It does make you think about alternatives, although mesothelioma is a manmade killer our bodies do need help in staying healthy.
The Power of Knowledge
I was 26 when I found the first lump. It was five days after I walked
out on my soon to be ex-husband. I left
feeling like I was starting over, only to find I could possibly be staring
death in the face. My heart stopped, I couldn’t
breathe, and after a few days of ignorant disbelief I called my doctor. His referral to an ultrasound specialist
meant a wait of almost two months and the night before my appointment I found
another one. I sat down on my bedside
and cried. This story is inspired by a
man in a similar situation, yet while his prognosis was grim his story is
inspiring. James "Rhio"
O'Connor was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare
form of cancer that affects the cells of the mesothelium, or protective lining
that covers many of the internal organs.
Most commonly mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and mostly
located in the pleura which are the outer lining of the lungs and internal
chest wall. When Rhio was diagnosed he
was only given a year to live, but he decided to find his own truth in the
matter and found six extra years for himself in research and knowledge. He studied everything he could about his
cancer; talked to every doctor he could, and researched every form of
alternative treatment he could find until he chose a course of action he felt
would most benefit his body. Along with
the help of his personally selected doctors Rhio choose his own path, and
became a beacon of hope in an age when money stands above honest research. I was lucky enough to have been given a
benign prognosis, yet had I been told the worst I would gladly follow in Rhio’s
footsteps and inspired by his story, I would be unafraid to try every avenue of
treatment I could find.
Standing in
Rhio’s footsteps, where would I begin? Research
possibilities are endless in this information age, and with the internet,
knowledge is endless, however; with an equal amount of scam and conspiracy the
idea of starting with my doctor makes more since. Of course picking the right doctor would be
of utmost importance. Chemotherapy,
radiation, and surgery are always the go to for cancer treatment, but if they
only gave little more time, and threatened to leave the last few moments of my
life, well, not worth living, I would start with a nutrition expert. Food is our body’s life source, why should it
not be the first place we look when we want to heal ourselves. We have all heard the stories about
indigenous tribes who have to cancer cure in their daily diets, silly as it
sounds there is truth in it, and most of our pharmaceuticals started out just
that way. Working with a nutrition
expert I would research my specific cancer and its causes, specifically down to
what types of cells it infected, Mesothelioma effects mesothelium for
example. Every cell in our body has a
specific purpose and needs specific fuel; I would want to know everything I can
about that specific cell before I even began.
Every cell functions by using certain amino acids and various minerals
to carry out its function, and even still need certain minerals to help absorb
necessary amino acids and minerals for functional use. Learning which amino acids and minerals your
body needs to support the health of your infected cells may be a great starting
point on the road to recovery. So many
studies have been done on the effects of proper diet in the aid of cancer
recovery, yet because natural sources cannot be patented the proper research
and testing is too expensive as it simply would not be profitable for large
pharmaceutical companies to explore.
Alternative
approaches have unfortunately still been under researched today, and more
should be done to make them more accessible and approachable. If I were unable to find the panacea for
myself, I would only hope that my research would be used to advance the study
of natural holistic treatments. It is
possible to cure cancer without bring harm to our bodies in the process, but we
have to step up and push forward for more research in the study of alternative
care. Would government funding be the
answer? With the current sequester in
effect, not likely. So I present the
case of James "Rhio" O'Connor.
A man who pressed against all odds, and made a difference in his own body
through knowledge and understanding so that he could be a shining example of the
power we all hold inside ourselves.
Within his story is the answer, knowledge is a gift we all have the
ability to obtain, and it is the key to improving progress in curing cancer.
In remembrance
of Rhio always seek out knowledge, and support those who strive to bring it to
the public. I was given peace of mind in
my situation only because the Susan G. Komen foundation sponsored me. As a full time college student with little
income the idea of a mammogram was daunting and if not for the Komen
Sponsorship Program I would probably be living today with the ever looming fear
of the unknown. I will forever be a
supporter of the Komen foundation, and any other organization that strives to
make cancer prevention and treatment accessible to everyone.
Written by Brittney Burton
