****UPDATE****... Been to the TCM Pharmacy!!!! AND... a Thank You to JOHN23

Why not!
I think there is a lot of benefits to be had from herbs. I hope it all works for you!
Brenda

I think this is awesome that
I think this is awesome that you are trying this. We don't have a TCM practitioner close by but I have thought about trying this out myself although I haven't made any moves. I'll be interested to hear more about your acupuncture and herb usage.
Here's to successful treatment!

Laura

Yay Sis
You go girl. If I (yes I, for anyone who has left csn but still reading posts) if I could find a good tcm doctor in my area I would do it. Currently I'm taking herbal supplements (yes that is right, herbal supplements for anyone reading csn who has left but still here). Took those right through chemo, along with green tea. So yay for TCM!

XX

idlehunters said:

Hey Anna!!...
So very very good to hear from you. I am so glad to hear you check in from time to time and keep an eye on us. The TCM is different but I am certainly hoping for a positive outcome. Miss you and Frank and I too keep you in my prayers.

Love and hugs Anna,
Jennie

birdsnest with a watch on it
Hi Jennie, so glad you told us what the picture is about, GREAT that you spoke to John23 and what he did for you. What an awesome friend he is. I am ned at the moment and refused chemo before, If ever anything comes back I am right there for TCM all the way.
Please keep us posted.
Hugs,Marjan

idlehunters said:

Thanks for Support!!!....
MrsJP.... My TCM doc first gave me herbel "pills". He said the American people can tolerate these pills better than the raw form of it because they are not as strong and then once they are use to the pill form they can try raw form. He said Chinese people are reared on raw herbs and pills are useless for them to take. I was not even aware that my TCM doc had raw herbs...cause I didn't see any anywhere...just the pills. I didn't know they had to write you an RX and then you had to go to an actual chinese pharmacy to get the herbs. I didn't know such a thing existed..a chinese pharmacy?? what??? Yep..sure enough! and how very interesting. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks???

Tina, Pete...thank you for thinking about my well being and possible side effects of the herbs. These are indeed strong medicine and side effects...if you can even call them that...are very minimal. NOTHING like chemo. My TCM said the strength of the herbs may mess with my stomach...give me a stomach ache. That is why we are starting slow and I have to report to him every day...via email or phone...on how I am feeling...as dosage and/or herbs may need to be adjusted. Just like you would do if chemo was messing with you.

Now...there is something I want to share with you all and I am so glad I finally get this opportunity to do so. I researched TCM for many months...followed this board and mainly John23. You all know what a spokesperson he is for TCM. I have spoke to many others who have tried TCM. When I decided to take the plunge and give it a 100% commitment it was then I realized the first..and most important step would be to find a GOOD TCM doc. OK...I was at a loss here. Not only did I not know where to find one in my area...even if I found one I had no idea what to look for. What constitutes a good TCM? What questions do I ask him to know if he is good? I am completely stupid on this subject..even after much research..I just didn't know. So who DOES know...ahhhh...JOHN23 KNOWS!!!! I started sending PM's to John and he answered every one of them. He told me what to ask potential doctors and what to look for in a TCM. BUTT...and this is a big BUTT.... I still didn't feel comfortable talking to those doctors...shoot, some of them I could not even understand because they spoke such broken English. This is when John23 stepped in. What he did for me goes above and beyond what you would expect from a person you only know thru the internet. John asked me for my zip code. He...on his own time...and own expense...did research to find TCM doctors in my area. He then called and interviewed each of these TCM doctors until he found one he felt would be suitable for me to go to. John KNOWS the questions to ask..he KNOWS what to look for..he KNOWS if a TCM doc sounds on the up and up. After he spoke with my TCM..who is Dr. Mo...I then called Dr. Mo and said my friend John called and spoke with you. He understood why since I am TCM stupid. It's actually created a good foundation for me and Dr. Mo because he knows everything he does for me I am going to run by John and he KNOWS John KNOWS his stuff. It's made me feel SAFE with this new treatment. JOHN23.....THIS IS MY TIME TO SAY THANK YOU SO SO SO VERY MUCH!!! YOU TRULY CARE AND HAVE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS CAUSE.I SO LOVE YOU AS A PERSON AND A DECENT HUMAN BEING!!!! WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE YOU ON THIS BOARD.

John has told me that if ANY of you need or want help in locating a TCM in your area...or want any advice on TCM...he would be more than happy to help ANY of you out..just as he did me.All he needs is your zip code.So PM him if you want help. WoW! I am sooo happy I finally got to share that with you all.

Ya'll take care now ya hear??? Jennie

TCM Practitioner
This is exactly why I hadn't delved into TCM, how in the world would I ever figure out who was a good practitioner and who was a bad one.
I never thought to ask John, duh, had a good resource right here on this site and never asked, glad you did!!!
Winter Marie

lauragb said:

John23 is a hero. This is
John23 is a hero. This is so awesome Jennie, that he helped you find a practitioner! This has been one of my concerns about trying TCM, the fact that I know nothing about it! And how do you know someone is good? This is great news for you that you have a practitioner that you trust. Yay! I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes.

Laura

Hey guys... Hold up a bit....
Hey guys... Hold up a bit....

First of all, I am -not- a "hero"; never was and never will be.

The real heros are the Craigs, and Phils, and countless others
that have been doing battle against this disease for years,
and are still here to encourage others not to give up!

Second of all, all I volunteered to do, is to help locate a (hopefully)
qualified practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine for those
that can use a little help in doing so.

There is no guarantee that TCM will be of any help in the
fight against our dreaded disease, just as no western medicine
physician can ever guarantee that chemicals or radiation will
be able to bring good health. It's up to each of us to carefully
listen to our own body, and make -our own- choices about
the care we wish to get.

Locating a "qualified" practitioner of TCM isn't any less difficult
that locating a decent western medicine physician or surgeon.

A "license" or degree really doesn't matter much when you're
being treated; a piece of paper doesn't make one physician
better at what they do, or more qualified in what they do. A license
or degree is only a piece of paper that states the owner has
taken and passed tests in the courses involved.

Those of us that have had a wrong diagnosis that set our health
back, or suffered surgical "oversights" that cost us dearly in the
long-term, fully understand the meaningless of a piece of paper.

Locating a physician or surgeon that will do what you expect,
is difficult; it not only takes time and effort, but it takes some
basic knowledge of the science, and some idea of what questions
to ask regarding your treatment.

Even then.... you can wake up out of surgery (as I did), and find
yourself a complete, un-repairable mess.

TCM can never take the place of surgery. However, it has and
often does solve problems that surgery was considered the only
solution to.

Acupuncture and herbal broths are used to energize various organs,
but your body itself is what does the healing. It's a time consuming
process, since you are not taking fast-acting chemicals that are
designed to disguise your symptoms (hiding the real problem).

TCM may work at a slower pace, but it attempts to correct the
true underlying problem. Once the real problem is corrected,
no further treatment is needed!

Cancer is a dangerous event.

If your cancer is fast moving, or about to take over an organ
that will put an end to your life, then western medicine's toxic
efforts may be your best choice to stop cancer's advances into
that area immediately. There may not be a guarantee of it doing
anything, but at least you'll know if it might help or not quickly.

The bottom line, is that only -you- can determine if continuing
the toxic treatments are doing -you- more harm than good. All
too often, -continued- harsh treatments may do nothing more
than wear the body down.

Damaging the immune system can leave us without any defense
against all the ills that harsh treatments can cause. The event of
"second cancers" caused by chemical therapy and radiation are
well known and accepted as part of the hazards of such therapy.

Only -you- know when to call it a day; when to stop the harsh
treatment and do something to build your body back up.

That concept is accepted by oncologists, surgeons, and physicians;
You can't keep poisoning a living thing, without eventually killing it.

TCM may or may not be-your answer-, but it is another option
seriously worth considering.

Terminology of illnesses....

The Practitioner of TCM does not care about the terminology
western medicine attributes to a symptom; when you go to a TCM
practitioner, do -not- expect to hear the same terminology.

The TCM practitioner may describe your condition as Yin or Yang
related, or describe the heat or "fire" is too weak or too intense.

The terminology will seem foreign to you, but as you gain experience
with the science, it will all make perfect sense.

The science behind traditional Chinese medicine is firmly corroborated
by western medicine's scientific findings.

An example? Western medicine knows that an imbalance of
serotonin and melatonin can cause emotional problems as severe
as a bipolar condition. Western medicine attempts to treat that
situation with drugs to replace or balance the imbalance.

TCM may treat the liver, since the liver helps regulate both serotonin
and melatonin.

Both sciences are aware of the cause being the same, but each
science treats the malady differently; one using drugs/chemicals
that the patient takes forever, while the other gets the body to
do it's own regulating, making external management needless.

Since the liver's chemical regulation also controls the heart,
solving a condition such as atrial fibrillation can be as simple
as restoring the liver's ability to function properly. That was
my case; my AF was cured within 9 months with TCM's
herbal therapy, avoiding the invasive surgery my WM physician
was attempting to talk me into.

So guys..... While I'm more than happy to help locate a decent
TCM practitioner for anyone needing help locating one, and
as much as I'll try to help anyone understand TCM a bit better......

Please..... Remember that there are no guarantees that TCM will
be of help to you.

Advanced stages of cancer are difficult to treat, and once one
has gone beyond the "window of opportunity"; once the body
has become too worn down from harsh chemicals, it's difficult
(and unfair) to expect herbs and acupuncture (or any other
alternative medicine) to make all the repairs to the body's
system AND fight the ravages of cancer.

You -can- use TCM -and- western medicine (chemo/rad) at
the same time, and with very good results. M.D. Anderson, the
Mayo Clinic, and many, many other cancer institutions are doing
just that, so don't allow an oncologist's ignorance or prejudiced
thinking from holding you back from true survival.

I'm not a "hero", I'm just an old worn out guy that would like
to help someone else survive.

If it works, celebrate quietly; if it fails, try again..... You never
run out of options when you truly look for options.

Best wishes to all,

John