In Reply to: I find it utterly... posted by Charlz on Friday, 11. March 2005 at 13:03 Bali Time:
I attended a seminar at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle, Western Australia. The subject [paraphased by me] was "Which complementary/alternative therapies might be useful for cancer patients".
The seminar was arranged by the Cancer Nursing Research Network, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Edith Cowan University. The keynote speaker was Professor Don Iverson, Dean of Health and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales. A pretty orthodox line-up, as I'm sure you'll agree.
Professor Iverson covered an amazingly full range of non-orthodox treatment methods and gave qualified recognition to quite a number of them. It was very refreshing to hear a highly qualified medical specialist talk in this manner. Naturally, he stressed the importance of orthodox medical treatment, in consultation with your own doctor, but he openly acknowledged the part which some non-orthodox treatments could play.
Gonzalo [the natural therapist] is a very intuitive man who is known to sometimes get remarkable results. He also, on one occasion, gave one of my friends some advice which was so wrong that it was almost unbelievable that it was coming from him.
Doctors can also be wrong. Several years ago, my PSA level had shot up several points in one year and my GP told me I needed surgery on my prostate. When I declined his recommendation [I didn't want the very high risk of impotence and incontinence], he arranged for me to have a biopsy at Fremantle hospital, where cancer was confirmed. I treated myself with supplements, no symptoms, no problems, everything still works very well and I'm 70. The GP had got my wife on one side and nearly scared her to death with how I was going to be within two years if I didn't follow his instructions, but he was wrong.
It's great to have a doctor on the Forum and I hope you stay around and give and get plenty of good advice on Bali related issues. But we're all entitled to make our own choices in life. And someone like you can help us to make informed choices.