Surviving Mesothelioma and Rhio O’ Connor’s Motivational Life-Changing Story

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.