Az-M380 is a 52-year-old female from Indonesia. About seven years ago (in 2001) she detected a lump in her left breast. She refused medical treatment and opted for jamu instead. This treatment with the local Indonesian herbs was not effective. By 2003, the lump grew bigger. Az underwent a mastectomy in a private hospital in Medan. This was followed by six cycles of chemotherapy. No radiotherapy was indicated. She took tamoxifen for a year and then gave it up.
Barely three years later (in 2006) there was a swelling on her left neck. Az did not seek further medical help. She went to see a sinseh (Chinese physician) instead and was on his treatment for six months. The treatment was not effective.
Az went to Bogor, Java, and was treated by another alternative practitioner for six months. This treatment too was not effective. Az had a new swelling in her arm pit. Her left arm became swollen. There was also a small lump in her right breast. An X-ray done in October 2007 indicated the cancer had spread to her bones.
Not wanting to give up alternative treatments, Az again went to Sukabumi, in Java, and received treatment from an alternative practitioner. She was given herbal extract through infusion and also took some herbal drink. This treatment required that she stay in Jakarta for the entire duration of her treatment.
Az told us that she refused to seek further medical treatment because the doctor wanted her to undergo chemotherapy again. She was not willing to receive anymore chemotherapy due to the side effects.
Az heard about us and decided to fly to Penang to seek our help on 6 June 2008. She presented with the following:
1) She had pulling pains at the left collarbone area. This area was also swollen.
2) Her left breast was also swollen.
3) She had pains in her right thigh.
Az was prescribed Caspsule A, Breast L Tea, Breast M Tea, Bone Tea, Pain Tea and Upper Edema Tea.
After five days on these herbs, Az and her husband reported the following:
1) She started taking the herbs on Friday evening. The next two days - Saturday and Sunday, she suffered the most severe pains in her entire life. She thought she would die and requested her husband to bring her home to Medan.
2) Az persisted in taking the herbs. The pains subsided and after five days, 80% of the pains were gone. The pulling pains in the collarbone which she suffered earlier were also gone.
3) Her swollen left arm became softer.
4) There was less pain in her right thigh.
Az continued to take the herbs and returned to Medan. A month later, 6 July 2008, Az came back and reported the following progress:
1) Generally there was much less pains.
2) The swelling of the left arm was about 70% gone and on some days it was not swollen at all.
3) The swelling in her left collarbone seemed to be smaller and softer.
The results of her blood test done on 9 June 2008 were: ESR = 46 High, RBC = 4.3, Haemoglobin = 13.2, Platelet = 204, WBC = 6.6 and CA 15.3 = 15.2
The liver function test done on 7 July 2008 showed: Albumin = 42, Alkaline phosphatase = 81,
AST = 113 High, ALT = 96 High, GGT = 37 High. In view of the elevated liver function values, Az was prescribed additional herbs for her liver.
Comments
There are many things we can learn from this story.
1. Does surgery and chemotherapy cure breast cancer? The answer is NO. Barely three years after the treatment the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes at the collarbone region. (Caution - since no biopsy was done to confirm this, we can only assume that the cancer had spread).
2. Az did not want to see her doctor anymore. If she were to see her doctor, what do you think the doctor would do to her? Answer: More chemotherapy - what else? The big question is: What do you think would have happened to Az after more chemotherapy? This is a million dollar question! Would Az be still alive today? No one can say for sure.
Let me quote what Amy Soscia, a breast cancer patient said: "There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer. It never goes away. You just move from treatment to treatment".
An Oxford University professor, Michael Gearin-Tosch was diagnosed with cancer. The oncologist told him: "No cure. But we have treatment". Professor Tosch wondered: "Why treat if you cannot cure?" He did not see the logic of it all and declined chemotherapy and lived to write a book, Living Proof.
Professor Tosch also recalled the experiences of his friend Rosemary and many others like her. They were "never told what would happen. They had ghastly treatments. Then more ghastly treatments. And in the end? The hospital turns around: Nothing more we can do for you. Go home and die". (Living proof, pg. 31, 32).
3. It is indeed unfortunate that Az liver function has deteriorated. What do you think is the reason? Is it due to the cancer per se or the treatment that she had received earlier? Does any want dare to ask if the six cycles of chemotherapy and/or the tamoxifen that she had earlier, had contributed to this deterioration? No one dare to ask or ever bother to want to know! And most often the finger is pointed to the taking of herbs or supplements.
4. Az was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was forty-five years old. It has been more than seven years now and she is still alive. I have come across many patients who died two, three or four years after their diagnosis, in spite of the fact that they had undergone the best medical treatments. I told Az and her husband: "Let us all be grateful that Az is still alive - in spite of failures of alternative therapies!" From here, we hope to be able to help Az live a little more longer.
5. Az suffered a healing crisis after taking the herbs. Many patients would have cursed Chris Teo for this suffering. Patients should learn from Az's experience. Below are excerpts of our conversation about the healing crisis that Az had gone through. This was recorded on 11 June 2008, five days after she started taking the herbs.
Chris: Did you take the herbs after seeing me last Friday?
Az: Yes - for five days now. Oh, I suffered so much pain after I started taking the herbs.
Husband: Since 2001 up to this day, my wife suffered the most severe pain in her entire life during the past few days.
Az: The pains were so severe that I was not able to sleep.
Husband: I too was unable to sleep because of that. She was so restless - moved here and there. She had to put her hands against the wall and she wanted me to bring her home to Medan that very night.
Az: I told my husband that I might die here that night.
Chris: Very good, very good. If you take the herbs and you did not suffer such "healing crisis" then the herbs are not doing anything to you. They are not effective! So I am glad to hear this! Good for you. Okay, tell us what happened. On the first day, did you suffer any pain?
Az: On the first day - a few hours after I took the herbs, I started to feel the pains. Then the pains continued to the second day. On the third day the pains were just as severe. But on the fourth day the pains was less.
Chris: Good. After taking the herbs, generally you would suffer pains. These pains become more severe. Then after a few days, the pains gradually decrease. So, tell us when was the most painful experience after taking the herbs?
Az: I took the herbs on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the pains were really severe. By Monday the pains had decreased.
Husband: The pains started in the left collarbone area, than they moved down to the left breast and then the whole left arm. We could not even touch her arm. It was so painful.
Az: I really do not know how to describe such pains.
Chris: While suffering such pains, did you ever feel of wanting to throw away the herbs and give up? You have lost confidence in the herbs?
Az: No! I told my husband that this could be the reaction from the herbs. I would continue taking the herbs.
Chris: Did you stop taking the herbs during those five days?
Az: No, I continued taking them.
Husband: I told her. Continue taking the herbs. Believe in the herbs! We have been to so many other alternative healers and we believe that the "real" doctor is here.
Chris: (Checking through her medical history). Oh, you have gone to so many alternative healers before. Let me ask you - after receiving their treatments, did you ever experience such pains or healing crisis like you had just experienced in the past few days?
Az and husband: No, no - never!
Husband: As I have said earlier, since 2001 - when she first had this problem, she had never suffered such severe pains before. The pains on that Friday night were the start of the Mother of All Pains.
Az: I had never suffered such pains before.
Chris: Most patients would have given up or stop taking the herbs after such pains.
Az and Husband: No, no, we did not do that.
Chris: Yes, I would predict that such reaction would happen to you. Today is the fifth day - have the pains become much less?
Az: Yes, very much less. If Friday was a 100 point, today it is only 20 points.
Chris: I am predicting that in the next few days you would be much better and you will suffer much less pains.
Husband: Tomorrow we plan to return to Medan.
Chris: Okay, after all that experience, do you still believe in the herbs?
Az: Yes!
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