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JenniferS
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Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 15
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 Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:03 am Post subject: Alternative treatments - please read |
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My wonderful and amazing mother passed away on January 29, 2007 at the age of 68 after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer on Thanksgiving which had metastasized to her liver and lungs. I miss her so very much.
I wanted to share her story with you as we too were desperately searching for answers and help.
My mom opted against chemo since her cancer was so advanced by the time she was diagnosed. She first began experiencing fatigue and abdominal pain in early October. Her primary care physician mis-diagnosed her with acid reflux and told her to come back 2 weeks if it persisted. She has hepatitis C and by the time we finally were able to get blood tests run, her tumor marker test was 500+ (normal is 0-7).
We all assumed that she had liver cancer due to the hep c so we were shocked when her oncologist said it originated in the pancreas.
My parents grew up in China/Taiwan and we still have family that lives over there. Because she wasn't doing chemo, they provided us with a lot of information on this intense homeopathic treatment which consisted of taking a ton of vitamins and supplements, eating a very specific diet (mostly specific vegetables prepared in a certain way with little to no preservatives) and soaking her feet and body in herbs to counteract the water buildup and swelling.
Although she was sleeping a lot (between 18-20 hours/day) in the November and December, she wasn't in any pain. I was a little skeptical at first because I didn't know anything about this treatment. While we knew it wasn't curative and had accepted her ultimate fate, it is intended to help the body fight off bad cells and help combat pain. I'm so grateful that the pain never did come. She was still able to walk and eat at the dinner table until her last week. Her last week, she just slept constantly (not up for more than 5 minutes at a time), was bed-ridden and could barely speak or eat. However, she was NEVER in pain and we never had to give her morphine. Our hospice nurses couldn't believe that she wasn't in pain and we feel like it was a true blessing. In retrospect, I firmly believe it was the homeopathic treatment which allowed her to be pain-free although in some discomfort. Hospice provided her with anti-anxiety/muscle relaxer pills which helped her sleep comfortably and I'd highly recommend these. She also got pretty depressed (understandably) around 3 weeks before she passed away. She has always been such a strong, brave and fearless person and to see her so sad broke my heart. In her last day, she woke up hungry and ate a poached egg and had a nice visit with a close friend and passed away peacefully in her sleep. We miss her terribly.
If you are looking for more information regarding this treatment, please feel free to email me (jrseu71@yahoo.com). I can try to get as much info as I can for you. I'm so sorry to all the families out there who are going through similar experiences.
Jennifer |
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aseemsood
New User
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject: Alternative treatments - please read |
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Dear Jennifer,
I am sorry to hear about your mother.
Thanks for your post. It provides some very important and useful information. Its nice that your mother did not have to go through the painful days that people experience after chemotherapy.
My father has been diagnosed with metastatic Pancreatic cancer last week (Feb 3, 2007). He is also not very keen to go through Chemotherapy. Infact we have now consulted a homeopathic doctor and started taking the medicine. Our oncologist has also not raised any objection to this. But the big question that still remains is whether we start chemo or not. And this is something that I am struggling to find an answer to myself. [b]I want to ensure that my father is able to spend, whatever time he has left, with quality and happiness. I am worried that Chemotherapy affects the quality of life by a great extent. At the same time, I am not sure if quality of his life would be better without Chemo. [/b]
You have mentioned that you may also be able to provide some more information on homeopathy. I will be happy to learn more, do share.
Regards,
Aseem
aseemsood AT yahoo DOT com
Here are some more details about my father : ( just in case you would want to know)
CT Scan Results : Mass Lesion at the Body of pancreas with vascular encasement and hepatic metastatis
CA 19-9 value : 98
Biopsy or FNAC has not been done so far.
Blood Sugar : 143 (fasting); 170(PP) (He was not a diabetic earlier, this only started in the last 15 days)
Weight : He has lost 6 Kgs in the last 4 months
Age : 60 years |
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JenniferS
Regular
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad |
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Aseem,
I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. I know exactly what you are going through since we went through the same shock/anxiety/devastation ourselves.
I am certainly no expert on chemo since my mom never did it. In her case, since the cancer had metastasized pretty significantly (7-8 cm mass on liver) and had multiple spots on her lungs, the outlook was grim. There was only a 20% chance of "successful" chemo. "Successful" was defined as stopping the spreading of the chemo and/or shrinking the size of the tumors. It was not curative, only would prolong her life by a couple of months. On top of that, even with successful chemo, she was only given a 20% chance of living past a year. So, we were looking at 20% of 20% - which is about a 4% chance. She didn't want to spend her last days in and out of the hospital, having to deal with the negative side effects of chemo only to buy herself a couple of months at best.
We have had family friends who have undergone chemo and I know that the side effects are tremendous. I'd be interested to know other people's experience though with it and what they recommend.
In my personal opinion, the quality of my mom's life during her last couple of months was better than if she had undergone chemo. If we had to do it all over again, I still would have chosen the same course. While she was extremely fatigued and even depressed, she was never nauseous, never had to lose her hair, never had to go to doctor appointments and never in severe pain. The entire last two months, my mom was surrounded by her husband, her children, her sisters and her many friends.
My heart goes out to you and your family.
Jennifer |
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aseemsood
New User
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:11 am Post subject: Delaying Chemo |
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Dear Jennifer,
We (my father, mother and myself) have decided to try out alternate therapies before we start Chemo.
I don't know if this is the right decision but I felt that my father is more comfortable with this approach. And I am told that will power is a very powerful healer for cancer patients. I hope it works.
Thanks again!
Feel free to share any other info that you may have/ get.
Regards,
Aseem
aseemsood AT yahoo DOT com |
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Wunderchu
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Joined: 21 Feb 2007
Posts: 29
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Wunderchu
Regular
Joined: 21 Feb 2007
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:51 am Post subject: Re: Alternative treatments - please read |
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I have now read from multiple sources that "Glycomannan" may help against pancreatic cancer:
http://www.topix.net/forum/health/pancreatic-cancer/T6AVST55P1E2KFQG3
http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,3491,2.htm
http://www.distance-healer.com/18.html
also, the "Budwig diet" and a certain tea seem to have some potential;
http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,808,4.htm
http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,3593,0.htm
http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/nl107.html
and Capsaicin seems to have some potential as well:
http://www.pancreasweb.com/pancreas.asp?ak=Detail&zaehler=3615
[quote][b]Dr. Rowen Prescribes Capsaicin
****************************[/b]
Most of you know I like Dr. Robert Ray Rowen's "Second Opinion" newsletter. He had an interesting article in the May, 2007 issue. It was called "The Only Safe Way to Burn Cancer Out of Your Body." Here are some excerpts and information on how to get the product he is touting:
"For years, doctors and medical science believed the only way to effectively burn cancer out of your body was with radiation. Of course, they still hold to that dogma. But you don't have to. There's another way to burn cancer out of your body. And this method is completely safe to the surrounding tissues and the rest of your body....
Researchers in two separate studies have found a way to burn cancer cells with capsaicin rather than radiation. Capsaicin is the very hot extract of red peppers....
A British study led by Dr. Timothy Bates has found that capsaicin directly attacks the mitochondria (energy furnaces) of cancer cells. But it leaves the mitochondria of normal cells untouched. The team found that lung and pancreatic cancer cells incubated with the hot extract died from the direct assault on their energy furnaces. Pancreatic cancer cells are particularly hard to kill, so this is great news.
Study after study is showing the incredible healing power of spices and herbs such as red pepper and turmeric....So I have asked Farmacopia (800-896-1484) to carry a dried extract [of the capsaicin] in capsules (40,000 heat units each). I suggest you take seven capsules three times a day, but only for three days a week. If you find this dose is too uncomfortable for you, please contact Farmacopia and let them know."
Would I try this? Absolutely! I trust Dr. Rowen. He is one of the really knowledgeable holistic M.D.'s around. The red pepper extract cannot harm you. If it makes you uncomfortable, just cut the dose or stop. This would certainly be an option I would consider if the standard regimen I recommend in my book doesn't seem to be working for you.
If you'd like to subscribe to Dr. Rowen's newsletter, you can do so by calling his Business Office in Atlanta at (800) 728-2288 or (770) 399-5617. The cost is $49 a year for 12 issues.[/quote][source: http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/nl107.html ]
also, "graviola" and "paw paw" seem promising: http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=graviola+%22pancreatic+cancer%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22paw+paw%22+%22pancreatic+cancer%22&btnG=Search&meta=
finally, triphala seems to hold some potential, too;
http://www.cancerfocus.net/node/390
_________________
May God Bless all cancer patients and their families and their caregivers.
God is in control. God is the true healer.
"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." -Psalm 127:1-3
Last edited by Wunderchu on Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:31 am; edited 7 times in total |
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brainman
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Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 3788
Location: Tennessee
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