Thanks a lot, Bombay High. Thats very flattering. I haven't always been very positive about it. But I've found it's better to be.
Slamfire, that's too cool. Tell him congrats. More people were "cured" or became permanently in remission than not in my chemo. We've got amazing technology these days!
Yes, it's entirely plausible that the effects were largely psychosomatic, but having experienced some temporary relief from what patients call the "chemo haze" and the ill feelings of nausea and soreness, I don't believe that the effects were not honestly physical. But who knows? I tried it because of the similarity in feeling hungover with the flu... And it worked. At that point, I didn't care if it was psychosomatic.
I'd have done anything for a moment of relief.
For what it's worth, my cancer was testicular. The normal regimen was a three-part chemo therapy, consisting of cicsplatnin, bleomyacin and etopicide (forgive if my spelling is off). Bleomyacin permenantly changes the way that the lungs metabolize oxygen, and thus my body would no longer be able to handle high PPO2s. In short, I was told by my encologist that I would no longer be able to dive.
Given that this is what I do for a living, I told the doctor - without having to reconsider - that I would refuse treatment and prefer to live until the cancer killed me and still be able to dive. An alternative never even crossed my mind.
...So my encologist brought up the case of the diver that refused treatment because of the side effects of bleomyacin to some sort of nationwide meeting of encologists, and together, they created a new regimen for me that included double or triple doses of cisplatnin and etopicide, coupled with a double or triple length of dosage.
In short, the regimen 'bout killed me. In fact, it actually did - multiple times. Maintaining hydration was impossible without introveinous help, and I remember losing 71 pounds in six weeks at one point... And I'm not a real fatty guy. Frankly, there's a lot of the chemo I simply do not recall. They kicked my butt.
...But here I am. And I dive just about every day. I have paid a price - a big price - to dive. And I have zero regrets.
I plan to move from my current career of commercial diving into a career in the medical profession... In dive medicine. I believe that hyperbaric medicine holds keys to healing that we have not yet uncovered... And I want to be a part of bringing that to society to help ease the suffering of people with cancer, Altzheimer's (spelling), diabetes, nerve, spine and brain trauma, stroke victims and more.
I would love to really "hurt" cancer like it did me. Personal vendetta.
. And I believe, based on my ezperiences while dead, that there is much to be uncovered about the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment to heal.
