2 New Boards on CSN

bettygee said:

I, too, wish there was more real medical research done on alt meds. Frankly, I am afraid to try them without medical input and that is hard to find. I have read Andrew Weil's writing on the subject and have been impressed because he is a medical doctor. I am a little of afraid of finding quacks in the field of alternative medicine and don't have the knowledge to tell which are fakes and which are real. Do you know any way to tell which can be trusted? I really would be interested in knowing. Persuading the ACS to fund research on alt meds sounds like a really great idea! Betty

inkblot said:

Hi Ladies:

Well, this is one tough nut to crack. No doubt about that.

I'd begin by saying that yes, the ACS DOES make money. If not, they would not exist. No organisation becomes politically influential/powerful without taking in huge amounts of greens. In this case, dollars. And how many of those dollars are spent on research in the field of PREVENTION? Really, ladies, if no one got cancer anymore, they'd be out of business.

When all is said and done, it seems that our own immune systems are mostly responsible for whether or not we get cancer. Our immune systems are severely and often adversely effected by our environment.

Why is our environment not fit for man nor beast?
Profit! Pure and simple. Look at Monsanto and other mammoth organisations promoting Genetically Modified foods. These foods are not proven safe.
Yet these powerful, wealthy companies have our government's support. In some of my circles, these veggie and fish products are known as
"Frankenfood and Frankenfish". There's a reason for that labelling. These foods have had their genes manipulated to higher yields, disease and pest resistence,etc.. Meanwhile, these crop seeds are sterile and cannot be propogated by the farmer. Farmer's must rebuy seed every season. Not only that, these crops can only be successfully brought to harvest with the specific chemicals manufactured by the producer of the seed. These crops are being farmed abroad...mostly in 3rd world countries...the citizenry consuming these products which are not proven safe for human consumption. There are also secretly located Monsanto (and other's) located here in the US, which are heavily protected...kept under wraps at all costs. Why? Because there is great oppostition to these products by many health and environmental watch dog groups in the US. These companies do not want anyone having access to these fields or testing any of their crops. Even rice has become a GM crop in some countries. Particularly a product called "Golden Rice". It pays to know what we're eating and know it's source. The US gov't. has given many GM crops to other countries as "food aid". Some of those countries government's (kudos to them) have refused to accept the GM foods, due to the fact that they are not proven safe. Why do things like this happen? Simple. PROFIT.

Just one example of how unsafe our food, water and air really can be.

Organically grown foodstuffs, here in the US, is safest. It costs more because the subsidies for traditional method farmer's,(those using tons of unnecessary herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, which by the way end up in our water and air too), is adequate. Yet the government only offers a paltry 8 cents on the dollar, in aid to organic farmers, by comparison. Why? Again, the answer is PROFIT. Organic farmer's do NOT support the chemical manufacturer's by using their farm products and there is a price to pay. Their safer, cleaner products are better for us, but not better for big business. The gov't. would obviously prefer to see organic farming completely out of business. Organic producers have a very difficult row to hoe, in order to remain in business at all.

Big business runs the world and that isn't likely to change. Small strides are made here or there which can seem almost a triumph, initially, but over a period of several years, the money monger's, typically with governmental support, find ways to circumvent the occasional small progress for health and environment and it's again business as usual. And so it is with cancer treatment and research. It will go the way of the greatest profit. For us, those already afflicted and/or dealing with recurrence or mets...we matter greatly as profit potential...to the doctor's, the hospital's,
the pharmaceutical industry and all the "non-profit" organisations which ride on the tailwinds of our condition. Non-Profit simply means that an organisation has filed for
and operates as a 501(c)3 tax status. Nothing more. It has practically nothing to do with their profits. The ACS and many other organisations offer what I call a paper trail of information but that's where the buck stops for us. No free treatment for those without insurance and/or indigent. Many need information when diagnosed with cancer. It's a dreadful time in anyone's life. Yet, this "information" gives us hints and tips on how to cope with chemo and radiation as if no other treatment option exists.
They advise rest and wigs and make up to help us feel better about ourselves while our bodies are assaulted with some of the most potent chemicals known to man. Some of us may know, if we've done serious research, that the "C" in our A/C was actually developed from a component of Mustard Gas, compliments of our military. If we put a fraction of the time and effort into good health practices and peace as we put into war and the development of horrible killing devices, we'd all be many times healthier and our environment would be conducive to stronger immune systems and less diseases resulting from what we eat, breathe and drink.

I think that "alternate meds" deserve a huge focused effort. But who's going to do it? Not the pharmaceutical companies...they're happy as bugs in rugs just the way it is now. We have to keep in mind that many RX drugs are also contain natural products. The natives in many different countries have used these natural products for eons. Boiling the bark of the Aspen tree, for centuries, was a natural pain reliever. It contains salicyclic acid...the active ingredient in asprin. Yet pharmaceutical companies are happier to find synthetic equivalents and market them, because they can easily patent them for X amount of years and make billions. When the patent expires, it's open territory and the competitors can then also package the product and sell it and also clean up. Everybody wins regarding profit. Yet even asprin can cause stomach bleeds, ringing ears and asthma attacks (in those with asthma or those allergic to any of it's ingredients).

No product can be 100% safe, 100% of the time. Nature's law. Just because something contains "natural" ingredients, does not render it safe. Most of us know this well. However, the quacks proliferate and we have no protection from them. No warnings, no resources to find out anything about them. Just fake sounding "testimonials" promoting the quack or the quack's product. It's a jungle for sure. Our gov't. doesn't lift a finger other than the cursory statement on bottles of supplements which reads: The FDA has not evaluated...etc. What's that worth to us? Not much.

On the flip side, many people have also died from complications of conventional, medically administered chemo/rads, or late term side effects of same. I've yet to read one trial/study result which ever states that anyone died from the drugs. We know that it happens. Yet, always something else is named/blamed. Wonder why this is?

Back to the ACS and such organisations. What do they really provide in the way of real assistance to people with cancer, aside from those books and leaflets about chemo and rads? Well, there's reach to recovery. Of course, this staff is all volunteer. None are paid. There are the fundraising relays and walks, etc.. Again all volunteer with the ACS providing the forms, materials, etc.. The return on that "paper" investment however is phenomenal. The most incredible thing I've heard lately about the Relay's is that one in my own area is coming up in June. I was told several weeks ago that the ACS is now charging $10.00 each, for the tee's that the youth being organised would wear for the event! A teacher I know was getting a lot of the elementary kids involved this year...many who have experienced cancer within their families, etc.. Now, however, he's disheartened to know that the same kids who will be raising money to participate, must also buy their tee shirts! It seems quite a financial investment just to go and participate in these Relays around the country. Several years ago there was an event in Boston which I had wanted to participate in. It was a 3 day fundraiser. ACS provided the tents and food but one had to pay a lot of money (if memory serves me correctly, it was over $300.00) for this primitave accommodation for the two night camp out and run. I recall that there were several other nit picky restrictions re family, unless the family also paid the same amount, they couldn't stay in the same tent with the participant and couldn't participate in the event either. I was very disappointed and that began my deeper investigation in the ACS as well as several other organisations. My final thoughts, were that these events are so "money" engineered that they neglect to really care about the people involved. A no-pay, no-play policy. No exceptions. Why can not anyone who wants to, a survivor or caregiver, etc.,just show up and walk in these Relays? It may bring some peace to someone or just be someone's way to honor someone's memory. But no, one must purchase luminaria's if they want to do that. A 10 cent bag costs $5.00 if you're in the mood to honor someone's memory. This strikes me as capitalism at it's finest. If anything about these runs is about anything other than the money, I'd really like to hear about it. I have the feeling that, sadly, it isn't.

So, there's also: Look Good, Feel Better. Again, volunteer. Experts donate their time and expertise in running these workshops for cancer patients. They can potentially profit from repeat sales and that seems to be their motivation. It seems that all the volunteers really do care though and they're the one's out there making things happen so the organisations can have successful fund raisers. We are emotional beings and if not for that fact, the non-profits wouldn't have a penny upon which to operate.

We have hope, we want to help other's. We want a cure to be found. We don't want to die of cancer. We don't want anyone we love and care about to die of cancer. We want to do something meaningful to honor our loved one's who perhaps did lose their battle. We want to support organisations who we think/feel are trying to find a cure. We give freely. They, in turn, make money and continue to turn a huge wheel which churns out drug research, mentor's young doctor's interested in research by hiring them, they provide information (which can basicaly be found through many other sources as well, since the mainstream, medically based info is all the same) and they blaze no new trails or offer any real services, overall. Driver's for patients, to and from treatment centers are also volunteer. Bless all those wonderful volunteers! Most of them have been where we've been and are good, caring souls who want to help others in whatever way they can. I thank the ACS for rounding up the volunteers and providing information. It's better than nothing at all. Yet, I'd never dare presume to think that they would embark on ANY alternative studies. Even all of us with cancer combined could likely not pressure them into any action on that front. We could make a formal inquiry and see what we get but I wouldn't expect anything encouraging by way of positive, enthusiastic response.

Meanwhile, I keep coming to this site, for which I'm grateful. I'll keep fighting to try to help and heal our environment, while trying to help others in any way I can. I'll continue with my organic foods, supplements, Yoga, meditation and the healthiest lifestyle I can feasibly manage. I'll continue to research and study potentially good things to increase health and awareness, while appreciating each day as the wonderful and amazing gift that it is. This is the best I can do for myself, my family and our world. However, if anyone is interested in "lobbying" ACS for some alternative research, I'm in with both feet. And while we're at it, why not lobby our government as well? It is THEY who hold the power to direct companies involved in cancer research to allocate funding for alternatives. Without government mandates, neither the pharmaceuticals, the ACS, nor anyone else is going to take such a leap forward.

My suggestion to anyone thinking about trying alternatives, tread lightly. It can be a dangerous endeavour with serious consequences, as some have noted here. One needs tons of info as one item can interact poorly with another and some are best taken with food, etc. Other's can have side effects even with food. Some can increase bp and heart rate while others can contribute to insomnia or hyperactivity. There's so much to know that it's a virtual maze. I err on the side of common sense and don't take large amounts of any one supplement. I never assume that because a little is good, that more is even better.

The best of both worlds is to find a medical doctor who has certification in or has spent a lot of time with "naturals". The Cancer Treatment Centers of America offers the closest
thing to this, toward healing, that I'm aware of.
A good ND is great too if you can find one. It's deep waters to try to travel alone and it's best to be safe and use common sense, when you can't find any solid advice. Keep in mind too, that our bodies are all different and as much as we have diverse experiences with chemo and rads, the same holds true for alternative meds. Some of us tolerate certain ones well, while someone else may not. It may help one of us and not have a good result on someone else. All the more reason for serious research!!!

Well, that was long and arduous but hope it may bring some food for thought.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink