I was diagnosed with prostate cancer six months ago. I opted not to receive conventional medical treatment. My recent biopsy did not detect any cancer cells in my prostate. Since I refused conventional medical treatment what accounts for this remission?

Here is my story.

In August of 2017 a routine blood test revealed I had a significantly high PSA level which is a marker for the possibility of prostate cancer. Two months later, after a Cat Scan, Cystoscopy, MRI, and Needle Biopsy, it was confirmed that I had prostate cancer.

Upon being diagnosed with cancer, my urologist, a capable, conscientious, caring individual with a good reputation, suggested that I set a date for surgical removal of my prostate gland and seminal vesicles. He acknowledged that the tests showed that the amount of cancer was relatively small, slow growing, and encapsulated inside the prostate wall. His strongest reason for suggesting surgery was my high original PSA level. He emphasized that surgery was the recommended treatment protocol for someone with my presentation.

I refused the surgical treatment suggested by my urologist. Based on the information the urologist provided I knew I was not in emanate danger of death or in danger of the cancer spreading outside of my prostate. I had already started my own alternative treatment regimen and I wanted to give these treatments time to prove their effectiveness. Also, by the time his testing was completed I had already received a second PSA test result that showed the PSA level had decreased approximately 50%. This reinforced my belief that my alternative treatment regimen was already working.

During my entire adult life I’ve had very little involvement with conventional medical services for my own personal health and medical matters. In fact, I did not have my own family doctor until 2017 when, at age 67, my new health insurance company required a physical examination by a family practitioner. It was my new family practitioner’s examination regimen which uncovered that my PSA level was significantly higher than normal. Upon learning that that I had a high PSA level I was immediately referred to a well-respected urologist.

For most of my personal life and all of my professional life I’ve been immersed in holistic and alternative health methods, spiritual development, and psychological healing modalities. As a licensed psychologist I have taught and counseled in many traditional and nontraditional settings and I always practiced what I preached. Fortunately, I’ve always enjoyed a very healthy lifestyle which is why it was not until age 67 that I became involved with conventional medical services to address my personal health needs.

Very quickly after receiving the report of my high PSA levels my normally pleasant life became disrupted emotionally and behaviorally. Even prior to the formal confirmation of having prostate cancer there were episodes of anxiety as a result of considering the possibility of having cancer and dying. There were also a host of emotional reactions that arose from being thrust so quickly and deeply into this unfamiliar world of traditional medicine.

Fortunately, I had the luxury of drawing on a long, successful personal history of intensive psychological processing and extensive spiritual development. Drawing on these resources, as well as a strong knowledge base in holistic healing practices, I developed my own treatment regimen which I started immediately after receiving the initial PSA report and have continued ever since with only minor modifications along the way.

Here is a list of the interventions I’ve utilized during the past seven months in respond to my high PSA and cancer diagnosis.

(1) Intensive psychological, emotional, and spiritual processing…especially related to anxiety and fear associated with past traumas, disease, and death. This process also helped transform unconscious, detrimental habits including a tendency to overly attach to my physical body and an inclination to resist full embodiment in the physical world. Above all, this intervention provided dynamic assistance in accessing and processing current and transcendent, multidimensional experiences that had powerful emotional roots deeply embedded in my consciousness.

This intervention included six months of two-hour, weekly meetings with a holistic psychiatrist/energy healer who integrated refined energy work with my psycho-spiritual processing. This person was able to routinely balance my meridians and chakras while providing a supportive environment for my psycho-spiritual, emotional processing. Quite honestly, I believe this has been the most helpful element of all my interventions. It has liberated me on many levels allowing me to flow more freely psychologically, spiritually, energetically, and physically. It has also provided a clearer understanding of the relevance and meaning of my entire health and medical situation.

(2) Hydrotherapy treatments (colonics) to cleanse/detoxify my colon and intestines…allowing better absorption of nourishment from food & treatment supplements. (Received 10 hydrotherapy treatments early in the treatment process)

(3) Lymphatic drainage massages. (weekly) These were directed at my entire body with special focus on my lower abdomen and groin areas.

(4) IV treatments of vitamin C, B complex, magnesium, and zinc. (weekly)

(5) CBD oil (10 mg/day) …made from hemp plant (does not include THC hallucinogens)

(6) Diet changes that consisted of the elimination of sugar, carbohydrates, red meat and dairy products.

(7) Many supplements taken daily – in liquid, pill and capsule forms. These supplements were meant to support the immune system, nourish the entire body and the prostate specifically, and to address the cancer cells in the prostate. (Feel free to contact me to receive a list of these supplements.)

(8) One prescription, compounded medicine (Naltrexone, one capsule/day) that addresses cancer cells.

(9) Daily prayer, meditation, and contemplative spiritual practices.

I’d be amiss not to mention that the loving support of my wife and several dear friends has undoubtedly been of great assistance during this entire experience. Bless his heart, my urologist was sincere, kind, and genuine in his efforts to educate, support, and treat me. In many ways his medical knowledge and expertise was helpful during this entire process. However, for many months he barely acknowledged my comments that I was participating in alternative methods of treatment. This provided a clear impression that he believed that a more radical, conventional, medical treatment option was clearly the best and most reasonable response to my situation.

Six months after my first biopsy I attended a urological consultation to review the results of my second biopsy. In this meeting my urologist reported that no malignant cells showed up in my recent biopsy and the inflamed areas of the prostate that appeared in the first biopsy were no longer inflamed. He emphasized that there were two suspicious areas which we need to keep an eye on. I entered this meeting sensing that my alternative treatment regimen had made significant progress in reducing or eliminating my cancer but this concrete evidence was very consoling to say the least.

My urologist seemed a bit perplexed by my improvement. He did not have much to say other than to agree to place me on active surveillance and to place surgery on hold. During this consult he did make a subtle, indirect concession regarding my alternative treatment regimen by stating that “I should continue doing what I am doing” and by acknowledging that “maybe my PSA levels do not fit the typical protocol and should be evaluated in a manner unique to my specific situation.”

In conclusion, there is ample research evidence showing that regular digital exams and PSA tests readily detect prostate problems in the early stages so to increase the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. My personal experience suggests that it is not advisable to rely on one PSA test for the basis of your treatment decisions for there are many factors that can create fluctuating PSA levels in the bloodstream. Furthermore, there are many different alternative as well as conventional treatment options that can provide a long and fulfilling life after a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Every person is different, each individual’s situation is unique, and no one treatment option is best for everyone. The alternative treatment options that are working for me may not be appealing or helpful to others.

Again, I want to emphasize how vital it was for me to address the psychological and spiritual elements associated with my health situation. Most people already understand the importance of addressing the myriad emotional reactions that arise in response to a threatening medical situation. I also want to stress the importance of examining our personal attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and hidden traumas about life, love, personal relationships, health, sexuality, God, illness, and death that have been present long before the arrival of a significant medical event like prostate cancer.

I firmly believe that our bodies are simply physical translations of the vibrational frequencies of our thoughts and feelings. That is, our bodies will manifest physically that which we think and feel. Therefore, it is imperative to uncover, process, and restructure all feelings and thoughts that are not aligned with compassion, respect, and acceptance of ourselves, our bodies, and other people. I wholeheartedly believe that our ongoing conscious and unconscious fears, judgments, and guilts are significant contributors to physical illness.

Effectively processing these elements of my life has been, by far, the most meaningful and fulfilling aspects of my journey. I am so pleased that I viewed my prostate situation as a psycho-spiritual event as well as a physical occurrence. As strange as this may sound, the incredible depth of psychological and spiritual relevance, meaning, and growth that I have encountered throughout this process has filled me with gratitude for the arrival of this entire episode with prostate cancer.

I’d strongly advise anyone diagnosed with prostate cancer to gather as much information as possible about prostate problems and the many treatment options, listen to everyone’s advice, pause, turn inward, be still, check your own internal instincts, and then come to your own conclusions. Above all, do not make any major decision until you feel a comfort and peace about your decision at all levels of your being. Remember, no one knows your life, your body, your health, your psychological characteristics, and your spiritual inclinations better than you.

After receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer it is normal to feel frightened, confused, angry, overwhelmed, and depressed. Know that there are many medical, psychological, and spiritual resources out there to help you. Take your time in making your decisions no matter how frightened, pressured, overwhelmed, and impatient you feel. Lastly, I invite you to feel free to contact me if you’d like pick my brain or if you simply desire support from someone who has experienced a prostate cancer diagnosis and is weathering the storm rather effectively.

Dr. James Strohl
Email: Jestrohl@aol.com
Websites: www.cpd3.com
www.JamesStrohl.com