The choice is yours when it comes down to it. As long as you are of age and mental capacity you can choose your own health treatments. Many of us opt for more natural options wherever possible while some people are very closed minded. They would never consider that there could be anything other than what the doctor tells them.
Vaccines for or against
Vaccinations are a prime example, it’s a personal choice whether you believe in them or are totally against them. It’s a major dilemma for so many parents who want to do whatever is best for their babies and toddlers.
They honestly don’t know what to believe when there are very polarized opinions. To make matters worse parents are often held to ransom if they choose not to have their children vaccinated.
Big pharma or alternative health experts
Even people in certain work environments are penalized if they don’t wish to follow certain procedures such as having the flu vaccine. Then there’s the guilt that goes along with making decisions on what you do with your own body or what you consider to be best for your child. When the fact is something in your experience has convinced you what is in the best interest of your child.
Do you listen to the so called authorities and pharma companies or to those with actual personal experience? There’s usually information that directly opposes big pharma often given by alternative health experts. Often after much controversy and damage the real truth or some of it comes out but it’s too late for some.
What would you do if you were diagnosed with a serious disease?
I’ve wondered what I would do if I was diagnosed with a disease like cancer. Until it happens it’s hard to predict with certainty. I’d like to think I’d go the holistic route as much as possible.
It’s so easy to give an opinion on what you think someone else should do. Those that love and care about you will want to help and that help can come in various forms including advice. I know I’ve been there with my brother.
When my brother got the awful news that he had lung cancer he didn’t tell us right away. He and his wife needed a few days to absorb and grieve the diagnosis. It was small cell lung cancer, the worst type. My reaction after the initial disbelief and shock was “what can I do”? There just has to be something!
Be careful with advice
We lived at least 5 or 6 hours apart by air. Even though we talked often by phone it was really hard being so far away. I had several long visits over the time of my brothers illness.
In the beginning we talked about treatment options. For months I had researched everything I could on alternative cancer treatments and results. Many of them 100 years old and more. I read books, articles and watched videos. I was consumed with it. I’m sure this is very common when someone you love is diagnosed, it becomes all consuming.
Non conventional or traditional options
First off he tried a few non conventional things, but it was explained that he was unlikely to have much time left. Then my brother chose to have traditional cancer treatments.
Previous to my brothers diagnosis they’d had family members and friends with cancer. He and his wife had even discussed what they thought they would do should a situation like this ever happen to either of them.
He told me that until he was diagnosed he’d thought that he would choose alternative treatments over chemotherapy should the need ever arise.
Besides giving him my findings on alternative methods there were others doing the same thing. As well intentioned as it is, too much information can become very overwhelming. Especially when you are already dealing with a disease.
Doing what you think is best for your health
I really wanted my brother to try holistic methods, he went with what the oncologist recommended. Though I was worried by what damage the chemo would do, I had to accept that it was his choice. He did what he thought was best for him.
Maybe had it not been the extremely evasive small cell cancer he would have made a different choice. It had me rethinking given the same situation what would I do when it came down to it.
My brother was told right from the beginning that this was terminal cancer and that at most he could expect was 2 years. I spent a lot of time with my brother and his wife over the next couple of years.
I watched my brother go through chemo, radiation and saw the many changes in him. The weight loss, tiredness, lack of energy, lack of interest in eating, various side effects of the chemo. He really tried to maintain a positive attitude, he was so determined to beat it or stay with us as long as he could.
Not giving up he was looking for a new experimental cancer treatment program he could enter. Finally one came up that was supposed to show some positive signs for his type of cancer. As sick as he then was he would have to travel to another state for the treatment.
Just 3 days before he was to leave to join the program he ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, it was discovered the cancer had gone to his brain and within just over a week he had passed away.
Could a holistic approach have produced a better outcome?
Would he have benefited more from alternative treatments? Who knows? Could he have gone into remission? Could he have had a better quality of life for the time he had left? Would he have died sooner? We’ll never know.
Health first and foremost
There is nothing more important than your health, you don’t have much without it. You have to do what you can to take care of your family and yourself. Many find that Herbal Medicines and other natural remedies can remove a lot of dependency on Big Pharma. But ultimately it always needs to be your choice.
