One of the blessings of this time has been speaking to people who have gone through the same or similar treatment and hearing how they coped. Tips on diet, exercise and rest have been gratefully received. One or two people have come in with recommendations of a homeopathic nature. One lady, not a member of any of my congregations, told me that her dog had been cured of lung cancer by eating a mixture of sliced ginger, green tea and manuka honey. When I explained that I was not allowed to drink green tea or take vitamin C supplements because they could block the action of the chemotherapy she was astonished. How could these things provided by nature be anything but good?
I have an open mind about the effectiveness of herbal and homeopathic remedies. Research has shown that some of them can be helpful to cancer sufferers. There was a time when Church of England clergy were trained in the use of herbs to ease the discomfort of sick parishioners. We have to remember, however, that not everything that is natural is good. We are part of a fallen creation where the bad is as much part of everything as the good and there are things that need to be handled with care.
You don’t hear much about Lillian Board these days. She was a British athlete who won a silver medal in the 400 metres at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 and two gold medals at the 1969 European Championships in Athens. In 1970 she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and within months she was dead. As part of her response to the diagnosis she had travelled to the Ringberg Cancer Clinic in Germany where she was treated by Dr Josef Issels who eschewed mainstream treatments in favour of strict diet and herbal drinks. As an infection prevention measure Lillian had her tonsils and two front teeth removed. Her condition worsened and she was eventually moved to a hospital in Munich where she died.
There may be other stories to be told in support of similar treatments but I remember a conversation I had with an oncologist some years ago. I had been visiting someone in the Beatson, at that time located at the Western Infirmary, and we fell into conversation about cancer care. The subject of alternative therapies came up. She said: ‘If people want to go to a clinic to eat carrots and it is helpful to them then fair enough. Our response will always be chemical.’
This is where I find myself, receiving a chemical treatment which has been shown to be effective in pushing back what I call the ‘bad stuff’ in my blood. I see it as part of the response we are called to make to everything in life that runs counter to the values of the Kingdom of God where health and wholeness will be part of the common experience of humankind. Those who come through cancer treatment whether by chemical or alternative means are receiving a foretaste of the promise that in the end every tear will be wiped away and death will be no more, neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain any more for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21: 4)
