Just another Thursday morning . . .

My sisters traveled to Santa Barbara and we met up last night for a visit at our parent’s house. It was wonderful to see them and a nice diversion from my life of herbs and mushrooms, although I did dine on bitter tea and homemade “Sun Soup” while everyone else enjoyed Mom’s famous spaghetti. We all plan to get together again tomorrow evening at my place. And yes, real food is still served there to those that can tolerate it . . .

My CT scans are scheduled for this afternoon. I am ambivalent about these tests. On the one hand it will be good to have definitive data on what we are dealing with. On the other hand, they will either find more tumors or they won’t, and I’m not sure it makes much difference either way. The bounty of tumors that have already been imaged means that this will have to be addressed systemically. I doubt that the discovery of more tumors here or there results in any material changes in prognosis or treatment approach. Conversely, if additional tumors are not discovered that does not change the impact of the previously discovered detritus that has landed in my lap from Pandora’s box.

But today’s tests should represent the conclusion of the diagnostic phase of this latest journey. While I’m at the clinic I’ll also try to get a copy of the results from Tuesday’s biopsy. The CT scan results will hopefully be available tomorrow. Both will be posted at the earliest opportunity. You know your life has changed when you obtain your news from doctors rather than reporters.

Here’s a photo of the ingredients of one of the therapeutic teas that I consume in copious quantities while I get my credentials in order for treatment by Western medicine. That Jurassic-looking mushroom is called Reishi by the Japanese, Lingzhi by the Chinese, Ganoderma lucidum by scientists, and inedible by the rest of us. It has a woody texture as opposed to the more common soft texture. The photo shows top and bottom views of the mushroom before brewing, what’s left after brewing, and a cup of the deliciously bitter “decoction”.

Even Western medicine has encouraging things to say about Reishi/Lingzhi mushrooms. This from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY:

“Extracts of Reishi can stimulate macrophages and alter the levels of TNF and interleukins. In clinical studies, Reishi . . . enhanced immune responses in advance-stage cancer patients.”

Those interested in further comment from Sloan-Kettering can pursue the following link: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69353.cfm