Elaine Williams asked:


©2008

When my husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, we were shocked, never even having suspected this illness. He had always been relatively healthy, and then one day he couldn’t eat anymore.

It all began a few months before the diagnosis. He felt an uneasy heaviness in his chest, but he couldn’t quite explain what it was to the doctor. Since my husband was in his late fifties, the doctor sent him for a stress test to check his heart. The tests came back well within the normal range, so the doctor wasn’t concerned.

Fast forward three months later, my husband vomited a few times in a week and he lost some weight. Then, suddenly, he couldn’t keep food or liquid down. From the first time he vomited until we had our doctor appointment, ten days passed and he lost twelve pounds.

We discovered with esophagus cancer there can be few or hardly any symptoms, and the ones that show up, typically heartburn, are sometimes ignored. He had had some incidences of heartburn throughout the years, but nothing that seemed significant enough to go see a doctor about.

By the time the symptoms created the weight loss, the doctor immediately ordered tests and we found out within two days there was a good possibility it may be cancer. This diagnosis was confirmed upon further testing and we were told they suspected the cancer had spread to the lymph system. There were two tumors on his esophagus and a larger tumor at the junction of the stomach and esophagus.

We were both incredibly shocked and stressed by the diagnosis, especially in lieu of the fact that we had three children, the youngest being eleven. We carefully weighed the options the doctors presented, and there were not many. There were traditional treatments, which both doctors recommended, and then there were alternative modalities which a friend of ours suggested. After meeting with the traditional doctors, we then met with a holistic doctor who outlined non-invasive treatments. My husband felt alternative medicine gave him a chance of having a better quality of life as opposed to doing the chemo and radiation treatments.

When friends and acquaintances found out we were not following the traditional medical route, some of their reactions took me by surprise. Even though medical treatment of any kind is a personal issue, we were openly questioned about our decision to pursue holistic methods. After being repeatedly questioned, I began to get defensive about my husband’s treatment any time it was brought up. We had decided what was best for him and I supported his choice 100 percent.

When people voiced their concern over our decision, I felt as if they were saying how dare we not do the best we could for him. I know in hindsight I was being overly sensitive, but I got into a few arguments—feeling as if I had to be on the defense. Due to my high stress level with the illness and being a full time caretaker, I was running on adrenalin all the time.

On one occasion, I even got in a yelling match with a friend of my husband’s in our house. The man had had too much to drink and questioned why we had decided not to do the chemo. He tried to convince us to reconsider. I told him it was our choice and we felt we were doing the best we would, but he would not drop the conversation. I told him that it wasn’t his business, and then he broke down and began to cry.

Sensing his real concern, all the fight left me as I put my arm around him while he cried. I had not wanted to fight with anyone, my whole concern was for my husband, but then I realized there were others who cared about us also, and who only wanted the best for him. They cared, but it didn’t make it any easier dealing with emotions pushed to the limits.

Perhaps it may have been better to simply tell people we were doing the best we could, using traditional and holistic means. Sometimes people just don’t understand the strain a family is placed under, while in the throes of a terminal illness.



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bcured asked:

If you are worried about having your varicose veins removed by surgery, don’t fear because there are multiple non-medical and natural treatments for treating varicose veins now available. As the world moves toward looking for healthier and more natural choices when it comes to our bodies, doctors and researchers continue to find more paths to offer natural and non-medical treatment for assorted ailments.

However, non-medical treatments are more effective for milder cases of varicose veins. Some of these treatments are acupuncture and acupressure, aromatherapy, compression stockings, massage, healthy diet, vitamins and so on. Alternating between hot and cold baths (hydrotherapy) can help with the blood circulation.

For damaged veins temporarily, such as while pregnant, compression stockings can be used as a non-straightforward method to try. This might also be effective for someone that is mildly affected with varicose veins.

These stockings can often be purchased at a medical supply store or at a full service pharmacy. The compression stockings range in price from about $50 to $100, depending on the size and style. These stockings are not everlasting however, and even the prescription stockings will need to be replaced after a few months of regular use.

There are several different massage techniques to treat varicose veins. Massage works very well because it makes your skin tender and thus prevent you from getting varicose veins. Even if you already have varicose veins, the massage can still work wonders for you. Massaging the area round the veins can help to reduce swelling if you suffer from mild varicose veins.

Exercise gets the blood flowing normally which helps greatly with blood circulation. Besides aerobic exercise, yoga has also been noted as another important aspect of exercise which can be used to treat varicose veins.

In treating varicose veins, healthy diet is just some of the element that will help you in treating varicose veins. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can also prevent varicose veins from occurring in the first place.

Vitamins are important elements in preventing and treating varicose veins. They are more effective when used in addition to other treatments such as compression stockings. The most important varicose vein vitamins you should take regularly to treat varicose veins are A, C, E, B6, and K. In addition, you should also take bioflavoniods and fiber as they are also important for your overall health.

Although natural supplements are not often known to have ill effects, especially those available for mass distribution, some have been found to interact badly with other medications. So, if you do decide to have surgery after all, for your varicose veins, you need to let your doctor know about any supplements that you are currently taking.

These methods also work very well in preventing varicose veins. They are effective, but only for the appearance of the veins. Both these procedures will help but for the veins from worsening, but unfortunately cannot help them to disappear completely.

VenousBalm-Rx and VenousDrops are new topical and oral remedies to treat varicose and spider veins. They are characterized by very strong and real pharmacological activities which unequivocally qualify them as “ethical drugs”. The effectiveness of these treatments is undisputed.

They are excellent choice amongst the natural treatments for varicose veins, as the medicinal plant extracts are brilliant choice among the natural remedies for varicose veins. These treatments are concentrated with a wide spectrum of medicinal plant extracts exhibiting curative effects against varicose veins, as published by the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. For those seeking an end to varicose veins and related conditions, these products deliver the goods.

Application of VenousBalm-Rx produces an analgesic effect and therefore used to provide rapid pain relief from venous insufficiency conditions. Its pronounced anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties prevent inflammation. Applied topically it reduces swelling in thread varicose veins and broken capillaries.

VenousDrops, a new all natural dietary supplement to enhance venous circulation, strengthens immune parameters and safely acts as a blood decongestant. The extracts in this homeopathic treatment have positive systemic effects to promote venous circulation. It is to be taken as a dietary supplement in tandem with application of VaricoseBalm-Rx.

Treating venous insufficiency can be accomplished via topical application of VenousBalm-Rx and VenousDrops. These extracts from pure natural sources tend to enhance circulatory functionality utilizing the body’s bioforce. Synthetic drugs do not have the ability to impact the bioforce of the body which makes our treatment so important in today’s pharmacopeias. For more details, please go to www.naturespharma.org.

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