CHEMO OR NO CHEMO THE PERENNIAL DILEMMA

India has unexplored options

It all started in April 2016. My vivacious, loving and caring wife of 44 years with two children in their 40s and four grand children in their teens, began to lose weight. As a measure of tracking our health after retirement, routine blood checks were a norm at intervals of six months. Both of us were free of sickness of any description until one such routine blood check   in April 2016 revealed that her blood sugar levels had suddenly gone through the roof. A repeat test to rule out inconsistencies in computing the results confirmed that it was notably high. Visit to an Endocrinologist was the pressing option. In hind sight, no Doctor asked why it was a sudden occurrence. Metformin was prescribed along with strict sugar free diet. All seemed to be well with the blood sugar levels dropping to acceptable limits. 

By the end of 2016 the discomfort with increasing pain in the upper stomach radiating to the back and acute digestive complaints began to dominate her hitherto peaceful and joyful life. It is at this stage I shall link my story to my blog which narrates the first part of her journey through cancer. That it was declared a non-malignant pancreatitis in June 2017 is explained http://scsbangara.blogspot.com/2017/06/miracles-do-happen-from-malignant-to.html

Weight loss and pain from here on was consistent and if anything, on the increase. Repeated visits to specialists failed to alleviate the deteriorating status of her health.

Pain management became the first priority at this point. From June to September as care givers to her, my daughter and I found it debilitating to see her on regular pain killers ranging from Ultracet to Narcogen. The original diagnosis of non- malignancy began to be questioned even as we struggled with palliative pain management techniques called coeliac Plexus Block consisting of CT guided injection. That too failed to relieve pain.

A tumour board of oncologists reviewed the case and found it necessary to recommend two immediate procedures. Firstly, since an open surgery was resorted to for the samples that proved to be non- malignant, a EU guided intervention to establish the status of the tumour. Secondly  since her bilirubin count was on the rise with Jaundice setting in rapidly, PTBD/stenting was to be done.

By end September 17 it was categorically established that Gita had pancreatic cancer. The only known therapy was chemo and radiation. By then she had lost over 20 kgs of weight, she had acute jaundice, her blood sugar was being contained and her blood pressure had risen and her thyroid readings were abnormal. A combination of all this   prevented immediate commencement of chemo. Chemo and Radiation are the only options available in modern medicine.

During the course of this journey, I had ceased all commitments and activities and with the constant help of my daughter,son and my daughter-in-law, was deeply involved in care giving and understanding alternate medical cure which has been practiced  in India for centuries. Having been born before independence and having spent my early childhood in remote coffee growing plantations, an enduring memory was the total absence of pharmacies and Doctors in the immediate vicinity. It was rare for anyone who suffered illness not to be cured with herbal and organically produced food. Every illness had an immediate remedy. Jaundice as known to the West was cured with well identified juice of certain leaves. It was a well-known fact that animals and humans consumed similar herbal medication to remain healthy and physically fit. Sadly, the quality of medication depended on how well the knowledge transfer occurred between the Vaid and his selected successor. Since science and technology as known to the West was inaccessible to assess the success rate of cure and documentation along with record keeping was not mandatory, the trust reposed in the Vaid played an important role in overcoming the illness.

As it happened Gita needed medical attention and yet her body would not tolerate chemical intervention including pain killers. Yes we needed modern tools for immediate suppression of pain or to stabilize a critically ill patient. Rightly or wrongly, the family with Gita’s active participation decided that Ayurveda should form the backbone of her treatment while lab results and emergency care should be sourced from well known Hospitals. Now began the hunt to select a Vaid.

It is here that I would like to underline the process and its infirmities and strengths.  It is well known that Ayurveda has centuries of experience in well-structured methodologies and mechanism for identifying and administering medication. BUT, just as we need to identify good Doctors, we also need to carry out a critical assessment of available expertise in Ayurveda and Homeopathy. We used the following matrix;

• ·       Can we assess the success rate of cancer cure through identifying the survivors and interview them?
• ·       Is there a known channel such as whats app group which could facilitate communication with known Vaids ?
• ·       Is the Vaid notorious for commercial exploitation of patients or is it a mission due to circumstances that enabled his acquisition of knowledge.
• ·       Is he capable of understanding relative strengths of modern medicine and interpreting lab reports and scan results? 
• ·       Does he have an open mind to accommodate suggestions?
• ·       Finally, does he have the patience and time to have detailed discussions on patient’s reactions and tweaking of the medicines as appropriate.

By early October we had found the Vaid who met our QRs.  From then to the day Gita passed away we had the most satisfying and educative relationship with an octogenarian missionary who took to Ayurveda after he lost some close family members to this dreaded disease. Ayurveda does not believe that it is a disease. It is called a cell disorder which is eminently curable. Pancreatic cancer is a challenge and as known to many, both Homeopathy and Ayurveda do not claim to suppress pain. They treat the source of the malady.

Now I turn to what happened from October 17 to April 18. Lessons learnt by us form the integral part of this narration. It may throw up many more questions but that is how life is. No one guarantees that the patient will live but the quality of life during the healing process ought to be what the body can sustain with minimum intake of chemicals.

In end Oct 17,Herbal treatment with strict dietary restrictions commenced soon after examination of available CT Scan and PET Scan results. Our first detailed assessment with Gita in attendance was meticulous, incisive and interactive. At no stage did the Vaid give us an impression that he knew it all. His knowledge of interpreting lab results and other diagnostic tools indicated his ability to correlate scientific data with the whole-body approach adopted by our ancient practices. It was in stark contrast to the highly opinionated super specialist of a Hospital who listens less than he speaks. Most specialists spend the least amount of time with the patient and speak only on the area of their specialization. Ayurveda, as we understood was rooted in the belief that every part of the body is interconnected. When anyone of the parts is tinkered with it has significant impact on other parts too. Quantum physics and the approach to medical science as a consequence has many similarities with Ayurveda. Most of the drugs administered in hospitals have chemicals which are intrinsically rejected by the human body.  The latest statistics of death caused by Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) are now being documented for posterity. Pain killers are normally unwelcome since they cause irreparable damage to the liver and kidney. However, patients suffering with pancreatic cancer have little option but to suppress pain to the extent possible.

Since the diagnosis in this case was delayed due to many reasons, we were faced with the dilemma of how to reduce the intake of pain killers. Ultracet, Ketrol and later Narcogen had left indelible scars in her body. Severe allergies were just one manifestation. In this context, let me dwell on pain management which becomes the backbone of patient’s comfort and her ability to participate in the treatment of the illness.

While the onset of pain was predictable due to the potency of the drug, it became necessary for my daughter and I to closely observe Gita’s conduct. Facial expression, body movements and energy levels were indicators to watch 24/7. By trial and error, we devised a combination of Reiki and acupressure techniques to ease the pain soon after its advent. By a constant tweaking process, we ensured that she suffered for the least possible duration of time. But, we were not able to materially reduce the dosage as the treatment had just begun. Time for absorption of herbal medication was a necessity.

The Vaid commenced simultaneous treatment for blood sugar, thyroid, blood pressure and jaundice.  Leaves of castor seed plants freshly picked three times a day were cleaned and juiced for a table spoon at a time. No refrigeration was permitted and it had to be fresh. That for instance was only for Jaundice. Similar herbal and other medication was to be administered almost every hour. 

By early December, all the parameters pertaining to the above were brought to normal as indicated by frequent blood tests and their analyses. No allopathic medicines except pain killers were required thereafter.

Using the principle that anything naturally grown or produced with no chemical addition is preferable, the Vaid had no objection to administering Hemp oil which is now available in India. In about a month, the pain management schedule began to show positive results. We were dreading the use of opiates which is normally the final pain reliever in this food chain. To our relief, the dosage of Narcogen and Ultracet reduced gradually till we reached one tablet a day and to zero tablets. This was a milestone event in her healing process. By February two more significant developments made us optimistic. Weight gain commenced and her tumour marker reading dropped to half its number.

We did not realise the downstream effects of continued pain killers of high potency for well over a year. Her kidney began to show signs of distress. Soon her heart began to pump less. Edema set in in all parts of her body and her protein levels dropped. To cut a long story short, despite critical care of hospitalization and ICU, she sank in the presence of all family members. She knew that she was going and had left behind very detailed instructions for all of us.

I lost my most valuable possession of my life. The pain does not permit me to give detailed readings of her body parameters during the remarkable journey through Ayurveda. I shall, after my recovery, share what little I have learnt from this experience.

What I know for sure is Western Medicine has no alternatives to Chemo and radiation. Looking back, would I have taken the Chemo route if given a chance. The answer is an emphatic NO. If anyone claims that he knows how the human body-the most complex mechanism ever created – works, tell him to work with alternative medicines and then assess whether he knows enough. Strangely a few Doctors that we had to interact with at reputed hospitals, supported our decision to use Ayurveda. That is a good sign for future application of shared knowledge to fight cancer, both to provide options, as also to make it affordable for those who are not covered by medical insurance or healthcare programmes.

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