What the Health?

Over the last 12 months I’ve been busy delving into the curious world of alternative therapy.

It’s a jungle out there. Difficult to see the wood through the trees, easy to lose direction. Lots of green stuff and plenty of shaman style supplements. Caterpillar fungus, frankincense, pork pancreas enzyme, turkey tail…

A sceptic at heart. I loathe the polished online version of holistic health – the wellness warriors, the influencers – products to purchase, money to be made. So many unsubstantiated claims and an abundance of information without substance or seemingly any research to back it up.

That’s why I chose to follow an anti-cancer program with a holistic therapist. Someone with credentials, a scientist. This helped me tremendously because it gave me direction. I had a plan for my health, no need to delve down those internet rabbit holes.

Some say you can’t put a price on health but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Alternative therapies are expensive. I’ve been able to find the money and the time. Not a privilege all cancer patients can afford.

I’ve partaken in a liver detox, coffee enemas, an alkaline diet, bio energy frequency sessions (RIFE), ozone oxygen therapy, sound bath healing, hypnotherapy, meditation, quantum energy healing, reiki. The exploration continues…

I also never stopped listening to my Oncologist, I’ve never stopped taking my medication.

My Oncologist rolls his eyes at the mere mention of my holistic doctor. My holistic doctor detests western medicine, in fact he’s advised me to stop taking tamoxifen on a number of occasions. Advice that I’ve opted to ignore.

It’s as if I’m being pulled in opposite directions by two opposing forces. Walking on eggshells in fear that I’ll be judged for mentioning one to the other, like I’m disclosing some controversial political view.

I suppose that’s why the pop cult version of holistic health bothers me so much. Because in my experience, it usually suggests you ditch your medication – give all or nothing.

Why can’t we pick and choose based on our own experience instead of following advice on blind faith? Listen to our bodies instead of following stringent regimes that treat health like a religion? We are all unique, each cancer is unique.

This divide between western medicine and alternative, natural therapies is a crying shame because for me the two have complemented each other so well. I want to try everything that’s available to me without apology and without feeling like I have to join a cult.

Have these therapies helped? I believe so. I have much more energy than I did 12 months ago and the mass in my ovaries has shrunk for the first time in 3 years. I couldn’t tell you exactly how this has happened. It wasn’t just one therapy but a combination of them all.

From now on I plan to give an honest account of the treatments I’ve tried and tested. How much they cost. How they made me feel. Whether they helped in some small way.

With a little luck my posts might help to bridge the gap between medical pharmaceuticals and natural alternatives.  Sharing my experience so that patients like me don’t waste what precious time they have getting lost in the jungle. 

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2 Responses

  1. Sounds sensible, as long as you’re not doing anything that is likely to cause harm (like giving up your meds, or following a cult diet that bans most of the nutrients your body needs to survive).
    Like the song says, if it feels good…

  2. Wow glad the tumor has shuck.
    It is a shame we can’t have both. I would love to hear more about your experience.

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