Return from China

[Guest guest]

Recap:

After compiling much evidence that I had cancer, my HMO reluctantly

did a colonoscopy in April of this year. I was sneeringly informed

that I was a hypochondriac and that I should return for a follow up

colonoscopy in ten years. After a worsening of symptoms they

begrudgingly gave me an ultrasound three months ago. Biopsy revealed

a large squamous cell cancer. The HMO said, " No problem, they would

cure it with chemo and conformal radiation. "

Update:

Based on the HMO's CT reports I decided that a better option would be

for me to do anal photodynamic therapy to cure the lesion in my anus

and then I would have the rectum resected (end-to-end anastomosis)

with intrasurgical PDT to clean up anything that remained. This

would be a procedure with a curative intent.

I went to Shenzhen, China to the Beijing University hospital and was

admitted to their ward for minimally invasive therapies. I did the

initial PDT and then waited a couple of weeks for that to heal before

doing the surgery with PDT. A pre-surgical CT revealed that the

cancer had metastasized to the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles,

sphincter, etc. Not only would surgery be useless, but we at least

knew that chemo with conformal radiation as planned by the HMO would

be a gross undertreatment and a death sentence.

I immediately returned to Southern California. The HMO showed their

same arrogance. They called China a third world country and refused

to look at the new CTs. This happened before when I showed them

Mexican CTs. They refused to look at them. The HMO wanted to do

their own CT, PET-CT, and sigmoidoscopy. I completed the first two

and then I had the sigmoidoscopy today from their surgeon. The

surgeon flitted through the new CT, said that the cancer was too

advanced for chemo or radiation and that I must immediately schedule

a pelvic exenteration so I could enjoy my short remaining life with

permanent bags for colon and urine.

I told him that I have access to many other treatments that others

might only dream about. I know that they had royally screwed up in

the past but at this point all I really needed was help with

monitoring and assessing my situation. I told him that as soon as I

learned from the Chinese that the surgery-PDT would not work, I

immediately started on my own protocol of " natural " treatments and I

was hoping for their cooperation by ongoing assessments to help let

me know if I was winning or losing. I mentioned that during the one

week's time that I have been doing my own thing I have reduced

vicodin consumption from about 8 per day to zero per day and that two

weeks ago my rectal lumen was about half a centimeter (about like a

soda straw) but now I could pass stools the size of a cigar. I have

no evidence that I am getting worse -- quite the opposite. Close and

accurate monitoring is essential for my success. Could the HMO

help? Unfortunately the surgeon did not want to hear a word of what

I was saying; he wanted to start cutting me apart immediately.

During the past two months I have had much time to reflect on my HMO

treatment. It could not have been worse than if they got together in

a back room and said, " What can we do to try to convince this guy he

doesn't have cancer, and then what can we do to kill him miserably

and quickly? " They have circled the wagons and none of them will

admit that they or their predecessors did anything wrong.

I still have my non-profit seminars retreat program in which I help

cancer patients solve problems and hook them up with treatments that

are likely to work within their budget range. I may take it easy

next week as I need to do some work in my lab (this time for me !!),

and then crank up for the week of January 10th.