Warrior watercress

The University of Southampton recently published a study suggesting that watercress may help stop the reoccurrence of breast cancer. Isn’t that convenient?

Apparently they had a small group of women fast 24 hours and then eat a cereal bowl of watercress, after which blood samples were taken. The results were promising.

Findings suggest that watercress blocks a signal vital to tumour growth. You may or may not know, but cancer tumours need a lot of blood to grow. When scanning the body and looking for tumours (e.g. with the MRI, etc.) they are looking for splotches where an abnormal amount of blood has developed. Probably there is a lot more to this body-scanning science, but I’m happier without the details. Point is, tumours need blood. When they use up the blood around them, they send out a signal for more. Like waving over the waiter at a restaurant.

But in this case the cancer cannot signal the waiter. No blood arrives. Tumour dies. DIE TUMOUR! AH HA HA HA!

Obviously this is just the start for watercress research, and is only one of the many studies with many possible cancer solutions.

But it’s been published at my university, and it targets my particular problem. I’ve taken it as a sign, and have now started eating a small cereal bowl full of watercress per day.  Because, like I once mentioned, 50% of the pizza is not enough. I don’t want to play with my life expectancy like someone flips a coin. Screw that.

So along with everything else, I’m eating watercress. Add that to my pile of cancer fighting treatments, supplements, and therapies. Fifty percent is bullshit, though better than the ten percent they first quoted. Bit by bit I’ll raise my chances. By the end, we’ll eat that entire freaking pizza for  dinner, and a watercress salad on the side.

4 thoughts on “Warrior watercress

  1. Hi Catherine,

    Your artwork makes me smile… I do like the part, “I’m totally dead,” where the worn out cancer cell looks as though it’s on its last legs, with xx’s for eyes.

    Your watercress looks like its been pumping iron, and it has that strong yellow energy emanating from it… yeah baby!

  2. Catherine,

    You don’t know me but I stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago while googling some crazy treatment side-effect. I can’t remember what it was and I am sure it has passed or I have just adjusted. I was 37 at diagnosis and had a bilateral mastectomy on 11/1 preceded by the same chemo as you. I’m so happy you are going home and going to be closer to your mom for a bit. I could not have gotten through any of this without mine (who has basically moved into our NYC apartment). Anyway, thanks for sharing and keep up the good fight.

  3. I read an article about it the day after I sent you that email and you wrote back about it. Definitely a good omen it was from your uni and your situation! Keep doing all you can to fight and if that means having a watercress salad then go for it! And maybe add some asparagus to your pizza 🙂
    14 days til you leave!!!

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