chapter 5: part 4

continued from chapter 5: part 3

During our research phase we investigated a controversial private clinic in Toronto which specialized in deep heat treatment combined with drug therapy. This was the clinic used by Mary, our first contact from our first support group. She was alive and well two years after starting treatment, receiving regular checkups with no traces of cancer showing.

Other stories were not so compelling.

My thought is that if you believe it will work then it will, at least for a while. The lack of scientific data coupled with the fact that the expensive treatments were not covered by medical insurance led us away from this one.

We found countless books promoting positive thinking and imagery as self- help tools to be combined with regular medical treatment. There are video cassettes on relaxation exercises and deep breathing and they are certainly worth investigating.

I went to the library to read up on colon cancer, but what I found lacking in the material was the kinds of treatment available. It would have been so much easier if computers were the force they are today.

I read much later that the conventional treatment for Hal's kind of cancer has remained virtually the same for over twenty years and so has the survival rate. We might have been more aggressive about trying that experimental drug had we known that, but what we did was based on what we knew.

Yes, it is a confusing time but the good news is by reading and asking questions, you’ll make informed choices. The bad news is that there aren’t any guarantees. This is where your homework comes in. What are the statistics for remission for your particular kind of cancer using traditional treatment? If you want to try something off the mainstream, check and double- check the stats about their remissions. Those numbers on the printed page aren't necessarily so.

All this time there is one truth you may have been circling without actually confronting it. When you are armed with the facts and figures, you will learn one of two things; either your cancer is one of the generally successful ones or your chances aren't good. We knew Hal's chances were slim but we preferred to know.

Make sure you know what your tolerance level is and make sure those around you are clear about that. If you don't want further background information, say so. You have to be clear because people may make false assumptions about your desires. You can still get information about treatments and it will be difficult to avoid some kind of message about your chances but if you really don't want to know the worst, ask a medical person to suggest some reading material for you and tell them what it is you want to investigate, and what you don't want to know. And remember, no matter what the statistics reveal , your soul will hold hope.

continued in chapter 5: part 5