My Aunt Anne from New York has been encouraging me to expore the macrobiotic diet for years now. She has personal experience with a person that was healed fom a "incurable" brain tumor by follownig the diet. So, as my options narrowed I gave more serious consderation to the macrobiotic diet.

I already knew about a very well respected practitionr, Dr Keith Block from Dr. Mark Reneker in California. Dr.Block is well known for using nutrition and supplements with conventional cancer treatments. He recommends a variatoin of the macro diet - modified based on human biochmistry.

Often the 'show stopper" for me to use the macro diet has been the rigors of the detail and cooking. Anne offered to come to our house to cook. So, I asked her to come with us to Chicago to talk with Dr. Block. I wanted her to hear from him specifically how the whole thing worked She generously agreed to come.

We came to Chicago expecting to talk about how we could incorporate the macrobiotic diet into what we were already doing. What Dr. Block recommended was all out war.

I told him about my symptoms (falling down, losing sensation in my left arm and leg, my speech and memory are both declining) and how they have declined rapidly. His response was that my tumor growth is accelerating rapidly and that there is a short window of opportunity to hit it hard with aggressive chemotherapy.

Basically, this is the LAST thing we expected to hear from him. Even though I had thought I did not want to do aggressive chemotherapy, I was able to make this choice because of the techniques Dr. Block uses. He integrates all aspects of health and healing. He does extensive blood work to analyze nutritional, metabolic and immune status. Then he supplements each patient before, during and after treatment with electrolytes, nutritional supplements, hydration, medications, that are all tailored to the individual patient and the known side effects of the drugs being used. He also uses "chronotherapy" - a technique developed in France for administering chemotherapy during the time of day when cells are most likely to be in the actively dividing phase, so that more drug gets to the cells; and side effects are minimized.

I felt like what he offers is my best hope. Abi, Anne and I all got a good feeling about him and what he proposed. He also said he has worked with other people with my type of cancer with good results.

The chemo regimine is CPT-11 plus Carboplatin in cycles of 2 days of treatment and 26 days "off". He recommended doing 3 cycles then rescanning, possibly doing up to 9 cycles. So, that means traveling back here to Evanston for a few days a month.

Since this meeting last Wednesday, my life has been on fast forward. Dr. Block wanted to start chemo Monday so there would be time to "build me up". I had PT and massage therapy on Thursday, I had the port placed on Friday. Monday I recieve chemo and have a nutrition class and a yoga class. Tuesday I have chemo, stress management and a cooking class. (Abi says there is a new "bounce" in my step.)

About the kids:
Monday when I fell and became weak, I was unable to go upstairs to go to bed. The kids immediately decided to have "camp out" to make it more "fun". We all slept downstairs together. Zac made a special effort to make me laugh. Hana was very careful with the wheelchair and to clear the floor so I could get by.

Right now, Zac is staying with his friend Alex and Hana is with Aunt Nancy in Columbus. Saturday she went to a wedding shower for cousin Caryn.

Moving and immobility....
While we are away, Pam Greco is arranging to move our bedroom to the first floor. Liz Visick is arranging for some cleanup.

I have a lot more to say, but I just wanted to update you with my current status.
I want to thank everyone. I often feel like I want to cry because there is so much going on.
And, I think we are doing the right thing. I appreciate all the love and support we are getting from our community and friends.

Trying to keep grounded with love,
Dan (and Abi, and Anne)

PS, Dr. Block's "nutritional" plan is basically the macrobiotic diet, with some modifications he has made over the years to include more attention to biochemistry.

http://katzstein.com

http://life.katzstein.com