As a cancer survivor, I truly believe in our right to choose the type of healthcare that suits us best, whether it's conventional or natural/holistic. After all, we're the ones paying the high cost of health insurance, are we not?

In 2004, at the age of 38, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Prior to this, my health had been drastically deteriorating. I had been living on one medication after another and was told I would be on Synthroid for the rest of my life. Back then I would joke and proudly proclaim that I practically lived at my doctor's office. When my daughter was a little I left nothing to chance. I called her pediatrician for every sniffle. I trusted in medicine and doctors.

Conventional medicine often focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases using pharmaceuticals, surgery, and other medical interventions. In contrast, holistic medicine aims to address the whole person, considering physical, emotional, social, and spiritual factors that may contribute to health and illness. This approach may involve lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, supplements, chiropractic care, and other complementary therapies.

Conventional medical treatments, particularly experimental, advanced procedures and pharmaceuticals, can be expensive and may not be accessible to everyone, especially in certain healthcare systems and oftentimes depending on various factors including their age. Holistic approaches may offer more affordable options and emphasize self-care practices that individuals can incorporate into their daily lives.

When doctors say there's nothing more they can do, they're often speaking from their training in modern medicine. But just because they're out of options doesn't mean there aren't other avenues worth exploring. Holistic medicine has been making a difference for centuries, addressing health issues at their roots rather than just treating symptoms with medications and surgeries.

Holistic doctors focus on getting to the core of the problem, while medical doctors are trained to manage symptoms. This fundamental difference can offer new hope and healing opportunities for many.

Moreover, embracing holistic approaches often leads to healthier lifestyle choices, which could mean lower healthcare costs in the long run. It's high time modern medicine, science, the government, and insurance companies recognized the value of holistic care and included it in their coverage.

Let's unite our voices by signing and sharing this petition to urge our government to acknowledge the importance of holistic medicine in our healthcare system. Together, we can make a difference! And personally, I used to be skeptical about holistic healthcare until I experienced its benefits firsthand (for the last 19 years and counting).