Following The Cancer Trail

Attended a seminar earlier this week in Sydney, presented by a biochemist and a naturopath. It was an absolutely informative and in depth look at the latest natural products available to support people suffering from cancer, and especially the often horrendous side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The information was extremely well researched, drawing on mainstream journals and peer reviewed material, and highly relevant for the times. Some excellent, well documented case histories on breast cancer and prostate cancer were discussed, and the appropriate supporting therapies outlined.

I attended because as a practitioner in this arena, in terms of legal restrictions, it can be very frustrating when clients ask us for help. There is a great deal of misinformation within mainstream medicine, about the value of complementary therapies for people with cancer, so it was very re-assuring to hear such a professional presentation.

As part of the new direction I have taken with thermal imaging, in my practise, I'm now seeing a lot more cancer cases, and being exposed to the full gamut of mainstream treatment that people experience, and it's distressing to see what they have to endure, in terms of side effects, to put it mildly!

I recently had the opportunity to experience first hand the journey one of my clients has experienced this past 2 months, as she asked me to be her support person. I attended every single appointment with her, from the moment the results of scans and biopsies were delivered by her GP, through surgery, drain removal, post op infection, and oncology consults, to her decision this week, NOT to go down the chemotherapy & radiation route.

It's been educational to sit and listen to the varied opinions on the use of natural therapies; the wide disparity of benefits supposedly to be gained from choosing the chemotherapy route; and most amazing has been the pressure she has endured from the medical team to commit to their options. I can only imagine what a lonely and confusing road it must be for those who have no support person, let alone someone willing and able to demystify the endless jargon and explain things more clearly. Little wonder so many capitulate and immediately embark on the treatment, without time to thoroughly research ALL their options. The politics of fear are well and truly at work.

So, the presentation was a breath of fresh air, and a timely reminder that there IS a place for integrative therapies to support people suffering from cancer. The facts are out there, the research supports it, and now it's time to spread the word !

Also, as part of my ongoing research, I stumbled onto a 4 part video presentation on You Tube, of a father giving a presentation to a US Cancer Congress, in 2007, about how he dealt with a terminal neuroblastoma diagnosis of his 3 yr old son. It's an extremely powerful demonstration of what can be achieved, within the system, utilising complementary therapies, and well worth spending 15 minutes or so, to watch the 4 clips. The family are from the UK. The law prevents parents from refusing chemotherapy for a child in the UK, citing abuse, and can forcibly remove the child, and administer the treatment. Between a rock and a hard place, I say ! Click here to watch http://www.bobbysfund.org/videos.htm

I personally found Bobby's story extremely inspiring, because it's very easy to be discouraged to delve into this arena, by the political constraints we all work under, but it's such an important field of work. As a society we are not winning the cancer game at all, so perhaps it's time to develop some new rules :-)

The Regulatory Climate

To appreciate the challenges we face, as complementary practitioners, are you aware that under current legislation, passed in August 2008, by the NSW Govt, designed to give greater powers to the Health Complaints Tribunal to take disciplinary action against 'unregistered health practitioners ' http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/2008/20080104_00.html , it is now an offence to make a claim to diagnose, treat or offer ANY advice regarding cancer treatment ?

These regulations cover naturopaths, herbalists, homeopaths, massage therapists, Reiki therapists, counsellors and psychotherapists. Interestingly enough, many of these disciplines now require a university degree to qualify, yet remain classified as 'unregistered' by the Government of the day !

Whilst I totally support the need to weed out unethical, untrained and opportunistic people, who prey on individuals, at a time of great vulnerability, I fear the legislation runs the risk of 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater', as it now currently stands.

What really needs to be happening here, is for the Government to create a regulatory model, within the existing health care matrix, that would allow us to be recognised for the contributions we make. There is much scope to increase the level of training and have the disciplines far more integrated.

The reality however, is that we are an 'invisible' but integral part of the health care model here in Australia, but our hands and our lips are tied, and we are forced to operate in a somewhat farcical situation of using semantics, afraid to even utter the dreaded 'C' word, let alone be seen to offer support. It's a climate that smacks of suppression of information, and intimidation, for being seen to be outside the accepted mainstream medical paradigms. Our advertising, both electronic, written and verbal is subject to strict monitoring by bodies completely outside the complementary health realm, which potentially makes for a biased verdict, and we are often subject to regular smear campaigns within the media. Despite this, it's estimated 1 in 3 consultations every day is with a complementary health practitioner, so something must be working!

It really is time to change the situation, but people will need to make them selves heard, at the highest levels. YOU need to demand the right to have free access to every option available for the treatment of cancer. Change must come from within.

If you think this blog might be of interest to a friend or loved one, please pass the link along!

To share your thoughts on this topic, or gather further information re the material covered, or request a copy of supporting mainstream research documents on the benefits of antioxidants during chemotherapy, please email me at info@thermalscans.com.au or call 02 6655 9400

In Good Health
Patricia