How We Chose an Alternative Cancer Treatment

If you’ve faced cancer, or have walked through it with someone you love, you know there are typically three ways to treat the dreaded disease: surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. I have been fortunate enough (yes, that’s sarcasm) to experience all three in the last 3 1/2 years.

In 2010, I had surgery to remove a 6-inch, malignant tumor from the muscle of my thigh. That was followed by 7 weeks of radiation treatment. Last August, doctors found a “suspicious mass” on a routine follow-up visit, and I started chemotherapy 6 weeks later. Each treatment worked…to an extent. Doctors removed the entire tumor through the first surgery, and the radiation treatments “killed off” any remaining cancer cells in the area. When the cancer returned (to a different area) last year, chemotherapy was a “success,” meaning it successfully shrunk the tumors, even when doctors were skeptical that it would.

In January, my oncologists decided to give me a break from chemo. The tumors had continued to shrink after six rounds of chemotherapy, so it seemed like a good time to give my body a break from the toxicity of the chemo drugs. That’s when we began looking into other, “alternative,” options.

alternative-cancer-treatment

I know the very term “alternative cancer treatment” is rife with controversy. (Rife…adjective, “of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent”…you’re welcome). I’ve read/heard stories of people abandoning traditional medicine, clinging to the belief that either God would heal them without the use of drugs or they could “heal themselves” naturally through non-traditional methods. I can’t speak to those experiences, because I am not those people. I simply want to share how we have come to the place we now find ourselves.

**This is where I remind you that I AM NOT A DOCTOR…I do not play one on TV, nor pretend to be one on the Internet. This is NOT medical advice, and should not be taken as such. This is simply an account of my experience.**

Step 1: We exhausted medical expertise. We have literally done everything traditional, medical doctors have told us to do. When they said, “Start chemo right away,” we did (after doing our own research and having all our questions sufficiently answered, of course). But we have reached a point where doctors have no other tricks up their sleeve and have told us (on multiple occasions), “All we can do is wait  for the tumors to grow again. Then we will do chemo…probably a more aggressive type.” We are constantly reminded that (as far as they are concerned), the goal is to control the cancer, not get rid of it. We’ve done surgery. We’ve done radiation. We’ve done chemo. Now we simply wait.

Step 2: We prayed…a lot. I’ve never been very good at just waiting. I’m always looking for “the next thing,” or wondering what I can be doing while I wait. So I prayed…I literally blocked off time every day for several days to pray for healing. My husband prayed for me and with me. We asked friends and family to pray with us and for us. Our church has special prayer each week for healing, and we have gone forward every week. I know God is able to heal miraculously. I’ve seen it happen in my own family. I prayed…and believed…for total healing. The more we prayed, however, the more I felt led to research other options for treatment. So, in addition to healing, we began to ask God for wisdom.

Step 3: We found an expert. When I began researching alternative options to cancer treatment, the information and advice was overwhelming: stop eating anything that tastes good and sip on a satisfying wheatgrass smoothie throughout the day (or something like that), rub exotic-sounding oils on your body in various, random places (hmmm…maybe not), avoid any type of radioactive airwaves (so, no microwave popcorn?). OK, maybe that wasn’t exactly the advice I read, but that’s kind of what it sounded like to me. I obviously needed someone with more knowledge and experience than I had.

As we continued to pray and research, one name kept coming up in various conversations. Different friends and acquaintances, on separate occasions, recommended a local naturopath who had experience with treating cancer naturally. I was still a little skeptical. Honestly, I feared what he would say. Would he make me disavow all traditional medicine? Would I have to drink my own urine or sacrifice a small animal in a bubbling cauldron? (I exaggerate…a little.) Still, we kept hearing this man’s name mentioned with high regard, so it seemed we should at least check it out.

The short version is this: We met with him and liked him very much. So much of what he said concerning diseases, and how our bodies fight them, made sense to us. We (including my even-more-skeptical husband!) were encouraged by him and by the things he recommended.  He is a born-again Christian, and he views natural medicine as a supplement to traditional medicine.

But here’s the kicker…when his wife faced cancer FOR THE THIRD time, doctors told her she had a year to live. He determined to find an “alternative” treatment for her, and he did. That was 16 years ago…she beat it and she’s doing well today! So, not only does he know what vitamins and supplements you need to take to beat this year’s toughest cold, he knows all the latest and greatest treatments to cancer (both traditional and alternative)!

So, we have begun a new leg of the journey….one that involves a new approach to eating and nutrition among other things. As I learn, I will be sharing more about our lifestyle and dietary changes here. (Probably reworking some of my favorite recipes, and sharing new ones I find/create!)

Don’t worry…I am still under the care of a medical doctor (several, actually). As a matter of fact, I had a PET scan at the end of March that showed the tumors are still shrinking…even though I am no longer taking chemo! Woo-Hoo! 😀

I believe this next step is part of the journey God has for us. Yes, He can heal me miraculously. Yes, He can use modern medicine to destroy the tumors. I also believe He can give me the knowledge and wisdom to equip my body to fight the tumors. We continue to pray for healing, and we continue to pray for wisdom in the journey. Personally, I don’t care how He heals me, I just believe He will!

If you are searching for alternative treatment to cancer, here are some resources I found helpful:

Books
Beating Cancer: Twenty Natural, Spiritual, and Medical Remedies That Can Slow–and Even Reverse–Cancer’s Progression by Francisco Contreras, MD and Daniel Kennedy MC
The Bible Cure for Cancer by Don Colbert, MD

Web Sites (I do not have firsthand experience with these programs, but you may find their sites helpful in your research):
Oasis of Hope Cancer Center
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Dr. Nicholas Gonzales

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27 thoughts on “How We Chose an Alternative Cancer Treatment

  1. Nancy,
    Is there any way you would be willing to share the contact information of your expert. I have a friend whose Mother is battling cancer and basically the doctors are just waiting. Not much they can do.

    Thanks,

    Mary

  2. Praise God for shrinking cancer cells! I’ve been praying for you and your family. I’m so glad you’ve got doctors you can trust. It seems like God gave you the perfect opportunity to visit a naturopath, when it was time for a break in chemo.

  3. Nancy, I’m SO happy to hear God’s hand is working hard on your body and I’m standing firm with you that total healing is coming. Thank you for sharing your journey. I know you are blessing so many readers in the process. Myself included! I’m curious about the naturopath. My mom pushed and pushed about my need to see a naturopath last week as we were chatting on the phone about my recent health issues. She is a hardcore believer in only naturopath and seems to think medical doctors are clueless and just want to charge an arm and a leg for their services…but that’s a whole other topic. Lol! {you can pick your nose but you can’t pick your relatives…no seriously I love my mom, but she’s pretty stubborn on that whole issue, so I just have to let her say her peace and then the conversation moves on. 😀 } BUT, I am open to the option of a naturopath, so we’ll see. Wishing you a beautiful Easter! 🙂

    1. Thank you, dear Rosann! I’ve gotta say this whole “natural” approach is a new one…one I did NOT expect to find myself on! I understand about your mom…I’ve encountered people like that, too. I think the thing with this journey is, like everything else…there is grace ;). I am farther along the journey than I was 2 months ago, but I have so much farther to go. All I can do is take the next step, and that’s all you can do, too. You are just in the beginning, and there is a lot of info. As you begin to work through it, and pray for God’s wisdom, you’ll begin to see what the next step is. I am becoming more and more convinced, however, that God has given us in nature what we need to sustain and heal our bodies. Somehow we have messed it all up along the way! That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for traditional medicine (I completely believe that there is!) I just think a lot of times we turn to it when the answer is much more simple. 🙂 Blessings, friend! Praying for you!

  4. Love! I just found out about your blog recently! Love knowing its written By someone I know not just some random person on the internet. Your heart is so transparent and full of God. So happy to hear about your journey as I knew you were battling cancer for awhile but never heard details of how you were doing. One of Brian’s closest friends was successful with treating cancer with alternative methods at one point also. Love learning about how to naturally heal my body. Praying with you for your healing! Our God is mighty!

  5. I am thrilled to hear that your cancer cells are shrinking, and I am a firm believing in naturopaths. Blessings and continued health to you!

  6. Love your honesty and how you write. And, even with such a serious topic, I had to chuckle because this is some of the stuff I think when I hear of these things. LOL Sounds like you have found a wise balance and I am relieved to hear it.
    I will say, my dad sold cancer insurance for many years. He knew of a doctor in Germany (I would have to find the name) who was able to look at tests from some of his clients who were at their wits end her in the U.S. (I think one was stage 4 brain cancer?? Something like that.) Anyway, this guys treatment did the trick. If you’re interested in finding out more info I would be happy to find out the information again.

  7. thanks for the info. alternative treatment is a choice and many people need to realize that they have choices.

  8. I’m touching on what miracle happen to you Nancy, God is good all the time. There are a lot of things we can do if this happens in our life. But God is there watching us and waiting for us to call him for help. I found your site as a useful information and example for cancer treatment and it happens when I search about “colon cancer treatment and prevention” to have additional information on my topic. Have a nice day.

    Mark recently posted… colon cancer treatment

  9. Hello Dear!

    You shared a great post. Cancer treatments are very painful. By using alternative treatment methods, pain can be reduced. It is an ideal choice for fighting against cancer. Thanks a lot for sharing this information with us. It helps a lot of people who faces this problem.

    You are doing a good work. Keep it up 🙂

    Looking forward for more post from you.
    Warm regards
    Michael R. Wadkins

  10. I know this was posted but would love the contact info for the expert. My daughter has been fighting for the majority of her life, and done the conventional approach.

    1. Katie, I’m sorry to hear about your daughter. Unfortunately, my doctor retired a couple of years ago. I would recommend visiting https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/as they have some valuable information about battling cancer naturally, as well as the names of (and interviews with) doctors who practice holistically. Also, I encourage you to visit http://www.compassionthatcompels.org. There is a community of women there whose sole purpose is to provide hope to women battling cancer. Praying for your daughter and for you! ~Nancy

  11. Could you send the doctors info? I have just started chemo again for the second time in a year and a half. I have metastatic breast cancer. Thank you

    1. Michelle, I’m sorry to hear you are facing chemo again. Unfortunately, my doctor retired a couple of years ago. I would recommend visiting https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/as they have some valuable information about battling cancer naturally, as well as the names of (and interviews with) doctors who practice holistically. Also, I encourage you to visit http://www.compassionthatcompels.org. There is a community of women there whose sole purpose is to provide hope to women battling cancer. They would love to talk to you, pray for you, and encourage you. Praying for your strength and healing in JESUS’ name!~Nancy

  12. The staging classification of the cancer has also to be ascertained as treatment of a cancer that has spread or is in situ can differ greatly.

  13. Very helpful and knowledgeable information. After reading your article I have learnt that using alternative treatment methods is the best choice for fighting against cancer. Thanks for sharing this excellent information with us which is really helpful for those people who are struggling with cancer.

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