100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (24 page)

ease, but what you may not know is that flossing can prevent

heart disease, stroke, and possibly even cancer as

well. Skeptics, please read on.

Dental floss, when used correctly, disturbs the

colonies of bacteria that live in between your

teeth and gums. (Disgusting, isn’t it?) Bacteria can

enter your bloodstream through your gums at

any time, but it’s more likely to happen if your

gums are inflamed, as in gum disease. Once bac-

teria finds its way into your blood, it can settle on the

inner walls of your arteries anywhere in your body. If it

decides to settle in the very tiny arteries, like the ones that

feed your heart muscle with blood, it can have serious con-

sequences. Over time, and through a series of events, this could cause the

arteries to narrow, cutting off the blood supply to your heart muscle and

eventually causing a heart attack.

A heart attack from ignoring your dental hygienist sounds like a stretch,

but studies show that those with heart disease had high levels of bacteria

in their mouths. Many factors affect your risk for heart disease, from your

genetics to what you eat. But the thought is, if a high level of bacteria in

your mouth is associated with heart disease, then reducing the bacteria

might reduce your risk of heart disease.

Another part of the story involves a blood chemical called C-reactive

protein (CRP). The liver produces CRP in response to any inflammatory

process going on in the body. The presence of CRP leads to the production

of chemicals and enzymes that might act on the lining of the artery wall,

which can lead to the narrowing of that artery. Depending on where the

artery is, it can eventually cause a stroke or heart attack.

It is unclear whether the high CRP is a result of the gum disease or the

heart disease is caused by other factors, so it’s a classic case of “who dunnit.”

But there are several studies that do show, without a doubt, that those who

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

have gum disease also show thickening of the walls of the arteries. This has

been shown across the board in those who do not have any other risk factors

for heart disease such as smoking or high cholesterol.

So what does this have to do with cancer, you ask?

In a study that followed 2,000 breast cancer patients for more than seven

years, they found that women with high CRPs have lower survival rates.

Remember, CRPs rise as a reaction to inflammation. Less inflammation,

lower CRPs. Inflammation—that is, the body’s physiological response to

inflammation—is related to an increased risk of many illnesses including

cancer. Inflamed gums cause your body to “respond” by releasing certain

chemicals into your blood. Eliminating any source of inflammation, like

the inflammation you get with chronic gum disease, in theory, would help

reduce the risk of those illnesses.

Another study followed 48,000 men for fifteen years to look for disease

progression based on lifestyle. Those with gum disease were twice as likely

to get pancreatic cancer as those with healthy mouths. The men with cancer

were also found to have high CRP levels.

While there are no definitive studies proving that flossing reduces your

risk of cancer per se, the dots are there waiting to be connected. Connect

them—and then go floss.

Do It Right:

●
Flossing should be done at least once a day—twice is better. Flossing after

meals is great, too. Any more than that may border on obsessive.

m

●
Choose your preferred floss type—waxed, unwaxed,

ee.coh

dental tape, green, red, striped, whatever. For those

cp.m

with a keen palate and a keen sense of humor, there

ww

are even floss flavors like bacon, cupcake, coffee,

ee wh

and waffle. Or if you really feel funky, you can floss

cP

with absinthe-flavored floss to start or end your

ie M

rch

day!

A©

●
Make sure you get in between each tooth AND the far back (where there

is no “in between”).

Perk #21: I Didn’t Have to Buy a Halloween Costume

93

●
Move the floss along as you go by using a new section of floss for each

tooth.

●
Bury the floss by getting below the gum line.

●
Don’t worry if your gums bleed at first; they will get stronger

Floss for dental

and you will see less blood with repeated flossing, until even-

health, but also for

tually the bleeding will stop.

overall health!

●
Rinse well with cool water after flossing.

●
It doesn’t matter if you floss before or after you brush.

●
You can use conventional string floss or disposable dental floss picks

(although my dentist tells me the string kind is better). There is even a

water jet flossing attachment for your showerhead! What a great multi-

tasking tool!

Perk #22

Cancer Introduced Me

to Some New Saints

B
eing raised Catholic, I kinda have a thing for the saints. From the time

I said my first novena at the age of ten, St. Theresa and I have been BFFs.

I refer to her as my multipurpose saint, as I can call on her for any reason.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to pull out all the stops and throw in

a prayer or two to the patron saint of your cause. When my sister, Lynette,

was having trouble selling her house for example, we called upon St. Joseph,

the patron saint of selling houses. Shortly thereafter, the house sold! (I’m

not so sure if her Jewish husband is privy to this information.) Any time I

am traveling and the road conditions are risky, I call upon St. Christopher,

patron saint of travelers, to accompany me on my journey. Even if I find

myself in a situation that seems beyond hope, I can always call upon St.

Jude, patron saint of hopeless causes.

It did not surprise me in the least when, following my diagnosis, fellow

Catholics started lunging at me with prayer cards. It turns out that there is

not just one, but actually two patron saints of cancer: St. Peregrine and St.

Michael of the Saints (to distinguish him from just plain old St. Michael).

Not wanting to pick favorites and offend anybody up there, I prayed to both

of them.

A prayer is a powerful thing, sometimes so powerful that you can actu-

ally feel the energy of the words as you say it. I found that to be the case

for this prayer in particular. Please pause for a moment, and if you are so

inclined, offer a prayer to St. Michael of the Saints:

We praise you, Most Holy Trinity, for having sent us St. Michael of the Saints

to be our friend and intercessor in the fight against cancer.

Grant us, we pray, a humble faith that we may follow in his holy footsteps

and believe without a doubt in your generous gift of healing.

With humble and childlike trust, we ask your Divine help through St.

Michael of the Saints in this urgent necessity.

I 94 J

Perk #22: Cancer Introduced Me to Some New Saints

95

May this gift of bodily health bring us peace and joy, which are but a foretaste

of heaven, and may we be counted one day among your saints in glory.

Father, your world is ill with cancer and frightened. We pray you ease the

suffering of those afflicted, give loving hands to those who care for them, and

light the way for those who seek its cure.

Merciful Father, extend your healing hand so that we may cry out: A cure,

at last!

In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

Whether or not you affiliate yourself with a particular religion does not

matter. A prayer can be as formal as the Christian one written above or as

simple as the “God bless you” we utter when someone sneezes. It is not the

words, but the intent behind those words that carries the power. So no mat-

ter what your beliefs, turning to “God” (whatever that term means to you)

can be very comforting in your time of need.

The most powerful prayer is a prayer of gratitude. No matter

what is happening in your life, there is always something to

be grateful for. Give thanks for all that you have.

HEALTH TIP #22

I Am Thankful for . . . Fungus

Y
es, fungus. But I’m talking about fungus in the form of beautiful mush-

rooms! Experts estimate there are more than 14,000 varieties of

mushrooms. Many are used in cooking, 1 percent of them are deadly, and

some are used for . . .
ahem
. . . “recreational purposes.”

Nearly 4,500 years ago, the Egyptians believed that mushrooms were

the plants of immortality. As it turns out, they may be right. The use of edi-

ble mushrooms is currently being studied as a way to fight many illnesses

and conditions including breast, gastric, colorectal, and prostate cancer,

HIV/AIDS, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

The varieties that seem to possess the most power for fighting illness are

Lentinula edodes
or shiitake (pronounced shi-TOK-ee),
Grifola frondosa
or