Questions on Alternative Treatments

Some have asked why I stopped the interferon and others have asked what kind of alternative treatments am I taking.

First: I stopped the interferon because I could not see me sleeping away the next 11 months living on pills when the oncologist himself said that they did not know if or how the interferon worked and there was almost no difference in those that took the 11 month maintenance treatments and those who took no treatments. The only known way to stop melanoma is to cut it out of the body. I had taken the 4 week heavy treatments and that seems to be the key according to the oncologist and what I have read. If I do have only 5 or so years left at a 1 in 4 chance of cancer coming back, I would rather have quality of life rather than what I was going thru.

Second: My reading, friends giving me there stories on not taking further treatments 5, 10 and even 20 years ago and have changed their lifestyle and they remain cancer free. I talked with two men with the same type of cancers, one went on the maintenance treatments and one did not. Their PSA levels are both the same after several years. Even business associates have given me their stories of doctors not knowing and saying 85% of what they do in chemical treatments is unknown why or if it works. Chemo works only on 5 of the 200 cancers known. One man was loosing his sense of feeling in his feet while on chemo. He told the doctor and the doctor told him he knew this would be a side effect and would soon go into his legs. He asked the oncologist how effective the drug was and his answer was we do not know, but it only works from what we can tell in about 1% of the cases. He stopped his chemo, changed his lifestyle and eating and he is cancer free 13 years later. With my interferon, the doctor had questions and they were not answered by a doctor or technician from the manufacturer, but rather by the sales rep. That really started me thinking.

Three: My alternative is to go to a preventive medicine clinic. I am changing my eating habit eating large breakfasts, a good lunch and small supper. It is balancing my weight and I actually feel better eating. I have been eating organic since last November and the food tastes as I remember it years ago. My oncologist also eats only organic. I have taken test this week at the Preventive Medicine Group where they drew 19 vials of blood, took hair and skin samples, did a thermography scan of my chest, EKG, gastric readings of my digestive system with a transmitter that I swallowed and a circulatory test. This is to determine what vitamins, minerals I might be deficient in. They also check for mercury and other metal contamination. They check not only cholesterol, but platelets and their clotting effects on my body plus a whole slew of other tests. Almost everyone we talked to there getting treatments told us stories of survival, without sickening results like chemo, and how they out lived the estimates of the doctors by years. All the doctors there are actual MD's and practiced for years as conventional doctors before they turned to preventative alternative methods. My oncologist said that interferon was to boost my immune system chemically, this does it naturally without the terrible side effects. They know that surgery and some radiation is necessary under certain circumstances. They also tell you to keep your family doctor and they will keep the doctor informed. They seem to try to go out of their way to work with the "conventional" doctors but it does not seem to be a two way street with many. I have read the 1995 Oncologist reports on reaching a paradigm in treatments of cancer. The results of their study showed that most treatments were actually killing the cure, the bodies immune system and that survival rates have increased only because early detection is better and improving. Not very reassuring to some on Chemo or Interferon.

In closing I want you who read this to know that both sides claim that the others methods are 85% unproven. After reading both sides I'll settle for 50-50. I may or may not be successful in my fight as this could be something that is genetic. My maternal side of the family has many cases of cancer for four generations now. However, I feel that changing my lifestyle and eating habits can only make me feel better even if I only have a few years. I will not spend the next year sleeping with six months added onto that to get back to my old self and then not make it past 5 years. I will enjoy the time I have left, whether 5 years or 25 years and not be dragged down by the effects of something that has not proved effective. My own conventional doctors have said I will survive if I change my lifestyle that caused the cancer. Laying in bed 21 hours a day is not the change I want.

God willing I will have many more years. He knows the number of my days and nothing I do will change it. I am trusting in my God as he knows far more than I could ever imagine.

If you want to talk with me more on this email me at spmoore1@cox.net and we will chat.