Alexandria P
The Battle
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. There are two main types of mesothelioma; pleural, which involves the sac that covers the pleural cavity around the lungs and peritoneal, which involves the tissue that covers the abdominal area. Mesothelioma has been said to be caused by Asbestos. Rhio O’Connor was diagnosed with this lethal disease and given just a few months to live. Rhio rejected the idea of letting this health challenge easily beat him and through his determination, went on to live for 7 ½ more years. He worked with professional clinicians by forming a regimen of over 100 supplements a day, changing his diet, and practicing mind-body medicine. Rhio’s story is inspiring because he has shown people that even in the worst of cases, sometimes modern medicine isn’t the only way to go and there is always hope. You just have to have the determination and believe in yourself to meet the challenge.
If I were faced with the same challenges that Rhio faced, I would do everything it took, just like he did, to find a better road ahead. I am also a strong believer in alternative medicine. From the time I was little, my family has practiced homeopathic medicine. Even when it comes to the flu, there are healthy ways of getting better faster. I’ve had people in my family come through mild forms of cancer using modern medicine superbly, but I’ve also had people in my family come through just fine using alternative medicine. The question of “Which is better?” has always been a popularly debated question.
Having my best friend go through thyroid cancer her freshman year of college and choosing alternative medicine has given me so much insight into what a person goes through on a daily basis when practicing alternative medicine. . Out of hundreds of options, she decided to use the Gerson Therapy. The Gerson Therapy is a daily routine consisting of 12-16 juices made fresh every hour. The diet becomes restricted. She could no longer have dairy, meat, alcohol, and had to keep herself out of contact with any chemicals including nail polish, hair dye, make-up, etc. She also started taking a mass amount of supplements to further detoxify and replenish her body with nutrients. With all of these immune boosters, it allows the body to first detoxify and replenish, then to be strong enough to help suppress the cancer.
Most doctors will recommend a “standard” treatment, usually chemotherapy or radiation. Chemotherapy is a poison injected to the body and destroys the immune system. So for someone with moderate to the late stages of cancer, you’re immune system is less likely to be able to handle chemotherapy. Conventional medicine focuses on the relief of symptoms and rarely places emphasis on prevention or the treatment of the cause of a disorder. All alternative systems, on the other hand, strive to find and treat the cause of a disorder and frown on covering up the symptoms. Alternative therapies are also much more focused on prevention.
I believe making a decision is based on beliefs and body type. There are plenty of people that come through cancer using modern medicine just fine, and then there is a good amount of people that don’t do so well because they may have a weak immune system and their body rejects the treatment. With alternative medicine, most are based on the diet, allow the body to fuel itself and replenish the body with nutrients that weren’t there before.
If I were given a dire prognosis the first thing I would do, just like Rhio did, would be to start researching as much as I can. I would read books by people who have experienced cancer already, such as O’Connor’s book himself, “They Said Months, I Chose Years: A Mesothelioma Survivor's Story." Reading books by people who have gone through a similar situation is extremely helpful, because instead of doing heavy extensive research into everything, learning what a person did and chose with a situation that is similar to yourself saves time. My family would also be a huge part in making a decision of which kind of treatment would be best for me. I would also go to as many clinicians, researchers, and other patients as I could.
Going back to my best friend who had cancer, it’s really hard choosing to go with any kind of alternative medicine. Most doctors will tell you that chemo, radiation, and surgery are the only ways to go and the best ways to go. Doctors in all fifty states are not allowed to give you any outside references, and it is actually against the law in all fifty states for doctors to suggest anything except chemotherapy, radiation or surgery for the treatment of any cancer. This is disturbing on many levels, as we are supposed to be enlightened in our society, but how can you be if there are restrictions on what skilled doctors can suggest to their patients? Most insurance policies do not cover any kind of natural treatment. With these kinds of road blocks, the popularity of alternative medicine is suppressed simply out of ignorance of the choices.
Because every situation, every person and every cancer is different, it’s possible that chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery could be beneficial but I wouldn’t let those be my only options if I was in that situation. And death, not an option either, as Rhio exemplified. Rhio is a great example to look up to if I ever got faced with this situation. He provided us with information that he has diligently gathered over many years in one book in order to help other patients like him faced with this dilemma in the future.