Fri 16 Jan : The Mexican health experience has come to an end... today is the last day in Tijuana after 5 weeks. Tomorrow morning early we get a ride to San Diego airport. Home, sweet home. We are really looking forward to go home. This morning around 6:00am my last IV bag was empty and they pulled out the IV line in my chest. I have a sense of freedom. I can have a proper shower. Today is also packing day. We have to pack 4 suitcases. Half of them with vitamin supplements. It is going to be fun with custom. Eileen has been so busy shopping for my medications (see photo). There are so many pharmacies in town and the prices change so much from place to place. You can also make deals if you know how... Eileen needs no teaching !!!   We have met so many cancer patients over the last few weeks and exchanged our experiences. I guess because of our decision to be in charge and on top of my therapies we always look first at how aware they are of their situation and how much they know of what is available out there. For this reason we have added an introduction to the diary that you may enjoy. It was needed since we have opened the Website to other cancer patients as it has become a good source of information on alternative treatments. How do I feel after all this ???   Well, what I can tell you is that the level of stress I had is gone down. I am very relaxed, maybe too relaxed, if there is such a thing. I know that now I get hot flashes whenever I encounter a situation (or maybe this means that I have menopause ??? ;-)   We will need another CT scan in a few weeks. I still have a continual urge to use of the toilet (somewhat I have got used to it). As long as something comes out, I don't have to worry about it, and feel rewarded. I have the last Hyperbaric Chamber session (16th treatment). The discharge report is ready.

Thu 15 Jan : The bowel was ok until evening... then too loose again. Hopefully it will get better tomorrow. We have to fly in 2 days. I have another Hyperbaric Chamber session (15th treatment). The count down for the IV is on... the last one will run overnight. A day of rest, just stayed in the room and looked into preparing next week program (WEEK 15). My daily intake of pills has passed the 40 barrier and I am not mentioning the teas and tinctures... I am just a living pharmacy. For one that never used pills in his life is a bit of a quick catch up.

Wed 14 Jan : A lovely sunny day and my bowel is quiet this morning. I have an Hyperbaric Chamber session (14th treatment). I have some appetite at lunch time... fresh salad and some vegy rice... I have a bit too much of it and the afternoon digestion is long and gassy. This is my last chance to have a visit of Revolution Avenue. We take a taxi. Taking one of those station wagon that collects customers at every corner is an experience on its own. Still is a better way then taking buses. Once there Eileen can show me around. She is now an experienced guide and many retailers remember her from her last visit. She manages to have her first Marguerita (see photo) and for the best deal available. She is compelled to buy another suitcase for our return. She is not sure if it will be for medications or margaritas. The list of medication we are taking home is endless and we are short of space. We had only left with two cases. Now we are at four plus carry on's. I have to skip dinner and just have some broth.

Tue 13 Jan : Another day of diarrhoea... I have to use remedies to halt it. I have an Hyperbaric Chamber session (13th treatment). One hour in the chamber is not easy today. At dinner I go for rice mixed with a little steamed vegy. The rice seems to be the best thing for me in this circumstances. We had our final meeting with Dr. Henriquez to discuss our follow up program at home. It is too early for him to give an evaluation on any improvements the treatment may have made. It will take up to six weeks for any noticeable effect in response of IBC therapies. In the meantime we will continue with our program.

Mon 12 Jan : Big bowel movement this morning without the help of an enema. On schedule at 10:00am I am in for the Hyperbaric Chamber session (12th treatment). I start Week 14. I got the CEA result: 33.8 ug/L... was 37.8 ug/L... this means that it is GONE DOWN... even if is not much but it is a sign in the right direction. We will have to wait until we are back in Canada and have a new blood from the same lab to really know what my CEA result is. I still have problems with my stomach and can eat very little. I still don't have my appetite back. In the afternoon the diarrhoea is back. At least I get a sense of relief from the constipation. My spirit is up again and I am looking forward to our return home.

Sun 11 Jan : A day off, off of my teas. I start the extended IV program (same as the other weeks) that will last until Thursday. I start with the 250 ml. at 6:00am, at 8:00am I only have one little bag that only lasts 30 min. The next IV will be this evening (1000 ml) and run through the night. This new program will allow me to have the day without the IV and be able to walk out for some fresh air during the day. I am a little better today, and I have less discomfort with my stomach too. I still sleep most of the day... and then I am fully awake in the evening to watch a movie. Eileen, while I am napping on and off, manages to go out in the afternoon with a new patient, Tammy, to visit the famous Revolution Avenue in downtown Tijuana (see photo). Eileen is in her elements with all the shops and market stalls that are there. She decides the price on the basis of what she thinks the item is worth. Many of you have been in Mexico and know what it is like having everyone after you to sell you something. Poverty is surely an element that you can really touch here.

Sat 10 Jan : Another enema. I still can't get my bowls in order. I am ok at first but as soon as I get up and start drinking my flush drink my stomach is upset again . I feel my energy level really low and my mood goes down, really down. I drag myself to the Hyperbaric Chamber session (11th treatment). After this we go for a walk. More than a walk is a stroll to the nearest stretch of green (very poor example of city public park). Once back and reconnected to my IV, I was sleeping most of the day. For lunch and dinner I have only a little fresh mixed salad. Now that they banned also tomatoes from my diet, the salads look even duller. Eileen has been busy all day working on the list we received today of medication I will have to continue to take for the next 6 months at the very least. So life back home will be with more 4 time, 3 times, 2 twice a day pills and their number has doubled too, plus some injections once a week. I am down today... did I mention that ???   Before the end of the day I have a good bowl movement.

Fri 9 Jan : The day had to start with an enema. The constipation feeling is back. I am better at holding inside the chamomile tea for 15 minutes keeping my mind focused on a nice classic music channel. I feel tired. The blood test that was taken yesterday is back (Hematology and Chemistry - CEA is missing until next week). I am still anemic and this time I can really feel it. I receive the seventh chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU 250 mg. dose). This is the last one. I had my taste of chemo and believe me, it is not pleasant. I am scared to think what the full dose would do to me. I have Hyperbaric Chamber session (10th treatment). We see again Dr. Henriquez for our famous more questions... more about the blood work and what is next for me. The 21 days program finishes tomorrow and since we have to stay here for another week I can take more IVs. It makes sense but on a second thought I realize that I have to be living with the needle another week. I feel pulled to the edge by everything. Have you ever felt that way ???   The doctor talks about us returning in 4/6 months for a week booster. We will have to think about that.

Thu 8 Jan : Its time to meet my Mexican Doctor: Dr. Jose A. Henriquez M.D. (see photo). Today I had a physical examination. He confirmed my theory... I am not sick, I only have cancer. He could not report anything abnormal in the physical examination. The rectal examination can't reach the tumor (it is located 15 cm. from the anus) and did not find anything else to report. Our consultation was cut short by the Hyperbaric Chamber session (9th treatment). We still have questions. Today my stomach is still upset. The fever is gone at record time. I only had my green drink (vegy proteins, vitamins and minerals) for breakfast and lunch. At lunch I added a little Wild Rice. That is all I could eat. By the time of dinner I feel I little better and go for more brown rice with boiled vegy. We finally have the date of our flight back to Canada: Jan 17. On Friday Jan 16 my IBC Dendritic Cell Vaccine will be delivered to me at the hospital... then I am a free man.

Wed 7 Jan : I have little energy today. I skip the morning walk. Yesterday Eileen posed as the Queen of the Elephants (see photo). The Mexicans love the circus... especially kids. I feel sleepy all day and with no appetite. My stomach is upset. I can hardly eat lunch. At dinner I only have a cup of broth and my stomach is really sick. The nurse gives me some antacids. All the sadden I feel really lousy and cold. I shiver. I can't get warm not even under the blanket. We check my temperature... has jumped to 38.5 C. I have a full sweat from 5:00 to 10:00pm. I can't remember when I had my last fever. I am sick as a dog. My head is pounding and I snooze on and off. We refuse medications for the fever as we feel that we have to let the immune system work. I receive the fifth chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU 250 mg. dose) and we think this could be the cause of the fever. Today I have another Hyperbaric Chamber session (8th treatment).

Tue 6 Jan : Last night I had one more treatment. Bovine live cells (placenta, umbilical cord and thymus) are injected intramuscularly (see photo - I hate needles!!!). The treatment is aimed at a combination of regeneration, endocrinological stabilization (hormonal harmonizing) and in general helping to place body chemistry in balance without affecting or damaging normal function. Today I have another Hyperbaric Chamber session (7th treatment). I receive the forth chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU 250 mg. dose)

Mon 5 Jan : The day had to start with another enema... you know me... I hate them. But when you need one, you need one !!!   That really helped. The problem is that after you are left with a lot of stimulus and have to go very often and for very little at the time. I felt playing safe and had only a liquid breakfast and our walk. A nice ritual to walk out in the streets of Tijuana. We hear the news of the temperature back home and it is not that inviting (-30). Walking around makes everything more familiar as the days go by. The people here are very friendly (the Latino nature) and you are always welcome with a smile wherever you go. You just have to get used to the taxies hungry for business and honking at you all the time. After the walk I was back to my duties... nurse Betty (see photo) started the IBC Ultraviolet Irradiation of the blood treatment. A pint of blood is let out in a bag and then is returned into the vein after having being treated with Ultraviolet Irradiation in a special box (see photo - this pic will also go in my "self-portrait collection"). I always have plenty of data for you to read: click here for Ultraviolet Irradiation article. For lunch I only had a fresh salad. I passed on the steamed vegy and Wild Rice. Still for the same breakfast considerations. Eileen has been busy trying to get a date for the delivery of the IBC Dendritic Cell Vaccine. My blood was sent to the lab that prepares the vaccine December 22 and the vaccine should return next week. As soon as we receive it we can flight back to Canada. I receive the third chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU 250 mg. dose). I start Week 13 (IBC Hospital & Liver Detox - 5-9 Jan, 2004).

Sun 4 Jan : It is like I had a delayed effect to the Whole-Body Hyperthermia. Yesterday I was all awake... and today I feel the effect of a post anesthesia. After breakfast and a walk, I was snoozing all the way to lunch. Then again snoozing all afternoon. Constipation hit me again. I had to beg for an enema in the afternoon. Some solid stuff (like mortar) came out and then I got some rest. Sundays are quiet. Not too much staff/doctors are around and the patients don't have treatments with the exception of the IV's. After all that sleeping in the day and off the IV's at midnight we went out for some fresh air.

Sat 3 Jan : I had a good sleep. I can tell that was also because of yesterday sedation. After breakfast and a little walk, I was back into the Hyperbaric Chamber (6th treatment). We finally managed to talk to Dr. Henriquez. Next Monday I will have IBC Ultraviolet Irradiation of the blood (about one hour treatment). During the week I will have injection of IBC Live Cell Therapy. (I already forgot the details about it). As for the chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU) 500 mg. were administerd in each Whole-Body Hyperthermia, now he is thinking to give me another 250 mg. a day for 5 days. This is a very low dosage so I should be safe from side effects. The only marks on my body are the two small holes at the top of my legs (see photo) that allow the insert of tubes into my arteries and veins. The blood flows out of my body into the heat exchange machine and then back into my body through the other hole. The holes are about 1/8 of an inch.

Fri 2 Jan : At 9:00am I was in the surgical room for the Whole-Body Hyperthermia. My second one. I stil did not manage to see Dr. Henriquez as I was under anesthetic by the time he arrived into the room. All went well and one hour after my return into the room I was awake and feeling good. This time I recoup much faster and the catheter did not irritate me. I woke up in time for my steamed vegy. These day I have a good appetite that could go well beyond what I am allowed to eat. After dinner I went back to my snoozing on and off.

Thu 1 Jan : HAPPY NEW YEAR - it sure felt like it this morning. Even though I had the same routines we took it easy. We had a nice long walk and started late with the IVs. Tomorrow I am back in the surgical room for my second Whole-Body Hyperthermia and again I will be knocked out with sedation all day. A doctor last night mentioned that it wouldn't be has hard the second time around. I will be getting a second dose of chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU). In the end here they have utilized alternative, traditional and innovative technology. It takes 3 weeks for the treatment and another 3 weeks to see results as the this is the time cycle of cells.

Wed 31 Dec : I did not get a proper sleep. I slept but I am not rested. I have to urinate several times in the night. I had my fifth session of Hyperbaric Chamber to oxygenate my blood. I slept the entire session. That helped forgetting the confined space. We did not see Dr. Henriquez today. He was around but we did not manage to talk to him... and then he was gone. This means more questions by email. We still have questions for him on IBC Live Cell Therapy and IBC Ultraviolet Irradiation of the blood. Eileen is taking Acupuncture. A Korean practitioner is part of the hospital staff. He also offers Acusuction. The suction is done on the back of the shoulders to extract clots of blood... or at least is what we have understood. Eileen is quite brave and had 3 treatments this week. After all my duties and off the IV for the night we managed to go out for a walk and a New Year's drink. We picked La Razza Bar located in walking distance from the hospital. A very typical Mexican bar with a look of the 60s and a dance floor in the middle of the room. Shirley and husband Deryl (he had arrived from Canada to be part of Gails' cremation) joined us. In the photo you can see Eileen and all having Mexican cervezza (beer). I just get to be the "dry" photographer... ;-)

Tue 30 Dec : Gail did not make it... we had sensed this was coming, but one can always hope for a miracle right up until the end. Eileen and I have plenty of memories of our own on the subject (Randy & Cora). We are so happy to have walked on their path and helped them make some important decisions, like moving into this hospital and get proper care and focus on enjoying these last moments. They were also going to Dr. Castillo clinic and they had started a few days before us. Also for them the answer wasn't there. IBC doctors and staff made the difference for Gail situation. Gail had no intention to go... she had kept talking for days about going back to Canada... then slowly the illness (cancer) took over. Her daughters will take her ashes back to Canada. I am working away. I always set my office in the most strange places (see photo). New blood work is ready: Hematology and Chemistry. It shows that I am back to be a little anemic, and that was expected because of the Whole-Body Hyperthermia. My dinner was great... steamed broccoli... and steamed fish. Eileen knows how to add flavor with saltless spices and liquid aminos. My appetite is good. On another topic My testicle skin peeled off like over roasted turkey. A direct effect of Whole-Body Hyperthermia along with a burning sensation when urinating. For now this is all I can report. But then on Friday I get the same treatment and we will see. Monday I had a chamomile enema done by a nurse and really loosen me up. I seated all day on the toilet and today the same. So here is the dilemma: constipation or diarrhea ? What is best to wish ? ;-)

Mon 29 Dec : A good night sleep for both of us... in fact we were waken up by the nurse with breakfast... it is some sort of hotel life. The kind of "take it easy" we needed. And at the same time, get well !!! Not just me. Eileen looks better and better. We did not see Dr. Henriquez today. He was too busy with new patients and Whole-Body Hyperthermia... but he responds very well to our emails. I prepared more documentation online on another treatment I am under, the IBC Dendritic Cell Vaccine. When I was admitted in this hospital plenty of blood was taken from me (see photo). Over a dozen of vials of blood to create a vaccine from my blood to fight the cancer cells. Please read the article clicking here to understand a little more. I had my third session of Hyperbaric Chamber to oxygenate my blood. I get every day plenty of intravenous fluids. A full litre in one bag and several small ones. They are pumping me up for next Friday second Whole-Body Hyperthermia. After breakfast we had again a walk around the block before I got hooked back to my intravenous. We will try to keep this up as it makes us feel very well. I start Week 12 (IBC Hospital Therapy & Kidney Cleanse - 29 Dec-3 Jan, 2004).

Sun 28 Dec : A day off... or sort of. No teas today is enough to make the day off. I still have the intravenous treatment going on. We just did the right thing this morning. With Eileen help I managed a shower and then before they connected the intravenous line we were off for a walk. A nice walk in the sun around the block. Guess what gets me right away ??? The smell of food. Here in Tijuana is full of restaurants and small cafe with a lot of local specialties. The smell is so appealing to me. We found this restaurant frying on the street with large copper pots full of oil. They were frying pig: "carnitas" (see photo). The old me would have dared to taste it. Eileen is lucky in the sense that she always had a delicate stomach and only home made food agrees with her. All my life I had the feeling that my body could take anything and also I have been exposed to so much ethnic food... all this is not easy to forget.

Sat 27 Dec : I had a good night sleep interrupted only by my needs to urinate. It was the heavy sleep you get after a sedation. I am taking the day slowly. I still am very sleepy. We have been on the terrace of IBC hospital to enjoy a little sun... the wind was very cold, and the view of Tijuana (see photo). The city is surrounded by hills and most houses are built on these slops. I have now a week to recoup from Whole-Body Hyperthermia. The next and last will be next Friday.

Fri 26 Dec : Whole-Body Hyperthermia is scheduled for today. I had to fast since midnight and wasn't allowed even to drink water. At 9:30 I was in the operating room. There were plenty of machines for the procedure. As soon as the anesthetic was administered I was gone. The treatment was 5 hours... and I needed 6 hours to wake up after wards. Eileen smile was my welcome. My first instinct was to ask for dinner... the usual steamed vegy and then walked in the corridor, back and forth to help the digestion. I went back to bed. I could feel the effect of the anesthetic... and they said that this was a light sedation. I am scared to think what would have been an heavy sedation. I asked the nurse to remove the catheter. I hate catheters with all my heart. They leave me with a burning sensation that stays with me even when it is removed.

Thu 25 Dec : MERRY CHRISTMAS - BUON NATALE - Best wishes to all. Everyone is celebrating today and we send our warm thoughts to you all wherever you are. Eileen is all pumped up for the day. Make up and all. She looks beautiful... but that is not difficult at all for her. We made a few calls to the one's we could reach. The difference in time with Europe is even greater then P.A. Tomorrow I will be sedated and out of commission all day for the Whole-Body Hyperthermia. We managed a Xmas supper with other patients (see photo). The hospital has accommodation for relatives next to the hospital and there Shirley and Eileen prepared a proper Xmas dinner. Organic free range Turkey, Vegy only stuffing, steamed Vegy, mixed Green Salad, Potatoes, Wine and Panettone for dessert. Don't worry I only had steamed vegy and potatoes followed by a slice of Panettone. Eileen had a couple of glasses of Red Wine. She really needed a reward.

Wed 24 Dec : Xmas has arrived... a nice Xmas tree (8' tall) in the hospital corridor is a nice reminder. The hospital is very small (just over a dozen rooms) and this accounts for the nice atmosphere. The staff don't have too many patients to look after. Right now they don't have too many patients checked in. This time of the year you are here only if you have an emergency. I am feeling always a little better. The new routine agrees with me. My morning blood pressure is on average 100/60. My norm when I am relaxed. I really enjoy that I don't have to travel motel to hospital anymore. I also realize that I can't take any stress right now. I need rest... and lots of it. I have seen Dr. Henriquez and we discussed the upcoming Whole-Body Hyperthermia scheduled for Dec 26. I will be sedated and my blood will be made circulating outside my body through a closed circuit device. The blood will circulate with the help of a pump through a heat exchange unit. The heat will be transferred to the blood and then recirculated into the body. My blood temperature will be raised to a constant plateau that lasts 60 to 90 minutes at a temperature of 42 C. (108 F.). This procedure will emulate a fever to help my body fight cancer cells. In a very simple way is what I was doing with the very hot evening baths but the result is so different. Because of my advanced tumor in the colon a drastic measure will be added. Chemotherapy (Fluorouracil or 5FU) will be added to the process. This process allows the addition of low doses of chemotherapy or radiations and in combination provides valid results. Click here to read a nice article on the subject. I had my second session with Elias Gutierrez and the Hyperbaric Chamber (see photo) to oxygenate my blood. This is another way to promote the activity of my immune system. I look like an astronaut (see photo) on a mission to Mars. It is a strange feeling to be enclosed in this tight space. All you can do is relax and try to nap. Since I was not going to have it on Xmas day Eileen managed to have my time extended. I wished she did not do that... I had reached my limit on regular time... and if a need of space kicks in, you are lost... not to mention my frequent corporal needs. Hyperbaric oxygenation was one of the banned technics used by pro cyclist at the Tour the France. After this I was back in my room for the intravenous treatment. One of the bag lasts almost 12 hours... and I like to be done before I go to bed. Our Christine emailed us my 11 December CEA result. With a value of 82.7 ug/L it shows a precise slow down in growth...
11 Dec increase 5.8 ug/L
25 Nov increase 15.5 ug/L
10 Nov increase 17.5 ug/L
23 Oct increase 14.7 ug/L
4 Sep increase 19 ug/L since 13 Mar
The Tijuana CEA results are very different. They advised us that a change of lab may cause different results. In just a week we had two made and the the results are so different. The First was 137 ug/L and now its 37.8 ug/L. In any case we enjoyed the PA news as it may be the beginning of a tuning point. Hope, as they say, is always the last to die. For an overview of the treatment I am receiving at IBC hospital, click HERE and for my Week 11 click HERE.

Tue 23 Dec : I had some good sleep. Broken by my needs for toilet. The new diet regime is working. I get very loose bowl movements and very often. I don't pass to much at one time. This morning my anus wasn't as sore as in the past days. A constant pulsing sensation/discomfort is now always with me (the bloody colon tumor is taking too much room). I was up at 7:00am. This week I am on the liver cleanser program as well as IBC program. Dr. Henriques came to check on me. We definitively like his manners with patients. Even with my liver tumors still growing my liver functionality tests are still normal with the exception of LD and GGT that the doctor says shows infection activity. The CEA is not ready yet to show us what happened with the cancer cells in one week. New to me is the Hyperbaric Chamber. My entire body is enclosed in a confined space and pressure is applied. Just like when you do snorkeling in the sea or take a plane. This technique increases oxygenation of the blood. After this is xrays of my chest and abdomen. My schedule is very busy today. I had to see another doctor (Dr. Salvador Chavarin M.D., see photo) for a live blood test (HLB). He takes a couple of drops of blood from the tip of my little finger and spreads the blood onto a microscope glass. He showed my blood cells on a large computer screen... and started talking about the lack of enzymes and vitamins... too much for me at once. I leave his office with two color printouts of my blood. I have to wait for Dr. Henriques to make some light on all of this. Eileen went to Henry's supermarket to shop for our Xmas lunch. She purchased PANETTONE... I can have one slice for dessert on Xmas day   :-)

Mon 22 Dec : Life at IBC hospital its not so bad. Staff are nice, friendly and helpful. We met Dr. Jose Henriquez M.D. to present my case. As you know we have plenty of documentation. He very patiently listened to my health and medical history. We really appreciated seen him taking his own notes. Our first impression is that he is very focused. This is very promising. He made a general outline of the program I will follow. Today we had to deal with the administrative side of things (Mrs. Sorocco Gonzales). We loved dealing with her and we felt understood as well as helped. We were lucky to get her since she is on holiday for two weeks and came in on her day off just to drop off something. The day was the typical hospital day with nurses coming and going in our room taking vital statistics. An intravenous line was inserted into my chest (see photo) to facilitate the absorption of the various treatments. I still don't have a detailed list of my program. I guess will be tomorrow. In the afternoon we had another visit. This time was the nutritionist (Mrs. Maria del Refugio Gonzales). We discussed with her my diet during my stay at the hospital. The freedom of the last few days is over. We are back to a very restricted diet to help the colon have an easy life. We explained what we had done since mid October... and she made several suggestions on how to improve the current situation. I have not really talked about our lodging. I am checked in the hospital and I have a room with two beds... the second patient is Eileen ;-)   We made a little adjustment in the room and transformed the room into a Double Room... our beds are next to one another. Remember that no matter what, we are not going to be apart !!!   I had to send Eileen away for lunch as I wanted her to enjoy a free diet... and I did not want anything in sight that could compete with my steamed vegy. I did the same for dinner... naturally Eileen returned from her dinner telling me that her "free diet" dinner wasn't that good. I am not going to believe that. I want her to relax, now that they are taking care of us and the kitchen staff will also prepare the morning drinks part of our previous program. Gail is doing much better. The sign of pain on her face are gone. We all feel on the right track. I start Week 11 (IBC Hospital Therapy & Liver Detox - 22-27 Dec, 2003).

Sun 21 Dec : We have moved... we are now in Tijuana at IBC hospital. We moved this morning. A van of the hospital came to collect us. Gail and Karen came too. It is so nice to see Gail receiving the proper care that she needs. Our luggages are growing. We had to buy another case to fit all the extra kitchen stuff we had to buy for our motel life. IBC hospital is very nice. With very good staff and very clean. The doctor on duty did my admission and I am on a steady intravenous line... to continue my Vitamin B17 along with minerals, etc. Tomorrow morning we will have a proper consultation to finalize my program. The day was good. We were very relaxed. We arrived in time to try IBC hospital restaurant. They run an organic food restaurant and they are carefully tailoring the menu to the various patients needs. I had assorted steamed vegy for lunch and dinner. They have a little lunch room with a few tables with two windowed walls looking onto the garden. Beautiful trees are the main view. I was weighted today and I am 67 kg. It is not easy to compare weight changes when you change scale. Eileen gave me an enema this morning (this is the first time I managed to have one in the morning) and really needed it. I was feeling really stuffed up. My hemorrhoids are a little better today. I only went once today after the morning enema... and then was only a feeling (hemorrhoids/tumor)... there was nothing left to expel. Xmas is getting very close... being so warm here and so sunny you just can't tell that is that time of the year. This far we are very happy with our decision and we will soon tell you more of the cutting hedge therapies that IBC Hospital provides. Passing the border I lost my Ricochet Net connection as well as At&T GPRS Net connection. Fortunately IBC hospital has its own wireless high speed Net connection that patients can use for their laptops. I could write a book on remote Internet connection...

Sat 20 Dec : After another day of discussing my options we found another clinic, IBC Hospital and we decided to switch. Eileen managed to meet Larry, a NASA engineer (see photo), that has his sister inlaw having treatment at this clinic. I went for the treatment at Dr. Castillo clinic and Eileen went on an explorative visit of IBC. For the one that knows Eileen... this would not be a surprise. She is a woman of action. While a lot of people seam very happy with what Dr. Castillo has to offer. We felt the need of a more personal and aggressive therapy. At Dr. Castillo clinic we had to say goodbye to Dr. Rubio that has made such a good impression on us. We thanked him for his services and courtesy. Back in Prince Albert I have really got accustomed to the caring manners of Dr. Randy Friesen... if we can't stop the tumor, we will need his surgical skills. Eileen came to collect me at the clinic and we went to IBC for a consultation with Dr. Javiier Vazques M.D. We will move tomorrow into IBC Hospital and there I will start the program on Monday (21 days...non stop). As we told you before everything goes so fast here. We are in the capital of the Mexican health treatment alternatives... Tijuana. With its 200+ clinics deserves the title. More details on my new therapy in the next few days. Someone else that we met at Castillo clinic and is critically ill and in need of 24 hour care is also moving to this hospital... Gail (the ill mother... Colon cancer and 65 yrs.. old) and her two daughters Shirley and Karen... a nice Canadian family going through the struggle of illness. There are more Canadians at IBC. After all we will still have some sort of Canadian Xmas. As long as I can have Eileen with me... I am willing to try anything.

Fri 19 Dec : My spirit is up again. Last night we started using a cream for my hemorrhoids a I had a more serene night... very loving. Another great supper... steamed scallops and greens. I surely love my food. Every day I manage to connect to the net in the morning and do some work while Eileen is still sleeping and then some more in the afternoon after my nap. We finally sort of found our pace, a very slow one. I still need a lot of rest and to simply take things very easy. Today I had almost two hours afternoon nap. Eileen went to Henry's supermarket for more groceries. The motel van service is sure good for shopping. Every day we met new people at the clinic and exchange our experiences. We are still thinking of yesterday consultation with Dr. Castillo. If we can't halt the growth of the tumor in the colon... surgery will be inevitable. Our minds are full of information... or should I say overloaded. We get ahold of new info daily. We can only take one day at the time and keep revising our options. I was forgetting... my rush went a couple of days ago... more toxins out of my body :-)

Thu 18 Dec : My blood work is ready. I will keep it separate from the Canadian one because some ranges and methodologies are different in Mexico (Hematology, Chemistry and Urine). All the same you will see that the CEA is up again... 137 ng/ml (range 0-3 ng/ml). Here I have being classified "anemic". We had seen the Red Cell count going down... and the trend is still in the same direction. Now is 4.16 (range 4.5-5.6). All the rest is normal, including the Bilirubine and only Tryglicerides are down (a direct effect of our no fat diet). My personal doctor (Eileen) did not wait for the afternoon doctor consultation. She asked the nurse for a dose of iron intravenous to get my red cells up. We had consultation with Dr. Castillo. He confirmed what we already know... the CEA is high and to stay on alert to our diet not to cause a total block of the colon. He is a medical doctor that uses traditional as well as alternative medicine. He invited us to keep our minds open in terms of the necessary interventions. Including surgery/chemo, he will let us know if there are other options. His program includes many of the herbs that Ian Shillington N.D. uses. The difference is that some are administered intravenously. I guess now we have to wait and see if it will work for me... but we still have to do our share. I still have a full day of pills and teas... and restricted diet. I got a medication for my hemorrhoids... let's hope it kicks in quickly. Next monday we will see Dr. Rubio again for a follow up.

Wed 17 Dec: Today is DMSO intravenous plus vitamin B17. Eileen stayed at the motel to prepare a broth and to do some shopping. Our room has a kitchenette but is lacking the tools, we found only two plates, dessert size, two very small bowl and three pots. The promised kitchenette with all its tools does not exist. The real handy service the motel offers is van transportation to the clinic. A couple of times a week they also offer a van to the grocery stores. We were told of Henry health food supermarket.. once again it is not accurate. This place sells food supplements and has some organic produce and product.. not more then 5% of the offerings. Our Saskatoon health stores are much smaller but offer much more organic products. I have hard problems sticking to the raw diet. I get to pick fish for the next 3 suppers. Large shrimps last night, lobster tail for tonight, and scallops for tomorrow. All just steamed and served with raw vegy. A little freedom. Tomorrow I will have a consultation with Dr. Castillo and the diet may be discussed. I am typing this sitting on the steps of the clinic, on my palm organizer, while I wait for the bus to take me back to the motel. Its another lovely sunny day... I have a feeling of spring. I am chewing away raw vegy that Eileen prepared for me. Eating raw when is nice and warm is a pleasant experience... I reached the limit in cold Saskatchewan. Last night, before going to sleep I had a bad moment... and express myself as "going down the drain". Eileen doesn't want to hear that, and offered all her love to get me over the hump. This morning I feel much better. Mornings are always good for me. Is the evening that I find myself short of energy and wanting to fight. I should never think too much at night. Its the wrong time of the day. I miss our home for the sense of comfort that transmits to my spirit. Today after the clinic I manage to have the wanting to run. I got out for a 30 min run... along the US/Mexico border. My last run in Saskatchewan was -30C. This was +20C. I was wearing my shorts... my legs are so skinny that I don't really recognize them. We just finished updating my new program of the 10th week. The pills have doubled... plus the intravenous. I am a lion in a cage ;-)

Tue 16 Dec : Second day of the treatment at Dr. Castillo clinic. Today I get intravenously CHELATION followed by vitamin B17. Last night we collected a sample from my feces thinking it could have been tumor tissue. Today we showed the sample to Dr. Rubio at the clinic. It was only coagulated blood. For this reason he added intravenous vitamine K to stop possible internal bleeding. I forgot yesterday to mention my first feeling arriving at the clinic. After taking my name... the next thing they wanted from me was my money. I can guarantee that this is a bad feeling. Having been in canada for the last 10 years, and before that in italy. You give for granted that medicare takes care of you. I experienced first hand what it would be if we did not have Medicare. Our system is not perfect but exists. I am here in search of alternative medicine, and unfortunately this is not recognized by our medical establishment. I keep meeting patients at the clinic. Most of them are really sick... and you can tell by their appearance. I guess I can still call myself lucky. My illness is not so obvious yet. My discomfort is growing as it takes more time for me to pass feces. I have also a problem with hemorrhoids... they are fairly big and painful. I have discomfort sitting now.

Mon 15 Dec : We have to be at the hotel reception by 8:45am and there we meet plenty of other patients all waiting for the motel courtesy bus that takes us to the clinic in Tijuana. Many were from Canada, most of them from Alberta. Not all for the same clinic. This motel is base to many people that need doctors or dentists in Mexico. Tijuana is the place for alternative medicine as well as for reasonable prices in dentistry. At 9:30am we arrive at the clinic and we go straight for blood/urine test. After this I have a consultation with Dr. Salvador Rubio Veliz (see photo). With nice manners he questions me on all my medical history and then has a physical examination. His verdict with the rectal examination and after seeing the CT Scan of Nov 28 is that my colon tumor is now the size of a tennis ball. He placed priority in reducing the CEA value and attaching the colon tumor. I started today my first intravenous therapy made of multivitamins followed by vitamin B17 (see photo... I am not a junky, they left me to inject the vitamin B17 in my veins). In mid afternoon we finally made it back to the motel and I really needed a nap. Eileen is in volcanic eruption trying to understand were to shop. We met today a nice mum with two daughters from Alberta. This mum has colon cancer and liver cancer and she is in treatment since Dec 10th. They invite us for dinner in their room... and they steam for me fresh salmon and asparagus with on the side mashed potatoes and mixed salad. Just the dinner I wanted/needed. Well this is a turning point in my diet. Tomorrow we are back at the clinic and we will have another consultation to discuss the blood work results as well as the second intravenous treatment. My morning weight at the clinic is 69 kg.

Sun 14 Dec : Remember never to sleep on high floors of the Saskatoon inn... we slept on the 7th floor. The view of the city is beautiful but they over heat the rooms at night. I only slept a couple of hours. At the airport we had to confront the new security measures to fly to the US... and answer for all the food we were carrying at Minneapolis customs. We arrived on time at San Diego airport in time to enjoy a mid afternoon beautiful sun. The locals are talking of it being cold... they should come to Saskatchewan to know what cold is. At the hotel (International Motor Inn) we needed to see 4 rooms to find one that was acceptable for our month stay. The standard is a bit different down here. We are in San Ysidro, that is the very South end of San Diego, in walking distance from the Mexican border. Tjiuana, where Dr. Castillo clinic is, is just on the other side of the border. A Ricochet modem was waiting for me at the reception. I must really thank Louis Albuerne of Mobile Data Comm for the deliver of the unit with a very short notice. The pleasant surprise was to find in San Diego AT&T Wireless network carrying GPRS Internet connection. This means that I have plenty of backup for my work. To finish our day we walked to the nearest K-Mat to get some Reverse Osmosis water for our cooking/drinking needs.