Re: Farrahs story/was I AM CANCELLING MY HEALTH INSURANCE

[Guest guest]

I watched this show and was surprised at a number of things. First, since the

media reported Farrah had cancer they were saying she went to Germany for

'alternative' therapy. Did I miss something in the show? or did that alternative

therapy comprise mostly of a lot of chemo drugs? Yes they did some laser work

you probably cant get here but it seemed to be mostly about drugs. They

mentioned in passing that they were working to strengthen the immune system, but

all I saw was CoQ10 pills. No mention of any diets, or exercise, or anything

like that, and I also remember noting the can of Coke sitting on her hospital

bed tray in Germany.

I don't think whatever she did was all that alternative compared to what's

discussed on this list.

Still, the story is a sad one.

After watching the documentary on Farrah Fawcett's cancer story, I realized that

the message she sent was not the one I had expected. It was obvious that the

chemo and radiation caused most of Farrah's suffering. I was shocked when at the

end of the film tonight she made the comment (I can't remember exactly what she

said), " Why don't doctors in the U.S. promote alternative therapies like in

Europe? " So the film actually had perhaps an unintended affect---if enough

people watch it they could decide to never use chemo or radiation again because

of the delibilating side effects. >

[Guest guest]

You wrote:

I watched this show and was surprised at a number of things. First, since the

media reported Farrah had cancer they were saying she went to Germany for

'alternative' therapy. Did I miss something in the show? or did that alternative

therapy comprise mostly of a lot of chemo drugs? Yes they did some laser work

you probably cant get here but it seemed to be mostly about drugs.

 

.. . . . . . .

Yes, I noted that as well. It was mostly about drugs. The U.S. doctors did not

want to remove the tumor from the rectum. She got the German docs to remove it.

The " alternative " therapy was the laser I believe, injecting radiation directly

into the tumors.

 

You wrote:

They mentioned in passing that they were working to strengthen the immune

system, buall I saw was CoQ10 pills. No mention of any diets, or exercise, or

anything like that, and I also remember noting the can of Coke sitting on her

hospital bed tray in Germany. I don't think whatever she did was all that

alternative compared to what's discussed on this list.  Still, the story is a

sad one.

 

Yes, I agree. I noticed the Coke as well. I also noticed the Thanksgiving

pies--bigtime sugar. But you know what? I don't want to pick Farrah's suffering

apart to any great degree. I silently was observing what you noted, but would

never have commented unless you had said something. I believe in giving people

the dignity of their experience. Farrah is dying and I don't want to criticize

her choices. Of course, looking back she would/could have changed things, I am

sure. But I totally understand where she is coming from. The first time around

with cancer back in 1990, I was told, " 90% cure rate with chemo. " When the same

doc four years later told me, " You have a tumor in your chest. You have six

months to live, 18 months if you are lucky. " I told him to go to hell! I have

never been back in his office. That was in 1994.

 

Anyway, I am not one to point fingers at other's choices because some day we

will be in Farrah's shoes. We ALL will die someday. Yes, she wanted to live. But

of course, if you have cancer, as I do, you note what was done and wasn't done

by others because you want to build on HOPE. I don't take your comments as

criticism, but more of a checkpoint for your own recovery and chances, perhaps?

 

I learned last week from someone I had recently met that Farrah went overseas

and entertained the troups while he was stationed there. Farrah is a real

person, as O'Neil pointed out numberous times in the film. What other movie

star would bare their soul, their suffering and their bald head for the whole

world to see? Though I have always loved Farrah (I had a " Farrah-Do " in the

'70's, just like her!), my respect for her now is enormous. I am considering

creating/working on an alternative health care bill in Oregon and naming it

" Farrah's Bill. " What a classy lady! Here she has " anal " cancer and yet she is

out there trying to help others. I am not sure why she didn't call it rectal

cancer as " anal " sounds so crass. I don't even like to repeat the word. But

maybe she didn't want to soften the blow--Just " Tell it like it is. "

 

I have been grieving for Farrah because I have been where she is---wanting to

live and thinking you are going to die. I think in Farrah's case it is too late.

I could be wrong. But when major organs start shutting down, the body simply

can't repair itself. O.K. am I wrong here? I mean I would give her the world if

I thought it would help.

 

I will be trying to contact her agent this week to see if I can get an address

for folks on this website to send her a letter. I won't offer any " advice, " just

praises for her courage.

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

---

[Guest guest]

, I think you misunderstood my point. I did not at any point in time

criticize Farrahs choices.

What I was pointing out was the irony of how much was made of Farrahs

'alternative' treatment by the media, when in fact, it does not seem

particularly alternative to me at all. What it really is, is alternatively

delivered conventional treatment. That is- getting chemo and radiation in ways

you cant get it in America.

However, it was not Farrah who was going around saying she was getting

'alternative' treatment. She just chose a treatment that was in Germany and was

different from the American options, and I am not criticizing her for doing

that.

The real point is that the treatment was not alternative in the sense that we

discuss it here. Given the huge media attention on this, this is probably what

much of the general public now thinks of as alternative.

My guess is, this has delivered yet another heavy blow to alternative medicine

rather than the other way around, because now that may be all many people think

alternative medicine means.

Unfortunately as well, towards the end of the show, they mentioned that in her

previous treatments, they had been trying to spare her hair.

I poked around a few message boards and found a lot of comments like 'she should

have used more agressive chemo right away instead of worrying about her hair'.

So the message that seems to have been delivered is that many people now think

'alternative' means less aggressive chemo that doesn't work. That is

unfortunate.

But again, let me stress, this is a result of how the media played the story,

and its choice to make so much of calling her treatment 'alternative' -probably

just because it was in Germany- not anything that Farrah herself did or didn't

do.

None of this has anything to with my situation. It's just my observations and

opinions on what I saw.

I still think the story is sad as far as outcome for Farrah goes.

Cheers.

But you know what? I don't want to pick Farrah's suffering apart to any great

degree. I silently was observing what you noted, but would never have commented

unless you had said something. I believe in giving people the dignity of their

experience. Farrah is dying and I don't want to criticize her choices.

> Anyway, I am not one to point fingers at other's choices because some day we

will be in Farrah's shoes. We ALL will die someday. Yes, she wanted to live. But

of course, if you have cancer, as I do, you note what was done and wasn't done

by others because you want to build on HOPE. I don't take your comments as

criticism, but more of a checkpoint for your own recovery and chances, perhaps?

> Thank you for your comments.

>

[Guest guest]

COQ10 is known to revive failed kidneys.