Depressed

[Guest guest]

Marsha,

I have met many long-term survivors who have done radiation! Really even 20+

year survivors.

I am responding to you here simply because I felt compelled to offer you

some support, to give you some alternative thoughts in this alternative

group, to maybe help ease some of your anxiety.

I too underwent 30 days of radiation. My last treatment was July 9th of

this year (F.Y.I. I am a 44 year old man). While I underwent chemotherapy

and radiation I had to unplug from the alternative community! I found that

it was more painful, anxiety producing, listening to the alternative

community, than anything I was going through. You see the choices for

cancer treatment are sooooo hard because chemo, radiation and surgery are

things all of us can readily understand and none of it sounds like good/

nice medicine. It makes conventional physicians an easy target because the

options really suck. When I researched all the alternative stuff I could

handle, and I am a very thorough researcher, I found that the data just

wasn't there for me to risk my life with. I compiled enough to fill a book

on this so I can't go into it here, but I will pass this on to you. When

anyone reports that they have been cured by this or that alternative method,

always look or ask for what conventional treatment they had. To date I have

not met one survivor, not one, who underwent only alternative medicine,

there has always been the admission of oh yes the cancer was cut out, or

chemo'd or radiated but it was Dr.________'s new breakthrough, that the

" money making medical establishment " doesn't want you to have, that cured

me.

<<To any and all pursuing purely alternative treatment, your research may be

just as valid as mine, and I mean you no disrespect, it is only that through

my research I made my life and death decision, just as you are perhaps

making yours and I wish you total and complete healing as well>>

My tumors went away within 48 hours of my first chemo, an incredible

response, but when I asked my doctor is it possible the chemo got it all,

her only answer was yes its possible but not probable. It was really hard

but I decided to go through with her suggested protocol of 2 more chemo's

and 30 days of radiation, because when I weighed it, the risk seemed too

great to not do the whole thing. It is this vagueness that often leads

patients to discontinue their treatments midstream. Some survive some don't

but if they do they often become evangelists for alternative medicine all

the while not really being conscious that their cancer as mine may have been

cured with an earlier conventional treatment. By the way cancers that are

very slow to respond also often have excellent prognoses, I was just telling

you my personal story. I have no idea about your dad's condition or if you

have made other posts I just felt compelled to offer this to maybe help ease

your anxiety a little.

Since your dad is already going through radiation if you haven't already

maybe you may want to consider finding a conventional medicine

survivor/support group to help give you more hope during his treatment

process.

I made the decision to go with conventional treatments and followed what the

doctors said while I was in their care, after I was done with the treatments

though, I changed my diet to include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits,

many juiced, no sugary stuff or simple carbs and some other alternative diet

recommendations. It does seem that at least on these points there is

consensus, alternative or not.

I hope something I said helped. You are no baby, crying often helps,

rambling?

Keep the faith, peace to you, Love, Marty

[ ] depressed

I am so worried about my dad taking 28 days of radiation. It seems like no

one I know can understand what I am going threw. I cry for no reason and I

am

called a baby. I forget to take meds or I screw them up so bad I scare my

self. Sorry for rambling I have no one to talk to. Love Marsha

[Guest guest]

Hi, I haven't been on in a while. Life has been so busy w/back to school, having

4 kids, a

traveling husband, dying pets, new kittens, a new dog, finding out about a sex

offender

across the street whom my children play w/the children that live in his house,

(my kids are

fine though, thank God!), and everything (my AS child) throws at me at any

given day.

We discovered in mid June that he probably had AS, went to a psychologist, got

the ball

rolling, but since it was summer vacation, we had to wait til school was about

to start to get

the teacher to fill out all the paperwork, long story short, Monday Sept 11 th

is our " official

diagnosis " day. I spoke w/his teacher on the phone this morning for the first

time and she

actually asked me if I was planning on medicating him and was VERY disappointed

when I

said no! has gotten 100% worse since June. He is completely out of

control. I think I

have to pull him from the regular bus (throwing things out the window, foul

language-

unusual- and other things that other children request of him that he does to

make them

happy even if it's wrong) to one of the mini buses. We've had some really really

bad days

here. I've never been one to drink, but I find myself having a Mikearita every

evening. I had

lost 35 pounds over the summer w/about 10-15 more to go and have been eating

candy

lately like crazy. It's my comfort food. I've been avoiding all of my friends

cuz they don't

understand or even want to talk about my issues w/. I am feeling so isolated

in this

whole situation. Just very bummed. Thanks for listening.