How can I deal with Cancer?
If I was given a dire cancer prognosis, I am not sure what my reactions will be. I believe that I would have mixed feelings because initially it would seem like a death sentence. However, because I love life, I would determine to fight the disease as long as possible.
Being science-oriented, I would haunt the libraries, bookstores and the internet, reading every information I could find pertaining to the disease. I would want to know as much as I could about the disease that was causing aberrant cells to grow at an inappropriate rate in my body. I would be interested in discovering whether genetics, environment, problems of immune system or diet could be cause for this proliferation of cells. Perhaps, if the cause was found and removed, the cells would stop growing, the cancer would be in remission and I would be cured.
Although this might seem like a pipe dream, it would be worth trying. No one fully comprehends the wonderful mysteries of the human body. When Norman Cousins was diagnosed with an incurable disease, he discovered the power of laughter. Learning that he had only a few more weeks to live, he went out and obtained as many comic movies as he could. He laughed himself back to health and lived several years more.
I would contact the cancer centers of America for reassurance and comfort. I would discuss the benefits and side effects of radiation therapy. The aggressive nature of my treatment would be of great concern to me. Should chemotherapy be included in the treatment and how would my body respond to the medical assault? Steroid therapy, stem cell transplant and cryosurgery would be researched. I would discover as much as I could about biological therapy, gene therapy and laser treatment.
I would also be willing to check out alternative medicine CAAT is an amino acid and carbohydrate deprivation protocol which is a low carbohydrate regimen personalized for each patient. The objective of CAAT is to use amino acids, foods and nutritional supplements to alter or impair the development of cancer cells.
At such a time, I would need comfort from family, friends and clergy. I would invite family and friends to visit me and share what is happening in their lives. Gaining courage from conversations with them, I would continue to research cancer treatments, trying to find one that is effective. I would also be willing to visit another country to try alternative natural remedies.
If all these attempts fail, I would make sure my earthly affairs are in order and prepare to meet God. I would say goodbye to my relatives and friends and confer with the priest about my final rites.
By: Comrie-Reinert, Omasiel
