More on alternative treatments

As most of you [should] know, I'm not a fan of vitamins, supplements or anything supposedly designed to boost your immune system. I think they're a scam (and I know about scams), but even if you could boost your immune system, why would you want to? An over active immune system can cause just as much harm as one that is malfunctioning. Even more simply put, an over active (boosted) immune system is a malfunctioning immune system.

Still just my saying so, hasn't stopped [no matter how hard I try] the plethora of products on the market (with new ones coming every day), nor the people naive enough, IMO, to use them.

Here's an example of a post, from a member of the NHL message board, I found today of particular note. It even includes a new remedy I hadn't heard of before.

I have followed a mainly macrobiotic or raw food diet, always organic, for over 20 years.  I rarely had a mere sniffle during that time, so I do believe diet is protective of our health (but darn it--it apparently doesn't prevent NHL).

What I find truly amazing here is, this person actually recognizes their "macrobiotic or raw food diet" didn't prevent them from contracting NHL, but still believes it's "protective of our health". I wonder if they ever considered it was the "macrobiotic or raw food diet" which actually caused them to contract NHL?

I do however concur that diet does play an important role in our health. I just don't believe you need to go to extremes. A well balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and proteins is all anyone should ever need.

But there's more,

..... last year, while I was receiving Rituxan, I began to take extra measures to protect myself from all those H1N1 and other flu bugs flying around.  Everyday I add essential oil (tea tree, anise seed, and soon to be oregano) to a pan of boiling water and breathe the vapor for 3-4 minutes.  This is suppose to help kills germ and fungus that have been living in the sinuses for God only knows how long.  When I fly, I load up on that AirBorne, and apply a little Bacitracin to the inside edges of my nostrils.  I hand sanitize like crazy.  These precautions have protected me "from the onslaught of inconsiderate coughers and sneezers on the plane" that don't cover their mouths!

[And BTW] -- I did get a flu shot last November, but I did not get the H1N1.

At least this person recognizes the necessity of cleaning their hands often, but Bacitracin? Bacitracin is an antibiotic used to treat or prevent a skin infection. It's not going to protect you from getting sick. Besides why wouldn't you use Neosporin which has two other antibiotics, and provides 3 times the [non] protection.

I won't even comment on "the essential oil (tea tree, anise seed, and soon to be oregano)". Oregano??? Give me a break, besides, it was the flu shot that likely did more to prevent getting the flu than any of those other remedies.

As far as Airborne or other supposed remedies protecting you "from the onslaught of inconsiderate coughers and sneezers on [a] plane," I say hogwash. While obviously if someone coughs directly on you, that would be a problem (that would be a problem on the ground as well), in reality the air in a aircraft is recirculated every 2 to 3 minutes, and makes traveling on a plane a much healthier experience than sitting on a train, in a movie theater or even in your own home. If someone gets sick after flying, it wasn't from the air on the aircraft.

And now here's the kicker.

Re: the manuka honey, I take a heaping teaspoon first thing every morning before I eat anything.  It is the raw, organic 15+ from New Zealand.  Heating this honey destroys its antibiotic power, so you definitely want the raw honey.  However, I might be a little frightened to use it if my immunity was very low.  It's kind of an "oxymoronish" situation-- where raw indicates that something could harbor germs --  yet boiling away the supposed germs would void the antibiotic power of the honey!  Let the doctor decide this one, especially if you are currently on chemo.

Well, let me tell you this, if you have NHL, you have a reduced (compromised) immune system, so that's one good reason for not taking it. And what the heck is Manuka honey anyways? I couldn't find anything even on the internet touting it's benefits. Maybe because it's from New Zealand it must be good. And why would you be concerned with eating raw honey, and not a "macrobiotic or [organic] raw food diet"? Organic doesn't mean germ free!

It continues to boggle my mind how some people can be so gullible. People only hear what they want to hear. The problem is too often what they hear and the truth are two different things. But I guess when you're grasping at straws, the concepts of truth and logic go out the window.

Just my opinion!