Surviving Mesothelioma and Rhio O’ Connor’s Motivational
Life-Changing Story
Fatal illnesses have flourished throughout the years due to
countless pollutants that are released into the atmosphere, harmful compounds
that are used in consumer products and most importantly, the ignorance of the
general public towards these issues. James Rhio O’ Connor (“Rhio”), a sixty-one
year old man, was diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma. This type of cancer develops in the lining of the pleura,
which is the bilayer membrane enclosing the pleural cavity around the lungs.
Mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, which is a mixture of
silicate minerals that is commonly used for insulation of buildings.
According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos has been used in North
America since the 1800s and its use increased during World War II in industry
due to its heat, fire and non-conductive properties. Asbestos can be found in
steam pipes, plastics, paints, coatings, floor tiles, boilers, and has been
utilized for insulations, sound absorption and fireproofing. Rhio’s prognosis
was only less than a year and treatment selections to fight this type of cancer
were limited. Rhio was not a suitable candidate for surgical removal due to the
tumor location near the spine. In addition to this, he chose to avoid
chemotherapy, being the most aggressive cancer therapy, killing cells that
divide rapidly such as primary cells (skin, hair follicles, bone marrow,
digestive track) thus decreasing the patient’s quality of life. In addition to
this, Rhio’s desire to live was stronger than anything doctors could say about
his determinant cancer status. Therefore, he opted to follow an alternative
therapy in which changing his eating habits along with practicing mind-body
exercises and opting for a positive attitude would allow him to live 7.5 more
years.
Paul Krauss, author of
“Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers”, is considered the “longest living
mesothelioma survivor in the world”. He is knowledgeable of the use of
complementary therapies to fight cancer and states that there are a number of
myths regarding cancer treatment. He has defined the difference between
alternative and complementary therapies. Both alternative and complementary
therapies utilize traditional practices such as acupuncture, naturopathy and
herbal remedies. The difference between the two is that complementary therapies
combine these traditional therapies with conventional medicine, while
alternative medicine does not include conventional medicine. With the help of
selected professional practitioners, he was finally able to establish an
adequate treatment that allowed him to live much longer. Rhio’s willpower and
conviction allowed him to live a nourishing life and demonstrated that fighting
this type of cancer and having success is as viable as the person decides.
Because cancer is an
illness that has occurred in several members of my family, I decided to start
learning more about living a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent the oncoming
of illnesses. Krauss states that cancer is not a curing but a healing process.
It gives the opportunity to find the role of mind healing through practices
that involve body, mind and a healthy lifestyle which involves eating well. The
average American is more likely to die from diet and inactivity than from a car
accident according to Michael F. Jacobson, PhD. Robert Ader, PhD, makes
the analogy that just as eating is essential for the body to extract all the
vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary to function, indulging our minds and
by practicing a mind-body interaction, the healing systems in our bodies will
work in order and use minds to promote healing rather than obstruction. Rhio’s
story is inspiring because he demonstrates the power of incorporating
these practices which allowed him to reach a stable state of mind and live much
longer than expected. Not only this, but his willingness, perseverance and
positive attitude supports Krauss’s point that the body’s emotional state will
alter the hormonal profiles that influence the biochemistry of the patient
along with heart rate and immune functions. Rhio was a brave man who opted to
refuse the ordinary therapies and challenged himself to find a more profound
way of living and fighting with mesothelioma.
Three years ago, I
started a vegetarian diet which is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
This diet not only changed the way I used to feel after eating, but forced me
to think outside of the box when planning meals. I have noticed that following
a whole foods plant based diet has encouraged me to learn about vegetables and
fruits that I had never heard of along with amazing recipes rich in
antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is one of the best decisions I have
made and practicing this lifestyle is a great advantage if one day in the
future I were given a cancer prognosis. Exercising 15-20 minutes
twice a day, juicing, reading nutrition labels and nutritional articles
supported by research studies, learning how to cook and incorporate more
fruits, vegetable, grains, nuts and legumes to my diet are all important
practices for maintaining good health. I would keep learning more about the properties
that each of these can provide to build a strong immune system and would
eliminate animal products in my diet as it has been shown that these could
induce hypertension, heart attacks, osteoporosis, arthritis just to mention a
few, due to the high content in saturated fats, hormones and other chemicals
associated with abnormal alteration of a natural being (GMOs or chemical
handling) . These can only lead to a protein imbalance, high cholesterol and
hormonal crash. Dr. Jacobson states that vegetarians enjoy lower levels of
blood cholesterol, less obesity, less hypertension and lower the risk of
developing cancer. Krauss states in his book “For a cancer patient to make a
dietary change makes sense as smokers who are diagnose with lung cancer to stop
smoking”. In addition to this, stress is a main factor that involves
psychoneuroimmunological effects. Because of this I would look into a variety
of stress relief strategies such as daily cardiovascular exercises, yoga and
meditation
Rhio’s positive attitude towards changing daily
habits is the first step. Nowadays, we are fortunate to have a worldwide
network where we can inform ourselves easily. However, looking in the right
place is vital. Research consists of careful and detailed long term studies that
are based on observations and reliable results from previous experimentation. I
would always rely on a source of information that has been supported by
research conducted in a scientific manner with valid control experiments and
would enquire proof to those articles in health magazines or the web.
In order to make an
informed decision when choosing a treatment, I would look into as many possible
treatments as I could come across and take into consideration the success rate,
quality of life and side effects of the treatment. Also, I would make sure to
choose a professional physician that is specializes in the type of cancer that
I have been diagnosed with. Physicians that practice naturopathy are not
allowed to provide cancer treatment by law, however, learning the benefits of a
detox regime will enhance my immune system and will have stronger defenses in
case I decide to start chemotherapy and radiations. I would like to direct my
questions to a doctor that dedicates time to hear my doubts and provides
genuine advice.
I would look beyond
chemotherapy, radiation and surgery after considering the stage of tumor
development and my specific situation but would definitely fortify my healthy
eating and juicing as my complimentary therapy to build up immune system
defense in case chemotherapy and radiation were my only option.Alternative approaches
such as acupuncture, homoeopathic, and anthropsophic that are based on
spiritual principles could bring emotional stimulation that may induce healing
rather than directly curing the illness. However, I believe that people should
be aware of and have access to valid sources that critique these alternative
practices. Since we know the web contains so much information about many
different kinds of treatments, cancer research institutes should have a public
website with information regarding these alternatives and each individual
should consult with their doctor before practicing if it involves the use of
herbal or other kind of medicine specially if it is a complementary treatment
to chemotherapy and radiation.
It
doesn’t matter how much information people can find on the web about how to
live a healthier lifestyle, if the general public does not know how to approach
this information and make a decision on whether or not the information is
coming from a valid source, then the problem will only become worse. Therefore,
we should try to increase awareness about the difference of invalid sources and
reliable information. This education should be accessible to parents and children
in order to have the skills to learn about diseases that caused by a poor diet,
exposure to certain pollutants or chemicals and other controllable life habits.
It is important to invest in educating people at an early stage due to the fact
that the amount of money that goes to health care would decrease substantially.
This is why there should be more health programs that expand to schools,
colleges and even at the workplace.
References
Krauss,Paul. Surviving Mesothelioma and other Cancers: A Patients Guide. 1st. Raleigh, North Carolina: Cancer Montlhy, 2005. 45-67,122-140,178-189. Print
Jacobson PhD, Michael F. Six Arguments for a Greener Diet. 1st. Washington, DC: The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI),2006. 35-78, 101-120.Print.
