Hi Mel,
Thanks for all this info. Did the Equilactin work right away? Don had 6 tabs yesterday and this morning, really awful diarrhea. It literally flattens him for an hour afterwards, poor guy. He was all happy to get going on his day this morning, when Wham! It is very weird diarrhea - a mix of water and solids (I hope that isn't TMI).
We have tried psyllium and an organic form of metamucil to no avail. I spoke to a retired oncology nurse outside of the hospital at a social do. I told her how appalled I was by the attitude, rudeness and general ignorance displayed by doctors in Canadian cancer care. She said that all the doctors go into oncology with the object of helping people and "altruism flowing through their veins." At some point, usually quite fast, they realize that they are being held in a chokehold by the powers-that-be - the pharma firms that govern "standard of care" and who support the cancer agency. Since they and/or their parents have spent a fortune in education, they are left with three options: Putting on blinders and applying standard of care (assuming they have figured out it is a very low standard that allows for no thinking of a patient as an individual); actually believing the SOC is valid and beneficial, or quitting. She said in her opinion 80% fall into the first category. That ties in with what our oncologist said to us when we refused chemotherapy, "There are three of us in this room who hate chemotherapy." (I'm not knocking anyone's choices here, if chemo works for you, then Woo!) What does disappoint me is this rigidity. She also told me that in her tenure, she has known four oncologists who got cancer and ALL refused SOC and "crossed two borders" for their care. That ties in with the two physicians I have personally heard of - one a retired heart surgeon and the other an anaesthesiologist - who also crossed two borders for their prostate cancer care having been failed dismally by the cancer agency.
Many eons ago, I worked as a research assistant and pathology lab tech at St. Mary's Hospital, London. I wanted to be a doctor but, back in the day, if Daddy or Mummy wasn't a doctor, then the chance of a woman getting accepted was zero to none. If I had been fortunate enough to have been accepted and had gone through four years of medical school (on top of my degree), then another two or whatever, specializing in oncology, how would I react to this situation? I would have to think very hard, that is for sure, having invested so much time and money.
There should be a disclaimer on the medical curriculum for oncology explaining that the schools are virtually run by pharma and a full disclosure of how medical studies are actually undertaken...who chooses what info is released, and what is not. How much actual survival benefit there is when a tumour has "shrunk" as the result of drug use. What actually results afterwards, as the stem cells realize their weaker buddies have slacked off and need a little support.
My husband outran his prognosis six months ago. He chose to halt standard of care after his bones were destroyed by Ra 223. I am convinced he would not be here today had we continued on with this standard.
Having said this, I firmly believe that Canada leads the world in cardiac care. From babies in utero to seniors, the standards are exceptional. Perhaps this is because cardiac care is more surgical than medical.
Mel, if you are in a rambling mood, you just passed it on.
Post Edited (Moonlitnight) : 9/12/2015 12:52:19 PM (GMT-6)