Fear factor

One element of the 15 day chemo cycle we have been following for the past months is a visit to the Doctor on day 6 or 7. That is when Ranjan's immunity is at its nadir and he is most prone to infections. Logically it is a time when he should be kept away for sources of infection and hospitals are the biggest sources of all types of infections. We did follow the 'protocol' a few times but then I realised that Ranjan's presence was not needed as all the questions were answered by me. Moreover Ranjan was fine and there was nothing to report. The Doctor simply asks something as inane as How are you and Ranjan answers he is OK. I then fill him in on silly details that are not of any consequence and ask him so questions to which I get evasive replies. With Ranjan sitting in the room, I cannot ask the questions I need to. So on the next 'appointment' day I went alone as honestly nodding your had and mouthing OK is no match to the risk of infection Ranjan is put through when waiting in a hospital OPD. And wait me must sometimes for more than an hour. From the moment I entered I realised that the Doc was not pleased or comfortable with Ranjan's absence. For me it was the ideal situation as I had his attention and could ask disturbing questions and also press for answers. I got some and had to be satisfied with vague ones in some cases. When he wrote the 'prescription' for the next chemo he did not fail to write in bold letters PATIENT NOT BROUGHT. I was still clueless about his being so vexed.

The next time Ranjan was fine again but remembering his dismay at Ranjan's absence I SMSd him asking him whether I should bring Ranjan though there was nothing to report. He answered with a curt: bring him. We made another pointless trip which was a waste of time.

It is only after seeing the film mentioned in my last post, that I understood the reason for the need of Ranjan's presence. It is all part of the fear that is installed and peddled seductively or even brutally in the hallowed institutions of modern medicine. A fear that can only feed on our total sense of helplessness that forces us to kneel at the alter of allopathy. This fear psychosis is based on the ability of the peddler to make you believe that he and only he can help you and that your only option in the instance of cancer is drugs. An entire carefully crafted and enacted drama is played in front of your eyes, and the eyes of the loved ones accompanying you. All other options are carefully hidden or should you suggest one, immediately derided. By the time you leave your are seduced or frightened to death.

So the presence of Ranjan during any meeting with the doctor is crucial to keep the power equation in the favour of the doctor. My power is reduced in great measure and many of the questions I would need to ask are left unsaid.

I must say that my seduction was minimal as I stated from the day go that I would continue alternative therapies and nutrition regardless of the chemo. I had enough knowledge to stand my ground and I have stood it till now.

But for the past months I have also been researching in details all the elements that are carefully kept hidden, or doled out in tiny measures so as not to rock the boat. The terrible side effects, the long and short term ones. I was taken aback at the fact that statistics change when Ranjan asks a question alone or in my presence. The 1/5000 easily becomes 1/100000! I have ample examples of this. To cut it short it makes me sick and sad.

The fear of the disease is so well peddled that it has a led to an entirely new branch of medicine called preventive medicine, and here I do not mean the one that suggests drinking clean water, washing your hands, eating well,  exercising etc but the one that instills fear of having cancer in the far future. This has brought into existence a new expensive paraphernalia of tests and unnecessary if not fraudulent and amoral treatment. I remember having been told by a doctor in 1992 that I was a high cancer risk as both my parents had succumbed to the disease and that I should have yearly check ups. I told him to go to hell as I refused to live a life in fear. This had been an intuitive decision as I knew zilch about the big C at that time.

There are tow tests that are done with alacrity and impunity and have now been exposed.

Every woman is told to have a mammogram every year after 40. It has now been proved that mammograms can cause cancer! It is not an effective tool to detect cancer as 70 to 80 percent of all positive mammograms do not, upon biopsy, show any presence of cancer. And even with the latest machines that emit fewer rads, each mammogram increases the risk of cancer by 1%. Not to forget that mammograms are expensive and cause unnecessary angst and worry. Remember the fear factor!

The other one is the PSA test that is supposed to detect prostate cancer. Would you surprised if I told you that the man who discovered PSA, Dr Ablin has written a book called the The Great Prostate Hoax: How Big Medicine Hijacked the Psa Test and Caused a Public Health Disaster! A man with high levels of PSA does not necessarily have cancer. And the reverse is also true. Men with low levels may have prostate cancer. The screenings have adverse effects: financial, psychological and unnecessary biopsies. A prostate biopsy is something that most men dread… And with good reason.

Need I say more!