What's a Body to do?

Canadian residents from Ontario, should have some serious questions about their medical system, if they have cancer.

Let me share this with you.
I struggled not only with cancer, but with the treatment I received.  Its not that I received uniquely bad treatment - it was no different, I expect then anyone else's. And that's the scary part.

I had 4th stage colon cancer. It resurfaced in my liver a few years after my initial surgery. This tumour was subsequently removed.

Now this is where the story gets interesting.

My oncologist recommended that I have chemotherapy and he carefully outlined the consequence of me not having it.  His report to me was that stastistically, my odds of survival were significantly reduced.

I said, "Thanks but no thanks. I'll take my chances.

As the year rolled along, I studied the results of my blood tests, and they were not good.  And even worse, some of these numbers were really terrible.  My lymphocyte count was in free fall, and it hovered slightly above zero.  I got the common cold and struggled with it for 2 months. I couldn't shake the fearful question, "What would happen if my lymphocyte count fell to zero? I don't want to even think of the answer to that question. In a nutshell. I would be in for a really rough ride.

When  you stir into the mix the fact that I also had a low iron and haemoglobin count, I was suffering from chronic tiredness. And finally, I had a history of white blood count failure when  I had previously taken chemo.

I don't think I was in fit shape to take chemotherapy.

This has left me wondering why my oncologist would advise me to take such a route.

a. They have total faith in the system that surgery, radiation and chemo was the singular route to take.
b. They neither know of nor support, nor believe that there is any other way.
c. They genuinely believe in that chemo works.  It heals. (Even though, from my perspective it appears that it kills older people)

Why was my poor blood count not considered?
a. The comment,"your normal numbers", is an evasive answer but yet, it is frequently said to patients.
b. Do they think low blood  numbers are something beyond treatment?

It is  honourable that our oncologists have faith in the efficacy of their treatment. I believe that oncologists genuinely want to heal people, and that they care for people suffer from cancer. I believe they are, as a whole, compassionate, caring, people. But I also beleive  they are hampered by their pharmaceutically driven system and by conforming pressures within the medical system and by their education (naturopathy is outside their educational training) and by a host of dangers if they step outside the prototocol.

 I also suspect that they are overworked, and have far too many patients in their case loads. Oncologists need time to reflect, analyze, and explore what can be done to improve the blood levels of patients. And, stastistics show that we as our population ages, there are more and more cancer patients and their resources are pushed to the limits.

Its a complex situation but unfortunately, our government and Ministry of Health seems to lack the courage or the money to creatively alter this course. Maybe they fear arm wrestling with the Ontario College of Doctors and Physicians.