Alternative Care: "Voodoo Magic" or Something to Consider?

In my teens I had the unpleasant experience of watching my father struggle with the battle against pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed early enough, Doctor’s thought, that after surgical removal of the tumors and subsequent bouts of chemotherapy and radiation, he would win his battle. However, this was in 1996 when the chemotherapy drugs out on market were still relatively new and as result there were only a few medications present that were known to lessen the inevitable side effects; severe nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, hair loss and overall feeling of pain. These chemotherapy-counter medications had promise of minimizing side effects in efforts to keep him healthy enough to continue therapy and radiation. Unfortunately, these new medications had their own side effects, which when compared to chemotherapy were not as bad, but still notably uncomfortable for most patients; severe to moderate constipation, lack of appetite, and moderate nausea. However, as my family discovered, yet more medications were needed to counter the side effects of the medications that were to counter the side effects, of chemotherapy and so on.

After about a year of this struggle, and a daily diet of 30 pills, the routine storm of side effects had taken its toll; my father had now reached the point where chemotherapy could no longer be continued as his body, stripped of weight, could no longer take the abuse. Fortunately, a family friend aware of the predicament my father was in, recommended him to an alternative medical healer. Though our primary physician told my father not to invest any false hopes in this “voodoo magic, mumbo jumbo,” with no other treatment available, and tired of relying on the barrage of pills for pain relief, he went.

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