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I don’t think many knew, besides his inner circle, that Steve Jobs could’ve possibly beaten his fatal cancer if he had only taken his doctors advice and succumbed to traditional medical procedures, particularly, an operation which could’ve removed his tumors much sooner than he decided. This information has been coming out as the release of his authorized autobiography arrive on everyone’s Kindle, I-Pad, and Bookshelf.
Now, this wasn’t all that surprising to me. After all, he’d turned to experimental treatment procedures, alternative medicine for pain and healing, and spiritual advisors for lifestyle advice. Of course, it was his right to choose them all because this was his life. But in the end, these were choices which most probably cost him dearly. He claimed he didn’t want anyone to open up his body, and that certain diets along with lots of meditation would make it all go away. Well, for such a brilliant man, these new revelations, I’ll admit, make me second-guess some of his basic common sense. And in my opinion, he should’ve thought a little more about the people he’s left behind who depended on his techno-genius before electing to go the way of the coffee enema.
Steve Jobs was perhaps one of millions of others who’ve gone to their graves thinking there was an alternative way of saving themselves, and it saddens me seeing so many running toward these dysfunctional theories. Now, I know there are scores of people that believe in non-traditional methods of treating illness, that’s certainly your right. And for some reason, it seems to be the rage in our modern society. It’s chic, trendy, and cool. Health food stores everywhere are filled with shelves bulging with vitamin supplements, herbal compounds, liquid bottles of gold, and even chiropractors sitting in a back room all guaranteeing to make you feel better and live until the ripe old age of 100. Alternative medicine product manufacturing is a huge, multi-billion dollar business, selling a pill for every ache, twinge, sniffle, and pain your body might feel. And the advertising for these products, wow, talk about making you think you’re missing out on some of nature’s finest remedies. But, here me out because in my opinion, and this is just MY opinion, I think it’s all a bunch of false propaganda.
My family is filled with medical professionals. A Doctor, Nurse, and Pharmaceutical Expert have surrounded me all my life. They labored through years and years of intense training and study to be able to treat the illnesses of others. There is real, hard, logical evidence that the modern medicines they promote and methods used work because of the enormous scientific proof backing them up. Sure, the drug companies make large profits, but guess what, they invest years, sometimes decades and billions of dollars in clinical research, trial and error, and employee dedication before a single pill is ever allowed on the market. Not only that, their potential liability is astronomical if a lone person is caused harm from their usage. Everything they sell is regulated by the FDA. Some may say I’m biased. No, I’m not. I’m merely speaking as someone who wholeheartedly believes in medical science when it comes to treating illness, period. Now, does traditional medicine work every time? Of course not, often-times human sickness is just too far advanced for treatment. But, which would you choose to play Russian roulette with your life: A marijuana cigarette or dose of chemotherapy?
Some might ask: Have I ever tried anything alternative? Well, let’s see. I previously gave it a shot by taking multi-vitamins, Omega 3, garlic, B6, B4, Oatmeal, and CoQ10 for my heart trying to lower cholesterol levels, like, you know, all the experts on television swear by. Green tea was my beverage of choice--supposedly giving me lots of those life-saving antioxidants we all hear about. I waited a few months and had my blood re-checked. Well, after swallowing lots of pills and spending plenty of money, not one digit changed in my HDL/LDL levels. Not one. Then, I consulted my Doctor. That’s right, a genuine, certified M.D. He quickly prescribed a Statin which I tried. After two months, my cholesterol was lowered from 260 to 154 and all levels were well within normal range. He also ran other checks of my body chemistry, helping to get my diet squared away. This has resulted in losing weight, when before, the diet pills that the nice lady at the super-duper-organic-food-store suggested I buy did nothing but give me gas.
Years ago, I went to a psychic a couple of times mainly for the experience. Both were nice people and seemed to have my best interests at heart. They held my hand, meditated, flipped a few cards, read my astrological chart, played some soothing music, urged the spirits to come forth, and projected my future. One even waved her hands over a leg cramp I was having at the time-spreading her coveted, healing energy. And oh, I forgot, they also took my money. Did any of their predictions come true? Nope. Not one. Was my pain relieved? Not hardly. Some might say it was because of my skeptical attitude, therefore keeping the stars from aligning in just the right way. But, I don’t think so. In my opinion, nobody has the ability to predict anyone’s future. They were interesting and entertaining experiences, yes they were, but fell horribly flat when it came to realistic expectations.
So, tell me. When the cancer cells come and the heart troubles begin, who you gonna’ call? You’re Guru or your Doctor? Which one has the research and results to back up their actions? Do you think smoking tree bark or sleeping while facing certain stars will cure what ails you, or would a surgeon’s scalpel more likely lead you to a longer life?
For my money, I’ll take the guys and gals in the white lab coats any day of the week.
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Randy, this is an excellent article. It is easy to be swayed by the "attacks" on drug companies and doctors, who are supposedly "just in it for the money." The arguments are very convincing including the one that Medical Journals are funded by the drug companies and are therefore going to always say positive things about their funders. It's also easy to forget that we are talking about people that have dedicated their lives to protecting and saving the lives of others. They give up plenty of opportunities when they invest their time and money to go to Medical School and keep up with all the exams and certifications. It is not an easy profession. I appreciate that you shared your experience of taking all the pills that are so highly toughted as decreassing the risk of heart disease or cancer yet when you did go for a check up the results were nought. That's interesting. I tend to be a person that believes in miracles and have often wondered if I'd run off to Jamaica if diagnosed with cancer and smoke marijuana and drink a magical juice rather than going through traditional treatments. Your article certainly gives one pause for thought. It also highlights the issue of how a human can be brilliant in one area of his or her life yet perhaps negligent and not too bright in another aspect.