Cryo Ablation for Pain Relief

Last Thursday, Ken went to Hoag Hospital in Costa Mesa (I think, It's right next to Huntington Beach on Pacific Coast Highway) for thermal ablation of the tumor that's been causing the majority of pain. Science is wonderful, he was immediately more comfortable after the procedure. Doctor Velling called me the night before to say that after studying the scan, he thought freezing the mass was a better option than destroying it with heat. Both techniques effectively kill cancer cells. In cryo ablation, freezing gas is pumped through the probe instead of heat. He was able to get around 95% of the cancer in that area. We are now struggling to reduce the pain medication without triggering nasty withdrawal symptoms. He is already taking one-third less narcotics than before.

Another Journey

With Ken's illness the focus of this blog changed abruptly. Originally, I wanted to document the unique experience of schizophrenia from an alternative health perspective. And finally the day came, with our daughter kindly consenting to stay with Ken, Isaac and I drove to a Southern California Outreach Clinic held by the Pfeiffer Treatment Center, at a Garden Grove hotel. I had filled out forms and done a phone intake prior to our appointment. The nurse in Chicago who is assigned to our case seems kind and compassionate. But at the hotel we saw a different nurse practitioner and I was not impressed with her. Perhaps because she was sick with a bad cold, her attitude was confrontational and challenging toward Isaac, over little details--about hearing voices (he says they stopped years ago, although who is he continually talking to and sometimes yelling at?) and about making a commitment to the program. I expected her to have a more skilled approach with a psychotic and possibly paranoid person. I intervened and told her if Pfeiffer can help him deal with being grilled like that, we will have met our goals. I told her he was only there because I wanted him to come, and that since he has given other treatments a good try I trusted he would do the same with this one. Next came the labwork, which included a comprehensive metabolic panel, chemistry, and minerals. They sent us home with a primer formula, added a much higher doses of omega 3 fatty acids than he was taking, and a borage oil supplement for GLA. For anxiety, they recommended 1,000 mg of GABA twice a day. For delusions and hallucinations I was told to order a formula containing equal parts niacinamide and vitamin C. This has not yet arrived, but Isaac is taking the other supplements just as I hoped he would.

Rough Patch

Ken's pain intensified, which made it difficult to follow our program of healing. Even one ounce of wheatgrass upset his stomach, his appetite is gone and his skin started breaking out. I don't know how much to blame on the larger doses of narcotics he has to take and how much to blame on his body eliminating toxins created by cancer die-off. I refuse to believe the cancer is worse. Fortunately, he can still take plenty of Sun Chlorella, which is high in protein. Unable to find low level cold laser treatment, we sought another solution to the pain. Well, our dear internet-savy daughter, Naomi, sought one. She found sources for radio frequency ablation, or RFA. Under CT or ultrasound imaging, an interventional radiologist (a medical specialty) can apply heat generated by electricity to kill cancer cells, in Ken's case in the soft tissue mass involving his rib. RFA can even be used for liver cancer. Last week we drove to Hoag Hospital in Irvine for a consult. After looking at last month's scan, the staff at Hoag gave us good news; Ken is a good candidate for RFA. The procedure is scheduled for Feb. 24th. Of course we checked with Hippocrates Health Institute before pursuing this treatment. Dr. Clement does not advise against it and states it "can be helpful." I remember reading 40 years ago, in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, that in the future, disease would be treated with electricity. RFA has none of the side effects of standard radiation treatment, and it can be done in a single outpatient visit. In the meantime, with another increase in pain medication, Ken got some relief and is able to take more nourishment, including milk made from hemp seeds, avocado, and his favorite, chia seed lemonade. It helps to take his pills with food, and we are building up to small doses of wheatgrass while continuing implants.