pounds over weight, loved her junk food, did not exercise, smoked till the day she died. At 55, she had a colonoscopy, no cancer, not even one polyp. Was told to come back in 10 year. She died in her mid 60's from cigarette smoking and being overweight. Never got cancer.
Me, I've been a healthy weight most of my life. I am a healthy weigh today, I struggle with my weight today (menopause is a bit**). Butt I am a member of Weight Watchers to keep my weight under control. The only time in my life I have been overweight was following chemo. I was one of those few people who actually gained weight while on chemo. Was under Onc orders not to lose any weight and she was happy when I was gaining weight and I continued to do so for the next few years. I was 3 1/2 year out from diagnoses when I was finally told I could lose weight, butt it had to be slowly. Thus I joined weight watchers. My primary Dr wants me to be healthy weight today because heart disease and diabetes does runs in both sides of my family. Being of healthy weight and life style I have neither today.
I've been a power walker most of my adult life. Only time I did not was when I was raising young kids. I grew up on down hill skies and I have in swam in lakes and oceans most of my life (we had a boat). When I worked in downtown Denver, I was a member of YMCA where they offered exercise classes. I have always been a very active person. Even today I generally do 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day.
I eat healthy, love my veggie, even as a kid, & not trying to pour salt on something I hope is not a open wound, butt I love my broccoli too. Because I am a member of weight watchers today, have been for over 10 years now, most of my food is made from scratch and is deeded very healthy.
Yet, I will never be allowed to go beyond 3 years for colonoscopies? Why, because every time I get scoped, they find more polyps in me. Generally just 1 or 2, butt those polyps that like to produce cancerous cells in about 10-15 years. If it wasn't for those scopes, I would be dealing with another colon cancer about now. SO healthy life style is NOT helping me or curing me from getting another cancer. Only those scopes are preventing me from getting another colon cancer.
My husband, he gets scoped every 10 years, yet he loves his junk food. They have maybe found a totally of a 2-3 polyps in him. My brother has yet to produce even 1 polyp. He too loves his junk food. Yet my SNL gets scoped ever 3 yrs. She's like me, her bodies likes to produce those polyps. She too eats healthy. Again healthy life style is not helping her from getting colon cancer, only getting scoped every 3 years. None of us are overweight, my husband could lose a few pounds, butt no biggies. My SNL is a lot like me, we make our food from scratch, and mostly eat healthy. My DH and DB love there junk food for breakfast and lunch. Forced to eat healthy for dinner.
So your above statement does not apply to my family. And I suspect a lot of other people as well.
And when your DH is going thru chemo, please let the dear man eat what he want. Because while on chemo, junk food just taste better, it does not have such a metallic cardboard taste. And while on chemo, you really want to keep food in stomach.
All the best,
Lee