Astrocytoma brain tumor

[Guest guest]

Can anyone help me with holistic treatment, foods, water for my friend with an astrocytoma tumor on right side of brain. It is considered fatal. I suspect cell phone magnetic fields, or maybe parasites cause this. I started a parasite cleanse on my friend with Dr.Hulda Clark recipe of herbs, wormwood, ground cloves & black walnut hulls. But then I got scared of drug interaction. How can I know if any herbs such as these or others such as selinium, St. John's wort & olive leaf extract may interact negatively with the western medicine the hospital is giving him? There is alcohol in the extracts but warm water dissapates it. I mix it with molasses which is good for the brain. Also I am wondering how I can get him enough water. They have him on "thickened" substances, including water which is probably made from gelatin from horses hooves. He is likely to die from dehydration in the hospital before the tumor. They won't give him water that is not thickened and he takes one sip & refuses any more. I have snuck him distilled water but it is dangerous because the left side of his body is affected and the unthickened water can go down a windpipe.Is distilled water okay or should I use some other? The food in this Kaiser hospital system is poison. It is all sugar & fat & no water. When I get him home after radiation therapy I can make him subji & dahls but how do I fight this death diet while in the hospital? Marry him? This experience is very frightening. I am a Vaishnav but my friend isn't but maybe soon. I have Lord Krishna's picture in the room & I am chanting to him, massaging him & telling him about Krishna. I have put Vrndavan dust on his tongue & water from Radha-Kunde/Jamuna on his head & paralyzed left side. If you can help me please respond.

[theist 1]

This is way out my league and probably everyone here. But perhaps someone may know of a good reference to offer you. Let's hope so.

 

I was struck by this comment from you.

 

 

I am a Vaishnav but my friend isn't but maybe soon. I have Lord Krishna's picture in the room & I am chanting to him, massaging him & telling him about Krishna. I have put Vrndavan dust on his tongue & water from Radha-Kunde/Jamuna on his head & paralyzed left side. If you can help me please respond.

 

 

Yes you are a loving Vaisnav, and by this loving care you are giving him he surely will be also, soon. Through you obviously Krsna's grace is surrounding him even now. For he is not the broken body before you, as you know, but the self within. The loving expressions you are giving him are surely piercing his diseased body and directly reaching him. Yours is the highest purest medicine he(or anyone) could hope for.

 

I know you also want to repair his bodily form. If that's not possible try not to lament too hard. Love doesn't die with the earthly frame and if Krsna wills it you will meet up again in a much finer world.

 

Hare Krsna

 

[Sravan 0]

Try to wish that krishna eradicates his Karma. I was once walking down a park and saw a man- probably 60, 65 but the sad thing is at that age he is walking with his head down. He just can't lift his head, if you talk to him, he talks to you while looking at the ground. Its sad, but thats karma. Everything in this world is karma , from the second you are born to the second you die. Its all karma. So, whatever you do, it is not in your hand and thats sad, I know.

 

All we can hope is give up to lord Sri Krishna and he will mold our karma in such a way that he will free you. I will pray for your friend, I hope he gets better. Krishna can do miraculous things (I hope).

[Guest guest]

Thank you Theist for you kindness. After I wrote my letter I went to the hospital & later in the eve my dear friend had a breakdown. He didn't cry, he wailed, The intensity was a 7.8 on the Richter scale. We were alone & I did not know exactly what to do but hug him & tell him it's okay, it's okay. His heart was splitting in two. Then Krishna I felt, said it was okay to cry & he cried harder. I have never ever felt another persons vulnerbility so intensely. I feel permanently changed. This is the most intense experience I have ever had in this life. If he ends up broke or whatever, I will take care of him. He is so very dear to me.

I found out I can give watermelon for a good water source. I am reading two chapters a night of, 'It's not about the bike' by Lance Armstrong who survived 3 tumors in the head & a terminal sentence. So the encouragement is here. I thank you again, Haribol!

[theist 1]

Yours is a powerful story. In our world so often our "loved" ones become disposable when the going gets rough and the romantic setting gets obliterated by circumstance. Real love carries on.

 

I hope you also have some tight girlfriends/sisters to lean on yourself for some emptional support. caregivers often neglect themselves at such trying times. What support you can find here will help some, but more direct backup would be even more effective.

 

The watermelon sounds perfect. I imagine the need for a little chewing would prevent it from going down the wrong way. Is that right? What did his doctors say about it?

 

Hare Krsna sistersoul

[Guest guest]

Theist, Haribol again! I am able to reply to you because I got a break while his family visits him today but I heard he is really angry, something about the food I think, so I will be leaving soon. He has a forty acre place in the Sierra foothills & I have to maintain it. I don't mind because it is very wild & full of animals & peaceful.

The hospital is pureeing everything & thickening all liquids with probably gelatin. He tends to gulp. He has coodination problems with the left side of his mouth. He has developed an aversion to the brown square mush of meat & white potatoes they give him. He is going after all orange colored veg & fruit purees they serve. (Foods that fight cancer). If I was his wife I could take total control over this situation. So I am trying to be there at as many meal times as I can and I mash avocadoes, & apricots, banana with molasses, things like that for him. I brought in a little bowl and pestal to mash stuff with. I hide it from the nurses. I bring in mango lassies. But I am unemployed now since this happened so buying him food may get tricky until his son decides to give me some kind of allowance. I am in danger of losing my summer job if I don't let my employer know soon what I am going to do. I may have to leave my friend a few days a week to sustain myself but it will be dangerous for him, I feel, as there will be no 'watch-dog' to protect him, give him watermelon, food & massage his body. I am really praying for an answer. I am living a nomadic lifestyle that depends on Krishna's mercy. My summer job was to help me get to India by fall & then this happened May 19th.

So, what to do? Can't abandon my friend. He would never abandon me. We will figure it out. By the way, I have an 8x10 picture of the sweetest Krishna you ever saw on the wall in the hospital room. To off-set his relatives questioning minds I placed a beautiful picture of Jesus in the room too. A graveyard shift nurse came in two days ago & drew blood from Dean when I wasn't there. She began questioning him tersely about his religious beliefs, & "why was Jesus up ther with those other pictures" & said she was offended by the mantra playing on the boom box I brought in. She asked him why he wasn't sticking to the beliefs he was raised in, etc. He apparently was attacked pretty strongly by this nurse & so he told his RN. Some minutes later the blood-taker came back in his room and told him, "why don't you keep your beliefs to yourself!". He is laying paralyzed in a room with Lord Krishna's picture smiling at him. He knows that I came to help him & brought Krishna. He had to defend himself & me to who ever this person is. It apparently was very upsetting to him & every time a squeaking cart rolled by his door he would look to see if it was her. I felt like Narasimha Himself when he told me this before his melt-down later that evening. I wanted Krishna to come out of the pillars. I went to the floor supervisors & we have been trying to trace who this nurse is. I have threatened to call the media, human rights organizations & whomever else I can think of over our rights to have Krishna's & Jesus in the same room.Imagine laying there alone at 4 A.M., knowing you have been given a death sentence with a massive, inoperable brain tumor slowly eating what they call'eloquent' areas of you brain, a 63 year old man's-man wearing a diaper & a catheter,an IV, then this demoniac nurse comes in to draw blood with her squeaking cart & attacks you about your spiritual beliefs! It was so scary. I have dreamed of a place where the hospitals serve all ayurvedic food. On every t.v. Krishna visuals & bhajans playing healing mantras. All the nurses and Dr.'s Vaishnav's! All the walls painted like Vrndavana! Devotees making spiritual calls on every patient every day, reading scripture to the sick & dying, filling them with the Holy name. Oh Krishna! I want to be in a place like that! I pray that Krishna will strike me down like lightening so that I never end up in such an environment as this hospital. We are in Fresno, Ca, Kaiser, room 314. Please pray for us. We are feeling Krishna's presence so much & I thank you with all my heart for your help. Please excuse any poor english grammer or sentence structure or lack of evenness.Someone on this site made fun of me about that & it made me a bit self conscious.I do admire how some of you are so well-spoken & articulate, but I don't want to be frightened off of writing to this site because I can't compete with the intellectuals. Haribol! Haribol!

[Guest guest]

Dear Sarvan, Thank you for your reply. Thank you for your thoughfulness in praying for us. I know that things like this are karmic. But I am trying to understand that even though that is true, we still must have compassion for others lousy Karma, right? And we must still make effort to help others. If we see a child about ready to get run over by a car we make an effort to pull them away from danger rather than watch them get squashed just because its their karma.I hope that analogy is okay. Karma is hard for me to understand fully.It is a real downer to tell someone that what is rotten in your life is because of your karma. But I am seeing that one person's lousy karma is benefitting me in deep spiritual ways. My estranged relationship with my sister has ended since my friend fell with the brain tumor. His sons have come back into my life & I am enjoying the love I feel for them. I have broken away from some sort of selfishness that kept me from really diving into doing something in such a strong way for another human being. I never thought I could sustain this kind of service to anyone consistently. I believe Krishna is laying down the foundation I need for another service in the future. I feel irrevocably changed for the better by my friend's Karma. I feel connected with other souls for the first time in my life. I never liked much human contact, spent most of my life staying away from others. Now I am forever in this family of fellow souls, ready to help out selflishly. So I guess one's karma helps anothers. I am learning as I go. Now I see why it takes so many lives to learn. This is an amazing & terrible place! I pray for all of us that we all get help when we need it. I pray that everyone has a really special friend come into their life to be there to help them on their journey in this planet. My friend in the hospital bed has & still is that kind of friend to me.

[theist 1]

Hare Krsna

 

Glad you had a chance to respond. Gelatin is probably what they are using. I think agar agar is a good substitute but it would never cross their minds. They feed him meat and mush and you have to sneak in the satvic foods filled with beta-carotene etc. Everything seems upside down in this society.

 

The seventh day adventist hospitals would be the exception, they are vegetarian and the ones I've met seem quite nice.

 

No you can't abandon your friend but taking care of your work situation at the same time I wouldn't call abadoning him. This world demands so many compromises on our part but we aren't the controlers, so we do what we can and trust Krsna. The Lord in the heart hasn't abandoned him either. I also believe in unseen helpers especially in times like this.

 

Yes, no problem placing pictures of Christ and Krsna together. I chant Their names together.And if it keeps the family mellow so much the better.

 

Yeah it would be scarey to be helpless and in a room with some half crazed religious fanatic who you can't even respond to. That type seems to be everywhere.

 

Reminds me of a nurse I had once. So can in a started cursing me out for requesting a baked potateo. Years ago but I remember being freaked out by it.

 

 

 

I have dreamed of a place where the hospitals serve all ayurvedic food. On every t.v. Krishna visuals & bhajans playing healing mantras. All the nurses and Dr.'s Vaishnav's! All the walls painted like Vrndavana! Devotees making spiritual calls on every patient every day, reading scripture to the sick & dying, filling them with the Holy name. Oh Krishna! I want to be in a place like that!

 

 

Yeah me too. I read somewhere on the web about some devotees trying to arrange such a place. A devotee hospice. SYou sure sound like you could do some wonderful service in a place like that.

 

The materialists,even if well meaning, have no conception of the importance of the last moment of material life or how to help someone with a spiritual transition.

 

 

Please check in with us as you deal with this. Don't bottle too much stuff inside. We all pray that Krsna's will be done and that your friend remember Krsna at his passing.

 

 

Please excuse any poor english grammer or sentence structure or lack of evenness.Someone on this site made fun of me about that & it made me a bit self conscious.I do admire how some of you are so well-spoken & articulate, but I don't want to be frightened off of writing to this site because I can't compete with the intellectuals. Haribol! Haribol!

 

 

Sorry to hear that. I myself never finished high school and am not sure if I place my comma's in the right spot or not. I forgot any grammer I once knew. I know what a verb is but forgot what an adverb is, seriously. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Krnsa consciousness can also be practiced by individuals. they are not prohibited, /images/graemlins/wink.gif but they must learn that competing over these topics has more to do with stroking their own false egos than Krsna-katha.

 

You speak and write nicely, I don't know what that person was talking about. My thing is also spelling. I make good use of that edit button.

 

Haribol and stay in touch.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Theist, I will look into how one gets into a seventh-day adventist hospital & what agar-agar is.Yes, a helper came in, a CNA, she brought Krishna bhajans & they were playing in the room when I came in one day. She did not know what the music was about just that she loved it. So I told her what they were singin & who Krishna is! She keeps a special eye on my dear friend now. Also, the cancer doctor assigned to my friend is named Dr.Das Mohan! How can we go wrong? Krishna is everywhere we go. Amazing how that impish picture of Krishna can cause such a stir!!! Haribol! We are on 2nd day of radiation. Two or three weeks of it to go. I spent 31 days with my friend but we think I can slip away for three days & go pitch my tent in the woods for a break, especially now that Krishna sent a CNA so attracted to the holy name.

[theist 1]

What a difference! Supersoul knew your desire and saw the helpless of the situation and then intervened. Haribol!

 

It's stories like these that bolster my faith. She was playing the tapes for no reason other than she liked them. How pure.

Hare Krsna!!

[theist 1]

Guestji, here is an article with a good contact for you.These devotees are spreading krishna consciousness through their work in a most practical and caring way.

 

perhaps they would have some further tips for you and I am sure they would like to hear how Krsna intervened to help you help your friend.

 

They have a newletter and may wish to include your story.

 

I remembered reading it last year but couldn't remember where so I looked on Google. i love Google.

------------------------

Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Newsletter (April, 2003)

Posted April 16, 2003

Hospice Seminar Presented in Mayapur

 

Congratulations to all of the Vaisnavas who participated in our five day hospice seminar, "Hospice Care for Departing Vaisnavas," presented in Mayapur, India as part of the Mayapur Institute for Higher Education (MIHE). The aim of the seminar was to offer a basic, introductory course for those interested in assisting a terminally ill devotee and his or her family members when the need arises. The first two days of the course included the following subjects:

 

The History of Hospice and How it relates to Krsna consciousness

The Dying Devotees Bill of Rights

The meaning of holistic care for the dying

Practical matters to consider when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness

A summary study of the teachings of Dr. Kubler-Ross and the stages of dying

How to communicate with someone who is facing imminent death

Pain assessment and relief

Signs and symptoms of one who is approaching death

The third day of the course was presented by Jusaniya dasi who discussed many of the complementary therapies that can be used to comfort a patient. Therapies included:

 

Aromatherapy

Various techniques of massage therapy

Reflexology

Color therapy

Guided Imagery and

Music therapy

Jusaniya also demonstrated some practical methods of comfort care such as repositioning a terminally ill patient who is bed-ridden in order to avoid pressure sores (a major complication for one who is non-ambulatory)

 

On the fourth and fifth days of the course, Sachi dasi, a former Gurukula student and now a Crisis Therapist, held an intimate group discussion on grief and bereavement for those who have lost someone dear to them. This part of the seminar also discussed the issues involved when children lose a parent, sibling, or other loved one.

 

We thank Janmastami Prabhu from the MIHE for arranging the presentation of this course.

 

If you are interested in having a one, two, or three day seminar on the art of hospice care given in your home, preaching center, or temple, please contact us at http://www.vaisnavascare.com

 

The Final Journey--Complete Hospice Care for Departing Vaisnavas

 

We are presently accepting orders for this recently released book by Sangita devi dasi and published by Torchlight Publishing, Inc. This book presents detailed information on how to care for a terminally ill patient, how to assist your patient in achieving the highest goal of life

 

returning back home, back to Godhead, and how to comfort those left behind after the loss of a family member or friend. Please fill out an order form online at http://www.vaisnavascare.com to reserve your copy.

Seeking Writers With Stories to Share

 

We are requesting stories for our website from those who have experienced the loss a loved one. Your stories will help to inspire others who may be going through a similar ordeal. Presenting your experiences online will be a way for you to offer emotional and spiritual support to others. You can write one paragraph or one or two pages or more. Whatever you feel is needed to guide and encourage others. Please share your experiences and realizations by submitting your stories to: Jusaniya dasi at http://www.vaisnavascare.com. Thank you.

 

Articles Needed for Website

 

We are hoping to have the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. website become "interactive" meaning we are encouraging articles from our readers on healthcare issues as they relate to the subject of hospice. This can mean articles on allopathic medications for pain, complementary therapies to relieve pain and other symptoms, such as music therapy, aromatherapy, massage therapy, etc.

 

Your knowledge is needed to help others. Please submit your articles, short or long, to Jusaniya dasi.

 

In conclusion, we wish to thank all of our compassionate volunteers who stand ready and waiting to assist those in need. Please spread the word about this much needed project so more volunteers will come forward and we can fulfill our goal of having assistants in "every town and village."

 

Thank you and stay well.

 

Your servants,

Sangita devi dasi

Jusaniya dasi

 

 

 

 

 

[Tarun 6]

1) Amsterdam's Hayezvar, yet he never used any cell phone.

2) New Zealand's TuSTa KRSNa (Swami) who used his cell phone constantly 5 yrs straight (1995-2000)

[Guest guest]

Haribol Tarun & thank you. I need support. There is much info about parasites causing human ailments such as tumors. Interesting to look up on internet sites like Dr. Hulda Clark's & Hannah Kruger. She has the recipe to de-bug on her site & get rid of stones. I tried the stone recipe, it works! Also, a few drops of iodine in a big bowl of water helps prevent parasite infestation from skin of fuits & veggies. This is what a Dr. told me that lived in a tropical country.

[Guest guest]

Dear Theist, I will look this site up asap. Trying to help my friend has been like swimming upstream in rapids. I am worn out. I can't be anything but a covert Vaishnav in this situation. I am bucking city hall with his family. It seems he may die in days. I did maybe not my best, but a lot. Yesterday he said "Hare Krishna" to me but I thought he said, "hugs and kisses". They sound a lot alike when your speech is slurred. I don't have enough training in Krishna Consciousness to be as equipped as I would like to be, nor do I have any devotees that live around me to get the support I need. I will be very cautious next time. I thank you for being my support.

[theist 1]

Yes please contact them. I just read an article about a group in the bay area called Threshold that. What they do is go around to homes, hospitals and hospices and simply sing to the patients. These people are on the verge of death or in states where some of them can only move their eyes. They just sing nice songs and give love. Many of the patients can only respond with their eyes if even that. Too old and senile to carry on a lucid conversation. But they are very appreciative inside.

 

This is this woman's life work now and she has trained many others. A real Christian in my book. Most of her patients are not Christian but she makes no distinction.

 

No more training is needed that could add to what you are doing already. He is leaving his body and you are helping him remember Krsna. There is no room for improvement.

 

Happy to offer what little support I can. We can all get inspiration from your example.

 

It just occured to me that maybe I can get some maha-prasadam from The Deities here in Berkeley,from the temple. Especially when he passes it would be nice to have him pass with some maha-tulasi in his mouth.

 

Let me know and we can work it out.

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

Dear Theist, I have given him maha prasadam from 3 Vrndavan temples given to me by a Berkeley devotee, plus water from Jamuna & Radha Kunde, dust from Vrndavan (it sparkles!),ash from Sri Tulasi branch, mantras, songs, love, love, love, tears too much, plus laughter when I remember that he appreciates my antics. Thanks again my friend, Haribol. P.S. Today we get transferred to a rehab center. Kaiser can't wait to kick out anyone with a terminal diagnosis.

[theist 1]

Yes, they can't make $ from from the healthy or the terminally ill unless they can have them hooked uo to life support.

 

Nice to hear from you soul.

 

Hare Krsna

[anangadevidasi 0]

I have to admit it really did tug at my hearts trings. What you are doing is so, special, how fortunate you friend is to have someone like you and with such firm conviction of faith.

 

You are both in my prayer's, for all they are worth! I am humbled by your actions and faith.

 

Jai Sri Krsna, Jai Sri Radhe.

[Guest guest]

I admit though to being very worried about how far I can go with helping my friend. The reason being that I feel my spiritual life is beginning to be compromised. I am a neophite in Krishna consciousnss with no immediate support outside of this website & some long distance Vaisnav friends. It is easy to get overwhelmed in this situation. My dilemma is this. My friend is beginning to use his left hand & walk again. He is getting better in spite of the fatal diagnosis. In order to return to his home there must likely be a 24 hr care person. Should that be me? Do I stop my life as I was going & begin cooking beef, pork, fish etc for him when he returns to his home? I am a Vaishnav (trying) I don't want to fall into karmy activities. I want to help my friend but I can't expect to change his & his families consciousness. Do I "bail" to save my spiritual life & leave it up to his 'karma'? I am worried he will give up if I go my way. I rode out a horrible storm with him & now he is getting better. I have lost my summer job because of this situation & have no money what-so-ever, no home. His family does not want me to cook vegetarian for him, nor compensate me for services-they said I helped himonly because I wanted money. I just want Krishna really. I wanted to help this man who helped me. How far does one go? I don't want to be a closet Vaishnav.

[Guest guest]

You have already been of eternal help to him. That true friendship is rare in this world. That help will outlive his body. As much as we want to continue helping sometimes we are not Supersoul. Fortunately Krsna is and He will remain with your friend.

 

You may have to pull back a little. Circumstances beyond our control are at work. Acceptance of this is hard. Ours is a humble minute position. Krsna knows you are not abandoning your friend. You have done what you could but even devotees have their limitations. See him in Krsna's hands and do not neglect your own needs. The stronger you can become in Krsna consciousness the more such friends you will be able to render service to in the future,but you can not neglect your own strength.

 

You will always be able to pray for your friend's continued advancement in Krsna consciousness.

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the support. Some people have said to me that I could continue my practice of Krishna consciousness in my heart & stay in this situation. I feel great sadness just thinking about a life without devotee association, without a little space of my own to place an alter for Krishna. Televisions would be droning all day, meat sizzling on the stove, his sons bringing in 'game'(interesting thing they call dead animals) they have killed. Not being his wife I would have no say in what goes on in the house. It may be very hard on him for me to exit when that time comes because he is attached to me emotionally. Once upon a time he was my husband, but I left 15 years ago & fortunately 8 years ago met a devotee who told me about Krishna. So it is a dilemma. I have no romantic inclinations towards him, only friendship & compassion. I can't live that old lifestyle ever again, nor do I want to be around it. He is still in a medical facility & learning to walk again. I don't want to do anything to adversly affect his determination to live as long as he can. Yet I do not want to die spiritually.

[Guest guest]

die spiritually. How can we share life when we ourselves are in a state of death? You must get yourself in strong devotee association. You must.

 

Self sacrifice does not mean to sacrifice the self.

 

From what you have written of the family it is clear that they will smother you.

 

You will be able to communicate Krishna consciousness to him in others ways that don't involve being with his body. Maybe visit when you can, write often etc. it may even be more effective from a little distance.

 

The situation has become impossible for you through no fault of your own.

 

Please try to live around devotees somehow.

 

Keep chanting.

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this nice post. I will try to do the best that I can for my friend without compromising my spiritual life. As you say, I can maybe do more away from his actual physical presence at some point. f But for now, holding the hand of one who is so ill is a comfort immeasurable to both of us. I am you and you are me. My love is there for my friend, no doubt to either of us. I am not very advanced but feel blessed in determination to love Lord Krishna & to love my friend endlessly in my heart.

I await divine timing as best I can & pray that my own desires will not cause conflict or confuse either one of us. Haribol.

[theist 1]

I wish you both well. You are the one there with your friend and even well meaning advise from others will not be able to account for what you yourself can perceive.

 

Keep checking in and letting us know how you are doing. We have to keep talking about Krsna in all circumstances. the net can help.

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

My friend is coming home. It has been 3 months into the ordeal. He looks good. Vaishnavs have helped us tremendously. I give him turmeric pills. I believe they made an impact on his system, it is a blood purifier. I give him a liguid vitamin with iron called Floridix. I give him organic flax oil to shrink the tumor. Plus organic molasses for potassium to ease leg cramps.I massage his feet, hands, head & pray & chant. I make him laugh every chance I get. I keep Lord Krishna's picture in his view. I will begin reading him Mahabarata soon because I think he will be fascinated with the story. Haribol for all the support. Thank you.