h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Would you kick a dying man? - A87771063
Author: Storm - U14338867

Hi

This is a personal story of cancer and alternative medicine. I'd like to share the story because for me it answers the question if alternative medicine works then great- if not where's the harm.

Storm

What an incredibly sad story. Thank you for having the courage to tell it.

My sympathies. This must have been a difficult time for all of you.

Oh Storm! This experience that you're describing makes me so angry to hear about. I feel for all your family.


I am a cancer survivor, and I vividly remember talking to my Macmillan nurse ( bless their existence) about positive thinking. She very calmly and candidly told me that some of the saddest things were when people mistakenly believed in the power of positive thinking. When it didn't save them, the patient and relatives felt as if they had failed, on top of the actual death itself.

I hope your story does some good, saves people further anguish and stops money flowing into the coffers of charlatans.

Yes thats it exactly

' the patient and relatives felt as if they had failed'

The feeling that if he'd tried harder or earlier it would have made a difference.

I really cannot stand those people who attribute every stroke of good fortune they have to their own personal attitude and 'strength of will'. That's the worst sort of bullying, anyway - and it robs other people of the chance to use their own mindfulness to make the best of a situation.

Thank you for sharing this, Storm. It was awful at so many levels and makes you really mad at these con artists who are low enough to take advantage of really ill people and their relatives. It also would make me mad at the gov't for not checking these people's bonafides --here in the States due to American Medical Association's influence people get jailed for practicing medicine without a license. All the cancer support charities there should be alarmed and prosecute these individuals.

Please finish the one sentence you started in the Positive Thinking paragraph.

i have amended the sentence. Please do pass comment as I'd like to improve it.

Well nobody likes to talk about death and as my parents grew older, I realized that I didn't want to take the responsibility of initiating the topic either. I don't know whether it is just this modern era of history where nobody seems to know how to approach the matter in a conversational way or if because nobody has Faith that there is a better place to go.

It is especially difficult with cancer patients when the usual treatments are so painful and deleterious in themselves so that the poor patient feels that it would be easier to go rather than fight on.
My mother, bless her, died of a major stroke and my dad got stressed out about having to pull the plug but at least the priest gave him re-assurance that if the person was brain dead he needn't continue machine 'life' . No one seems able to think about quality of life issues and write living wills or give their loved ones rights to make medical decisions. We all knew that my mom would not have wanted to be dependent on machines at the end --but the doctors and hospital could not accept the liability of ending it. Children have a hard time making decesions for their parents as well.

The denial of terminal illness, by the patient and their spouse seems to be inevitable. But if some people skilled in hospice care or thanatology could talk to everyone in the family there might be a better outcome for everyone concerned. As you said whe energy is squandered on hopeless, non-existant cures and horrible life changes this is really dreadful. If you are not a life-time practitioner of Christian Science this Positive Thinking rubbish is for the birds and it is sad when reason results in bad feelings afterwards.

That being said, let me go over it again and see if there are more items that need to be clearer.

OK Storm, I suggest that you define what the anti-CAM movement is and also for H2O2 , use hydrogen peroxide.

I read this, and it really made be angry. It's terrible how some people will prey on the sick like that.

You could polish it further, but frankly it's such a powerful story, it comes across very clearly as it reads.

sprout

Hey storm.

Thanks for sharing this with us on h2g2. I'm really pleased to see it out there. I'd agree with the other commentators that it's a powerful story on it's own but if you wish to edit I have other suggestions.

In the first paragraph, you could say 'a nurse who is a proprietor' and then in the second setance you could say 'her' instead of 'the proprietor'.

'It also compromised his care on a number of occasions.' This sentence is a bit formal, what about 'it also harmed him on a number of occasions because..'

This is good, it's very good. I've just tweeted it..

Storm, when you're back...

Let me know if and when you're ready for this to be included in .

Thanks for the suggestions I will update it when I'm next at a proper computer and it would be great to see it in the Post if I get it a bit more polished

Any progress. (Yes.. I know you're busy..) Or has it already been in and did I miss it? I have to link to it on twitter. Busy arguing with a homeopath on twitter..

I nursed my Dad through liver cancer in its terminal stage. When he was too sick to be at home, he was taken to the Terminal Ward at our local hospital. There is no dignity in death by cancer! If anyone pretends otherwise, then they are deluding themselves and any other person they try to convince. As I watched my father bravely fight his illness, I saw pain beyond the help of any remedies. It is personal will power that kepi my Dad alive for so long. I was happy when death finally claimed him. A life of unending pain and humiliation for anyone, but particularly for someone you love, is sad beyond words.

No progress. Its on the list

I've updated it it and added a few things. So maybe finished?

Hi Storm

Still an excellent article. I have a one tiny tiny nit pick which you can ignore..

I thought that this setence was still a bit clumsy:

'The advice looks at three levels of support that can be offered to cancer patients'

What about this:

'My Dad was advised to think change his diet, think positively, and consider some intensive treatments. I'm going to look at each of those in turn'.


It's excellent...

Or even

'My Dad was advised to change his diet, think positively, and consider some intensive treatments. I'm going to look at each of those in turn'.

Done.