Still Completely The Wrong Emphasis

How much is life worth?NICE, the NHS drugs watchdog, is set to refuse to provide the £90,000 Kadcyla breast cancer treatment to patients on the grounds of cost. As many of you will know, my daughter had breast cancer, had treatment, and has now been tested clear several times, so I have a vested interest in such issues.

How much is life worth? How much would you pay to spend a year, a month, a week or a day extra with your loved ones? Life is priceless, but the greed of the pharmaceutical industry knows no bounds. They are beholding to their shareholders and are driven purely by the profits they can make from people who find themselves stuck between a huge rock and a very hard place.

The really annoying part of all this, is that the cancer industry, those who make a living from researching, isolating, diagnosing, and treating cancer cases, really have no interest in halting the growth in cancer incidence, it’s their livelihood. When you think of all the millions of pounds and hours put into research over decades, there has been virtually no progress in preventing cancer.

Rather than trying to find cures or treatments for cancer, which like the common cold, has thousands of variants, they should be concentrating on finding the cause. But finding the cause doesn’t make you rich, and once it’s found, what will you do with the rest of your working life?

We know that cancer is caused by any number of things, but we also know that it stops developing in the absence of animal protein in the diet. So why are we all still so keen to fund research and treatment when we know how to stop cancer in its tracks?

Money, that’s why. Like the meat and dairy industries, the cancer industry would collapse overnight, with the loss of thousands of jobs, if the truth were widely known. Not exactly a disaster if we look a the bigger picture though. A world without cancer would be a better world, and all the money saved, could be used to fund more worthy schemes.

So let’s stop looking down the wrong end of the microscope, let’s embrace the changes that will make a difference, and give the Big C the heave-ho once and for all.

For more information, take a look here …

The Wrong End Of The Stick

CaspulesNICE, the NHS drugs watchdog, is set to refuse to provide the £90,000 Trastuzumab Emtansine breast cancer treatment to patients on the grounds of cost. As many of you will know, my daughter had breast cancer, had treatment, and has now been tested clear, so I have a vested interest in such issues.

How much is life worth? How much would you pay to spend a year, a month, a week or a day extra with your loved ones? Life is priceless, but the greed of the pharmaceutical industry knows no bounds. They are beholding to their shareholders and are driven purely by the profits they can make from people who find themselves stuck between a rock and a very hard place.

The really annoying part of all this, is that the cancer industry, those who make a living from researching, isolating, diagnosing, and treating cancer cases, have really got the wrong end of the stick in my opinion.

Rather than trying to find cures or treatments for cancer, which like the common cold, has thousands of variants, they should be concentrating on finding the cause. But finding the cause doesn’t make you rich, and once it’s found, what will you do with the rest of your life?

We know that cancer is caused by any number of things, but we also know that it stops developing in the absence of animal protein in the diet. So why are we all still so keen to fund research and treatment when we know how to stop cancer in its tracks?

Money, that’s why. Like the meat and dairy industries, the cancer industry would collapse overnight, with the loss of thousands of jobs, if the truth were widely known. Not exactly a disaster if we look a the bigger picture though. A world without cancer would be a better world, and all the money saved, could be used to fund more worthy schemes.

So let’s stop looking the wrong way down the microscope, let’s grasp the right and of the stick, and give the Big C the heave-ho once and for all.

For more information, take a look here …

A Terrible Dilemma

A Terrible DilemaTomorrow, Charlotte may have to decide whether to save her unborn child or to save herself. It may be that the oncology specialist can offer a course of treatment that allows her to do both. If not, I cannot imagine a more difficult decision with which to be faced.

As a helpless observer, I can do little but chant and pray for a fortunate outcome. As her father, I would willingly swap places with Charlotte if it would save her the pain and distress she is going through.

From the first day we knew about her condition, we have all been trying to maintain a positive attitude. Knowing that the Oneness of Self and the Environment is so important in such situations, we must believe that we can influence the outcome through our own mental strength.

If you are a practicing Buddhist, I would ask, most respectfully, for you to chant for Charlotte. If you are of another denomination, please pray for her wellbeing.

The greater the efforts. on her behalf, the more influence we will achieve.

High Contrasts

Pink RibbonToday has been a complete rollercoaster of a day, ultimate highs and lows, a day to test the faith of anyone.

My eldest daughter, Charlotte, is pregnant with her third child, my fourth grandchild and had been for a scan at the hospital. Imagine my elation when she sent a text to say that everything was fine, the baby is healthy and growing well. He or she, is due to enter this world on September 3rd, so a summer baby, wonderful.

I knew that she also had an appointment in the afternoon to have some other tests, so I was keeping my fingers crossed for everything to go well.

I was just packing up, and about to leave the office when my mobile rang.

It was Charlotte, in tears. She said that the tests had found that there is a very high possibility that she has breast cancer. The consultant had taken tissue samples and sent them off for analysis, but said that they feared the worst because of swelling of Charlotte’s lymph glands.

Cancer is such a scary word. The very thought of it sends shivers down my spine. But I am going to remain calm and not jump to any conclusions until the biopsy results are back. In such a situation it is all too easy to let your emotions get the better of you. I hope that I can avoid that happening, though time will tell, because I may be of some help and support if I can hold things together.

Obviously I will chant and pray for a positive outcome, but I will also look for ways of turning this strongest of poisons into medicine.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.