The First Rule

rjo__

If it is really important, don't talk about it.

The Second Rule is "If you don't talk about it, nothing will happen."

I’m a 70 year old retired ophthalmologist. My doctor’s have concluded that my metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (head and neck) is both incurable and untreatable. The disease showed up about a year ago and it has an average life expectancy of about 8 months.

I know that my cancer is treatable… because I have been treating it. So far, the mets in my neck have either disappeared or are about 1/3 of the size they were before I started treating them.

For most of my professional life I ran an MRI service and was building an MRI lab… My issue was: “why can’t we use MRI as a treatment?” There are perfectly good answers to this questions... but the answers are so terrible that you might conclude that it is all just paranoid reasoning. It isn't. There are real problems out there, and they all add up to a serious existential threat.

So, this stuff is important... and we aren't going to talk about it.

We are just going to do it... as quietly as possible.


Regards,

Rich

erco

Rich, that is some heavy & scary news. Yet it sure sounds like you are an educated patient with a leg up on the doctor. It's amazing and inspiring to hear that you have the knowledge & bravery to do something the doctor won't! Wishing the best possible outcome for your situation.

You are a longtime friend of the forum and I'm sure I speak for many people who appreciate your loyalty, knowledge and enthusiasm here. Please keep us informed on your progress. Hopefully talking about it with friends and like-minded people reduces the burden a little.

To your health, my friend.

evanh

Well written Erco.

Reminds me of the doco I watched about the history of the Concorde. At one point the department management decided to get photos of a group of the Concorde aircraft flying in formation. They managed to gather four together during that Christmas break and used a military jet to get photos and video them in a few different formations. These were subsequently used for promotional material.

The thing is, no one higher up gave them any authorisation to do it. They had the tools, the skills and will. Of course, if it had just been a joy ride then heads would've rolled.

ErNa

So I had to google some terms and as I understand, you applied some cure that showed astonishing results? Is it a magneto therapy?

frank freedman

Really heavy news in a particularly screwy year, hope the best for you. And yes, sometimes some things are better not spoken of in the wrong circles lest you be blocked in your progress by individuals or groups that have far less skin in the game than you do. To "protect" you.

My main service modalities are X-ray based however I do know enough about MRI to take some pretty good guesses as to the direction you may have been exploring. You would have to have some pretty big stones and compelling evidence as to potential outcomes vs the very real hazards associated with an MRI system to do what you may be doing. And likely would be shutdown regardless of right to try. (Assumption: you are using your own systems or contacts with technologists trusted and discreet to be the only reason you have been able to experiment thus far).

I pray that 1) your work is successful, and 2) one day we will find your name associated with a treatment or procedure providing benefit to others who have this condition.

Frank

potatohead

You are a beautiful human Rjo. Thank you for being you.