Our series is coming to a close... we have mapped a journey through both traditional and alternative treatments for pancreatic cancer.
So many cancer patients are struggling hard with these decisions...
Do we take the conventional, traditional approach that our oncology doctor is advocating.
Or do we listen to some of the alternative, holistic methodology and treat our cancer the natural way...
Our very lives tremble in the balance on decisions we make today.
The. Hardest. Decisions...
What if it were possible to blend the best of both worlds? Traditional and Alternative?
Might I share a whisper of Hope to those on the hard road of this cancer journey...
There are survivors. Moms. Dads. Sisters. Brothers. Friends. Family.
They have survived and thrived and are journeying past the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Is it not the hope of our hearts?
Meet Chris. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer in 2008. She was told she had 6 months to live. A second opinion confirmed the devastating diagnosis, offering little in the way of Hope. Chris wasn't ready to give up. She was ready to fight. She just needed to find a healthcare team that was up to the battle. She chose Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
In this unique Medical Center, patients receive state of the art treatment with the latest technology has to offer in conventional care (chemo, radiation and surgery) along with the time-honored techniques of naturopathic medicine to strengthen the immune system and naturally manage the grievous side effects of cancer treatment.
Chris chose to use a uniquely blended treatment plan for her cancer. This included traditional chemotherapy as well as a nutritional program (juicing), naturopathic support (herbal supplements), acupuncture and massage, as well as several other services specifically fine-tuned for her case.
I encourage you to click here to read her story. (even if you never check other links, please, please, be encouraged by her journey... click the link for Chris...smile)
Because when you've finished her story, you can read about Roger, and Sybil, and Cissy, and Peggy...
Survivors. Thriving after Pancreatic Cancer... Hope to Hurting Hearts.
CTCA is quick to point out that their results may not be typical or expected.
BUT, to Chris and Roger and Sybil and Cissy and Peggy... they are living out their results every day... Grateful, Alive and so Generously Paying It Forward, Spreading Hope for each one of us caught in the living nightmare of this pancreatic cancer journey.
So what makes Cancer Treatment Centers of America so different?
They are what we would consider an Integrative Cancer Center. Integrating the best of the traditional cancer treatments with the holistic, naturopathic techniques that support the whole body and encourage the natural self-healing process.
And they are not the only Cancer Centers beginning to incorporate this Integrative Management Plan...
The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment
Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine Services
The Integrative Medicine Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center
And the list goes on... I could not say that each Integrative Cancer Center uses the same philosophy... some tend to lean more towards the naturopathic (alternative) approach and others still lean towards traditional treatment with a small nod toward the nutritional aspect of cancer care.
If this type of cancer treatment plan intrigues you... then let your research begin.
Call the Centers. Talk to their teams. Ask Questions. Lots of Questions... Do more research...
This is where the Knowledge you have gained by learning about the different approaches to pancreatic cancer treatment pays off in Power...
The Power to make an intelligent, well-thought out decision for your care...
The Powerful Perspective of Priorities... for as you have read, and listened and prayed... the goals most important to you will have surfaced... and the decisions will follow...
Integrative Cancer Care... Perhaps it just may be the best of both worlds... It may or may not be the right choice for you. However, now we know that there are choices.
Here it loud and clear...
There are options for this pancreatic cancer journey... And Hope...
Praying hard as decisions are made, and battle lines are drawn in this fight for our very lives.
Trusting in Grace to guide us safely through, Always,
Jane
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