The Case of Michael John Traill Duffy
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Glioblastoma multiforme – terapia com curcumina, Boswellia, melatonina e vitamina C intravenosa THE CASE OF MICHAEL JOHN TRAILL DUFFY: Michael, then 54 year old, first came to our clinic in August 2013. He appeared weak and his records showed that he had experienced double vision, dizziness, imbalance, headaches, memory loss and hand-eye coordination problems in the past months. Michael was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme in March of 2013. The tumor was about 4 cm wide. He had undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments. While finishing up final rounds of Temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, he was on other medication to control side effects like seizures and inflammation. OUR INITIAL COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES BEGAN AUG. 8, 2013: Boswellia s. (frankinsense) formulation, 750 mg per day Curcumin-bound to coconut oil, 4.8 grams per day Melatonin, 6 mg at night Neem formulation, 900 mg per day Amla jam, 1 teaspoon three times a day All sugar and high carbohydrates were eliminated from his diet o Michael transformed his diet to eat mostly vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, other meats, etc. o He minimized exposure to unhealthy diet choices Vitamin C IV therapy, once every week: o 25 grams of Vitamin C was infused once per week o Michael sat in an infrared sauna during the IV In March of 2014, a follow-up MRI showed that the tumor had shrunk from 4 cm to 2.7 cm in size. This was wonderful, very encouraging news. Michael also reported that, since starting the complementary regimen, he had no side effects of chemotherapy, numbness and tingling was gone, nausea had retreated, and his energy and mood had significantly improved. Blisters related to Avastin treatments, pruritis related to other medication, as well as constipation had improved. Next, additional herbal support for his adrenal glands and nervous system was added: Bacopa m. formulation contains herbs like Brahmi and Gotu Kola that support nerve tissue health and may promote regeneration Ashwagandha for adrenal support, as well as anti-cancer support Melotonin, 20 mg at night Continue Vitamin C IV therapy We got to know Michael well while he received the Vitamin C IVs for 2 to 3 hours every week. We witnessed the courageous and stoic nature of this man who was facing certain death in his mid-50s. For the year and a half that Michael came to the clinic, he was always pleasant and endearing. Michael connected with everyone and won them over with his humor and gentle manner. In September of 2014, while the cancer had stabilized, Michael took a cruise around the Mediterranean with his lovely wife Tracy. Michael and Tracy described it as, “the trip of a lifetime.” They had minimal to no difficulty continuing the supplements. The following month, the MRI report had ominous news: the tumor had grown in size significantly. Despite this, Michael was still doing fairly well. Symptoms of balance, numbness, tingling and forgetfulness were a bit worse, but not significantly debilitating. Michael still had energy to do many things, including cooking breakfast “his favorite meal of the day.” After several weeks in deliberation, Michael decided to try Novocure electric field therapy and one more round of chemotherapy Avastin. Unfortunately, Michael was never physically the same after this. His energy, balance and coordination diminished rapidly over the course of a couple of months. In early 2015, Michael was provided hospice services for care in his final days. He was also supported by his wife Tracy, sister, father and two daughters. Despite failing physical health, Michael maintained his humor, love of reading and joy for the outdoors. Michael was still the loving, inspiring and courageous person he had always been. Almost 20 years ago, I had another patient with stage 4 glioblastoma. He had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in the middle of two hemispheres. In 9 months of Ayurvedic treatment, the tumor shrank to the size of walnut and was removed surgically. The patient lost some motor functions, but he lived for more than 8 years. As we mourn Michael’s loss, we continue our research quest to achieve more effective treatments and better health outcomes for all patients facing cancer. REFERENCES [1] Thakkar JP, et al. Epidemiologic and Molecular Prognostic Review of Glioblastoma. Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(10) October 2014. [2] Schwartzbaum JA, et al. Epidemiology and Molecular Pathology of Glioma. Natural Clinical Practice, Neurology, Sept. 2009; Vol. 2(9), Pg. 494-501. [3] Stupp R, et al. 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