Alternative Treatment

callerid
callerid Member Posts: 96
in Esophageal Cancer #1

Has anyone had success with alternative oncology treatments (such as curcumin, high Vit-C IV's, green tea, etc) vs the standard chemo and radiation?  My husband was diagnosed in Dec with Stage IV EC with mets to the spine. He had a short course of radiation and chemo. He remains healthy, able to eat, not losing weight but I feel like we are at a point where we need to decide which path to take. We believe the advice given us by the professionals may be biased because the cancer is advanced. 

Thanks for any insight you can give us.

Deb

 

Comments

  • Amjosmom
    Amjosmom Member Posts: 212
    #2
    Stage IV ...
    My Dad was also diagnosed Stage IV in 8/2010. He was doing really well for awhile there after he had 28 sessions of radiation and simultaneous chemo. Then in April of 2012, he was hospitalized for a bout of violent vomitting. After that stay in the hospital the oncologist gave my Dad about 2 weeks to live. They said his esophagus had closed up and aside from inserting a j-tube, which he DID NOT want, that there would be nothing left that they could do for him. That's when we sought out some alternative medicine. Turns out, they began an integrative approach. He has had the high dose vit C, he changed his diet, he takes supplements daily, he does some hbot therapy, drinks the baking soda water and much more. I think the fact that they gave my Dad a lot of hope to extend his quality of life made a big difference in his decision to go integrative. They never offered to cure him, but they offered hope which traditional medicine did not. I'm not sure about going completely alternative, but that's a decision only you can make. We opted for complimentary/ integrative medicine because healing the ENTIRE body was important to us. So far, my Dad is doing very well. He is active and stays positive.

    Hope this helps.
  • up_all_night
    up_all_night Member Posts: 1
    #3
    How did you find a care team?

    I've researched (and started using) some alternative treatments as well. The alternative treatments **appear** to be doing some potentially amazing -- and certainly supportive -- things in conjunction with the standard treatment plan. While the western doctor doesn't disagree or disusade from eastern/holistic treatments, he doesn't have experience with them, either. How can I locate someone who does?

  • Amjosmom
    Amjosmom Member Posts: 212
    #4
    up_all_night said:

    How did you find a care team?

    I've researched (and started using) some alternative treatments as well. The alternative treatments **appear** to be doing some potentially amazing -- and certainly supportive -- things in conjunction with the standard treatment plan. While the western doctor doesn't disagree or disusade from eastern/holistic treatments, he doesn't have experience with them, either. How can I locate someone who does?

    It's no simple task...
    I literally tripped over a video on YouTube while looking for anything I could find about EC. My discovery was out of desperation. Where are you located, up_all_night? Maybe I can help you find one or ask our doc if she knows of anyone. Our original oncologist frowned big time about integrative medicine. If its something that makes the patient feel better, then they SHOULD BE all for it. Sadly, many times that is not the case. Our new oncologist is open to it.
  • goty2001
    goty2001 Member Posts: 71
    #5
    Amjosmom said:

    It's no simple task...
    I literally tripped over a video on YouTube while looking for anything I could find about EC. My discovery was out of desperation. Where are you located, up_all_night? Maybe I can help you find one or ask our doc if she knows of anyone. Our original oncologist frowned big time about integrative medicine. If its something that makes the patient feel better, then they SHOULD BE all for it. Sadly, many times that is not the case. Our new oncologist is open to it.

    Likewise

    I've been doing hight vit C & juicing alongside chemo since diagnosis.  Also stopped meat & dairy. Chemo stopped last month and I'm in maintenance mode now.  My progress has been excellent (for a stage IV) - which I put down to using the complementary approach alongside the orthodox.  I do it under my own guidance & research - I find it's important for me to take at least some control rather than totally and passively submit to doctors/gurus/gods/fate etc....

  • Amjosmom
    Amjosmom Member Posts: 212
    #6
    goty2001 said:

    Likewise

    I've been doing hight vit C & juicing alongside chemo since diagnosis.  Also stopped meat & dairy. Chemo stopped last month and I'm in maintenance mode now.  My progress has been excellent (for a stage IV) - which I put down to using the complementary approach alongside the orthodox.  I do it under my own guidance & research - I find it's important for me to take at least some control rather than totally and passively submit to doctors/gurus/gods/fate etc....

    Goty!
    Good to hear from you! How is it going? Any recent new developments since using the alternative route?
  • goty2001
    goty2001 Member Posts: 71
    #7
    Amjosmom said:

    Goty!
    Good to hear from you! How is it going? Any recent new developments since using the alternative route?

    Going well

    as mentioned - I'm in maintenance mode - so happy days - just back from Christmas in Vietnam....

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