Doug Prouty's Battle for Health

Thursday, August 31st

Bike Racing

A triathlon is really 3 races, one after the other. Though next Sunday will be my first triathlon in over 20 years, I have participated in tons of races. I started racing in the pool when I was 12 and continued through college. In high school I got into Cross Country and raced distance all four years. So I am pretty comfortable with 2 out of the 3 races. Cycling is a whole other story and seems the most complicated. There is a lot to learn and experience will help. To accelerate the process, I bought a book called Bike Racing 101. It has been informative for a rookie like me.

Last night I came across a section in the book called, “Twelve Rules for Healthy Daily Eating.” Not only is it valuable for athletes, it can apply to everyone. And it is very similar to what I have posted here in the past. Competitive cyclists are very conscious of weight as pounds off the waist is less weight carried up the hills.

1. Cut out all processed sugars. (eat lots of fresh fruit instead)
2. Seek balance in every meal. (protein, complex carbos, vegetables and/or fruit)
3. Drink a lot of water before you eat.
4. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
5. Salt is OK (unless you have a history of high blood pressure)
6. You don’t have to clean your plate.
7. Eat in courses. (start with small portions and go back if you are hungry)
8. Don’t eat to be polite. (compliment the chef with words instead)
9. In restaurants, assemble a meal of salads and appetizers.
10. Reduce slowly. (better to lose ½ or 1 pound a week)
11. Identify your triggers. (watch out for comfort food)
12. Weigh yourself daily and average the weight weekly.

Another word about water: Naturally, for athletes it is doubly important. Blood actually thickens as you become dehydrated thus making it tougher to get oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and making the heart work harder.

Doug on 08.31.06 @ 04:43 PM PST [link]

Monday, August 28th

Renewed Hope

Besides a gut feeling that getting in good shape is a help in my battle to beat cancer, I think the best benefit from all of this physical training is hope. I mean, if I can take on a triathlon, surely I can beat cancer. Right?

I talked earlier about feeling like a castaway, but I really have a lot of people pulling for me. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many people read this blog. I am not even sure. At first I thought the blog was readable because it is a little like a car crash, it is hard to not watch. But I am learning that people really care and are really supporting me. Thank you!

Training and competing in a triathlon and ½ marathon will give us all hope. I want my family to think of me as strong and capable. I want them to always have hope. And most of all, I need hope. I have experienced plenty of times where I felt hopeless this year. Jeanette was reminding me tonight that I ended my (unending) second round of chemotherapy in mid April. It seems that in just 4 short months I have gone from hopeless to hopeful.

I am also happy to announce that the pain that I had carried in my neck and shoulder blades for the past year is almost completely gone. My radiation oncologist asked that my next PET scan be moved back a month to make sure it registers a change in tumor status. So my new appointment is now October 12th. Can’t wait! Hope it’s a good one.

Doug on 08.28.06 @ 11:11 PM PST [link]

Friday, August 25th

Hitting My Stride

Well it finally happened. My body finally woke up and realized what I am up to. Have you ever tried to get back in shape after a lay off (way too many years) and your body just seems to resist? I have been working out now for about 5 or 6 weeks and today, it felt like my body kicked in and understood that we are training for competition. I don’t know how else to explain it. Analogies like hitting my stride or getting into a rhythm, come to mind.

Today, I was fortunate enough to be able to go on a 9 mile run followed immediately by a 1-mile swim. The day before I put in a 30 mile bike ride. It dawned on me in the middle of the run today, just how lucky I am to be able to put in this kind of work. There have been times this past year or so where I could barely move or walk.

School starts Monday for the kids and as always, San Ramon School District will be advertising participation in the Primo’s Run for Education benefiting the education fund. They host a 5K and a Half Marathon. A few years ago I did the 5K and was disappointed last year that I couldn’t participate. I was in my last 2 months of chemo and had been hospitalized the month earlier for side effects. This year’s event is on October 8th and I am signing up for the Half Marathon!

I am still a ways from the athlete I was in my 20’s but I think I am moving in the right direction.

Doug on 08.25.06 @ 08:46 PM PST [link]

The Ultimate Antioxidant

I currently take a lot of supplements but I continue to research other supplements that might help me out. I am not sure where I came across Alpha Lipoic Acid but the more I read up on it, the more impressive it looks. It is found naturally in potatoes, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes and liver. Also known as Thioric Acid, it is found both in food and manufactured within the body. There are several ways that it can get depleted and supplementation above and beyond normal can be very beneficial. Alpha Lipoic Acid is the only antioxidant that is both fat and water-soluble. This means it is easily absorbed and transported across cell membranes providing benefit within the cell. Its small structure allows it also to get to the brain.

It has been used in Europe and elsewhere to treat diabetes, liver disease, eye disease, neurological disease, congestive heart failure, cancer protection, removal of heavy metals, prevention of radiation damage, and improvement of circulation. It is also used by AIDS patients to help combat the HIV virus. Another great quality is that it bolsters the effectiveness of other antioxidants Vitamin C, Vitamin E and CoQ-10. The other big antioxidants are Beta-carotene, Glutathione, Methionine, Selenium and Alpha Lipoic Acid.

Antioxidants need to be supplemented. The damage from free radicals in our body is responsible for a myriad of chronic ailments and diseases. Best of all antioxidants like Alpha Lipoic Acid have great antiaging effects.

Doug on 08.25.06 @ 07:43 AM PST [link]

Tuesday, August 22nd

Castaway

castaway-wilson (11k image)
As I watched the movie Castaway the other night, I realized that what Tom Hanks’ character was going through is similar to a cancer battle. Let me see if I can draw some parallels.

As much as people are thinking about you and doing what they can, you are still in it alone. It’s a deserted island. And there is plenty of time to wrestle with the many thoughts in your head. Ultimately, all decisions are yours. Will I ever get rescued or will I die on this island? How much time do I have? What are my regrets? Do I try and make it somehow or just give up? There is one scene in the movie where Hanks talks to Wilson (his companion volleyball) about suicide. This was his way of taking control of his life. Actually, Wilson is a good representation of the conversations you have with yourself – call it your self-conscious, God, or whoever you talk to inside there when the going gets rough.

In the beginning Hanks’ character knew nothing about surviving on a deserted island. As he got over the shock he realized that this situation was not going away and he better deal with it. So slowly he began to learn and commit himself to survival. In the end, he could spear a fish from 20 feet away with a spear he made by hand. He could make rope from the bark of trees. It is amazing how motivated you are and what you can learn when your life is on the line.

So I guess that makes this Blog my message in a bottle.

“Hope to return to the mainland soon. Love, Doug”

Doug on 08.22.06 @ 08:44 AM PST [link]

Saturday, August 19th

You Gotta Tri

For me to start working out daily, I need an incentive. I need something to really push me through the workouts and the early mornings when I would rather lay in bed. Obviously, getting fit will lead to improved health and that is a strong incentive for me. But I am competitive and need a competition to build towards. The last time I came close to working out this hard was in high school and college and there was always a race to build towards. So I have decided to sign up for a few triathlons. Thanks (I think) to my buddy Tim Landeck who has inspired me and will join me.

Triathlons come in three flavors: Sprint, Olympic Distance and Ironman. I don’t plan on ever trying to compete in the Ironman distance. Any race where the final third is a marathon is just plain crazy. On September 10th, I will do the Pacific Grove Tri. I figure to do the sprint distance which is a ¼ mile swim, 12.5 mile bike and a 2 mile run. On September 24th, I will tackle the Santa Cruz Sentinel Triathlon Olympic distance which is a 1 mile ocean swim, a 25 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run. This one is almost one month away and looming large. Everyday that I am out on the road I think about what it will take to finish this at a level that I will be happy with. The problem is, the only reference I have to endurance competition was in my 20’s. I guess I need to re-adjust my expectations on what this 46 year-old body can do. I am also a little late in deciding to do this as I only started training recently. Should be interesting.

Anyway, I talked about taking back control of my body. This is the best way I know how and it does feel good (and soar). Naturally, I am also hoping that the daily gasp for air is disrupting my lung tumors and that getting this fit will push my immune system into overdrive. If not, trust that I am going down swinging!
shocked
Doug on 08.19.06 @ 11:36 AM PST [link]

Thursday, August 17th

Radiation Half Way Point

Today I just finished radiation “ZAP” number six. So that puts me at the half way point. Funny how time flies when you are having a good time. Anyway, you got to celebrate the little things. Right? I am learning to relax better underneath the cage. It has taken a few visits but I think I am getting the hang of it. I try to imagine the radiation killing the tumor and I envision it shriveling, crying, dying, etc.

I have been overdue for a PET scan to measure how the tumors are doing. I decided to push the scan date back to Sept. 12th so to give the radiation a little time to show results. I am not sure how long it takes to know whether it worked. I will see my Oncologist two days later to go over the results and hopefully, something to smile about. He also has the results from a genetic test I did. This test helps to see if my kids are at risk genetically. Anyway, the PET scans seems far away – but time does fly.

Doug on 08.17.06 @ 04:20 PM PST [link]

Tuesday, August 15th

The Good Sugars

8sugars (25k image) In order for cells to develop and remain healthy, they need certain essential nutrients from our diet: 26 different vitamins, 72 or more trace minerals, fatty acids and amino acids and eight essential sugars (recently discovered by science) called saccharides or Glyconutrients. These essential sugars are not the same as table sugar, instead they are nutrient rich carbohydrates that can be found in raw foods.

MIT’s Technology Review listed glycobiology as one of the top 10 technologies that will change the world. They consider glyconutrients one of the most important discoveries in biological science. In 1999, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Dr. Gunter Blobel for his scientific research and work in this new field called Glycobiology. Science magazine in March 2001, dedicated the major part of their issue to summarizing the extensive research now being conducted in Glyconutrients and the potential health benefits.

Unfortunately, only two of these sugars, Glucose and Galactose are found in our modern diet. We lack the other six sugars in our foods because of modern food processing and packaging practices, the growing of crops in mineral depleted soils, early green harvesting of fruits and vegetables, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and preservatives. The six missing sugars are Fucose, Mannose, Glucosamine, Galactosamine, Neuraminic Acid, and Xylose. They are abundant in natural foods such as kelp, aloe vera, medicinal mushrooms, dairy products and many fruits and vegetables. There are about six products on the market for supplementation of glyconutrients. I am taking Mannatech Inc’s product called Ambrotose. I found comparisons and more at this web site.

Scientists are just beginning to figure out that glyconutrients help with immune system response, tissue regeneration, cell replication, and growth and structure stability. In tests conducted at leading institutes around the world, they have been shown to lower cholesterol, increase lean muscle mass, decrease body fat, accelerate wound healing, ease allergy symptoms, and ease autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetes. In cancer patients, they can help with the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. And further research with cancer patients shows that glyconutrient supplements help reduce tumor and the occurrence of metastasis.

If you are interested, there are several books out and many web sites that can give you the details. This information only recently made it into medical textbooks. Meaning that our doctors are not well read on this topic.

Doug on 08.15.06 @ 11:30 PM PST [link]

Monday, August 14th

Sick (because) of the News

The doctors told me that the tumor in my colon took about 6 years to get to stage III. So, as I realized that stress is one of the causes of illnesses such as cancer, I started thinking about what events in my life may have been traumatic back then. Then it came to me that there was a stolen presidential election and the beginnings of war. I wonder, can you sue a president for causing a decline in health?

Now as I try and reduce stress, I find I can no longer read the paper or listen to the radio news. We get both the Contra Costa Times and San Francisco Chronicle. I guess bad news sells better than good news but this is crazy. I try to just skim the headlines so I stay somewhat informed but once I dive deeper into a given article, I get upset.

The health articles seem to be on the top of my list for obvious reasons. Yesterday I was reading an article about a group of Iraq veterans who are sick and believe it is from the Depleted Uranium in the armor of our tanks and other vehicles. Apparently it has greater density than lead so we use it for armor. Unfortunately, it gets airborne and into the soldiers. Then there was the article about how the California farmer is exempt from the clean water legislation and our main rivers are testing for all types of nasty and banned pesticides and other poisons. They are even finding levels of DDT! Of course I went and saw the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” with indisputable facts and data on global warming.

So living in civilization is polluting us and the news on TV, radio and paper is stressing us out. I guess its possible to move to the wilderness and live off the land. It just seems a little extreme. For now I will do my best to avoid the news and do my little part to keep the earth healthy.

Doug on 08.14.06 @ 11:04 AM PST [link]

Thursday, August 10th

Who Is That Masked Man? – Day 1 of Radiation

mask2 (54k image) So many of you “voiced” encouragement for today’s radiation treatment. I want you to know that it helped, and continues to help as I go through this. I brought my camera in and had them take pictures so you can see what it looks like.

On my last visit they built the mask. It is a fiberglass like material that they heat up and press down over your face and shoulders and lock the frame to the table. You have to stay still for several minutes while the mask dries. As it hardens, they push the mask into spaces and indents in your face. When it is done it looks a little like an Egyptian sarcophagus. Actually, that thought crossed my mind today while I was locked in it and I realized the feeling was probably similar to being put in a coffin alive. I remember a CSI episode on TV where that happened to a character – now there is a phobia for you.

Today I tried to relax and think “happy thoughts” as they locked me in and check the five positions that the machine would go through in delivering the radiation. Finally they were set to go and blasted away. The actual radiation was a little anticlimactic. After about 20 minutes total the mask came off and I was free to go. It was a little easier this time and I imagine it will continue to be easier. I return tomorrow at 1:30pm for treatment number 2 of 13.

If it is not too creepy, maybe we can use the mask at my office to hang on the wall so my coworkers can see my face every day! smile
mask3 (49k image)
Doug on 08.10.06 @ 07:01 PM PST [link]

Wednesday, August 9th

Out of Control

I think it is somewhere in your late teens or early twenties where you realize that you are in complete control of your body. You learn that caffeinated drinks will help you stay up for late night studying. You learn that you pay for it in discomfort if you eat too much. And that exercise and working out can bring benefits to your body. But when you have cancer, you give up control on several levels.

Naturally, you follow the doctors’ recommendations. First, there was surgery and recovery. Then you they tell you that chemotherapy is the only option. So you go back to surgery where they place a port in your chest. Chemo is every two weeks and at the end of each dose, as you are just starting to feel better, you have to go back in and have them pour the poison back into you veins. Now it is time for me to go under radiation where I am on another fixed schedule and locked down to a table for more treatments. Out of control again.

So I have decided to try and gain back some control and health of my body. Over the past 10 or more years I have not been exercising to the level I think my body needs. With a busy full-time job, a preteen son and an autistic daughter (who won’t fall asleep until 10:30) to raise, and a wife who also works a busy job, there was no time for workouts. Now with my leave from work, I have no excuse.

Over the past several weeks I have begun working out again. I am not interested in the weight room, my preference is in endurance training. I have started running, swimming and cycling. Hopefully, this will get my body to a health level that will assist it in battling cancer and also give me the psychological edge I need in feeling like I have regained some control.

Doug on 08.09.06 @ 05:38 PM PST [link]

Monday, August 7th

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

me-nick-web (48k image) I opened the paper this weekend and read about the SF Giants losing streak. It reminded me that Nick and I hadn't gone to the park this year to catch a game. Wasn't it John Lennon who said that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans? Seems that we have been so busy this year that we haven't taken time to enjoy ourselves and play a little. The kids usually get booked pretty well in the summer time and they don't get a lot of free "creative" time.

So, I did a quick search on Craig's List and found someone selling their two lower box seats to the game Saturday night. Nick and I headed out on BART, transferred to MUNI and got dropped right at the park. The seats put us right in front of Barry Bonds and a great view of the game. And we brought enough cash to enjoy a couple of burritos, garlic fries, a corn dog, ice cream and a couple of drinks.

The Giants lost again but it really didn't matter. It was great to enjoy a night out at the ball park with my boy.

bonds-web (35k image)
Doug on 08.07.06 @ 08:20 PM PST [link]

Friday, August 4th

The Whole Grain

wholegrain (49k image) In our past discussions on diet, we haven’t spent much time on whole grains and their importance. Up until a year or two ago, the federal government grouped all grains together. So you had refined white bleached flour in the same category with whole grains.

I have known that whole grains were better for me but I wasn’t sure why until I recently read an article explaining it. Whole grains are made of all three parts of a grain kernel: the bran, endosperm and germ. The bran is the coarse, outer layer of the kernel that includes concentrated amounts of several nutrients, including: Fiber, B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid), Minerals (zinc, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and selenium), Protein and Phytochemicals (beneficial chemical compounds). The endosperm is the middle layer and is the only part used for refined white flour. It contains: Carbohydrates, Protein, and small amounts of B vitamins. The germ is packed with nutrients though it is the smallest part of the grain. The germ sprouts into a new plant, so it holds rich supplies of the following nutrients: Minerals, B vitamins, Vitamin E, and Phytochemicals (beneficial chemical compounds).

The health benefits of whole grains come from the whole package, not just the individual parts. The fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals found in whole grains work together to provide energy and good nutrition linked to a collection of disease-fighting benefits.

Two separate studies of women in the ongoing Nurses Health Study at Harvard Medical School found some dramatic benefits. "We find a 30% to 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease associated with at least two or three servings of whole grain each day," says Simin Liu, M.D., A 10-year study of 40,000 women, ages 55 to 69, by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found a death rate 15% to 20% lower among those who consumed at least one serving of whole grains each day.

How do you know if a bread or cereal is really whole grain? Check the label: ingredients are listed by order of volume, so the first one should be whole wheat (or another whole grain). Words like bromated, bleached, unbleached, multigrain, and wheat are misleading. Only "whole wheat" or "100% whole wheat" as the first ingredient is meaningful. Barley and oats are usually whole because they're very hard to separate in the refining process.

Doug on 08.04.06 @ 09:40 PM PST [link]

Wednesday, August 2nd

Losing Part of My Identity

The paperwork is just being finished for my temporary disability leave from the Contra Costa County Office of Education. It has been a real struggle for me to make this decision. Some time ago I posted a list of what the scientists and doctors have concluded to be the cause of cancer. I have tried my best to tackle all of them with the exception of “stress.” Taking a break from work and increasing my exercise routine are the beginning of that effort.

The problem is, I love my work. Not only is the CCCOE a great agency to work for, but my job and members of my team are more than I could ask for. Today, our team had a retreat where we had the opportunity to discuss our responsibilities and expectations of each other. The experience reconfirmed my love for the projects and people around me.

Much of my self-image is tied up in the level I have attained and who I am in my career. I am proud of what I have achieved and what I do. Like retiring, leaving that is like losing a part of my identity. Just another reason why I hope this cancer thing is just a temporary set back.

Doug on 08.02.06 @ 10:36 PM PST [link]

Past Posts

Doug's Battle for Health

Life's too good to leave it unfinished!