Alternative Medicine

phoenixrising
phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
There was a fellow in my town who had colon cancer. They opened him up and said he was too far gone and sewed him back up. He was refused treatment. I guess his brother was into alternative medicine and had him start on some other treatments. He picked up about 4 things at the local health food store. I don't know what else he did.
Apparently he was quite gray and sick looking when he first went into the store. Well in a matter of 3 mos he was feeling well enough to go back to work. The cancer did eventually get him but he lasted years in apparent good health. I have to say that my source is impeccable.

My neighbours' sister has breast cancer. She lives in Brazil and visits the clinic in Tijuana. Apparently her tumour is shrinking.
I don't know what exactly what she is taking or doing for it.

There is a woman in our community who used escharotics for her breast cancer. A caustic salve that apparently pulls the cancer out. She out of desperation took it internally as well. She became very sick with a gaping wound and eventually had to be hospitalized.I'm not sure what they did after that. Her sister had left a message on my machine.

Although I have heard of many stories where people have beaten down the beast through alternative means and avoided the dark abyss of chemo/rads, these are the only people I know that have tried other means. Certainly when my husband was diagnosed we did every supplement/herb/nutrient there was. I did an incredible amount of research and he didn't ingest anything that didn't have some anti-tumour quality to it. His diet was purely scientific and he felt sooooo good and healthy and so was his tumour. We were very disappointed. So when it came to my turn I had become quite skeptical. I searched the internet looking for something I could put my faith in other than the medical regime offered and I could not find anything that had any real documentation, proof and/or numbers from reputable sources that I could count on.

It's pretty scary when you google “cancer cures” on the internet. Esp if you're desperate and want to avoid chemo which is understandable. But I wonder how many people are dead today who had a treatable cancer but were afraid of the chemo. Sometimes these cures do work and I think our medical community should take a more serious look at some of them.

Do you know of anyone who has cured themselves through an alternative treatment or died because of using an alternative treatment instead of the typical regime that you can share with us?

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    Such an interesting question. I am sure you have heard that in nature, whenever there is a poisonous plant, an antidote grows nearby. I figure that medicine is great. I am doing my chemo. But at the same time, my body gave me the cancer - not medicine. Apparantly their are forces in the body that allow cancer - so the natural body is pretty powerful! Through similar chanels there must be something in my natural body (or that I can add) that can control cancer. I did read that a diet of all raw food cured someone in the book, "Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips" Great book. I tried eating raw and did (for three hours). Oh, well. I will be reading the replies to you mail with interest.
    Joyce
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #3
    Hi, yes I know of three who have used alternative meds two who lost their lives. One was a dear friend who had treatable stage 2 breast cancer. She was about 58 at the time. She choose to clean up her diet, use colodial silver (forgive me for the spelling) and would travel to Nev. 6 x a year for visits with an alternative doc. No conventional treatment was done. I begged her to do the chemo, within a year it has spread to her bones, lungs and neck. She did finally see a dr. about chemo, it was too late, she died two months later. The second person I am aware of was my neighbors brother. He choose to go to an upscale spa resort type alternative med place in Mexico. The did vitamins, coffee enemas, fasting etc. He died within six months. The third person had stage 1 breast cancer and choose to do alternative meds (not sure what) after 18 months of this the cancer has spread to her throat, and bones. She is now taking chemo and the cancer in the throat is much less than it was. She had been so bad off it was hard to breathe, that is much better. It is still in her bones and she will need more treatment. Sorry these are not nice endings, but it is what i have seen happen. Over the years I have endured 16 weeks of radiation and 24 rounds of chemo. If it returns for a fourth battle I am running to the oncologist to be given my chemo. For me it has worked and I am not much the worse for way. I would no longer be here without it. Like i said sorry for this not being uplifting, it is just the truth as I know it.
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #4
    unknown said:

    Such an interesting question. I am sure you have heard that in nature, whenever there is a poisonous plant, an antidote grows nearby. I figure that medicine is great. I am doing my chemo. But at the same time, my body gave me the cancer - not medicine. Apparantly their are forces in the body that allow cancer - so the natural body is pretty powerful! Through similar chanels there must be something in my natural body (or that I can add) that can control cancer. I did read that a diet of all raw food cured someone in the book, "Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips" Great book. I tried eating raw and did (for three hours). Oh, well. I will be reading the replies to you mail with interest.
    Joyce

    Joyce, have you seen P53 referenced in your path report? I did but I didn't know what it meant, so I did a little research. Again, I'm a layman, but what I learned is that our cells have an "off/on" switch and when we need our cells to fight off something that's invading them, they do so and get rid of the problem. Unfortunately, in my case, it appears that this switch didn't turn "on" and the mutation of my cells and their growth flourished. Please, I'm no medical researcher, but I found this very interesting and the fact that my P53 was turned off. I believe that scientists are working to find out why this happens - and when they do, we may have a real breakthrough. The human body is an amazing machiine and was created to take care of itself. Let's keep our fingers crossed that solid research continues. And, that cancer patients continue to have faith in our scientists and doctors and chemo, if they need it. I understand the despair that someone might feel, but life, even with chemo, is worth it. Marilynn
  • survivor51
    survivor51 Member Posts: 276
    #5
    Yes, I do believe in alternative type medicine. I did have chemo for my cancer but I have known several to choose alternative ways it has worked so far. On close friend had prostate cancer. It was aggressive but he connected with a doctor using alternative medicine. He takes several pills of cod liver oil, flax seed, etc and has a total all organic diet. No red meat, absolutely no sugar, and a strict organic diet. This has been 5 years and each time he goes to get his PSA checked, the numbers are normal where before they absolutely were not. Ihave been blending by western medicine and alternative medicine. I go to an acupuncturist and I feel good. I talk several herbs and try to watch my diet. I am not totally observant as my friend is but I do know that there are a lot of problems with our diets and the constant quick foods we eat. The ingredients they put into foods to perserve them and etc are not good for our bodies. In addition, the sugar drinks/food, diet items are very bad..yes less in fat but the other ingredients are bad. Try an experiment. Take a quarter and put it in a glass of coke and a glass of diet coke. Check it in a few days and see if you notice anything. We eat way too much starches, fats, breads, etc. That does not mean to cut them all out but be wise. I have personally experienced how certain herbs heal and I do believe in them. I think research is a good thing and to blend western medicine with eastern medicine and organic.
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #6
    About two years ago I started hanging out in the health food store hoping they could cure the nagging cough I had with oregano oil or whatever since the doctor didn't seem to be able to find an antibiotic that worked. We had tried everything save surgery on the sinus infection to absolutely no avail. The cough was as much in my chest as my nose and I was convinced I had pneumonia. The health food store sold me everything I wanted and gave me all kinds of "medical advice". Finally my primary care doc insisted on an X-ray and guess what! I had lung cancer. The PET/CAT scan showed I had pneumonia too, but that was the least of my worries. I had caught it fairly early and only surgery was needed, but I shudder when I think of what might have happened if I had kept putting off that X-ray and biopsy. I believe strongly in exercise, healthy diet, and stress-relieving activities like yoga. But those things complement medical intervention in my book, not replace it. The doctors at my university clinic are looking into the validity of alternative treatment, but some of those treatments are being made by snake oil salesmen. Be careful!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    I also wanted to add that, despite my stage 2b cancer, three onc.s told me that after my masectomy, if I did nothing more, I had a 50% of no recurrance. I did opt for chemo, but if I had not and say, did some alternative med. it would look like I cured myself (50%chance that I didn't need curing) I am very careful not to listen to stories that promise everything. But, I do listen all the time to things I can do to help. I have changed my diet, exercise, and mostly of all, try not to get upset. I don't want too many fight or flight enzymes running around in my body. I am nervous by nature. And when I do get upset, I let it out, rather than stifle it. A friend of mine tested my chakras with a pendulum. She said my throat chakra was closed. I took that to mean, cry more, laugh more, talk more. Maybe she helped cure me. She also recommends me visuallizing yellow warmth in my solar plexus to boost optimism. I think that boosting optimism will keep down my worry factor and thus the worry physiological body changes that may hamper healing. So I do it. This is such an interesting topic! I did not check my path report for the marker you suggested, Marilyn. I guess I am afraid to open it back up since I am in a good place now and don't want to go back to the "Im gonna die!" days of early diagnosis. Maybe after a few yellow visualizations I will have the strength to do so.
    Thanks everybody for sharing.
    Joyce
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #8
    unknown said:

    Such an interesting question. I am sure you have heard that in nature, whenever there is a poisonous plant, an antidote grows nearby. I figure that medicine is great. I am doing my chemo. But at the same time, my body gave me the cancer - not medicine. Apparantly their are forces in the body that allow cancer - so the natural body is pretty powerful! Through similar chanels there must be something in my natural body (or that I can add) that can control cancer. I did read that a diet of all raw food cured someone in the book, "Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips" Great book. I tried eating raw and did (for three hours). Oh, well. I will be reading the replies to you mail with interest.
    Joyce

    There are people who swear raw food is the way to go. Wheat grass was another popular one for cancer some time ago. Don't personally know of anyone who cured their cancer by it though.
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #9
    RE said:

    Hi, yes I know of three who have used alternative meds two who lost their lives. One was a dear friend who had treatable stage 2 breast cancer. She was about 58 at the time. She choose to clean up her diet, use colodial silver (forgive me for the spelling) and would travel to Nev. 6 x a year for visits with an alternative doc. No conventional treatment was done. I begged her to do the chemo, within a year it has spread to her bones, lungs and neck. She did finally see a dr. about chemo, it was too late, she died two months later. The second person I am aware of was my neighbors brother. He choose to go to an upscale spa resort type alternative med place in Mexico. The did vitamins, coffee enemas, fasting etc. He died within six months. The third person had stage 1 breast cancer and choose to do alternative meds (not sure what) after 18 months of this the cancer has spread to her throat, and bones. She is now taking chemo and the cancer in the throat is much less than it was. She had been so bad off it was hard to breathe, that is much better. It is still in her bones and she will need more treatment. Sorry these are not nice endings, but it is what i have seen happen. Over the years I have endured 16 weeks of radiation and 24 rounds of chemo. If it returns for a fourth battle I am running to the oncologist to be given my chemo. For me it has worked and I am not much the worse for way. I would no longer be here without it. Like i said sorry for this not being uplifting, it is just the truth as I know it.

    Please don't apologize. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just experiences and truth. Sorry about your friend. That is hard when it was so treatable. I "knew" in my heart that chemo was the way I was supposed to go. Thanks Re
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #10
    survivor51 said:

    Yes, I do believe in alternative type medicine. I did have chemo for my cancer but I have known several to choose alternative ways it has worked so far. On close friend had prostate cancer. It was aggressive but he connected with a doctor using alternative medicine. He takes several pills of cod liver oil, flax seed, etc and has a total all organic diet. No red meat, absolutely no sugar, and a strict organic diet. This has been 5 years and each time he goes to get his PSA checked, the numbers are normal where before they absolutely were not. Ihave been blending by western medicine and alternative medicine. I go to an acupuncturist and I feel good. I talk several herbs and try to watch my diet. I am not totally observant as my friend is but I do know that there are a lot of problems with our diets and the constant quick foods we eat. The ingredients they put into foods to perserve them and etc are not good for our bodies. In addition, the sugar drinks/food, diet items are very bad..yes less in fat but the other ingredients are bad. Try an experiment. Take a quarter and put it in a glass of coke and a glass of diet coke. Check it in a few days and see if you notice anything. We eat way too much starches, fats, breads, etc. That does not mean to cut them all out but be wise. I have personally experienced how certain herbs heal and I do believe in them. I think research is a good thing and to blend western medicine with eastern medicine and organic.

    Thank you for reminding me, I do know one other person. He had prostate cancer and was definitely healed by an elder medicine woman on the reserve in my area. She's been doing this all her life and is quite renowned. Actually I took some of her stuff for about 2 mos between surgery and chemo. Have no idea if it worked or not.

    I am a little embarrassed as I used to preach to people about their diets. Preach about organics and have spent a small fortune on them. We used to juice, and ate whole grains, flax seed and oil, fish, fresh veggies. I feel like a joke to all those I preached to. I will never tell anyone what to eat again. But I do continue to buy organics, eat lots of veggies and fruit...etc. Hard habit to break I guess.
    Thanks Angela
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #11
    cabbott said:

    About two years ago I started hanging out in the health food store hoping they could cure the nagging cough I had with oregano oil or whatever since the doctor didn't seem to be able to find an antibiotic that worked. We had tried everything save surgery on the sinus infection to absolutely no avail. The cough was as much in my chest as my nose and I was convinced I had pneumonia. The health food store sold me everything I wanted and gave me all kinds of "medical advice". Finally my primary care doc insisted on an X-ray and guess what! I had lung cancer. The PET/CAT scan showed I had pneumonia too, but that was the least of my worries. I had caught it fairly early and only surgery was needed, but I shudder when I think of what might have happened if I had kept putting off that X-ray and biopsy. I believe strongly in exercise, healthy diet, and stress-relieving activities like yoga. But those things complement medical intervention in my book, not replace it. The doctors at my university clinic are looking into the validity of alternative treatment, but some of those treatments are being made by snake oil salesmen. Be careful!

    You know, snake oil is supposed to be good for you (LOL) Anyway, I agree, one must be very careful, but let me extend that to the medical community as well. We need to do our research and homework before taking anything.
    Thanks Cabbott
    jan
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #12
    unknown said:

    I also wanted to add that, despite my stage 2b cancer, three onc.s told me that after my masectomy, if I did nothing more, I had a 50% of no recurrance. I did opt for chemo, but if I had not and say, did some alternative med. it would look like I cured myself (50%chance that I didn't need curing) I am very careful not to listen to stories that promise everything. But, I do listen all the time to things I can do to help. I have changed my diet, exercise, and mostly of all, try not to get upset. I don't want too many fight or flight enzymes running around in my body. I am nervous by nature. And when I do get upset, I let it out, rather than stifle it. A friend of mine tested my chakras with a pendulum. She said my throat chakra was closed. I took that to mean, cry more, laugh more, talk more. Maybe she helped cure me. She also recommends me visuallizing yellow warmth in my solar plexus to boost optimism. I think that boosting optimism will keep down my worry factor and thus the worry physiological body changes that may hamper healing. So I do it. This is such an interesting topic! I did not check my path report for the marker you suggested, Marilyn. I guess I am afraid to open it back up since I am in a good place now and don't want to go back to the "Im gonna die!" days of early diagnosis. Maybe after a few yellow visualizations I will have the strength to do so.
    Thanks everybody for sharing.
    Joyce

    You're right. You could have done some mushrooms or something and everyone would have assumed you were clean. Or sometimes we do everything and nothing works.

    This is why I posted this topic. There are millions of "stories" out there, but when it comes down to it, is there any truth to them. I'm sure there is to some, but they never seem to have any real evidence. I know my friend was quite disappointed in me for going the conventional route.

    Thanks for sharing Joyce and keep those chakras open :)
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #13
    phoenixrising said:

    There are people who swear raw food is the way to go. Wheat grass was another popular one for cancer some time ago. Don't personally know of anyone who cured their cancer by it though.

    My Oncotype test showed I had a 24% chance of recurrence. That wasn't good enough for me. With chemo, I will reduce my chance of recurrence to 14 - 15%. Now that's good chemo news. At my age, 65, I was hesitant and feared chemo because of side effects. I already have a few small health issues, but the thought of seeking alternative medicine never entered my mind. Maybe I'm too trusting, but I'll place my money on medical oncology every time. My experience with these practioners is that they care and they have research, data, figures, facts, clinical trials to back up their words and their protocols. (That' why I'm participating in a clincial trial) No doubt there have been some cases of miraculous recoveries without traditional medical intervention, but I believe those are few and far between. No one can deny that many chemo medicines like tamoxifen, taxotere, and taxol come from plant sources. But I can't support the idea of alternative medicine in lieu of traditional chemo. Marilynn
  • gord49
    gord49 Member Posts: 2
    #14
    i am from vancouver island. i can help. grryall@shaw.ca
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #15
    I think we all either know someone, or of someone, or even we ourselves who have hoped that anything other than conventional medicines will cure us. How appealing it is to think I can drink a tropical juice, rub a salve, or bathe with the seeds of some exotic flower harvested in the excrement of macaws in the rain-forest by blind children who now can afford Braille lessons! And I can get all I need on the Internet!! And no chemo! No radiation burns! No hair loss! I wish I wish I wish.....

    I do think some cancers are more agressive than others, and some cancers may spontaneously and mysteriously shrink. I wish that would happen more often than not...but it seems not to.

    Anything out there that can make us more comfortable and help us get through this is fine with me! I like things in conjunction with conventional medicine, and I am so thankful for the medical advances which helped me have 5 years remission as of March!

    Hugs,
    Claudia

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