This book truly records how the author and his family adjusted their mentality from the moment they got the news of cancer, how to warm each other, how to seek medical treatment, how to recuperate after surgery and finally recover.
There are also cancer patients at home recently. They are in pain and fear, eager to be cured at all costs, just as the author and his family just received the news. This book first aroused my great praise, and then gave me greater guidance and comfort. I believe it is of great significance to cancer patients, their families and even ordinary people. More is to convey some attitudes and beliefs to us:
Cancer is not a terminal disease, but a chronic disease.
Your life is always in your own hands.
Whether as patients or as normal people, we should pay attention to our physical and mental health.
Beware of overtreatment. The human immune system is the most powerful weapon against diseases. It is easy to underestimate the body's ability to repair itself, but overestimate the ability of drugs.
Listen to your body.
Conceptual aspect
The World Health Organization has come to a clear conclusion that cancer is not a terminal disease, but a chronic disease. At present, the average cure rate of cancer patients in the United States is 8 1%, and the average survival time is 1 1 year, which is similar to the average survival time of patients with other chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes.
The World Health Organization has publicly announced that one third of cancers can be prevented, one third can be cured and one third can survive for a long time after treatment.
At present, one-third of all cancer patients who died were scared to death, one-third were cured, and only one-third really died of illness.
Treat cancer, don't despair, don't be impatient, and don't rush for success.
In case of cancer, we should live in peace, not die.
Some studies have confirmed that about 22% of patients who died of "non-cancer causes" had malignant tumors before their death and were not found. Another similar study was conducted at the Geneva Medical College. Researchers there conducted autopsies on 280 dead cases and found that 48% of them had 1-3 malignant tumor. The average age of these samples is 75 years old, and their direct cause of death is not tumor.
Doctors cannot be above themselves. They're people, too. They will make mistakes and do things that are not the best because of the shortcomings of human nature and the entanglement of interests Therefore, they should actively participate in the diagnosis and treatment of doctors. After all, no one can appreciate the subtle changes of his body better than patients, and no one cares more about the health of patients than patients and their families.
It is more important to completely change your lifestyle than to seek medical advice.
Cancer is your body's strongest warning, and it must be completely changed.
Although I can't see the growth of cancer cells, I can see the weeds in the field. You cut it with a knife, burn it with fire, and remove it with herbicides. It disappeared for a while and will grow back soon. Why? Because its growing environment-sunshine, soil, rain and dew-still exists. I guess cancer cells are the same. If we can't trace back to the source and change the causes of its breeding and spread, then no matter how great the treatments and drugs you have, it will inevitably be a situation that "wildfires will not completely consume them, and they will be tall again in the spring breeze".
eat
For a while, I looked everywhere for a "healthy diet guide" and found that there are countless recipes for cancer patients, which can be a big branch-including a long "anti-cancer food list" and a longer "absolute fasting list". What puzzles me is that different "guides" are often contradictory. How similar this experience is! )
Therefore, the dietary principle I set for myself is "enough", not "absolute". The so-called "enough" means eating more beneficial foods according to your own feelings, while maintaining a balance between various foods, rather than completely favoring a certain diet.
"Miscellaneous enough": I eat no less than 25 kinds of food every day, including 5 ~ 8 kinds of cereals, 3 ~ 5 kinds of beans, 1 ~ 2 kinds of potatoes, at least 6 kinds of vegetables, 1 ~ 2 kinds of fish and meat (mainly fish and poultry), 3 ~ 5 kinds of dried fruits and 2 ~ 3 kinds of fruits.
"Coarse enough": coarse grains or potatoes, vegetables and fruits rich in crude fiber.
"Sufficient prime number", but not "absolute prime number". Some studies show that excessive consumption of animal protein may accelerate the growth of cancer cells, but these studies do not deny that moderate animal protein is still necessary for human body. So on the one hand, I greatly reduced the intake of meat, on the other hand, I always kept a certain proportion of meat on my dining table. Importantly, due to the reduction of meat, it is necessary to increase the intake of plant protein to make up for the shortage of animal protein, so we should eat a lot of soybeans and cereals.
"natural enough"
sleep
Good sleep is the source of strength on the road to recovery.
warm oneself
The level of vitamin D in the body is very important for the survival of tumor patients. Especially lung cancer patients. Sunbathing is the best way to improve the level of vitamin D in the body.
The medical records of 456 patients with early lung cancer from1992 to 2000 were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the "five-year survival rate" of patients with high postoperative vitamin D level and more sunshine could be significantly improved compared with patients with low postoperative vitamin D level and less sunshine. In a publicly published research report, experts further pointed out that according to the cut-off point of "five-year survival rate", the "five-year survival rate" of patients with high vitamin D intake was 72%, while that of patients with low intake was only 29%.
Vitamin D is a sterol derivative. It is usually used to regulate the metabolism and balance of calcium and phosphorus in the body to maintain bone health. In recent years, more and more studies in Europe and America have found that vitamin D has other peculiar functions, one of which is "preventing chronic metabolic diseases". In the view of many experts, the reproduction, mutation and outbreak of tumor cells are essentially a "metabolic disease"
Mentality adjustment
For a while, I began to complain about people and myself: why me? What did I do in my last life? Why did God do this? Why didn't I take good care of myself? Why didn't I enjoy life? I am immersed in this series of "why" and feel depressed. It took me several months to realize that this kind of self-blame and self-blame is very harmful. It ranks with fear and impatience, which can be counted as the three worst psychological characteristics of cancer patients, and it is also a dangerous trap on our road to recovery. (Indeed, when cancer happens to me, or to my family and friends, I believe everyone will have such a mentality. Wake up from the bad mood as soon as possible and start to face it positively and optimistically. This is the "right way" to actively resist the disease.
One third of cancer patients are scared to death. Therefore, no matter what conclusion the doctor gives, we should face it positively. The balance of my life should not be shaken by the doctor's words.
The trouble for cancer patients is not just to remove the tumor focus. In fact, we have to face some "spiritual", "emotional" or "psychological" problems. According to a survey, about 30% of cancer patients in Shanghai suffer from depression at the same time, and this number will increase to more than 50% around winter every year.
On this special day of facing death, the most important thing is to have a healthy and positive mental state, which cancer patients lack most. However, in the field of tumor treatment, mental factors are usually ignored.
Everyone needs a positive attitude towards life, especially patients. It is meaningless to criticize the shortcomings of doctors and hospitals too much. Because if we are doctors or hospital directors, we may not do better. The best thing we can do is to create a life that makes us satisfied.
One of the benefits of predicting death is that I can finally calm down and review my life journey. I feel very satisfied when I think of the experience of the past few years. Jia and Mei did what they liked, kept their professional beliefs, and had so many like-minded partners and sincere friends. If you don't ask for it, you will be blessed if you don't get rich. If I die tomorrow, I can say that I have no regrets and no worries about the world. Because I am satisfied with my life, I have a deep gratitude in my heart. I thank God for giving me so much happiness, and it is fair to imagine God. God must treat everyone equally, so when giving a person life, it is not time, but happiness. The greater the power, the less sincerity; The more money, the less love; The greater the reputation, the less privacy; The more flatterers around you, the fewer friends you have. Similarly, death will come sooner or later.
These people and these things have taught me that bad luck can happen to everyone at any time and anywhere, and we have no reason to complain; At the same time, we see that many cancer patients around us are silently suffering from surgery or chemotherapy, and they are still living positively and optimistically. They became our heroes. I learned to look at life from a philosophical perspective like them, appreciate what life has given us, enjoy every day I spend, and never immerse myself in unnecessary worries about the unknown future.
For the patient's family
Looking back on those difficult days today, I can feel that what supports my emotional world is neither the kind words of the doctor nor my strong will, but the care from my family.
The treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients is a long process full of psychological shock and physical pain. If this process is a mental test for cancer patients, it is an emotional torment for the family members who live with the patients day and night. This kind of suffering may corrode your will, hurt your body, and make you unable to bear the burden of caring for patients. So for the people you love, you must learn to save yourself and liberate yourself in this process. This is the last and most important experience I want to share with you. Because only having a healthy body and mind can better accompany patients to the road of rehabilitation.
Excessive medical treatment
Annual meeting of Shanghai Anti-cancer Association Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Committee in 2008;
At present, 80% of patients with advanced cancer in China are intentionally or forcibly receiving "overtreatment" that exceeds the needs of disease treatment.
About13 of cancer patients in the world died of unreasonable treatment.
Because of the prevalence of "overtreatment", the mortality rate of cancer patients increased by 17 percentage points.
Our most natural and common psychological state is to overestimate the strength of doctors and the role of drugs, and underestimate the strength of our own bodies.
The harmony of human immune system is the main reason for the natural regression of cancer cells.
The immune function of human body mainly depends on white blood cells. There are many kinds of white blood cells, among which T cells, B cells and K cells have a special ability to kill their own cancer cells.
Cells in normal people metabolize day and night, and there may be two or three abnormal cells in a large number of new cells every day. If these two or three "bad molecules" cannot be eliminated, they may develop into cancer cells under the synergistic effect of external and internal factors.
The process of confrontation is roughly as follows: after discovering the abnormal information of cancer cells, T cells first attack, contact with cancer cells and stick together firmly, and use its enzymes to force the permeability of cancer cells to change, so that potassium ions in cancer cells flow out in large quantities, and at the same time, a large number of sodium, calcium ions and water are injected. As a result, cancer cells lost the balance of infiltration and died quickly. B cells can immediately synthesize specific antibody-immunoglobulin, which is distributed in body fluids. B cells have a very strong ability to kill cancer cells, but unfortunately their "life span" is not long, and they will disappear in a few days. At the same time, it can also produce a substance called cytotoxicity, which can also play a role in destroying cancer cells.
If human immune function is suppressed or even destroyed, making the immune system disordered, slack and weak, cancer cells will escape immune surveillance and immune defense.
The most important task of cancer patients should be to find a correct way to restore their immune system to normal. As predicted by the American Association for Cancer Research, the ultimate elimination of malignant tumors depends not on chemicals and radiation, but on immune harmony in the body.
At the end of 2006, the American Association for Cancer Research announced that out of every 65,438+000 cancer patients, at least 65,438+00 people can be cured without any treatment or with little treatment. The American Association for Cancer Research calls this phenomenon "self-healing" or "natural degradation"
Don't think that only surgery, chemotherapy, injections and medicine are the treatments. Actually, walking is therapy, eating is therapy, and breathing fresh air is therapy.
Faith, reason, courage and perseverance are also treatments.
The care of relatives and friends is also therapy.
Establishing a more suitable lifestyle is also therapy.
Every detail of improving daily diet is also treatment.
Bathing in bright and clear sunshine is also a kind of therapy.
Having a happy and relaxed state of mind is also a kind of therapy.
Taking a walk and breathing some fresh air are also treatments.
Even sitting between heaven and earth doing nothing and thinking is a kind of treatment.
The easiest mistake to make in the first three months
Fear, even panic.
Hide the truth from the patient
Let the family be filled with sadness and despair.
Believe what the doctor says.
Overreaction: cure at all costs.
10 principle of making fewer mistakes
Don't let the doctor's words control your emotions-whether optimistic or pessimistic.
Understand the changes in your body as carefully and objectively as possible. Are there any new bad feelings? Are the old symptoms aggravated or alleviated? Verify whether your feelings are accurate through the doctor's clinical examination, and compare your feelings with the doctor's diagnosis.
Remember that every doctor may make mistakes and there will be cases of failure. Knowing the probability of his mistakes is as important as knowing the probability of his success. Through direct observation and indirect investigation, the medical skills and medical ethics are evaluated to determine the credibility of doctors.
Collect information related to your illness as comprehensively as possible.
Combine all the information to judge which is irrelevant, which may be wrong and which is right. What should be done as soon as possible, what should be postponed, etc., and what can't be done at all.
Be especially cautious about those treatment measures that have little positive effect but great side effects.
We should be more cautious about those treatment measures that are not sure of positive effects, but will definitely bring side effects.
Be wary of treatment suggestions made by doctors who have obvious or potentially serious connections.
Be calm about the treatment advice given by doctors who are particularly concerned about your identity and wallet.
Don't blindly follow those famous doctors who are too confident and rash.
Yes, doctor.
Don't blow your own horn, don't belittle your peers, don't be self-righteous, and frankly admit what you don't understand.
We should not only pay attention to the results of instrument examination, but also pay attention to patients.
Only care about your illness, don't care how old you are, don't ask if you have a name or money, and treat doctors equally.
explicit
Well-founded. Even if I have reached a conclusion, I will pay special attention to the evidence that does not support my conclusion and quickly correct my diagnosis according to the new evidence.