Is there anyone out there seeking nature's path as an alternative to or along with conventional medicine?

Hi there I had breast cancer 13 years ago it was diagnosed after my first mammogram I was 50 and for three months I was in a state of shock and didn't take it in at all I looked at various alternatives to surgery but in the end I decided to have a mastectomy and a restructure at the same time I spent 10 days in hospital and felt fine but as soon as I came home the realisation of the prognosis hit me and I felt extremely low and very vulnerable and found it it distressing like most women I have always been a strong person but this made me feel frightened and insecure but within three months I was back to my old self and returned to work I had looked at the holistic approach but the results were not always successful it's a gamble either way but I wanted to give myself the best chance of recovery so decided to have the surgery and I'm happy to say I am a survivor I have regular mammograms (every two yearly) there is life after breast cancer I'm living proof. Good luck with your research I'm happy to talk to you again if I can be of help xx

Thank you Sue, we are not sure what we will decide we have taken the holistic approach and she is doing

good, we have some time to really look into it. Oh thire is one thing did you have cemo or anything like that?

Hi there good luck with the holistic treatment I'm not sure what kind of breast cancer your wife has or what treatment has been advised so far, I had a lump that had been growing inwards so without the mammogram it would not have been diagnosed so quickly thankfully it had not spread into the lymph glands so I did not need chemotherapy but I was put on tamoxifen for 5 years which I found no problem. I believe without surgery there can be no way of knowing whether the cancer is just in one place, during the surgery they take various samples to confirm if this has spread through the lymph nodes and to other areas I must admit the wait to find out this information was about 4 weeks and this time was the most nerve racking period of all. My best wishes to you both

Sue

I was DX'ed with MBC, IDC, Stage II, 4/16 Lymph nodes positive in Feb. 2005. Following a mastectomy of my right breast and the following pathological examination of my tumour, I was told I should undergo CT, RT and HT.

After carefully studying the risks/benefits of the post-surgical treatments, I took the risky decision of not following them. My caregivers, family and friends were extremely worried about that decision, but I simply could not accept the risks of permanent damage to my body, and statistics convinced me that I may not have a significantly increased chance of survival by following the classical course of treatments.

Instead, I decided to follow the highly experimental route of studying and undertaking natural treatment options. In effect, I made a human guinea pig of myself, by following a self-imposed regimen of "natural chemotherapy" with products for which there was little evidence on humans, but good evidence on lab animals and in vitro. The 4 main natural products I decided to take for the next 2 following years were:

1) Indole-3-Carbinol (from broccoli)

2) EGCG (from Green Tea)

3) Turmeric with Bromelain

4) Inositol Hexaphospate (aka IP6)

I am now in my 10th year of survival, cancer-free, with various tests being performed on a yearly basis. I obviously cannot know scientifically if I was cured by the excellent surgery that was initially performed (negative margins), or the combination of that surgery and what I elected to do on my own. Nevertheless, I am still alive to this day and obviously do not regret my decision. I also cannot know if a Met will ever materialize as far ahead as 20 years post-surgery (since I know full well this is a documented possibility), however, I try to look back as this experience as a successful one and I pretty much live as everything from the past was just a bad dream. I'm confident the cancer will never return. I also try to treat every single more minor medical ailment with a natural therapy option - I just cured myself (this time with no possible doubt), of a 20 year Eczema condition deemed incurable by my HCP, with a single natural product.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend what I did to anyone. I realize it requires tremendous faith and courage to explore what is pretty much unknown. But I am saying it is possible, if one wishes to truly study his own personal options and accept to take a risk that few wil agree with initially.

Like fellow reader of your blog sue, I also had breast cancer and I underwent mastectomy and reconstruction. Sues words strike home as I felt exactly as she did, Jan. 2010 operated on and I also very happy to be alive and a survivor. I opted for conventional surgery after my sister in law who had cancer opted to go down the alternative route, so doing she left it to late to survive. Think wisely about the decision you make. Cancer can be beaten if caught early. I wish you all the best in your decision making.