Help - just diagnosed, considering chemo and integrated treatments

angler99
angler99 Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
My close fishing buddy from Kansas City was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer 2 weeks ago. I'm helping him check a wide range of options. He, his wife, his family and I are all confused and somewhat overwhelmed. He is considering the range of treatment options from standard care in a Missouri or Kansas cancer treatment center, to integrative care using chemo and alternative supplements, to a totally alternative treatment approach in another state.

On the alternative side of things, has anyone had experience with Poly-MVA or Salicinium (a.k.a. Glyco-benzaldehyde)?

The most important thing we have learned in 2 weeks is to eat healthy, stay positive, and don't let anybody tell you how long you have to live as every case is different.

All responses and insights will be greatly appreciated! Thanks. - Kevin

Comments

  • catcon49
    catcon49 Member Posts: 398
    I ponder the same questions
    I ponder the same questions about traditional chemo treatments. I hope I never have to decide. My mother although she had ovarian cancer, went through chemo. At 78 she is free of cancer, at least for the last 2 years. It was not to bad, but it left her with nueropathy in her feet, but she is alive. I think it is kind of scarey to go against traditional treatments in favor of alternative treatments. Because if alternative treatments worked why aren't more people using them. There are alot of survivors here who have gone with traditional treatments. But I believe you are correct Eat healthy, stay positive exercise and don't let anyone tell you how long you have to live. Best of luck to your friend. I will remember him and his family in my prays.
  • angler99
    angler99 Member Posts: 4
    catcon49 said:

    I ponder the same questions
    I ponder the same questions about traditional chemo treatments. I hope I never have to decide. My mother although she had ovarian cancer, went through chemo. At 78 she is free of cancer, at least for the last 2 years. It was not to bad, but it left her with nueropathy in her feet, but she is alive. I think it is kind of scarey to go against traditional treatments in favor of alternative treatments. Because if alternative treatments worked why aren't more people using them. There are alot of survivors here who have gone with traditional treatments. But I believe you are correct Eat healthy, stay positive exercise and don't let anyone tell you how long you have to live. Best of luck to your friend. I will remember him and his family in my prays.

    Thanks so much - comments from any others???
    Thanks so much! I would love to get comments from any others on this subject as we hope the week ahead will be decision time. I also know that all the prayers will help, no matter which treatment is chosen. - Kevin
  • albee101
    albee101 Member Posts: 1
    PolyMVA
    Hi kevin, I have direct experience with the both Poly and Salicinium and working with dr. forsythe. you can email me directly if you like albee101@pacbell.net
    great support for anyone going thru cancer and the nice thing with the poly-mva you can use it directly yourself. best of luck, a good resource we use is www.facr.org kind regards
  • mntexasgirl
    mntexasgirl Member Posts: 5
    chemo
    Hey Kevin,

    My father was just recently diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. He is currently undergoing radiation for tumors on his brain and just started chemo this week. He was really fearful to do chemo because of watching loved ones in the past undergoing chemo and getting really sick. So far it hasn't been too bad. I think chemo is much better today than in the past. He is fatigued and losing his hair, but other than that he says he feels fine.

    I'm glad you are there for your friend and his wife. I'm not able to be there with my dad and mom because I live in another state. My father's best friend has been with my parents since the diagnoses and has been a blessing to our family, because it is very overwhelming for my mother and I feel so helpless being so far away.

    You are absolutely right about eating right, excercise and having a positive attitude. My father's doctors wouldn't give us a prognosis. I'm thankful for that, he may of chosen to give up but instead he is going to fight!!!

    I wish you and your friend and his family the best! I will keep y'all in my prayers!

    God Bless,
    Susan
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member

    chemo
    Hey Kevin,

    My father was just recently diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. He is currently undergoing radiation for tumors on his brain and just started chemo this week. He was really fearful to do chemo because of watching loved ones in the past undergoing chemo and getting really sick. So far it hasn't been too bad. I think chemo is much better today than in the past. He is fatigued and losing his hair, but other than that he says he feels fine.

    I'm glad you are there for your friend and his wife. I'm not able to be there with my dad and mom because I live in another state. My father's best friend has been with my parents since the diagnoses and has been a blessing to our family, because it is very overwhelming for my mother and I feel so helpless being so far away.

    You are absolutely right about eating right, excercise and having a positive attitude. My father's doctors wouldn't give us a prognosis. I'm thankful for that, he may of chosen to give up but instead he is going to fight!!!

    I wish you and your friend and his family the best! I will keep y'all in my prayers!

    God Bless,
    Susan

    A great point
    You make a great point, Susan, one that should be heeded by all and probably studied more by the powers that be: we are often dissuaded by the experiences of loved ones from pursuing the treatment we should probably be accepting when we are the ones making the decisions for ourselves.

    As an example, when my neighbor discovered somehow that my head/neck cancer had apparently spread to my lungs (I was originally given as little as 10 months to live but they were wrong) she dropped by to give me some green tea and to caution me that she had seen her brother go through excrutiating pain while enduring chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer.

    She was a lung cancer survivor herself, at the time, one who chose, based on the 'evidence' of her brother's pain, to forego accepted Western medical treatment and to manage it, instead, with whatever concoctions she came up with from wherever she got them.

    She was dead within a year.

    True.

    I was not.

    This is not meant to slam alternative treatments. (This particular post is not even meant to slam those who would invent and market 'alternative' treatments at the expense of people's lives.)

    It is meant instead to caution anyone from straying away from accepted practices merely because one has witnessed painful and failed attempts by a loved one to overcome.

    It must be said that we do not all overcome cancer.

    It must be further said, though, that individual tragedies are not necessarily representative, depending on any number of factors, not the least of which is personal will.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • juliebeth
    juliebeth Member Posts: 21
    albee101 said:

    PolyMVA
    Hi kevin, I have direct experience with the both Poly and Salicinium and working with dr. forsythe. you can email me directly if you like albee101@pacbell.net
    great support for anyone going thru cancer and the nice thing with the poly-mva you can use it directly yourself. best of luck, a good resource we use is www.facr.org kind regards

    Forsythe
    Hi,

    I am considering at this time to go see Dr. Forsythe. I would like to e-mail you as well.