You Oughta Try....

So here's just one of many conversations well-meaning, but uninformed people often make when they are trying to reach out, or connect to someone with cancer and they really don't know what else to say. This one happened today with someone I barely know, but they know I have NHL:

"So, have you ever heard of colloidal silver? My aunt takes it and it has removed all her age spots! You should look into it. It might be worth checking out."

It's as if to say without actually saying, "Hey, maybe you should try this junk on your cancer." Others are far more blatant in promoting their "all natural" suggestion as a cancer treatment, or cure. Even more absurd is the fact that most of the people who pass this Internet medicinal lore along don't partake of the very thing they are recommending you put in your body, LOL!

Never mind the total lack of credible medical research on the natural cure being promoted, or the fact that if one of them could actually cure cancer big Pharma, or a major cancer research facility would have already snagged it up. It's like this elusive cure has been hiding in the shadows and no one knows about it except for a faithful remnant of people who recommend it to their cancer-stricken friends and family. Think about it. Seriously, really, think about it!

So to date here are the cures or "cancer reducing" diets or supplements people have passed on to me of which several also happen to be on the urban myth fact checking site, www.snopes.com

• Coffee
• Lemons
• Colloidal Silver
• Wheatgrass
• Lemongrass
• Asparagus
• Vinegar
  

I know most of these come our way via well-meaning folks, but before you stop and send the latest "cure" to someone via email think about it. How would you feel if you got more than one of these a day when your life is already in the hands of some of the areas most competent minds regarding the research and treatment of cancer? That's not to say that certain vegetables, juices and vitamins aren't beneficial, especially from the damaging effects of chemo, like free radicals that can roam the body after treatment, or those that help boost an already frail immune system. I promise you that someone with cancer would rather just have you sit with them, listen, or hold them in your prayers before someone sends them another miracle diet, or cure.

So here's a suggestion from someone who has cancer. Before you send it, or recommend it to someone else you try the suggested diet subsidy, "natural/organic" treatment, or cure yourself for 6 months followed by a comprehensive medical exam and labs to determine its legitimacy.

If you have happened to pass one of these along to me thanks for your intent to help. Don't take this personally, but try to put yourself in our shoes. I'm just asking you to exercise the same kind of wisdom and restraint ALL of us should before passing anything on to someone else whether it's by text, Internet, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Do your homework because you can rest assured that those of us who have cancer are learning and reading everything we can about our particular brand of cancer. My oncologist at Wake Cancer Center said I needed to be prepared for this and that people would come out of the woodwork offering me the most outlandish cures, or diets for cancer. I laughed when she said it and had no idea the depth of truth she was speaking. Man, she absolutely nailed it! Oh yeah, she and my Greenville oncologist happen to have advanced degrees and experience in the treatment, cure and management of cancer.

Okay, so I saved the best for last. Someone actually emailed me a diet that "prevents" cancer once they knew I was diagnosed with cancer, LOL! So if you have cancer already how does a preventative cancer diet work? You just gotta laugh, it is indeed the best medicine.