Something I didn't do when I was diagnosed in November 2011 was take time to research my options and make informed choices. I wish I had but I was so shocked, frightened and overwhelmed at the time that I allowed the oncology department at SJOG hospital make all the decisions about my treatment. I did what they told me I "must" do to give myself the best chance of beating this horrible disease. When they told me I required surgery I had surgery. When they told me I needed more surgery I had that too. "Take these pills, sit in that big chair and let us pump you full of toxic drugs, let us bombard you with radiation", and so it went. There was much more to it than that but I followed their recommendations to the letter. The oncology specialists I dealt with had a way of making me fear the disease more than I feared their treatments. And I did fear their treatments believe me!
However since all of that ended I have had a lot of time to research natural therapies. Green smoothies, essential oils, antioxidants, leafy green vegetables, herbs and spices the list goes on. I am learning how diet and exercise can boost your immune system enough to combat cancer. After all that's what the immune system is supposed to do right? Fight disease? So surely by building up my immune system I should be giving my body the tools it needs to fight the cancer cells and win?
Well this is a contentious issue in my circles as I'm sure it is everywhere. I remember one day talking to a close friend on the phone and questioning why I was subjecting myself to such horrors. Her reply? "Would you rather die?" It was as though without chemo the outcome was a foregone conclusion. And she is not alone in her view. Conventional medicine is touted as being the be all and end all of cancer treatment and many people believe it IS the only choice. "Alternative" therapies or natural medicine are often dismissed as "quackery". I discovered the hard way that many people I know have strong views on this and sit firmly in either the traditional medicine camp or the natural medicine camp. I have had some passionate discussions with friends and family regarding my past treatment and what I might do in the future if it should crop up again.
What I don't understand is why so many people view this as a black or white issue. Why can't the two things work together? I'm afraid I'm a fence sitter on this one!! And I don't like fence sitting. I still take my "anti-cancer" pill every day like a good girl. BUT I also take my probiotics, antioxidants and vitamin D (don't get me started on how important vitamin D is). I eat lots of fruit and veg (organic where possible), I drink apple cider vinegar in water, I use essential oils daily and I meditate when I can. Oh and of course we moved across the country to achieve a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle. None of these things can hurt me, in fact they even help moderate the side-effects of my "anti-cancer" pill. And who knows, natural medicine might just be the difference between a recurrence and a cancer-free future.
