Anyone else out there choosing 100% Alternative?
Comments
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juneping.. please dont worry or feel bad.. you posted what you thought was good information.. in a sense it was as it highlighted the fact we need to be very careful of sources. The article was written in 2013 yet the study they were quoting was done in 1986 and that comment was in response to a specific chemo drug. By posting that article we can see the misrepresentation that goes on.0 -
juneping... please do not blame yourself; you had valid questions and most of us were not upset in the slightest. This is a discussion board, and free- and open discussion is always allowed- and encouraged. Sometimes a few people just insist on seeing insult or disrespect where none was intended or even given.
Do not feel that you cannot come and ask questions about your options- and choices whether they be alternative or conventional.
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juneping - I think it's great that you posted it. I don't think anybody was upset about it; we are all dealing with this and want others to have the best info possible. Lots of people read these threads & some of them may have read that article and taken it at face value. Since you posted it you gave people a chance to put the information in context and that may be very beneficial to others.
I'm sorry that you're dealing with a recent diagnosis & working through your choices is a great thing.0 -
juneping, I am sorry to hear of your dx.
Please be aware, there are no alternative (substitutionary) chemotherapies, nor alternatives to chemotherapy. We either do it, or we don't.
Hope that made sense.
Second (and third) opinions from conventional physicians, if you are in the gray area, are well worth it.0 -
www.canceractive.com and the moss report both quote studies, serious studies about effective cancer treatments, conventional and otherwise0 -
I'm with the others, June, who support your post. Traditional aproaches are easy to research--your doctors, their staff, and the hospital breast or cancer center, will be happy to share with you all the latest and most reliable studies and help you understand which treatments are likely to benefit you, how they will benefit you, and to what degree. Once you have the tried and true scientific information more or less figured out, then, and only then, will you have the foundation necessary to understand alternative treatments. Alternative, of course, has to be alternative to something concrete. You've already seen that some alternative sites have no qualms about presenting distorted. outdated, and irrelevant data. I'm new to this site also, but am thrilled to see how quick and able some of the regulars are to cut through the chaff to discover the basis of that site's alarmist prose.
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Juneping. Please don't think that your posts were in any way upsetting. Not at all. You have every right to get advice anywhere about your treatment. You had nothing whatsoever to do with my comment. You'd have to read back through the alternative threads to see where the problems lie with this forum and the thread. It started well before you ever posted. If you read back I think you'll see what I'm talking about. Just wanted to clear up that my comment was not aimed at you and I sincerely apologize for it coming across that way. Bad timing on my part.
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June,
No problem with what you posted! As many have said, we should all question and challenge sources/resources for all tax, conventional or alt. Questioning is good!0 -
Juneping, just want to echo what so many other posters have said, PLEASE do not be at all upset about your post. It was valuable to show how important it is to do thorough research, for everything.
I hope you will also get a second opinion about your treatment plans, if you haven't already. The first few weeks, months, after diagnosis are SO hard, - so much to think about, and so much to learn. PLEASE don't be afraid of asking questions on any of the forums.
Something I found very valuable when I was diagnosed was The Breast Book by Dr. Susan Love, get the most latest edition, it is updated frequently. Also, Anti Cancer: A new way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber. Dr. Shreiber wrote (page 32) "Once a tumor is installed, none of these natural defenses can replace chemotherapy - or radiotherapy. But they can be exploited, accompanying conventional treatments, to fully mobilize the body's resistance to cancer." More of this kind of information is also available on the Complementary Forum.
Keep asking questions, and best wishes on your continued healing.0 -
keep on posting junping!0 -
Thanks. I guess I thought that was what this thread was supposed to be though??? I mean look at the title!!0 -
Hjpz, many of the most active original posters on this thread left. They didn't want to discuss anything which countered their beliefs about alternative therapy. Many are still here because we want information about the pros and cons of both conventional and alternative.
Juneping, I think you have a lot to offer BCO. Hope you keep posting!0 -
I know about oncotype testing. Chemo was recommended this time around before I even had my surgery - with just my core biopsy and MRI done. It is still the standard treatment recommendation for breast cancer over 1 cm. I asked for the oncotype testing and was told I could do it but "it is just a tool" and I should not rely on it.0 -
I think you need to get another opinion. Your MO does not seem on top of the latest standards of practice.0 -
I think there are a lot more out dated opinions being given by doctors out there than you would think. That is why I continue to research everything and provide my oncologist with credible medical journals to back me up.0 -
Did you all have your iodine levels tested?? I wonder if my oncologist would test mine or I should test them on my own.0 -
hjpz,
This is not a chemo thread! The discussion about chemo came about in reference to a link to an article that someone posted. Threads can and do evolve or get ot at times. Many who post on this thread are very interested in alt tx but at the same time don't just take things on faith. We question everything, both conventional and alt. That's where some of the disagreement arose as some felt that questioning and asking for evidence was not appropriate. I think you have already found the newer thread where questioning and challenging are not welcome. I believe there's a place for whatever your "taste" on bco. Sorry that you have to be here at all.0 -
I did not say that in this thread.
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ladies - thank you so much!!
lily55 - thank you so much...the website you recommended...i was reading it for the past hour. my friend was telling me something so similar about diet. i am going to talk to her about that website. she's also a survivor (not BC) so i wonder if she read it also.
leggo - thanks!! (((hugs)))0 -
Hjpz, you wrote: "I think there are a lot more out dated opinions being given by doctors out there than you would think." and I agree. That is why it is so important to educate ourselves and to question our doctors, get second opinions etc.0 -
Yup. I went to MD Anderson for a second opinion this time around.
I also think survivors should educate themselves. My 3 aunts are all survivors and none could even tell me what kind of cancer they had (stage - grade - estrogen/progesterone positive or negative) or very much about their treatments! I know way too much about mine!0 -
Hjpz, I hear you. My mom had ovarian cancer 7 years ago. She survived, which is a small miracle in itself, but she still doesn't know what stage her cancer was or exactly what her treatment involved. She thinks I spend too much time understanding the disease. Very different mindset.0 -
My mother can be as vague about her breast cancer diagnosis, even though she's a retired nurse. I think, for some, it is a coping mechanism, but for others - like my mother - they just want to get on with their lives and not dwell on it.
Made rapini soup the other day. Not bad. I know it's part of the brassica family and, as such, is considered a "super food"; does anyone know of any reputable studies about its phytochemical structure?
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I finally finished reading this whole thread. A lot to digest. And no matter what I choose this thread is tremendously helpful. Give me a lot to think about.
Two questions.
Can someone tell me where I can find the article about cancer cells love high dose of vitamin C? It's on the first couple page and I am interested to read.
Can someone one PM me doctor George Wong? Is he really start his practice in Israel Beth? I live in NY and I would love to at least have a consultation with him.
Thanks!!0 -
Selena, you are probably right. In my mom's case, though, it is pure fear. She is incredibly lucky to have survived and in good shape, yet can't discuss estate planning, her illness, my illness etc because it makes her too scared.
I LOVE rapini. It is one of the few veggies we can't really get here. I learned to eat it in NY, where it is a staple.0 -
Oh yes. I agree. Cancer scares people and fear can make you lose your ability to reason or question. For me that fear turned quickly to anger and I wanted to kick cancers butt! I think there are two types of cancer patients - those who just want to get through it and move on with their lives and those who are more angry (angry is kind of a strong word but hopefully it makes sense) and want to know everything about it so that it doesn't happen again. Neither type of patient is right or wrong IMO - just different. We are all survivors either way.0 -
Hjpz, yes, I know you are right, and I try not to be too hard on her. It is difficult for me to relate though, because although I was scared by my DX, I feel I came to terms with the fear fairly quickly. I don't mean that I don't get scared, I do. Talk to me a week before scans and I am a mess
, but I refuse to let myself be ruled by the fear. To me that is equivalent to being ruled by the cancer. I think I am also fairly detached by nature, so I tend to approach the cancer as an interesting problem. It happens to be rather personal, lol, but it is still interesting from my POV.0 -
Momine, I have a sister who seems spooked by the word "cancer." I honestly don't think I've heard her utter the word in relation to my Dx. She has advised me to not "dwell" (where my "dwelling" is research and trying to understand). Yet the more I grasp the less I am afraid. Go figure!
As much as I'd like to believe that magical thinking might keep cancer from happening (ie the belief that "if I think about it, it's going to happen"), I find myself feeling more empowered by looking it squarely in the face. ;-)0 -
And I'm still amazed at the number of people that think you can "catch" cancer, like it's a cold or an allergy to mold, or something.
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Gemini, exactly: "She has advised me to not "dwell" (where my "dwelling" is research and trying to understand). Yet the more I grasp the less I am afraid. Go figure!"0
