Sir, - Congratulations on your article "Patient Faces High Price of Managing Her Illness (June 12th), and to Pat Meredith. No doubt her recovery may have had a lot to do with managing her own illness, and the methods of treatment.
At Turning Point, where we work with people who are dealing with serious illness and other crises, we are familiar with the developing trend of "patients" taking more responsibility for their own illness and recovery.
However, we would like to make a number of points: Regarding holistic treatment, the writer seems to imply that holistic healing is something separate from conventional and complementary treatment. Recently the word "holistic" is being used to give this impression. Actually, "holistic" simply means "whole", and the regarding of a person as one whole entity: body, mind, emotions and spirit. Many conventional and complementary therapies can be compatible with this approach by alternative types of healing.
At present a person facing the journey of cancer could be bewildered with so many different and often seemingly conflicting treatments and choices. But many people seem to have little or no choice, for financial reasons or for fear of departing from current conventional methods and the support of a strong and powerful medical ethos.
We at Turning Point believe that each person's journey is unique; no "one" solution is a panacea. Money to travel and unconventional treatment will not necessarily result in a cure.
In Padraig O Morain's article, Pat Meredith describes taking charge of her cancer, the loving attitude of her family, and the fulfilment of her lifelong dream to live in Co. Clare. These "simple" changes may also have been the key to her recovery. Each person must find their own inner truth about their own illness but really about their life's journey; being ill, recovery, or even death can present an opportunity to consider the meaning of life and who we are: a mystery many of us never have had time to explore. - Yours, etc.,
Director,
Turning Point,
Crofton Road,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin.