Alternative Inquiry

In an effort to realize what the entire range of treatment options include, we are exploring naturapathic treatmets as well as conventional treatments. Research has shown that conventinal methods leave much to be desired. It sems to me that unless a method or therapy can be patented, in order to insure profit, that method or therapy is not considered or even ridiculed in an effort to preserve the monopoly of "Big Pharma". I will not not point out particuliars here, but you may certainly contact me for details, suffice it to say many have been persecuted and maligned to the point of incarceration in order to stifle dissenting voices.

Yesterday, Friday Oct. 29th we had our first meeting with a Naturapath which we found from reviewing many resumes and specialties of practice which were posted online. I will post details and identification later in therapy, however our initial 1 hour and 15 minute interview was entirely without charge.

Interesting comments that came out of this interview included:
1. Probable cause was damage to DNA/chromeosome by herbicides and pecticides that I have handled throughout my farming activity.
2. Prognosis is "good"
3. Diet/nutrition is extreamely important.
4. Integrated therapy is totally possible. That means conventional treatment and alternative treatment may co-exist. More on this later.
5. Although not specifically stated, it is my understanding that starting from position where my body has not been decimated by "chemo" is a definite advantage.

Coming from this meeting I was encouraged. To know that there are alternatives and those alternatives may be quite effective was settleing time. A definite decision as to the specific course of treatment will not be determined until after my meeting with the VA oncologist/hemotoligist on November 5th.

To complicate the issue, I was taken off a prescription to control gout with the onset of this condition, you guessed it, I have gout. That has me anchored pretty well and would actually feel pretty good if it were not for the gout. Doctors do not want to make a decision on medication to control the gout until after the decision is made on the general course of treatment is made, I guess that is OK as I am not supposed to be in public places (concern for infection, flu, etc).

An interesting turn of life events

Well, interesting turn of life...... I (Joel) have been diagnosed with a blood disorder condition call MDS the old name is "pre-leukemia", a preliminary report from a BMB (bone marrow biopsy) has confirmed that I am borderline AML (Acute myelogenous leukemia).

Myelodysplastic syndromes are bone marrow stem cell disorders resulting in disorderly and ineffective hematopoiesis (blood production) manifested by irreversible quantitative and qualitative defects in hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells. In a majority of cases, the course of disease is chronic with gradually worsening cytopenias due to progressive bone marrow failure. Approximately one-third of patients with MDS progress to AML within months to a few years.The usual progression of this diesease is into something called AML (see below)Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In AML, the bone marrow makes many unformed cells called blasts. Blasts normally develop into white blood cells that fight infection. However, the blasts are abnormal in AML. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The bone marrow may also make abnormal red blood cells and platelets. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needsI am currently borderline AML, additional evaluation of the bone marrow biopsy will indicate what type or risk factor the MDS is currently in and a prognosis cannot be made until that type is determined, nor can recommended treatment be determined until those tests are in, but will probably include chemotherapy.

The hematologist/oncologist is transferring me to another doctor who specializes in this treatment. I will go and have additional lab work done tomorrow to determine the stability of the MDS and the need for additional transfusions. They have cautioned me about doing anything that may injure myself or be in places where I may pick up an infection.My concern is not death, I see that as a great adventure, but so many "loose ends" and things I want to do. I feel good and do not do well "doing nothing".

Will try to keep this blog up to date as a tool to let everyone who is interested know what is going on and also a resource for others who may be navigating the same waters.