BarberB Brain Train: The Journey

My close friend was diagnosed on the 4thJuly 2021 with a grade 4, MGMT methylated, wild type, right frontal glioblastoma or as it’s more affectionately known in the medical world, ‘The Terminator’.  Needless to say this was a devastating shock to all that were aware at the time, after his diagnosis, the first thing he did was search the internet about his diagnosis.  I mean let’s face it, we’ve all gone down the rabbit hole that is the ‘tin-ter-net’ when it comes to our health, symptoms and self-diagnosis but Brian being Brian, he thought that it would be best to try and gather as much information as possible.  Mainly so that it would enable him to make the most informed choices that would help him to take the fight to his situation.  Unfortunately all he found was bad news, horror stories and very little hope.  Generally speaking the average survival time for this type of tumour after surgery and therapy is 12-18 months with only 25% of glioblastoma patients surviving more than one year, and only 5% of patients more than five years.
 
He will be the first to admit that it has been an incredibly hard journey so far, not only for himself but also his family who have helped him through his darkest moments.  As well as all the staff at the Leeds General Infirmary who put up with him as well as the staff at the Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity who help ordinary families through such extraordinary circumstances.
 
During his time in hospital, he was in isolation and unfortunately and understandably not allowed any visitors because he’d tested positive for COVID and this gave him time to reflect on many things before the operation.  Brian with the advice from his son Laimar had already started his treatment protocol by taking medical grade full spectrum cannabis oil and various supplements which would start the treatment process before surgery and surgical intervention along with a strict change in diet . Cutting out all sweets, sugar and processed foods would also help aid Brian’s  recovery.  This part of the process is extremely testing as changing his whole lifestyle in comparison to consuming whatever he wants has taken a great deal of discipline.

He would like to give praise to the extraordinary lengths that Sabrina, his life partner, wife, ex-wife went into when researching all aspects of brain tumours.  Every individual breakdown of the tumour diagnosis as well as looking at all the possible various routes of treatment options, both medical and natural.  She also found many long-term survivors of his diagnosis and compared notes with them and really gave him a lot of hope and inspiration along the way.  For this he is truly grateful and her input and support has been amazing throughout this journey.
He admits that he has made many errors in judgement, whilst trying to protect his family, children and friends from the thoughts and feelings of how he was dealing with this extraordinary set of circumstances that were thrust upon him.  Sabrina along with his youngest children Nyla&Alahna would visit him daily with food and drink along with the help and support of his adult children Chirel , Laimar & Niomi.  His eldest son Laimar has from the beginning of this journey been very influential about the natural hollistic approach to dealing with the situation and Brian is still learning to appreciate and understand all that there is to offer.  Laimar’s influence through the natural holistic approach has been critical to Brian’s recovery and he is going all out to follow the strict protocols that are required to ease disease through diet and lifestyle choices 
 
His brothers and sisters have also been a huge part of his rehabilitation and support network along with many friends and he has done his best to try and protect his family‘s feelings from just how much everything has affected him but he fears that this may have caused more harm than good and for this he is truly sorry.
Without any of these amazing people, his journey would have been all the more difficult but a few months ago he made a decision... which he believes and hopes that by sharing his journey of fighting to survive against all the odds and medical statistics by outliving his terminal diagnosis as long as possible as well as raising awareness about it that it will hopefully inspire others to let them know that there is another way, that there is another option but most of all THAT THERE IS HOPE !!!
 
With the present statistics and the available standard of care not offering much hope, trials and alternatives are often the most promising route for glioblastoma patients.  While there are a huge amount of trials taking place all over the world, taking part is often dictated by several factors.
 
You have to be physically fit enough to participate, particularly if you are venturing away from home.
 
Location or ability to travel back and forth for treatments and checks. (Travelling abroad also comes with some struggles such as travel insurance, most insurance companies will not entertain you)
 
The molecular make-up of your tumour. Some trials are aimed at particular markers so you will need to have the right result to qualify.                       
 Re-occurrence - Some only accept reoccurring tumours so they are simply waiting for it to return before you can be accepted. 
 
The truth is, that these trials are unlikely to offer a ‘cure’ but usually taking positive outcomes of past trials and figuring out how to combine them to get even better results.  They offer hope in extending time and the opportunity to add a link to the chain to eventually come up with solutions and better treatments for the next generation of glioblastoma patients.

Brian & his family have been working with a company called ‘My Tomorrows ’  who take your medical data and match you with relevant trials all over the world.
 
Brian has been using sun-grown ‘FULL SPECTRUM’ Cannabis Oil which is sourced in Central America, usually the countries of Costa Rica or Belize.  Included in the spectrum is CBD, most importantly this plant has huge health & cancer preventing benefits.  Yes, the human body is a remarkable machine, particularly the brain and its many different receptors and synapses, which control the mind’s response to different chemicals or stimuli.  It turns out that humans have cannabinoid receptors, and in fact a full Endocannabinoid system (ECS).  Scientists found that these receptors help control homeostasis - in layman’s terms, they keep the body balanced.  CBD was once a completely banned substance, cannabis has made its way into our everyday lives in the form of CBD oil.  You can now buy CBD infused alcohol and CBD sweets and even treats for your dog.  What was once seen as a controversial substance has become a well-established part of popular health culture.
 
These are some of the supplements Brian has started using since surgery and whilst this is not an exhaustive list of the supplements that are helping him recover, he is learning about new & improved solutions as his knowledge base grows.
 
Zeal - helps to improve mood, give you stronger vigor and vitality, and decrease your anxiety, fatigue, anger and confusion.
 
Raw Fuel - vegan friendly meal replacement which can be consumed anytime of the day. Raw Fuel delivers a vegan, environmentally friendly nutritionally complete meal that is free from dairy, gluten, soya, NonGMO and artificial additives.
 
Organic Black Seed Oil - black seed oil is high in antioxidants and may have several benefits for health. These include the treatment of asthma and various skin conditions, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, aiding in weight loss and protecting brain health.
 
SOS Oncare - made with coconut and 14 different essential oils, all known for having health benefits which include reducing fatigue, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties and promotes cardiovascular health.
 
Vitamin C + Zinc - healthy Skin, Teeth and Joints, Reduces Tiredness and Supports a Healthy Immune System.
 
Wild Apan - contain the well-documented overall body healing effects of 3-beta-D-glucans, bitter triterpene compounds that support the thymus and spleen, anti-tumor polysaccharides, blood pressure-reducing angiotensin re-uptake inhibitors, and perhaps the highest source of the oxygen catalyst germanium found in nature.
 
Vitamin D3 - 2000ui - often referred to as ‘the sunshine vitamin’, vitamin D3 is converted into a hormone by the kidneys. Vitamin D3 works to aid the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which is vital for maintaining strong teeth and bones. It also helps reduce the risk of respiratory infections and decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
 
Kangen Ukon - has been recognized for centuries as a natural healer. It has been known since the era of the Ryukyu Dynasty as a strong antioxidant, and India's ancient medicine (Ayurveda) has used turmeric as an analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and antioxidant for over 6,000 years. Some of its benefits are anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiseptic, antioxidant, blood purifier, cancer prevention, prevents gas and bloating, lowers cholesterol, reduces side effects of chemotherapy & speeds wound healing.
 
Melatonin Advanced Sleep - is the hormone naturally secreted by the pineal gland. The results of major clinical trials by a team in Italy showed that it prolongs the cell cycle and delays tumour cell mitosis. It inhibits cancer cells and boosts the immune system. In trials it almost doubled survival time of glioblastoma patients relative to those in the control group.
 
Ketogenic Diet & Kangen Water
 
Brian has over time slowly began acclimatising himself to the Ketogenic diet in order to help and maintain his ongoing recovery and health.
 
The Ketogenic diet is high in fat, supplies adequate protein and is low in carbohydrates. This combination changes the way energy is used in the body.  It is essentially getting your body to run and be fuelled on solely Ketones, Ketones are a by-product from the fat converted in the liver.  This is when your body is in a state of Ketosis.  Your body uses carbohydrates as its primary source of fuel and stores the fat on your body and around your organs, once in ketosis your body produces Ketones.  There are 3 macronutrients fat, protein & carbohydrates.  As a species we have only started consuming carbohydrates in the last 100 years and the only macronutrients we do not need to survive as humans is carbohydrates.  Imagine a tumour as its own as a self-sustaining, living structure.  It has its own nucleus, blood supply and its main food source is derived from your blood sugar. I.E Glucose , Glutamine, fructose, Carbs and in a recent study, Acetate.  Acetate is an enzyme produced from alcohol in the liver, when it's attempted to be broken down.  By essentially removing the food supply to the tumour and replacing it with goods fats which will in turn produce ketones.  The cancer/tumours can't use Ketones as fuel and the principal is that the tumour should either starve it, stop it growing or shrink & kill it.
 
Kangen water improves metabolism, increases energy, lessens fatigue, better mental clarity & improves digestion.  If I wanted to be attacking my cancer from all angles, then I needed to be fueling my cells with the best nutrients and 75% of our body is water, 75% of our brain is water, 86% of our liver and 83% of our blood is water.  Cancer cannot exist above 7.4ph and your body is made up of over 80% water and every cell needs the best water to function correctly.
 
Brian was about to celebrate 30 years in the barbering industry, he has built an established and growing business with his team at the Piranha Hair Studio Salon which is an extremely well known and sought out salon in Leeds. Brian has also grown and developed Piranha Barber Academy or P.B.A.  He has been involved with some amazing projects over the last few years including Yorkshire Television, Rugby League Cares, The Movember Foundation to name but a few and in 2017, Brian and his team from the P.B.A. attended a high profile barber exhibition at Amsterdam Barber Society as a guest judge speaker and educator.  He had been working extremely hard using these projects to build a foundation with which to launch his 'Each One, Teach One Exhibition entertainment show that takes you through his journey of becoming a successful businessman creating a very unique method of training barbers which he has been developing over the last 30 years.  
 When Brian was given his diagnosis he was suddenly unable to work and things couldn’t have seemed worse but Brian is a fighter and since he had his craniotomy surgery and the subsequent radio and chemo therapy which have taken a huge toll on him both mentally and physically, he’s healing slowly and the progress is extremely good at the moment.
 
He is beginning to put things back into place and only recently went on a small training hike in the Peak District with his close friend Leon Williams as part of Peakystompers and his sister Cheryl for support.