Which One is Better?

I would venture to guess that a great many people who suffer from any kind of illness are always on the lookout for a treatment that helps.
Whether that treatment is based in science, anecdotes, naturopathy, dietary changes, or rumour, all people want to do is feel better.
Because of this desperation, people who are ill are preyed on by companies to sell whatever promise they've decided to spout.

I have no clue what is an actual cure and what is not. I have no real scientific background. My personal experience is only that - personal. What happens to me is not the example of how everyone else will respond. I am an anecdotal example.

The reason I usually believe in scientific research and peer-reviewed studies is that there ARE NO false promises. It tells you on every information pamphlet that results vary, that symptoms may be helped or eliminated, that your doctor is having you try this medication to help this or that but to make sure you pay attention to how your body responds and to keep in contact with your doctor. Whenever a new medication is prescribed, it is followed-up with appointments, bloodwork, scans, and other tests to determine whether or not it is helpful.
I like that.
It is honest. It is not sugar-coated. The only time I allow myself to get excited is when I actually feel better AND the tests show improvement... this is because there are LOTS of medications (like Prednisone and pain relief meds) that can help mask the symptoms but don't actually improve the disease.
The best part is that it is clear from the outset what a treatment is supposed to accomplish. I am not deceived or lied to (for the most part). There are no promises of 100% cures or recoveries, only to be devastated.

I have had some good fortune with other types of remedies - like diet, which can have a huge impact - and other treatments that are not based in Western Medicine.
Would you like to know the reason I did not stick with those treatments?

1. I was promised a cure. Not a slight improvement in symptoms, but an actual and miraculous cure.
2. The treatments did the same as many others, it helped with a few symptoms but had no effect on the disease itself - and the improvements were not earth-shattering enough to continue paying a ridiculous amount each month.
3. When my disease was not cured/improved, the blame fell squarely on me. It wasn't that the treatment did not work for me, it was that I did something incorrectly that would not allow for the treatment to work - despite following ALL directions with no 'cheat days'.

The reason I stick with certain medications has to do with efficacy, transparency, and of course finances have a part to play. Basically, if I have a pretty good idea of what the treatment will and will not do, if I am not given false promises or deceived, and if the medication doesn't work as much, the attitude is not that it's my fault, but that it wasn't the right option for my body. So instead of giving up and making me feel like somehow all of this is my own fault (which it 100% is absolutely not), the attitude is: 'okay, that didn't work. Let's see if we can try and find something else that does work'.

There are issues and problems everywhere.
We have a long way to go in several aspects of health, so I am going to do what works for me. And you can do what works for you. I won't push my way onto you, and I expect the same courtesy.

In the Same Boat

It seems, fairly often, that there is this divide among chronic illness patients.
I know that I have written lots about some of these very issues so I apologize if this sounds like pandering.

There is always the issue of one chronic illness being experienced completely differently by patients. Who knew that one very specific disease could have so many variations??
I believe that that small reality is where so many issues stem from. It is why there is such a divide among patients regarding treatments, the right diet protocol, the right activities to participate in.
But there IS no "right" diet. Or "right" medication. Or "right" way of doing things.
No matter what the other person with the same illness says. Their experience is different than yours... than anyone else with the disease. Ideas, advice, some go-to tricks for specific symptoms - now those are invaluable. But there is no foolproof way to deal with it. Not yet anyways. Not that we have discovered - yet.

It feels as though the most controversial divide in healthcare in general is relying on Western Medicine, pharmaceuticals, and Westernized healthcare OR natural remedies, ancient therapies, Eastern medicine, supplements, and plant-based healing.
But why does it have to be either/or?
Why is there this snooty attitude - on both sides - if someone with the same disease has a different treatment protocol?
Oh! Because you achieved remission and that person didn't?
But what about that other person over there, who chose neither method, and also achieved remission? Were they just lucky?
What about your friend who did everything you did but is still not in remission? Do you really think you are in remission because you decided NOT to eat the popcorn at the movies? Or that maybe she doesn't always remember to take her medication at the exact same time every morning? Or that you think what you did was just the absolute perfect combination and if your friend would only listen to everything you tell him/her to do, he/she would be healthy too??

Come on.

I seem to always reiterate this next sentiment:
Every single person is different. Every single person has a completely different experience - even with the same symptoms. My stomach pain is not experienced the same as someone else's stomach pain. We do not vomit in the same way. We do not experience migraines or headaches the same way. So why would treatment ever be the exact same - especially with a chronic illness that has widespread complications throughout the body? 9

So if you rely on pharmaceutical medications, physiotherapy, and a low-carb, vegetarian diet, and have significantly reduced the severity of your symptoms, that is AMAZING. Keep doing what you are doing, because what you're doing is obviously helping you to feel better. That's the only point you need to make.

So if you rely on marijuana, essential oils, a plant-based diet, and proper exercise, and your symptoms have vastly improved? That is AMAZING. You're doing exactly what you should be doing, because you are feeling better. That's it. That's the only thing that matters.

And if you eat junk food, take Tylenol, exercise when you can, and use a combination of different medications and naturopathic supplements and feel better? Again, AMAZING. No matter the true reason why you feel better, the fact that you feel better is the only point.

Always remember that your 'better' may not be as good as someone else's 'better'. Your 'remission' may still include horrible headaches or stomach cramping. Your 'better' it all that matters.

We are ALL in the same boat.
We all want to feel better.
We all want to do whatever we can to improve our lives and our wellbeing.
And WE HAVE ALL tried as many different options as we can. And if we have a routine that seems to work, if I feel better than before, even in some small way, then I am doing exactly what I need to be doing.

There is no right way to cope with and deal with and treat chronic illness. Whatever way that makes you feel better, whatever way you are most comfortable with, is the right way for you.

Of course, as always, avoid the word 'cure'. At least when trying to imply a universal cure for chronic illness that affects thousands of people. A cure would be, truly, a life-saver. It is something to work towards. It is something to fundraise for. And if you or someone you know has been 'cured' of a chronic illness, I am genuinely excited and happy for you (and jealous, I mean let's be honest), but it does not mean it will cure everyone.

Okay. That's all.