I'd love to have you read this essay I wrote for the Rhio O Connor Scholarship. It will give you some insight into people dealing with a cancer diagnosis and some "alternative" options.
Recently, I have been looking for various scholarships to help me with my continuing education. I’m going back to school to become a registered nurse. For many of you that know me, this might be a surprise. For those of you that don’t know me, I’ll fill you in: I’m sort of against doctors. Not personally of course. I just don’t go to one unless something is hanging off of me and needs to be reattached…or close to that! Basically, I think that there are alternative methods for many of our basic problems. My first resort is my wonderful chiropractor. I go to him about two times a month, more if I’m sick. I take various vitamins, eat a vegetarian diet and try not to eat too much processed and sugary foods (although if you know me, you know chocolate is my biggest downfall)! I didn’t practice this healthy lifestyle when I was younger. I grew up with my mom, eating McDonalds several times a week, hating all kinds of fruits and vegetables and eating ice cream every day of my life. I also was sick all the time and my mom had me on antibiotics more months out of the year than not.
So, what does all of this have to do with scholarships? Well, I came across one called the “Rhio O’Connor Scholarship” which has a tie to www.survivingmesothelioma.com . This intrigued me. Let me give you some background with cancer/lung disease and family. When I was ten, my mom was diagnosed with a hereditary lung disease. When I was thirteen, I was told that I had the same disease. At the time, it was very rare, with no cure or good prognosis for life. I went with that diagnosis but didn’t do much about it since it wasn’t affecting me at the time. When I had my daughter (I was 22) I was retested and told that I didn’t have the disease! Yahoo! I’ll go with that diagnosis! Within a year, my mom died of that disease after struggling many years with it. She had tried every king of medication but never tried an alternative medicine or way of living. She did die peacefully at home with the help of Hospice. Family was all around. Soon after, I had a choice to visit with my dad (I didn’t really know him since my parents divorced when I was young and my mom and I moved across the country). Now, my dad had just been told that he had lung cancer. It was quite advanced mostly because he ignored all the signs and symptoms for many months (possibly years). I know that he struggled with what to do. He continued a fairly healthy diet and chiropractic visits. He also started radiation once he was told that the cancer had spread to his brain. This was very devastating for his body. He wasn’t able to eat; he was cold all the time and quite tired all the time. He died soon after, in the hospital with tubes all over. This was not peaceful at all. In fact, the family had to decide to “pull the plug” which is the hardest thing in the world, anyone should have to do. My parents diseases were definitely life altering for those around them. After seeing my mom take all that medication and it not work and my dad do radiation but nothing else, I changed my way of thinking. This is when I decided to try the “natural” route for my life.
Now, back to the scholarship. Rhio O Connor was diagnosed with mesothelioma which is a deadly cancer usually caused by asbestos. We all have a mesothelium. It is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. Rhio saw that he could try the conventional forms of treatment: radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Instead he looked for alternative treatments including vitamins/supplements, diet change, and mind body medicine. Instead of the months he had (predicted by the doctors) he lived almost eight more years. He wrote a book about it called "They Said Months, I Chose Years: A Mesothelioma Survivor's Story.” What an inspirational story!
There are 1.5 million new cancer cases per year and causes 13% of the deaths! But, if you go to a doctor, they will most likely advise you of the conventional forms of treatment. That’s ok! I mean, they did go to school and get a degree and many are very sure of the conventional treatments. I don’t believe they steer people wrong on purpose. And it does help some people. But, I do think alternative treatments should play a major role. Just as Rhio O Connor did, I would seek out others that have tried. I would change my diet, look for foods that help with cancer, try acupuncture/acupressure, go to alternative cancer clinics (they are all over the world), aromatherapy, biofeedback (using mind to control various body functions), etc. We are blessed to have the internet now. We can find ideas and research them. We can find doctors and talk to them. I would research at different libraries and talk to different people. I would get a second opinion and a third!
We can have a major part in our own disease and try to find alternative treatments. We are the major advocates for our health! Take some time to read through www.survivingmesothelioma.com.
So, what does all of this have to do with scholarships? Well, I came across one called the “Rhio O’Connor Scholarship” which has a tie to www.survivingmesothelioma.com . This intrigued me. Let me give you some background with cancer/lung disease and family. When I was ten, my mom was diagnosed with a hereditary lung disease. When I was thirteen, I was told that I had the same disease. At the time, it was very rare, with no cure or good prognosis for life. I went with that diagnosis but didn’t do much about it since it wasn’t affecting me at the time. When I had my daughter (I was 22) I was retested and told that I didn’t have the disease! Yahoo! I’ll go with that diagnosis! Within a year, my mom died of that disease after struggling many years with it. She had tried every king of medication but never tried an alternative medicine or way of living. She did die peacefully at home with the help of Hospice. Family was all around. Soon after, I had a choice to visit with my dad (I didn’t really know him since my parents divorced when I was young and my mom and I moved across the country). Now, my dad had just been told that he had lung cancer. It was quite advanced mostly because he ignored all the signs and symptoms for many months (possibly years). I know that he struggled with what to do. He continued a fairly healthy diet and chiropractic visits. He also started radiation once he was told that the cancer had spread to his brain. This was very devastating for his body. He wasn’t able to eat; he was cold all the time and quite tired all the time. He died soon after, in the hospital with tubes all over. This was not peaceful at all. In fact, the family had to decide to “pull the plug” which is the hardest thing in the world, anyone should have to do. My parents diseases were definitely life altering for those around them. After seeing my mom take all that medication and it not work and my dad do radiation but nothing else, I changed my way of thinking. This is when I decided to try the “natural” route for my life.
Now, back to the scholarship. Rhio O Connor was diagnosed with mesothelioma which is a deadly cancer usually caused by asbestos. We all have a mesothelium. It is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. Rhio saw that he could try the conventional forms of treatment: radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Instead he looked for alternative treatments including vitamins/supplements, diet change, and mind body medicine. Instead of the months he had (predicted by the doctors) he lived almost eight more years. He wrote a book about it called "They Said Months, I Chose Years: A Mesothelioma Survivor's Story.” What an inspirational story!
There are 1.5 million new cancer cases per year and causes 13% of the deaths! But, if you go to a doctor, they will most likely advise you of the conventional forms of treatment. That’s ok! I mean, they did go to school and get a degree and many are very sure of the conventional treatments. I don’t believe they steer people wrong on purpose. And it does help some people. But, I do think alternative treatments should play a major role. Just as Rhio O Connor did, I would seek out others that have tried. I would change my diet, look for foods that help with cancer, try acupuncture/acupressure, go to alternative cancer clinics (they are all over the world), aromatherapy, biofeedback (using mind to control various body functions), etc. We are blessed to have the internet now. We can find ideas and research them. We can find doctors and talk to them. I would research at different libraries and talk to different people. I would get a second opinion and a third!
We can have a major part in our own disease and try to find alternative treatments. We are the major advocates for our health! Take some time to read through www.survivingmesothelioma.com.
