Moving forward with Mesothelioma

I was just five years old when my grandfather died from cancer of the colon. Although I cannot remember much about my grandfather’s disease or the unpleasantness of his treatment, I have heard stories from my mom about his efforts to stay alive so that he could watch me and my siblings grow up. While my grandfather did not undertake as remarkable a treatment regimen as Mesothelioma diagnosed Rhio O’Connor did, he shared the same motivation to survive. It is his motivation that I believe kept him alive far longer than his initial diagnosis predicted.
Rhio O’Connor was diagnosed with Mesothelioma at age sixty-one. Through his discipline and willingness to endure he survived for over seven and a half years after his diagnosis. Rhio O’Connor’s story stresses the importance that we think outside the box about how cancer can be treated, and that we understand that a person’s hope and determination can play just as strong of a role in their survival as radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Mesothelioma is a disease understood to be caused by exposure to asbestos combined with a compromised immune system. To find out more about this cancer and its treatments you can visit: www.survivingmesothelioma.com. Long-term survivors of this disease have had success through dramatically changing their lifestyles and diet to boost their immune system so that they may fight the disease. The idea that Mesothelioma can be affected by one’s immune system and diet has particular interest to me because I am a student of food and nutrition. When I finish school I hope to continue to promote health through cooking and diet. I am not pretending that I can prevent cancer through my goal, but I have no doubt that healthy cooking can make a difference in peoples’ lives, and create healthy human beings. Long-time Mesothelioma survivors Rhio O’Connor and Paul Kraus both changed their diet dramatically after their diagnosis. This fact is believed to have contributed to their miraculous longevity.
If I were diagnosed with Mesothelioma, my first step would be do give my body as much natural support as I could. While I believe that surgery and radiation are viable cancer treatments, one of my relatives has survived cancer thanks to these methods, it seems that the most successful Mesothelioma patients have done so well because of the care they gave their bodies by living a healthy lifestyle.
One of the most common enemies of a healthy immune system is stress. Mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus admits that family issues prior to his diagnosis might have compromised his immune system and allowed his cancer to develop and take hold. It is for this reason that I believe that mind-body medicine plays such a large role in surviving cancer. Rhio O’Connor practiced this form of medicine as part of his treatment. As a trained yoga teacher I have seen the benefits that deep relaxation and meditation can have on healing the body. In addition to potentially stimulating the immune and internal organs, Yoga is a great way to de-stress and allow one’s body to recover from emotional trauma. Yoga has undoubtedly helped me through many physical and emotional stresses, and has also given me a great sense of achievement and self-worth. Self-worth is something that I imagine would be very important to a patient in cancer recovery. Yoga has been shown to give patients being treated for many serious diseases something fun and rewarding to live for. It is for this that I would without doubt include Yoga and other mind body medicine practices in my life if I were being treated for cancer.
Outside of my personal methods for survival, I think that I would leave the decision about the treatment of my cancer primarily up to my doctor. While I would do all that I could to fight the disease with my body alone, I recognize the fact that I am not a doctor and not as well traversed in the available cancer treatments as someone who has made understanding them their life’s mission. I would also be sure to get a second opinion on my diagnosis. Although I trust the medical community, doctors are human beings and apt to draw the occasional wrong conclusions. It never hurts to get multiple opinions, particularly on a subject that is truly a matter of life or death. For my treatment it would be my preference to avoid chemotherapy methods as much as possible as I have seen and heard about how these treatments can impact one’s quality of life and the welfare of one’s own immune system. I would, however, choose any method of treatment felt viable to keep me living.
There is so much information on cancer diseases on the Internet today that it behooves everyone to find out more about cancers and their cures. I realize now how oblivious and ignorant I have been about cancer, especially as someone who has seen family and friends suffer from it. In reflection, I realize that I have lost two grandfathers, a first cousin, several friends, and nearly lost an aunt to a disease I understand very little about. I may not be able to remember my grandfather as fully as I would like, but I do not want to make the mistake of being unaware to the other seventeen million cancer patients in the world. I think that understanding more about their disease is a good place to start this motion.
My grandfather always had a great love of flying. His love of aviation is a trait that he has passed along to me. When I daydream of piloting I am always reminded of my grandfather “Opa” and the stories I have heard about him. After he was diagnosed with cancer, my grandfather realized that time could not be wasted, and that he needed to make the most of every moment. As a result, he spent his last few years of life doing many things he had always dreamed of. He took his first glider flight. He looked down on the world below from the basket of a hot air balloon. He took advantage of what life had left to offer him, and more importantly, he stayed hopeful and joyful to be alive. It is his happiness and optimism that kept him alive through his last Christmas with us. He eventually passed away on New Years Eve over six years after the time he was predicted pass. If I were diagnosed with a disease like cancer I would remember to stay upbeat and optimistic like my grandfather did, Rhio O’Connor did, and so many other cancer survivors have. A hopeful and positive attitude is one of the greatest cures we can offer ourselves.