Nine weeks into my left turn away from Western medicine and into Chi Gung, I prepared to have my scheduled MRI, which would either validate the path I had chosen or make it necessary to change direction. The journey had been encouraging, but I found the hill becoming steeper as I got closer to the MRI date. Three days before the procedure was to take place, I developed a sore throat which quickly became a hacking cough. Despite slugging down massive quantities of a Chinese herbal potion designed to squelch colds, my condition became worse. We called to inquire about rescheduling the day before the MRI (as it is necessary to remain motionless for a half hour) and were told they were booked for at least three weeks. Feeling a little nervous about waiting that long while I was basically on a wing and a prayer, I decided to keep the date. The night before the MRI, after a sleepless night and a stressful day, I had a seizure for the first time in weeks…not the sort of thing one wants when a positive mental attitude is vital to one’s well-being. I arrived for the MRI armed with a pocketful of throat lozenges from the Chinese pharmacy that supplies my herbal supplements. Somehow I made it through the procedure with only one coughing spell, and the technician re-did a small portion of the scan.

As our appointment with the neurologist was not for an hour and a half, we went out for a crepe and tea in the upper Haight. As we walked back, I remarked that I had had a premonition that the doctor would show us a shrunken tumor and tell us he was impressed. Returning at the appointed time, we were told it would be just a few minutes, and we took a seat. The few minutes turned into 15, then a half an hour. Despite all my meditation techniques and deep breathing, I felt my anxiety slowly rise as we waited for the doctor. Finally he appeared, looking very cheerful, which I had learned was not any indication as to the results of the MRI. "Your MRI looks good!" he said as he ushered us into an examination room. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was not talking about the viabililty of the test data but about the results themselves. Feeling a weight slipping off our shoulders, we viewed the images of a tumor that had, indeed, shrunk by a noticeable amount. And true to my premonition, he told us he was impressed.

It would be hard to underestimate the magnitude of this turn of events. For many cancers, such as breast or prostate, hope is routinely held out for recovery, and in fact many with these cancers are fortunate enough to heal themselves and live long and healthy lives. With brain cancer, particularly grade 4 gliomas, medicine tends to write off those so afflicted, offering only a few years of quality life if the patient is responsive to treatment. Having researched dozens of clinical trials, this bleak prognosis was borne out as most of these were considered "successful" if the patient lived for 18 months instead of 12. Personally, I wanted more to look forward to than that, and I sought out something that could offer me some hope…even if I did die six months later, I wanted to spend that time hoping for something good rather than waiting for the inevitable.

My neurologist was genuinely pleased for me, as he was aware that I had taken control of the tumor in a way that more conventional treatments generally could not. He said that if I were in one of his clinical trials and had gotten these results that he would wholeheartedly encourage me to continue. But with these trials, sooner or later, the toxic effects of the chemo would catch up with me. With the non-toxic self-treatment I have found, I am now in the driver’s seat of my vehicle, and I know how to drive it. My doctor agrees that with regular follow-up and a continuation of what I have been doing I have a good chance of living long enough to die of something else.

I am well aware that I haven’t done this by myself. I have been blessed with the tireless support of my lovely wife (who lets me sleep in every morning, starting my hot ginger compress and is always there with love and prayers) and the help of countless prayers from my family and friends, and God appears to have answered my own prayers as well. This journey has allowed me to develop a spiritual side long dormant, and for that, as well as all the blessings I have received to be where I am now, I will always be grateful.

Peace and love,
Dan

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