Monday, November 17, 2008

Alternative Treatments

Many of you have written to me to recommend alternative treatments. You've given personal testimonials from your own experience of being "cured" of cancer by a particular treatment. Or you've seen a loved one "cured" after doctors gave up and said there was nothing more to be done. I've read your recommendations but am not posting them on my blog for these reasons:

1) I don't want to give readers hope in treatments I know nothing about myself.

2) I don't want to send readers on wild goose chases when they are at their most vulnerable, desperate to find a way to keep themselves or their loved ones alive. I want to have nothing to do with companies that might be preying on the weak and taking advantage of the ignorance and helplessness of others.

3) There is plenty of information about alternative treatments already available on the Internet, at the library, and at the bookstores. You don't need my blog to tell you about them.

4) I'm sure some of these treatments work some of the time for some of the people. But nothing works all the time for all patients, including conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. There are too many factors at work, such as the synergistic effect of certain medications and the individual biochemistry of each patient. It's too simplistic to think you can treat cancer with any one solution, even chemo.

5) There's no such thing as "cured" of cancer. I'll write about that in another post later this week.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am looking at Photos 2008 and your kids look more Asian in certain angles, so adorable.

Yours is not a cancer blog, but a blog giving us hope, allowing us to learn what is life from another perspective.

Anonymous said...

Dear Shin,

I have always held the belief that our MIND is the best pharmaceutical factory there is because within our mind is the innate power to heal the body and itself.

Take endorphins for example. It's our body's natural painkiller, which is many times more effective than narcotics such as morphine. And the best part of it is that it is free and non-addictive.

Think happy thoughts, although it's very difficult under certain circumstances. And summon the good that is within to overcome and drive away those bad negative clouds.

Laugh and watch lots of comedy. When the body is immersed with joy and laughter, the body will produce more endorphins and also boost its natural defences.

Cancer is just a word that was coined by science. Life is bigger than science and cancer. The human spirit touched by the divine is stronger than statistics and gloomy prognoses which are 50% based on speculations drawn upon a case-by-case basis.

Each cancer case is unique. It's not really a death sentence as our perceptions make it out to be.

Laugh, fight, cry, and let the body react positively to this intrusion BUT never give up hope, never think for one moment it is a lost cause.

When the human spirit wills it to happen, it will happen; the body will react to the strong faith that is within you and it's no wonder someone spoke these words saying that "the kingdom of heaven is within you".

As long as there is Faith, Hope and Love, no fight is lost no matter how tough it may seem to be.

Alternative medicine is just one avenue but the real battle is fought in our minds, and keeping our minds strong and positive is already more than half the battle won!

: )

FL

Shin said...

FL,

Are you trying to talk yourself into something here?

The lady doth protest too much, methinks...

Anonymous said...

Shin, you have a pair of beautiful kids! So please continue to be strong and I will definitely wish you a Happy Birthday on 7 Dec. 2008!! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Shin,

I just want to say I absolutely love the way you write, with so much honesty and clarity.

You've gained yourself another fan! :) Keep going!

Regards,
Wee Nee :)

<*ANGEL*> said...

Actually in my experience of helping people with cancer and/or other chronic diseases, I feel that the number one most important thing is not really what they do, but what they think.

The minimum requirement is that they must have a will to live. For people who do not have a will to leave, cancer or not cancer, they will soon waste their life away.... and in most cases, eventually die...

No amount of prep talk, alternative healing, medication can help them....

Anonymous said...

Dear Shin,

I am inspired by your strength and encouraged by your conviction to share your life to educate and guide us. In my quiet moments, I pray that you will grow stronger day by day, being empowered in mind and body.

You are truly a remarkable lady with beautiful kids and a loving husband.

As I read your blog everyday , sometimes it's pretty hard for me to be detached from it all.

I applaud your courage Shin.

fl

Anonymous said...

I read your blog the night before Nadya's operation.

Somehow it reminded me of a book I'd read a few years ago which I bought for my uncle after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's a simple but insightful book on life's lessons.

This was the first book I picked to re-read for my stay with Nadya in the ICU ward. Maybe I wished to recall some of the lessons which I had failed to share with my uncles and aunty who died of cancer.

I underlined stuff that could be of help as I read. I stopped underlining at "Love Wins, Love always Wins".

Keeping this book from my uncle is one of my regrets because "acceptance" is the key to move on but the irony was, I think I was the one who was not willing to accept.

I did not get the chance to tell him I loved him. I had my hardest cry the day he was buried when one of his friends said, "Oh! So you are Peter. Your uncle had been asking for you since last month and he had lost your number..."

A quote from the book: "I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?"