| Ju, a thirty-six year old lady, was diagnosed with | | | | She decided to stop chemotherapy and went back |
| breast cancer in 1995. She had a lumpectomy. Ju's | | | | to her healthy diet, juices and supplements again. As |
| cancer was at an early stage but to be sure, the | | | | of this writing, Ju is doing well and leading a normal |
| doctor suggested that Ju underwent a mastectomy | | | | life. I interviewed Ju on 9 May 2007, and present the |
| -- a total removal of her right breast. Ju declined and | | | | transcript of our conversation in nine parts following |
| did not see her doctor ever again. She did not | | | | this article. I believe there are many lessons we can |
| receive any chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormonal | | | | learn from Ju's experience. |
| therapy either. She decided to seek alternative | | | | Comments |
| healing methods. To many people in the West, what | | | | Ju is fortunate to be alive today, twelve years after |
| Ju did was sheer "madness" and for anyone to | | | | being diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the years, I |
| suggest forsaking conventional medical treatment as | | | | know of many breast cancer cases that resulted in |
| in her case might even be regarded as an | | | | death, three to seven years after diagnosis, even |
| irresponsible "criminal act". | | | | after receiving the state-of-the-art medical |
| Ju's father is a herbalist and naturally she turned to | | | | treatments in the best hospitals. Chantal |
| him for help. Ju took herbs prescribed by her father | | | | Bernard-Marty, et al. (in: The Oncologist, Nov. 2004) |
| for about a year. When she felt well and healthy she | | | | wrote: "20% - 85% of patients with early stage |
| stopped taking the herbs, without even telling her | | | | breast cancer will develop recurrent and/or |
| father about it. Besides herbs, Ju learned to meditate, | | | | metastatic disease. Despite more than 3 decades of |
| changed to a healthy diet of vegetables, nuts, juices, | | | | research, metastatic breast cancer remains essentially |
| unpolished rice, etc., besides taking many kinds of | | | | incurable." |
| supplements. | | | | Two examples came to mind when I think of breast |
| For seven years, Ju remained healthy. Taking a cue | | | | cancer and medical treatments. The wife of my |
| from the medical doctrine, after you live five years | | | | friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a |
| with cancer without problem, you are considered | | | | mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and |
| "cured." After five years, complacency started to set | | | | radiotherapy. She was bald and suffered severe side |
| in. Ju went back to her previous lifestyle and started | | | | effects. After the treatments were completed, the |
| on her "bad" diet again. To her, at that point in time, | | | | oncologist said everything was fine. She and her |
| "anything goes" -- cancer was no more a threat. She | | | | husband went for a short holiday. She vomited on |
| found a job and went back to work. | | | | the plane while coming home. I was told by her |
| Barely two years into her "misbehavior," Ju's health | | | | husband that a CT scan showed that liver was "full" |
| took a beating. She felt tired easily. Yet, she did not | | | | of tumors. Her stomach bloated and within days she |
| even bother to monitor her health in anyway -- not | | | | died. It was most tragic because it was only nine |
| even examining her own breasts. One night in 2002, | | | | months from the day of her diagnosis to her death. |
| seven years after she first discovered a lump in her | | | | This episode made me wonder if it was the cancer |
| breast, Ju noticed a 2 cm lump protruding out at the | | | | or the treatment that caused her death. |
| scar of her operation site. The cancer recurred. She | | | | The young wife of one of my distant relative was |
| started to take juices and went on an extensive | | | | also diagnosed with breast cancer. She came to seek |
| detoxification program again. It was not to be -- | | | | my help and was started on herbs. After three |
| within six months, the lump grew into a 8 | | | | months, she decided to forgo herbs and went for |
| cm-hamburger-like-open-wound. One day it bled, | | | | chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The cancer |
| oozing out a glass of fresh blood. Ju went to see a | | | | metastasised to her bones. She died while in the |
| surgeon who immediately did a mastectomy on her. | | | | hospital, three years after her diagnosis. It was a |
| After three months, Ju regained her health. Ju was | | | | painful death. |
| asked to undergo radiotherapy. After seven radiation | | | | In comparison, Ju ought to be grateful for being alive |
| treatments she developed bronchitis and decided to | | | | up to this day. More importantly, she did not suffer |
| give up radiation. Since she was not getting better, in | | | | to stay alive. A lesson to be learnt from Ju's |
| 2005, Ju decided to go for chemotherapy, as | | | | experience -- the way of modern medicine using |
| suggested by an oncologist. The third cycle of | | | | chemotherapy and radiotherapy is not the only |
| chemotherapy caused her to vomit the whole night. | | | | proven option to manage breast cancer. |