A Guest Post By Lesley Parker

I believe that I am my biggest ally and my greatest historian.

Have you noticed the commercials on television regarding asbestos and mesothelioma?  The commercials advises you that it’s some type of cancer but they never really tell you what type of cancer.  According to www.survivingmesothelioma.com , “Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs.”¹

A family man, Rhio O’Connor was diagnosed with mesothelioma and given a life expectancy of one year. Rhio refused to accept such a limited fate. The conventional method was rounds of chemotherapy, to attempt to suppress the disease and allow him to live for approximately a year.His quality of life would not be great due to the side effects of chemotherapy. He studied his options and chose to use an alternative method of diet and health.  He chose to eat organic food and take a vitamin regimen that would cost him $1000 a month.

The internet is your friend and your doctors should be too. If I were given a dire cancer prognosis, my first step would be to gain a full understanding of the diagnosis, the standard treatments and their side effects. In addition to the material that my doctor would give me, I would locate information about the diagnosis and treatment on sites like www.mayoclinic.com or www.webmd.com. Then I would Google by key words in the prognosis, studies, herbs and Chinese remedies to find alternatives options regardless of the standard therapeutic outlook. I feel the more informed I am, the more intelligent my conversation will be with my doctor when I make my decision on treatment.  If my doctor is not willing to talk to me about options and studies and to ensure that I have a clear understanding of my prognosis, then I would find another doctor.  Certainly, the doctors are more educated than I am in the medical field but it is called “Practice”. A doctor should be willing to work with me when determining my future.  After all, it is my future. It is my decision to try an alternative method that offers some promise and a better quality of life rather than settling for the tradition dire prognosis process with a poor quality of life.

Often times, side affects of medications and treatment occur based on a persons genetic make-up.  What happens to one person doesn’t necessarily happen to another.  This is why I must know my history and am able to cite it like a quote. Only I know if I have had reactions to certain medications, allergies to foods or many other allergens.  When I talk to doctors about taking a new medicine or even having surgery, I will point out simple allergens like scale fish.  Scale fish sounds like it should not be an issue when taking medicine or having surgery but let me tell you why it is.  Some pre-natal vitamins have fish oil in them. Also, a cleanser used during surgery can cause a reaction to the area surrounding the cut and is known to happen to people with fish allergies.  In my case, I itched to the point of bruising while taking pre-natal vitamins and I blistered around my surgical scar because of the cleanser that was used.  While neither of these were fatal, certainly my allergic reactions could have been far worse.  Everyone should remember that they are their own historian and personal history is extremely important when dealing with any medical concern.  I would even go as far as ensuring I’m around people who know me well before starting a new medication just in case there is a severe side effect.

Once I have completed my research, I would write down questions of clarity and concerns about side effects and reactions to ask my doctor during the meeting to make my decision.  I pride myself on memory but in this type of dire situation, I feel it is extremely important to write down my questions and concerns.  This way, I can guarantee that my important questions are answered.  I would also bring articles with me if I found an alternative method that I felt would work better for me.  This way, if the doctor has not had time to research the options, I would have something tangible to show them.  It would be important to have the website available to ensure that your doctor has a place to follow up on your options.  Sometimes, doctors may have a connection to get you into an alternative program that you would not be able to do yourself.

Rhio O’Connor was living proof that will power can alter your fate.  He had the will to live longer than a grim fate that his doctors had advised was his short term destiny. He lived another seven and a half years by researching his options and choosing the treatment that he felt was best for him. Having been through two different life altering illnesses, and my refusal to sit and wait, is right in line with Mr. O’Connor.  I feel that Rhio O’Connor’s story inspired me by reiterating that I was right to research my issues and not settle for the invasive traditional methods which may or may not have helped me overcome my issues. Life is too short to just accept the norm.

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