Home Story Lah Each to their own…

Each to their own…

Many cancer patients have chosen to do conventional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, some have chosen not to do alternative treatments.

That is a personal decision, based on their prognosis, type of cancer, and many other factors.

There is no cookie-cutter outcome because every cancer and every person is different. You can’t make comparisons from one person to the next because situations are all unique and individual.

As a breast cancer patient, I have chosen to do mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Because I believe that I would have much higher chances of survival with conventional treatments with medical experts at the hospital.

Some people say better go with the devil you know rather than the devil you don’t know eh.

On top of my conventional cancer treatments, I do complementary treatments like Electro Lymphatic Therapy, Electro Therapy using micro-currents and frequency, as well as essential oils. These are to ease the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

I’m also taking health supplements that my doctors have cleared for me to consume, such as COQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Fish Oils, Magnesium, and Probiotics. I also eat clean and was on a neutropenic diet during my chemotherapy.

Having said that, let me also share with you a story of an old friend.

In 2013, I was in the hospital for two months, after a stroke that had weakened the right side of my body, slurred my speech a little, and caused some memory loss. I fully recovered in about a year’s time. Miraculously. Alhamdulillah.

When I was in the hospital, an old friend from school came to visit me several times. She told me that she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Stage 2. However, she chose to go with non-conventional methods, or alternative treatments, despite getting advice from doctors, family, and friends.

She sought alternative treatments in cancer treatment clinics. She spent so much money, and the last two years of her life, starving herself on miracle diets that were claiming to cure her, such as juicing.

She didn’t realise, she had become malnourished and too thin. She was too weak to do anything, including spending time with her family and friends.

Nonetheless, she truly believed the treatments were working for her. Until about two months before she died. Then she became angry. She died, a miserable death, angry that she spent all her money on fake cures. She died lonely, and alone, leaving a family that missed her.

I believe she would have had much higher chances of survival with conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Steve Jobs was diagnosed with neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, which is treatable by conventional treatments. However, he chose to go for alternative treatments. It wasn’t until it was too late that he switched to conventional treatment. He died because he came in too late, and that was a preventable death.

Looking back, I struggle with anger at the ‘frauds’ that take advantage of the desperate cancer patients who are seeking to avoid chemotherapy. Frauds, because not all alternative cancer treatment clinics are credible. They’re also expensive.

I really wish both my friend and Steve Jobs would have chosen to do conventional treatments. Of course, that is just my opinion as a cancer patient.