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With my personal situation, there is no way I would have abandoned conventional medical advice and gone for alternative medicine alone. It does upset me if someone implies that they know more about my breast cancer than my doctors did, and that I was foolish to have had a mastectomy, for instance. But I get why my friend is doing what he is doing and I definitely think there are situations such as his in which alternative treatments are a better choice.
I pray that you don't think I'm judging you that way. In no way are you foolish for having the surgery and just because I chose not to does not mean I think it's the right choice for everyone. I was going to do that at least but I already have some brain dysfunction due to a powerful case of ADHD and was barely holding my head above water in my new career and the thought of losing further brain function made me feel that life might not be worth living if I were to lose further brain function, and I am all about quality of life.
To head in a slightly different direction, I had a classic, textbook, high-grade, hormone-sensitive, stage-1 breast tumor. There has been a ton of research on this common type of cancer. I got plenty of opinions, and they were all the same: have surgery, go through chemo, and you'll be fine. I saw no reason to disbelieve them, and so that's what I did (along with adding in supplements that I personally researched), and so far I am fine.
Now, I have a friend who last year was diagnosed with an extremely rare tumor (connective tissue sarcoma) in his chest. There is very little research about this cancer just because it is so rare. Most oncologists never see one. It was quite an ordeal before it was even correctly identified. His doctor admitted that they might not be able to get it all out with surgery, and chemo and radiation have been shown to have almost no effect on a connective tissue sarcoma.
Yet, the doctor was still adamant that he should do all these treatments. It would have been a difficult surgery, taking out bits of his lung, ribs, and other organs, and very possibly not removing all of the tumor, which in that case would then just grow back. It would have been a very difficult and debilitating chemo (much worse than mine, which was really not so bad), with serious permanent side effects, and no promise of helping the situation at all. He chose to refuse the conventional treatment and go with alternatives, and I don't blame him at all.
Now, I don't know exactly what all he has been doing but he has gotten infusions of vitamin C, hydrogen peroxide, and other things, as well as a large number of different supplements. It has only been about six months, but X-rays have shown that the tumor is not growing. It's not shrinking either, which is what they hoped for, but at least it is not growing and the treatments he has been doing have not adversely affected his health the way the suggested surgery and chemo would have. He and his wife feel happy and positive about the way things have been going. That's huge!
With my personal situation, there is no way I would have abandoned conventional medical advice and gone for alternative medicine alone. It does upset me if someone implies that they know more about my breast cancer than my doctors did, and that I was foolish to have had a mastectomy, for instance. But I get why my friend is doing what he is doing and I definitely think there are situations such as his in which alternative treatments are a better choice.
I agree with what you said. What I take issue with is people who attempt to tell a cancer patient what they should be doing. It's beyond uncaring and rude and unless you're an oncologist you should remain silent and trust that the person is doing what they believe is best for them. If someone wants to use alternative medicine only, that's their choice and if someone wants to use conventional medicine that's their choice as well. If you have a medically diagnosed cancer, you shouldn't be subject to what others think of your treatment choices.
When my BIL was diagnosed with Stage 3 Liver Cancer, my poor husband was subject to no end of idiots who had opinions on what his brother was doing for treatment and why it was wrong. They all had some sort of "research" they had done online that would virtually insure his survival. Do people really think this is helpful to someone whose brother is literally dying right before his eyes? It's a miracle I didn't punch one of those idiots. It was 10 weeks of hell and even though he's been gone 6 months now, my husband still gets unsolicited advice on how his brother could have survived if he'd only done whatever cancer "cure" they heard about from their sisters cousins brother.
I agree with what you said. What I take issue with is people who attempt to tell a cancer patient what they should be doing. It's beyond uncaring and rude and unless you're an oncologist you should remain silent and trust that the person is doing what they believe is best for them. If someone wants to use alternative medicine only, that's their choice and if someone wants to use conventional medicine that's their choice as well. If you have a medically diagnosed cancer, you shouldn't be subject to what others think of your treatment choices.
When my BIL was diagnosed with Stage 3 Liver Cancer, my poor husband was subject to no end of idiots who had opinions on what his brother was doing for treatment and why it was wrong. They all had some sort of "research" they had done online that would virtually insure his survival. Do people really think this is helpful to someone whose brother is literally dying right before his eyes? It's a miracle I didn't punch one of those idiots. It was 10 weeks of hell and even though he's been gone 6 months now, my husband still gets unsolicited advice on how his brother could have survived if he'd only done whatever cancer "cure" they heard about from their sisters cousins brother.
I agree that it's beyond rude to tell people how to order their treatment. I had to start avoiding a friend when she screamed at me that it's going to metastasize and I'm going to die. This is not the least bit helpful, but it can be very bad the other way as well and most of these well meaning people who are offering the latest holistic thing they read about have never actually had cancer. I have gotten my share of this kind of advice and generally I've already read about it and rejected it as unhelpful for my situation. Talking about it on here is a much better solution I think as it's not actually directed at anyone in particular and I never offer unsolicited advice to anyone going thru this as it feels too presumptuous, and as I said before, you must believe in what you're doing.
Here is the thing tho and it has to do with the placebo effect, which is truly the only thing that can heal you.
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You must believe in what you're doing or you can't heal.
If you believe the treatment will hurt you, there is a high likelihood of that happening. If your mindset is to believe that conventional is the way to go, then you should choose that. Also, not everyone is capable of the mindset of being able to walk around with a tumor in their body without having it taken out--some think I'm nuts for that reason alone.
This is really important. No matter what treatments a person uses, the mindset is a crucial part of the equation. It's my belief that doctors sometimes do their patients a disservice by telling them they only have X amount of time or whatever. That's the equivalent of a death sentence, and that's *exactly* why people equate cancer with death. I *know* cancer isn't a death sentence, and that's probably a big reason why I can continue on successfully on my own.
Freedomdove, I must have glossed over the part about your alternative testing and diagnosis, but I don't take issue with it because I like to remain open-minded about such things.
I reread your OP and saw that you have autoimmune disease. Autoimmune symptoms can be all over the map and mimic many other things. I looked over your treatment regimen again and it's mostly the same that many people use to improve or eliminate autoimmune symptoms.
Which autoimmune disease do you have? Genuine question. Thanks.
It's called Ankylosing Spondilitis. And yes, many of my supplements help with that, which is probably why I will continue to take them even if I don't think I absolutely need them. After being on them for so long, I know that I do need them for many reasons. I just feel better overall.
One thing people should keep in mind is that I haven't "cured" anything. I treat myself for cancer and I have it under control. I have obstacles that could be limiting my ability to gain more ground, so I'm just thankful nothing has gotten worse. That's the whole point of this for me--to make it so nothing gets bad. I don't *want* to be one of those people who absolutely has to go to an oncologist because I waited too long.
I don't do "TESTS" that seem to be the medical world today. I've worked on prevention with supplements for 25+ yrs for all health conditions and will continue. 21 yrs soon on OPC's.
My mother who passed at 91, 16 yrs ago always said...I don't look for trouble and she rarely went to doctors...go to doctors and they will find trouble.
When my grandkids dad died at 55 after 6 months of chemo/radiation, people were coming out of the woodwork with alternatives for him to try with his treatments, he tried some but it was too late for him. I've often thought IF only he had taken care of his health with some of the supplements I talked about for years, he may still be with us. He was a longtime smoker and did quit when his first child was born but of course, he should have never picked up that cancer stick.
My father abused his body with foods, sugars, alcohol and lived to almost 96, but had a cancer at his end, no treatment, it was hit time to check out. He did not smoke, so that saved him I believe...
Anger can feed cancer cells and both these men had their anger issues but were happy alcoholics.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 06-07-2016 at 11:59 AM..
I agree that it's beyond rude to tell people how to order their treatment. I had to start avoiding a friend when she screamed at me that it's going to metastasize and I'm going to die. This is not the least bit helpful, but it can be very bad the other way as well and most of these well meaning people who are offering the latest holistic thing they read about have never actually had cancer. I have gotten my share of this kind of advice and generally I've already read about it and rejected it as unhelpful for my situation. Talking about it on here is a much better solution I think as it's not actually directed at anyone in particular and I never offer unsolicited advice to anyone going thru this as it feels too presumptuous, and as I said before, you must believe in what you're doing.
Exactly. I'm not banging down anyone's door--they're walking into *my* space where I'm relaying information that I think is helpful in combating cancer. Take it or leave it, is what I have to say to everyone. The things I've chosen to do all have merit. I select treatments based on what I need, and what I've studied. I'm not forcing anything down anyone's throat.
I find it interesting when people get all in a huff about alternative-treatment successes because they had to go through so much hell. It's like they're so mad because they suffered so much and I'm not suffering. I have sympathy for them, but I don't think it's right to get mad at people like me or anyone else. It seems more productive to educate oneself.
I don't do "TESTS" that seem to be the medical world today. I've worked on prevention with supplements for 25+ yrs for all health conditions and will continue. 21 yrs soon on OPC's.
My mother who passed at 91, 16 yrs ago always said...I don't look for trouble and she rarely went to doctors...go to doctors and they will find trouble.
Um, maybe those people actually cared and were trying offer alternatives and support?
As someone who's had cancer, I can tell you that the way to offer support is to express interest, sympathy, and offer to help if needed. That is sufficient. I was capable of doing my own research. I didn't mind being told anecdotes about what someone else did, or being sent a link, though often I ignored those links. What I hated was people telling me things like, "Well, you know chemo doesn't actually do anything for cancer, it just destroys your immune system" or "Too bad you had a biopsy, don't you know that always makes cancer spread?" or "Doctors really know how to cure cancer, but they just want you to stay sick so they can make more money."
And especially, it does not help, at all, to tell others what someone "should" have done after he or she is dead. I admit, I think about that kind of thing sometimes. My cousin died of cancer recently and I ponder what she might have done differently. But I would not go to her grieving family to tell them my ideas!
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This thread was *supposed* to be MY story and what helps ME.
You are getting upset because you started a thread, people began discussing the topic, and now it's not all about YOU any more? Sorry, that's what happens when you start a thread.
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