Guest guest Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > A Road Less Traveled > Tue, 14 Sep 2004 08:35:19 -0400 > > A Road Less Traveled > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > September 14, 2004 > > ************************************************************ > > Dear Reader, > > I recently received a remarkable note about cancer > survival from an > HSI member named Bob. More than 20 years ago, at age > 62, Bob was > diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent emergency > surgery to remove > a length of his upper colon. A few days after the > operation, an > oncologist dropped by to set up a chemotherapy > schedule. But Bob had > different ideas. As he puts it: " I had no desire to > nearly kill my > immune system in hopes of also killing a cancer > recurrence. " > > Instead of chemotherapy, Bob (who says friends > consider him a " health > nut " ) opted for a therapy based on mega-doses of > vitamin C. Long story > short: He's still here today to tell about it. Bob > writes, " One does > not know the 'road not taken', so I might well have > had no recurrence > if I took the chemotherapy. But I did not have the > cost, pain, bother > and risk of chemotherapy either. As it was, the only > part of the > medical establishment I believe I convinced AT ALL > was my surgeon. He > was impressed by my rapid recovery from the > operation. " > > In Bob's e-mail, he summed up his thinking with this > comment: " I > figured that it was my life and I had a right to > risk it. " > > Bob's unwavering independent attitude reminded me of > a book I told you > about last year. It's one of the most moving things > I've ever read > about alternative health care for cancer because it > offers insightful > advice as well as tremendous hope for anyone who may > be faced with a > cancer diagnosis. > > --------------------------- > > An unexpected turn > --------------------------- > > > The book is titled " Living Proof: A Medical Mutiny, " > and the author is > Michael Gearin-Tosh, a don of English literature at > Oxford University. > In 1994, at age 54, Gearin-Tosh was diagnosed with > multiple myeloma, a > cancer of the bone marrow, considered to be > treatable but not curable. > Less than 3 percent of multiple myeloma patients > survive 10 years. > When diagnosed, he was told that with aggressive > chemotherapy he might > live two years. > > On one level, Gearin-Tosh's story is about the world > of challenges > that every cancer patient experiences. The aspect > that sets his story > apart from so many others is the course of treatment > he chose. After > being told by one specialist that treating his > cancer with a dietary > regimen would be " useless, " and after consultations > with several > doctors, a good deal of personal research, and > discussions with family > and friends, Gearin-Tosh chose to forego chemo, > opting instead for > less abrasive alternative treatments. > > Against all odds, ten years later, Gearin-Tosh is > still alive. He's > not cured - he still has myeloma - but the fact that > he's still vital, > still teaching, and still pursuing his treatments, > puts him, > statistically, in a class by himself. > > --------------------------- > > The road to therapy > --------------------------- > > > During the first weeks after his diagnosis, > Gearin-Tosh researched > different treatments on his own while weighing the > advice of friends. > During this conflicted time (made no easier by the > anemia associated > with his disease) he consulted several doctors, some > of who were > impersonal in their manner and vague when answering > his questions. > They insisted that immediate chemotherapy was the > only reasonable way > to go. What Gearin-Tosh found lacking was a rational > support for > chemotherapy. He wondered: If chemo is not a cure, > then what's the > point? When pressed to explain the merits of chemo, > all they could > offer was further insistence that it was his only > option. > > But the book is in no way a diatribe against the > medical profession. > One doctor, (a consultant, retired from practice), > became a reliable > guide without ever pushing the patient in a > direction he didn't want > to go. Another doctor helped advise him in a wide > variety of options, > both conventional and alternative. > > Finally, two months after his diagnosis, just as he > was about to > reluctantly begin chemotherapy, Gearin-Tosh made a > breakthrough in his > research of treatments when he learned about a New > York City physician > - Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez - who had successfully > treated many cancer > patients with detoxification, vitamin supplements, > and a strict diet > of vegetable juices. > > Although he didn't become a patient of Dr. Gonzalez, > Gearin-Tosh > cancelled his chemotherapy and proceeded with a > dietary regimen (based > on the Max Gerson cancer therapy) in combination > with high doses of > vitamin supplements (following the guidelines of > Linus Pauling and Dr. > Abram Hoffer). He also practiced visualization > techniques involving > special breathing exercises, took coffee and castor > oil enemas (to > stimulate detoxification in the liver), and visited > an acupuncturist > on a regular basis. > > --------------------------- > > A living part > --------------------------- > > > One of the most striking things about this book is > the way Gearin-Tosh > tells his story. He saves it from being a grim tale > by frequently > interjecting moments of gentle humor and interesting > characters (such > as a houseguest, a captain in the Russian Army, who > Gearin-Tosh > discovers one morning cooking breakfast and drinking > champagne at 6:00 > AM). > > More importantly, Gearin-Tosh never preaches. He > doesn't urge other > cancer patients to embrace any particular therapies. > He doesn't > suggest, for instance, that acupuncture or coffee > enemas or quarts of > fresh carrot juice will save the lives of all cancer > patients. And he > doesn't even condemn chemotherapy, noting that > certain doctors have > developed specialized chemo techniques combined with > bone marrow > transplants that have helped make chemotherapy more > effective in > treating multiple myeloma. > > Instead, in what Gearin-Tosh calls the core of his > argument, he > encourages cancer patients to be open-minded, > questioning, and to > trust their instincts. He believes that the ideal > goal is to become an > involved, " living part " of any therapy that's > chosen. But with the > thoughtfulness of someone who's been there, he > tempers this advice > with the phrase, " if you feel you can. " > > --------------------------- > > Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition > --------------------------- > > > The book concludes with an eloquent, peer-reviewed > case history of the > patient, written by Carmen Wheatley, a former > student of > Gearin-Tosh's, and one of his most dedicated > supporters throughout his > treatment period. Dr. Wheatley (a doctor of > philosophy) concludes the > history with a statement by Dr. Jeffrey Bland, a > biochemist who simply > states that every cancer therapy should include > nutritional > consultation as a standard of care. Not to, he says, > should be > considered, " malpractice by omission. " > > Strong words. Hopefully they'll be heard by doctors > and their patients > far and wide. > > " Living Proof " is published by Scribner, and you can > read an excerpt > from the book on this web site: > whale.to/c/gearin.html. > > ************************************************************ > ...and another thing > > It can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, but > magnesium does > seem to be something of a super mineral. > > In recent e-Alerts we've seen how a good intake of > magnesium may > promote bone flexibility while also helping prevent > type 2 diabetes > and heart disease. Now here's another benefit to add > to that list: > Magnesium is essential for keeping teeth healthy. > > Everyone knows that calcium is necessary to help > form the tooth enamel > that protects against cavity development. But > calcium can't do that > job alone. In fact, without the assistance of > magnesium, calcium can > only manage to supply soft enamel, which isn't > strong enough to battle > tooth decay. Magnesium and calcium together are > essential to create > hard enamel. > > Phosphorus also helps develop hard enamel, but > studies have shown that > the interior structure of teeth - below the > protective enamel - can be > weakened when too much calcium and phosphorus are > present without > magnesium. And guess what delivers calcium and > phosphorus, but zero > magnesium? > > Milk. > > And what's worse, a high intake of milk may > interfere with your body's > metabolism of magnesium. > > In the e-alert " It's Elemental " (10/21/03) HSI > Panelist Allan Spreen, > M.D., recommended a 2:1 ratio of calcium to > magnesium intake. For most > people, a 500 mg supplement of magnesium per day is > a good idea > because none of the dietary sources of magnesium > (green leafy > vegetables, avocados, nuts and seeds, and whole > grains) deliver large > amounts. > > So while it may not be naturally abundant in the > average diet, it's > obvious that magnesium is a nutrient that's well > worth going out of > our way for in order to get adequate amounts. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************ > Sources: > > " Living Proof: A Medical Mutiny " Michael > Gearin-Tosh, Scribner, 2002 > " Magnesium for Strong Teeth " J.I. Rodale and Harold > Taub, Magnesium, > The Nutrient That Could Change Your Life " The > Magnesium Web Site, > mgwater.com > > Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, > L.L.C. The e-Alert may > not be posted on commercial sites without written > permission. > > ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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