Monday, December 28, 2009
Mistletoe cures woman's cancer after she shuns chemotherapy
A cancer sufferer has told how mistletoe saved her life after she shunned conventional treatments.
Joan van Holsteijn put her faith in the healing properties of the plant, which is more commonly associated with Yuletide romance.
She turned down potentially life-saving chemotherapy and instead had injections of misteltoe.
Cure: Joan van Holsteijn had injections of mistletoe to treat her cancer
Amazingly, it has worked wonders: the tumours in her leg are now gone and she's well on the road to recovery.
Mrs van Holsteijn, from Milltimber in Aberdeenshire, said: 'I owe my life to misteltoe. I feel so grateful and well and healthy. I've got my life back, all thanks to the plant.
'I have never had it in the house before but this year I've got a sprig of misteltoe at my front door. I want everyone to know about it.'
The 53-year-old, originally from Holland, sought medical advice after a painful lump the size of an egg developed on her leg. Doctors diagnosed her with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Her specialist recommended doses of chemotherapy. But Joan, a therapist at the Camphill special needs school, didn't want to go down that route.
She said: 'I was very scared. I was scared of the cancer, and scared of chemo because you can become so ill from it.
The introduction of the mistletoe berry into the body is designed to kickstart the immune system, which should realise something is wrong. The body should then fight back against the cancer, as well as the mistletoe.
'It runs down to your immune system to the point where you don't feel well. Even if you get better from the cancer you still have to deal with the treatment.
'Usually patients try chemotherapy then mistletoe, but I didn't want to do that.'
She was given injections of a medicine made from mistletoe berries at Park Attwood Clinic in Birmingham.
Within six months the lump on her leg had shrunk. After 18 months it was gone completely, along with other tumours.
She said: 'My doctor told me just to try chemo and nothing else.
'But after I started the mistletoe he was very supportive. I've been back several times for body scans and the tumours have all gone now.
'All that's left behind is scar tissue. I feel absolutely fantastic.'
Mrs van Holsteijn, who lives with husband Simon, 48, and daughter Lisa, 14, is now clear of cancer, but will require further check-ups to ensure it doesn't return.
Debbie Thomson, chief executive of cancer charity Clan, said her organisation used misteltoe in its doctor-run clinics.
She said: 'Misteltoe therapy is both supportive and complementary and helps to reduce the indirect effects of cancer.
'It is assumed that surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are important first-line and supportive tools for the treatment of cancer.'
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