Depending on past experience (self or others) , nature of the disease and stage of the disease, people choose Allopathy or  Alternative treatments like Naturopathy, Acupuncture ,Homeopathy, Ayurveda etc.

When the situation is not critical , one can choose Alternative therapies. But when the patient is in a critical stage do not hesitate to go for Allopathic treatment . Get a second or third opinion.Agree Allopathy is expensive but do not take any risk at this point.

When I was first diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma , the thought of Alternative treatments didn’t arise. I was in a state of denial . I didn’t want to accept that I had cancer.I didn’t dare to type the word ‘cancer’ . We immediately took a second opinion and went ahead with Chemo followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (SCT). This was in Jan 2012. It was only after 3 yrs of SCT , when my plasma cells started increasing again that I started scouring the internet for Alternative treatments. By then it was obvious that Chemo is not a permanent solution and comes with a lot of side effects.

Thankfully, I had the hope and confidence that I would find a solution and didn’t give up.

Alternative therapies can be started once Allopathic treatment, ie Chemo/ Radiation/surgery, is done and the patient is in remission. One can also take Alternative treatments simultaneously after consulting experts.

It is strongly advisable to take your Oncologist into confidence when you wish to start Alternative treatments.Don’t ever stop the medication give by your Oncologist.

My strong advice is that you start looking for Alternative therapies as soon as one is diagnosed . The patient or their caretaker can do it.There’s a lot of information on the Internet.  Ignore any negative information.

Read blogs of people who are doing well and cured themselves. The first blog that I came across was margarethealthblogs.com . I was introduced to Curcumin by Margaret.

Watch youtube videos on the methods that several people are adopting to cure cancer.

Join online forums where you can share your problems and you may get some advise.

In India, yoddhas.com is one such forum. They are on facebook too.Feel free to share your concerns.Only when we open up and share , we receive help. It was through this forum that I met some wonderful people who have helped me to be where I am now.

Continue to look for other solutions even if you have started using an Alternative therapy.

Some options are : Juicing, Exercise , Deep breathing , Meditation , Positive thinking , Eliminating foods like sugar , white rice , dairy , maida (all purpose flour) and other acid forming foods in your diet and  include more alkaline foods .

Check your B12, Vitamin D , Calcium, Uric acid levels as often as you can along with other regular tests like CBP, LFT and RFT.

There are a lot of self help books written by those who have successfully battled cancer. Read up and follow them. I have read two inspiring books recently , namely ‘Dying to be me’ by Anita Moorjani and ‘You can heal yourself’ by Louise Hay. Both have healed themselves of cancer and helping a lot of people to heal themselves.There are a lot of videos by them on youtube.

 

 ‘If you think you can, or think you can’t , you are right’ – Henry Ford