The Lysing Experience

                There are no side-effects from taking Protocel®.  Symptoms of the body ridding itself of the lysed matter, however, are common in occurrence.  And although signs that bad cells are being “lysed” away can be numerous, some who have recovered from cancer with Protocel® report having had none at all.  

               Signs of lysing can begin to occur within just days of beginning a Protocel® program. and sometimes within 24 hours.  Not everyone will experience all of these signs, but some that I myself experienced and/or others have also reported, include:

Tiredness and Fatigue.  A very common symptom of lysing, which may begin in the first, second or third week (needing to take an afternoon nap, or falling asleep sitting up if you don’t).
 

Flu-like symptoms.  Aching all over, cold and clammy one minute, fever the next.

Cold Flashes and Hot Sweats.  In my case, the cold flashes were what was so prevalent, and always when I was so exhausted I would have to lie down.  I would crawl in bed and get still, and they would begin.  The hot sweats occurred for me mostly in the early hours of the morning, and didn't last.  (As I describe in "The Breast Stays Put" in Chapter ?)

Bowel movements.  They often become larger than normal, in both in size and quantity.  And often become  paste-like in consistency.  And one thing commonly heard from Protocel® users is that a yellowish film tends to form on the bowl, causing the bowls to need cleaning more often.

Constipation can be an issue.  One caution is that a person not let themselves get constipated.   Having a mild herbal formula laxative on hand is a good idea, and the one I used from the beginning the throughout my recovery was an "herbal bowel-normalizer."   You just don’t want to allow yourself to become constipated, because most people report this is one area where they can determine without question that lysing is occurring.  In addition, people report toilet bowls need cleaning much more often, as the lysed matter has a tendency to create a film on the bowl. 

Diarrhea.  It can come and go, sometimes being bouts of water-like evacuations, which do seem to soon return to normal.

Nasal drainage.  Sinuses can begin to drain; sometimes to the point where people to have to carry a box of tissues around with them. 

Sneezing.   Bouts of brief non-stop sneezing can occur. 

Ear wax and ear involvement.   Ear wax, and my left ear/sinus canal were where I personally experienced quite a challenge.   Increasing Phyto-Bio-Forte Enzymes, using a product called Xlear Nasal & Sinus Spray (pronounced “Clear”) made up of tea tree oils and saline solution (my massage therapist makes her own) alleviated the problem more than anything else I did. Visit www.Xlear.com or it can also be purchased at www.vitacost.com.

Hair can require shampooing much more often.  Even people who wash their hair daily report noticing their hair has become limp; doesn't want to “do anything”; and shows signs of being “oily” sometimes within just hours of showering and blow-drying. 

Bubbles and/or foam in the urine.  The occurrence of foam or bubbles floating on the water in the toilet didn't begin to occur until months after beginning Protocel®. However, others have reported it starting within days of beginning Protocel®. In my situation it even continued long after the cancer was gone.  Which we can only assume meant lysed cells were still being processed out of the body for months after recovering from the diagnosis.  Lysed cells in urine can also cause toilet bowls needing to be brushed much more often. 

Urine discoloration.  Also urine can become brownish or have a bit of an orange cast to it.  (Caution:  This can also be a sign be a sign of dehydration and inadequate water intake should be considered.) 

Traveling pains.  Pains, sometimes pulsating, that occur randomly throughout the body are a very common sign of lysing.  Some speculate the pains can be tied to lymph node involvement, as the little “processing plants” throughout the body are processing dead lysed cells out of the body. I experienced these pains throughout my recovery.  Mine seemed to be “just under the skin,” in unusual places such as: the side of my wrist, the top of my forearm, in my ear cartilage, the outer side of my little finger, the inside arch of my foot.  Pulsating, sharp, sometimes stabbing and piercing, but yet not what I would call "painful."  I often wondered if they were similar to what Fibromyalgia would feel like.

Sharp, shooting, electrical type pulsating, sometimes sharp, pains.   I experienced these the most with cold flashes.  When I would be so cold that I would have to lie down, as soon as I stopped "they" started.  And usually they ran up and down my back on both side of my spine. 
 

Traveling “itching.”  Recently one successful Protocel® user told me that she experienced what I did in traveling pains, only rather than little “pains” she experienced “itching.”   And since both “travel” –which mean they appear here and there, on an off, “traveling pains” are not in any way create misery or are severe.  As neither was this woman’s “traveling itching.”  

Vomiting.  In my case, once again, I experienced severe vomiting after having “power dosed” for longer than I should have.  Although, I will add, (as I cover a little later in this appendix) unlike me, there are people who can go up to 1/3 tsp. of Protocel and remain on it with no problems.

Fever.  Just exactly what a fever is.  The core body temperature goes up.  I’ve never heard anyone say it went to a count that was concerning, and like other things.  The fevers I’ve heard about tend to come and go.     

          With it being so evident how hard the body goes to work to rid itself of lysed dead matter, it’s easy to see why using Willard Water to assist in this process can be so beneficial to anyone taking Protocel®.    

                   (With regard to exhaustion, weight gain and someone looking so “rough”—most people actually look “BETTER” on Protocel® after the first few months.  And I don’t recall a conversation where anyone claimed to have experienced same level exhaustion like I did.  The first three months were, by far, the worst for me; but even after that, I continued to be tired.  My experience was not the norm.  The pieces to the puzzle did eventually come together and the story surrounding it is told in my book, “The Breast Stays Put.”  In my case, there were extenuating circumstances—all of which probably, in one way or another, contributed to my being diagnosed with breast cancer in the first place.  And the one clue I had that I was not “losing ground” was the persistent pesky weight gain.  People losing a battle with cancer typically don’t gain weight, and I have only talked to two others who felt they had gained weight while on Protocel®.  As soon as I stopped taking Protocel® my weight leveled off and I eventually went below what I had weighed when I started on Protocel®) 

                          Fatigue or Even Exhaustion

         Throughout my story the one fact that didn’t ever change was that I was tired.  However, I did state, that although people get “tired” and tired is good while on Protocel®, I didn’t think, as a rule, that it was normal for people to be as tired as I was, or stay that way.  And, I was right.  The iodine deficiency, low thyroid issues played a huge role in my remaining tired when for most people the fatigue can go away after the first few months, to be experienced on an off later.  And most people don’t tend to have the degree of fatigue I experienced, either.   

         When someone has had a lumpectomy, or a mastectomy, the majority of the cancer is already gone.  In that situation Protocel® is then only dealing with any left-over, renegade cells that may be lurking in the breast or the lymph system and therefore the body has a much easier job, since in that case it has so little “die-off” of cells to deal with and dispose of.   And, the same would go for those who might come to Protocel® who have already had a mastectomy and chemo, and are basically “in remission” and want to use Protocel® to pro-actively prevent a recurrence. 

          A version of breast cancer that is slow growing is another situation where one might experience less of a degree of fatigue.

          In fact, in all of the above described situations, where someone may have so few cancer cells, or they are very slow growing and therefore may lyse more slowly, these people may never feel any tiredness at all.      

                        The Wacky Lymphatic System
 

      What a “wonder” the lymphatic system is in the body!  An internal evacuation route consisting of vessels and a ton of lymph nodes designed to filter toxins and waste out of the body.  Lymph nodes, like tiny “processing plants” are what the body uses to rid itself of undesirables right down to the cellular level.
           One fact that I would have normally said, “blew me away”  (except I stopped saying that, lest one day I be)—that I found rather astounding is that the lymph system has ten times (is it 10?)times the fluid than the body has blood.  Aren’t you amazed by that?  Well, wait—there’s more!  Get this:  Unlike the heart, the lymphatic system has no pump!  So how’s that stuff supposed to move around?   Naturally—I have a theory. 
          When God was creating the human body and they got around to the lymph system and the Lord called out “Pump!”—the guy in charge of putting it together must have thought He said, “jump” so that’s what he did.  And, if that weren’t problematic enough, when he did, he probably got the clever idea to install the “door” mechanism on each lymph node on the top, thinking since there would be no “pumping” why not take advantage of the “jumping” and install a trap door on the top of each node as an ideal way to get the lymph fluid out of each node.  (No?  Well, I thought it worked.  Corny, but you get the point.)
           No joke!  The body uses the lymph system to rid itself of toxins, but the way to make that happen at peak efficiency is the body has to bounce.  Whichthat ain’t gonna happen unless you jump   (See?  Makes my “pump-jump” theory not so much of a stretch now, huh?), squat or reach!    And you can also find a massage therapist who specialized in deep tissue lymphatic massage if you’re into pain.  (I say that in gest!  It does involve some pain, but it hurts so good, when you reap the benefits!)   The lymphatic massage,  in and of itself, is not painful.  It’s the “deep tissue” massage technique that can be. 
          On a visit to see Josh and Randi, in New York City, I also had a massage at "Exhale," a New York City experience not to be missed.  On Central Park South.  www.exhalespa.com, twelve thousand square feet of dreamy relaxation, overlooking Central Park--this is the ultimate pampering splurge!  And Laina, the manager, sees to it everyone's experience leaves them longing to return. 
          I thought this one would be a great relaxing massage, until Paul, the masseur, who incidentally is almost completely blind (and you would NEVER know it)  said, “It can be relaxing, if you’d like, but I really am into “deep tissue” lymphatic massage and gage it to your tolerance level
 if you feel it becomes painful.  So I gave him free reign, and he was right up there with those fingertip techniques, just like Bambi.   These people are so good at what they do, but when dealing with cancer, your massage therapist must know that if cancer is involved they must be very gentle around the area involved. 

                                        Bounce—Squat—Reach

     From what I understand, the most effective route to bouncing and engaging your lymph system is through jumping on a rebounder, which is a mini-size portable trampoline.  And a lot of people who are on Protocel use them.  They can cost from $100 to $250 for a good one, they are low impact, all have the “stabilizer-bar” feature for safety and are fun to do.  And some even fold up for traveling or to be stored under a bed.   The thing to look for is a quality spring.  There are various types that can be purchased on the Internet.  Mine was purchased off a TV infomercial at right around $100, (payable in three easy payments, of course.)  And it has served me well.  It’s a ton of fun and great for the cardiovascular system and a myriad of other health benefits.

     And, if the rebounder is out of the question, just standing and holding onto the refrigerator door, going up and down from the ball of your foot and up onto your toes, and back down to your heels has much the same effect. 

     Our Naturopath, Bridget, before she got Willie off all of the heart meds that were making him sick and sapping him of energy, said for him—10 or 15 seconds at a time was where she wanted to start in the beginning.  So don’t feel like this is an endurance thing.  Just doing it several times throughout the day for as long as you feel comfortable can be beneficial. 

      And, my massage therapist, Bambi (I know—she says it’s why she doesn’t advertise.  “Do you know what kind of calls I’d get advertising as a massage therapist with a name like Bambi?”)  who I have also been known to call “The Queen of Pain” due to her deep lymphatic tissue massage finger skills, shared with me that “reaching,” like you are picking fruit (which our ancestors used to have to do to get it) works the lymph system, and so does squatting.  In fact, she said, the pressure that squatting puts in the groin area, where there is a concentrated amount of lymph nodes is excellent for stimulating the lymph system to flush out toxins.

     So you see?  Some or all of these techniques can and should be utilized by Protocel users on a daily basis to assist the body in ridding itself of lysed material.  Especially, since it’s been said that Ed Sopcak was often heard to say, “Killing the cancer isn’t the problem.  Getting the dead cells out of the body can be.” 

     Reach—Bounce—Squat.  Good for what ails ya! 

            To be continued . . .