Live and Let Die
When I hear Rhio’s story and his determination to understand and fight his mesothelioma, it reminds me of the short battle my grandmother had with pancreatic cancer. One fought to live for another day; the other continued a life style destined for death. The diseases may be different but cancer is cancer and it is hard to overcome. Like most cancers, the prognosis for both of these diseases often depends on how early they are diagnosed and how aggressively a patient treats them. Rhio’s fight with cancer went from one year to over six because of his determination to prolong his life. In my grandmother’s case she had no idea what to do and she gave away her power to fight. Live a healthy lifestyle and you may be there to tell the tale, live not caring while scarfing down junk food and you may never see the day.
Rhio’s doctor told him to take a trip and when he returned they would call in hospice. Rhio did not accept this response. He was resolute in living longer than what he was told. With an organic diet, supplements and meditation Rhio was able to de-toxify his body and outlive his prognosis for more than seven and a half years! He was willing to fight for what he wanted and succeeded beyond practicing doctor’s expectations. His discipline and research set an example for all people who want to be healthy and live a long life.
My grandmother raised eight children, some who believed in organic diets. When she was diagnosed in January 2009, with stage four pancreatic cancer, her children began the search for alternative cancer treatment as she didn’t want to do chemotherapy. Her stage of cancer did not allow for surgery. The most her doctors could do for her was to medicate her pain. The research that her children found was an eating protocol. My grandmother had already lived with stage II diabetes for ten years which may have contributed to her cancer. The diet consisted of organic foods; cottage cheese infused with flax seed oil and different fruits, vegetables, or spices. It was supposed to help fight or slow down the growth of her cancer. People who aren’t sick can often use this diet to lose weight. Within three weeks she was losing weight and her diabetes was under control. Although, since the cancer was already at stage four the odds were stacked against her. Her children took care of her for several months while she painfully struggled against this death sentence. In April, after allowing hospice-care to oversee her pain management and care for her, she passed away. Some options were explored but the reality of being diagnosed with cancer at such a late stage made the cure rate an impossible task.
When I think about my grandmother and her short battle with cancer, I realize I would probably try natural remedies also before jumping straight into chemotherapy. I think chemo in itself (from what I’ve heard) is a very painful process. Why not do what Rhio did and fight the battle from the get go. Death is inevitable but cancer patients can survive. People who think they are healthy should really consider all the toxins they consume. Even at my young age of 18, I realize that I should be looking into eating healthier foods. “So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.”- A.J. Reb Materi. If I spend the money on healthy options now, maybe it won’t cost me as much in the long run.
When she was going through this whole ordeal my mom and I actually started eating the protocol diet. In the mornings we would infuse the flax seed oil with cottage cheese and eat it with a fruit shake or some mornings even by itself. The flavor really wasn’t bad and if you like cottage cheese then the diet isn’t something that you have to force yourself to eat. I believe that it helped with our digestion and immune system health. My mom noticed that she was able to focus better as a school teacher. She recommended the addition of flax seed oil in one’s diet to parents of children who had trouble focusing in class. The response of parents who tried it was positive. It takes a little more time to whip-up this healthy concoction in the morning, than say cereal, but it is so much better for you. “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.”-Mark Twain.
By: Flores, Jessica
