This is my personal integrated medicine strategy.
My three part action plan:
Increase my energy - perform regular energy practices to sustain my effort in the struggle against cancer
Starve the cancer cells - limit the available energy sources cancerous cells need to survive and replicate
Weaken the cancer cells - take every supplement, every on-label, and every off-label medication I find that has supporting evidence it weakens a cancer cell’s ability to resist apoptosis (cell death).
Purpose: Give my immune system the best opportunity to prolong my life by better enabling standard of care treatments, clinical trial medicines, and holistic alternative options.
Why am I sharing? I’m not a physician. I’m sharing for informational purposes because people “Ask Andy Campbell” what are you doing and why do you think you are still alive? I’m being open about the integrated approach I have chosen to adopt and adapt in my daily life. I’m not saying any of this will work for you. I’m sharing what I’m doing. As for me, I only take medicines or supplements and I only practice spiritual and energy regimens which serve at least one of the three categories listed above.
Is there one answer? As I note on the Choose Wisely page of this site, craft your own strategy. A strategy which you think will work best for you. I’m sharing mine to give you insight into to my approach, but you have to craft your own treatment strategy - one you have researched and have confidence in such that you will have the will to persevere through your treatments. Having an individual plan is necessary because you are a unique spiritual, energy, mental and bodily person.
What is my foundation? My ancestors taught me many things, most of which I have consolidated into the following six words - each one builds upon the previous. I have these words, in this order, tattooed on my arms as reminders for when the days are hard and the nights are long. Many times when I have felt weak these words have reminded me of the debt I owe my ancestors and how hard their lives were every day - and they did not quit. They give me the passion to put one foot in front of the other and “just keep walking” because some days that’s all one can do. Honor is the foundation.
Honor
Courage
Determination
Perseverance
Wisdom
Success
Where does one start? Begin with this - the pursuit of life is honorable. Showing courage repeatedly, especially when one is full of fearful, is the essence of determination. Exhibiting determination over and over again is perseverance. Persevering provides experience and the accumulation of experience is wisdom. While one may never become “wise”, one can certainly grow “wiser”. Wisdom is the most valuable element in the physics of our universe. Accumulate wisdom, and one will be successful.
Gratitude. I thank my ancestors for all the efforts they expended, the lives they led, and the death they taught me to not fear - although I’m still not ready to experience that part yet!! All their work, sacrifice, overcoming setbacks and achieving successes have deeded to me the opportunity to work to be better human. It is my sincere hope that by being transparent on this topic, my experiences will be encouraging and useful to you, in some small way, as you journey and Overcome Life’s Toughest Setbacks.
Integrative Medicine Centers
UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine
MD Anderson Integrative Medicine Center
These are far from the only ones, nor are integrative medicine specialist only to be found at large research focused university or healthcare medical centers.
The most knowledgeable integrative medicine physician I’ve met is my family physician…he’s been able to sort the wheat from the chaff and give me the most relevant information from across the spectrum.
A quick search will give you links to many, many other integrative medicine centers and practitioners.
Become responsible for your plan. Be insatiably curious about your options and how you can use them to overcome cancer!