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What will you do if diagnosed with cancer?
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I have often pondered how I would face a cancer diagnosis. I have known many people who faced that reality. Those of us who seek to live a healthy lifestyle, commit to a nutritious diet and take supplements do so to improve our daily lives and also to improve our odds of living a long life free of disease and infirmity. But we all know people who have succumbed in spite of being pillars of health, and we also know that some people who live long healthy lives in spite of what they do. There are no guarantees.
In this interview with Dr. Michael Garko we will discuss his journey when faced with cancer at age 75. This is not about any natural cures or treatments for cancer. Dr. Garko was treated conventionally with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. He stopped taking most supplements as well during this time. At the time of this interview, Dr. Garko is just over 1 year since this happened. What intrigued me was the thought process that Dr. Garko went through before, during and since his treatment.
One of the challenges for those of us who try hard to avoid doctors and modern medicine in favor of holistic living is determining when modern medicine wins out over natural treatments. Cancer is likely for many of us the health crisis that would drive us to treatments that we know are devastating to the body. I wanted Dr. Garko to discuss how he processed this diagnosis and what was the thinking that guided his choice of treatment.
This is not about what anyone should do when faced with cancer. This is about Dr. Garko’s journey and what we might learn from him. Dr. Garko does a nationwide syndicated radio show entitled “Let’s Talk Nutrition“. His show is live 9 to 11 am, five days a week. His show is podcast and streams live with video. Dr. Garko is one of the hardest working men in radio. As he mentions in his interview, he missed only 2 weeks of work during this entire treatment period of months. He shared his journey with his audience in a very upfront and personal way.
Dr. Garko is a strong proponent of healthy lifestyle and fitness and teaches this everyday on his radio show. Many people want to keep such things as a diagnosis of cancer private. Dr. Garko chose to share his journey with 1000’s of listeners. No doubt their love and support were of great encouragement.
Cancer Cell
Dr. Garko explains the choices he faced and his outcome. The title of the podcast is “How Cancer Saved My Life”. Dr. Garko is not talking about the treatments in this case. Even though the treatments of surgery, chemo and radiation did save his life. Turns out, Dr. Garko had two different cancers in different parts of his body. The discovery of one cancer and subsequent treatment, lead to the discovery of a deeper cancer. In his case it was a blessing in disguise because the second cancer was found much earlier that it would have otherwise. This likely would have a different outcome if Dr. Garko delayed. Here is a link to the article written by Dr. Garko, How Cancer Saved My Life, written in January of 2017.
I especially wanted to understand how Dr. Garko came to his decisions about treatments. Why did he choose to go this way instead of the natural? Why did he stop taking supplements during treatment? For many of us, this would seem like the wrong thing to do. Sometimes things are counter-intuitive.
My position is that sometimes modern medicine offers the best options. In this case Dr. Garko determined that aggressive medical treatment was his best option. I know others who have dealt with their cancers with a variety of modalities and outcomes. This is a highly personal journey and decisions that each must make for themselves. Every situation is different and should be treated as unique. It is your process of discovery to determine your best path. No one has a crystal ball. The best you can do is seek to become as well informed as possible. Try to find the best doctors with specialties in your case. Seek to understand your choices. This is the unique responsibility we all have, to choose our path. The more you know, the better choices you will make. Better choices lead to better outcomes.
Sometimes it is helpful to know someone who has been there, done that. We can learn from their experience. Both myself and Dr. Garko have been educators for most of our lives. By sharing his journey Dr. Garko gives insight and he gives permission for all of those who struggle with life altering medical issues, to understand that sometimes modern medicine offers us the best options for long term success. It is not about natural vs conventional medicine. Sometimes conventional medicine will save your life. Natural living is what will aid healing and support health going forward. A body that is healthy and well nourished will always do better than someone who isn’t. Living well has tremendous impact on how well you will do when facing serious health issues. Dr. Garko is a testament to this. I appreciate him sharing his story with us.
If you would like to listen to our library of over 20 interviews that have cancer as part of discussion, you can see that list of interviews here.
Kyolic
This interview is sponsored by Wakunaga, the manufacturers of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract. The interview has nothing to do with Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract. They are sponsoring this interview in the public interest. If you want to know more about Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract, we have many interviews from many expert researchers discussing the over 750 studies conducted and sponsored by Wakunaga. Listen to any of these interviews and you’ll learn why Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract is my garlic of choice. It’s all about the science.
CLICK HERE for a list of all of the Kyolic interviews.
About Dr. Michael Garko
For more than three decades, Dr. Michael Garko has devoted himself as a researcher and scientist to the theory and practice of health, wellness and nutrition. Dr. Garko is the long time host of Let’s Talk Nutrition, a nationally syndicated, evidence-based health talk show.
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