Life is filled with a
myriad of choices. From the clothes we wear to the decision whether to have
children, the spectrum of choices in life is great, and we are empowered to
select from options that best suit our needs and wants.
But what happens when
you are not given the choice—the power—to
embrace an option that you deem appropriate for yourself? What if you were not
only struck with a disease but then also told that you didn’t have a choice in
how you would be treated?
It seems like
something out of fiction, but the reality is that when our health fails us,
western culture affirms the notion that not only do we not have a choice in our diagnosis; we are also without the power
to choose a personal path toward health.
James “Rhio” O’Connor
was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops within the
outer layer of internal organs.
He was one such
recipient of a terminal prognosis and standardized treatment.
However, Rhio
disregarded the sentence of only one year to live, and instead of letting
others make the choice for him, he took control and chose his own path toward
health.
Because of his
pursuit of alternative medicines—change in diet, supplements, etc.—Rhio
prolonged his life for more than six years. Because he decided to stand up to
the mentality that each disease has a single treatment, he not only enriched
his own life, but that of so many others who have come into contact with
various forms of cancer.
Fortunately, his choice to find a personal, unique
approach to his treatment has begun to take hold in a larger portion of
society.
As individuals
educate themselves on overall health, it becomes clear that patients,
especially cancer patients, and doctors, want and need various treatment options.
Unfortunately, this
is where the controversy lies. Centuries-old alternative therapies such as
change in diet, supplementation, acupuncture, chiropractic care, etc. are only
controversial because drug companies make
them controversial.
Ultimately, it’s not
the cost to bring alternative drugs to market that deters drug companies; it’s
their wariness to approve natural methods they cannot patent. Since there is
nothing proprietary about vitamins and raw foods, drug companies want to avoid
alternative therapies all together—not because of the cost to test, but because
of the cost of finding them successful.
“Cancer is a
profitable business” according to Dr. Sally Brown, DC, so of course the FDA
would avoid approving these holistic approaches—they aren’t fiscally
responsible.
These drugs are so
profitable that doctors are even jailed for attempting to use alternative
treatments. A doctor in Texas who works with children with cancer was
imprisoned for simply attempting to incorporate all-natural methods, such as
the addition of a protein, that the children’s bodies were missing.
The chemotherapy is
killing the child, but the all-natural methods are financially killing the drug
companies.
Where are our
priorities?
Cancer patients use these
alternative treatments because they are aware of the various negative effects
of chemotherapy and radiation. Though chemo and radiation are typically seen as
the most efficacious, they also bring along a myriad of negative, long-term
effects.
We need to look to
other countries, who were established long before us, and whose medical track
records supersede our own. According to Dr. Brown, The United States spends the
most on drugs and surgery, yet we endure the most extreme morbidity and
mortality rates because of all of the sickness we are exposed to.
Add to this the fact
that insurance companies typically only cover prescribed drugs, rather than
alternative medicines, and we are confronted with the truth that personalized
health care is not a priority in our country.
Because these
prescribed drugs come with both positive and negative effects, there is no
doubt that medicinal medicine and
folk medicine have relevancy in cancer. All patients should know all of the
options available to them.
We need to continue
to pursue options such as Cancer Treatment Centers of America who offer their
patients all forms—prescription & alternative—of treatment with a common
thread of patient choice and doctor facilitation.
Unlike many other
countries, we have a simultaneous market of prescription drugs and alternative
treatments marketed directly to the
consumer. Dr. Sally Brown prioritized doctor and patient relationships as we
venture into alternative medicine.
If a doctor has no
interest in discussing alternative medicines and/or a patient pursues his/her
own alternative methods without
conversing with the doctor, a multitude of issues could arise in pursuit of the
patient’s health.
An open relationship
needs to exist so that the doctor is able to reveal all opportunities for treatment and the patient is able to make a
well-informed decision for him/herself.
Ultimately, like
Rhio, we need to regain control of our own care and treatment. If we take the
opportunity to inform ourselves and strive for health knowledge, above and
beyond what we’re assured is the only
option, like Rhio, we too could forge our own path and choose the life we want for ourselves.
Kristy Gaudio
For further
information, please click the link below to review Cancer Monthly’s
authoritative mesothelioma survivors’ website:
