From "Alternative treatments"
by Renée Joette Friesen (The
Chronicle)
Paul Poirier thought he was in good health when he went to play
tennis with a friend in the spring of 1995. But that day on the courts,
Poirier suffered an unexpected seizure, throwing his health into serious
question.
Poirier, a Lachine resident with a chiropractic office in
Dorval, was diagnosed with a combination of two types of tumors, one of which
was considered aggressive, with a tendency to spread.
The odds weren't in his favor.
Following a routine scan in February 1997, after the tumor had
been removed, Poirier was informed it had returned - this time more
aggressively. Doctor's recommended another biopsy, combined with
months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to try to combat the disease. But
Poirier would only accept the option as a last resort.
Two months later, Poirier found homeopathy and microbiologist
Marie-Josée Beaubien at the Homeopathic Health Center in Ottawa. After
analyzing his case, Beaubien recommended two homeopathic products.
Poirier said. "I didn't
understand how it could possibly work. But I had chemotherapy waiting for me or
what she was recommending. I figured I had nothing to lose, and I had poison to
look forward to, so I ended up going with what she recommended". Four
months later, Poirier went for another scan. This time, it showed that his
tumor had disappeared. "I've gone for repeated scans since then, and
they've been clear every time," he said.
Homeopathy, which dated back to the late 1700's, is based on the
theory that using small doses of the same substance that causes a symptom will
prompt the body to cure itself.
Using plants and minerals, homeopathy is applied to treat fever,
allergies, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, arthritis and other ailments.
Although it is slowly becoming more popular, other forms of alternative
medicine, such a naturopathy and herbology, are more familiar.
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