May 23, 2004 Lisa Pierot a woman with stage IV breast cancer writes a column, The Metastatic Life for the Palm Beach Post (Florida). This particular article describes her experiences as she and her mother who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer as well, received chemotherapy at a doctor's office. Excerpts: "So anyway, the treatment room is totally full, and all of a sudden, I semall something really awful". "I have always had a feear of sudden smells, having heard about whole stores being closed when people started passing out in the aisles from some unknown substance coming through the vents. With this thought I jukped up and headed for the door to the outside. On the way, I asked what was going on and was told there was an ant problem in the treatment room and the exterminator had just sprayed in there. I ran back in and asked the head nurse for two masks, one of which I insisted Mom put on and the other of which was already on my face. I urged the other patients to follow suit, but no one did. The smell wasn't just toxic; it was foul, and I wasn't just annoyed anymore - I was mad. Here in the treatment room, with all of these patients in various stages of suppressed immune systems, who in the world would think it OK to spray pesticides?" "..the head nurse had words with the exterminator, but the damage was already done. I told her I would rather have the ants. To my knowledge, they do nothing to compromise my immune system. A day like that really brings it all home to me - how we aren't doing enough to blend conventional with alternative medicines. It seems completely obvious to me that both have an important role to play in health care. Until we get that, I don't think we can make enough progress to stem the tide of disease." By Lisa Pierot, The Metastatic Life Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.