Lets start over....


Welcome to OCF James. Although your cancer is different from what most of us here go thru, Im sure we can give you some moral support. Even just cancer patient to cancer patient may be helpful. Im not familiar with your type of cancer at all, just read something on wikipedia which may not be the most accurate info.

You are very young to be making your own treatment decisions. I have a son who is 19. As a mother, your situation bothers me. Since your parents prefer more natural treatments, maybe they should also check in here to see what real cancer patients have to say about those options.

From my understanding, Canada has wonderful health care for cancer patients. I had not heard much about the ozone therapy even though Im very familiar with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I do urge you to seek the conventional treatments immediately. Please rethink your treatment plans by meeting with your doctors who are experienced with cancer.

There was a young lady from the UK here last year, she was 18 also. She chose chemo and radiation and just recently closed down her blog since she has recovered. Her mother was with her every step of the way. Maybe her blog could help you:

http://kickingcancersarse.blogspot.com/

Best of luck to you.

Ditto to Pete and thanks for the link Christine.

Your life, your choice and I think that we all respect your right to chose. At 18 you are 1 year away from the Age of Majority in BC? In the US you can get those rights early in court trough emancipation or give control to a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem. Both are scary and difficult if you wish to honor your parents.

Funding the fight was a big issue for me, medical insurance quit as soon as I was too sick to work, sick leave donated by teachers all over the state couldn�t be used, the big giant cancer organizations don�t provide assistance in my area, some suit someplace tried to eliminate my position� you name it, it went wrong.

The community stepped in with massive donations, the food bank showered us with needful things, and news papers in the area ran front page stories and a local bank took deposits. As a safety net, there was the local DSHS office. Some drugs I needed were paid for by grants at the cancer clinic. All in all, it was enough to get through it.

At one point a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem was discussed to handle such affairs for me. My wife was just too involved driving me 200 miles round trip everyday while working at night. Through all of this, I had people pushing options at me, yes I got a lot of pressure to quit treatments and join the church of the carrot juice clan.

Do the research, weigh the options and make an informed decision, based on what YOU want. My inspiration has been a young woman that has worked as one of my interns on and off over the years. I learn that she went through treatment 3 times by herself, no family around to support her. Cancer busses run once a day doing the 200 mile trip to the clinic, she beat it! Clear for 5 years now.

I hope we all live long enough to hear �Scotty, beam the cancer out�

While I might not put up a fight for the alternative choices, I will fight for your right to make your own choice. That must be possible even in Canuckia. Speak your mind and Ping me if you need to.

UncleVern

I did try ozone therapy in conjunction with conventional treatment. Let me first say I would NEVER choose a "natural" path over a conventional path. I talked about the ozone treatment with my doctor first. Although they did not love it, it did not interfere with their treatment at the time and said it was ok. That said, I went through 10 weeks of injections. 2 times a week I went and each time I had about 30 needles. As you can see by my signature I am having surgery on 2/11.

What I hope you take from my experience is the bottom line ....it didn't work. I wish it did. Knowing I have a doctor that understands cancer and can help me gives me so much comfort. I feel secure with her by side in this battle and that is not something you can get with a natural path.

I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

Suzanne

Here in the uk you are legally an adult at 18,but you can choose to live at home or not,and your own treatment options at 16 .As a parent i have never understood the mind set of jehovahs witnesses re blood,or alternative treatment methods that have no proven merit,and i know i would implore my offspring not to follow such a hazardous course.If all possible medical intervention had failed ,no one could blame you for trying anything,but until that moment arrives i wish you would reconsider what you are doing.

that being said, the good people on this site would never shun you for making an informed decision even if they don't agree with you,so keep on posting and let us know how you are doing.

liz