Keep an open mind

[Guest guest]

Hi all.

Some of you might remember me. I was posting sometime in

October/November, but stopped so that my brother, could join this

group with some breathing room, if you know what I mean.

A little background: My brother was diagnosed in late september '04

with stage IV. Plenty of mets in the liver. Nothing has gone right

for him from the beginning. Many doctors have written him off, but as

long as he's breathing, he's still worth the effort as far as I'm

concerned. At this point, he's gone thru folfox4, avastin,

Irinotecan, and is currently on Xeloda, his last chance drug, which

has less than 20% chance of working on him. Why am I telling you all

this? well, because I've seen chemo does to a young body. If cancer

hits our family again, I know I would not do to any chemo or

radiation, and only surgery if the tumor will end my life in the next

day. I am writing to all of you, but mostly to those who have been

recently diagnosed. I know you're going through a horrific time, and

if you're anything like my brother, you want desparately to believe

that the doctors will make you all better. The best advice I can give

you is to keep an open mind; explore all options. The doctors don't

know everything; I think they know very little.

My brother is still alive, and he's looking better everyday. He has

been at death's door so many times, yet I wonder if he was there due

to the treatments/chemo/surgery. I don't know what lies ahead for

him, but at least I haven't given up on him and if he should leave

this world, I know I did all I could for him. For those with little

hope left, I also urge you to look around for other options. I know

there is a lot of quackery out there, and you have to be careful. My

guideline was that it had to make 'sense'. In case you're wondering,

we're trying the Gerson Therapy on my brother. (Eating your way to

health, what a concept!) Although we just started it (partially) the

jaundice in his eyes has faded to an extremely light yellow.

Sorry if I'm rambling, but as I read the subjects on this list, I felt

obligated to say something.

-Irene