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Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 9:57 am
Quote:Miss Bryant, who has had open-heart surgery twice and undergone 360 hours of chemotherapy, was told she was in remission in September.
But when the cancer came back it had spread to her lungs.
"They said there were between 60 and 70 tumours throughout the lungs so it was therefore inoperable," Miss Bryant said.
She has now altered her diet and is trying treatments including vitamin C therapy, reflexology, aromatherapy and acupuncture, alongside further chemotherapy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18378735
Apparently a load of celebrities are supporting her. Is this kind of false hope good, or is it dangerous and prone to breeding more science denialism? At least she's still having chemotherapy, but I doubt that treatment will get any praise if she does eventually recover...
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 10:23 am
I don't really think it's 'science denialism'.
I think in her situation you can hardly blame her for trying everything she can to try and cure herself. Even if some of the things she tries aren't scientifically proven, she has nothing more to lose by trying all that stuff.
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 10:30 am
I don't blame her for trying. If I was in her situation I would put up a hell of a fight. Even with the knowledge of how grim the situation is.
She probably does understand the situation but refuses to give up. Personally I find that simply amazing. The fact that she'll still give it her all. I admire her determinism and sheer will to fight it.
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 10:43 am
Quote:alongside further chemotherapy.
I think that is the key phrase there. Might as well try everything if it isn't going to hurt anything.
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 11:02 am
Yeah, its not science denialism. What can happen is that if somehow she gets cured there will be a shitload of religionist vultures preying on the lack of explanation on how it happened just to get a few more $$$ on the collection basket. That's what they do, they feed on people's desperation.
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 11:06 am
Whether she succeeds in proving the doctors right or wrong, the result will still be the same.
She, like all of us, will eventually die without exception.
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 11:06 am
As long as she isn't giving up her regular treatment for hokum, I say more power to her. Try whatever you can. It's when they forego the regular treatment that's a problem. I heard that in Steve Job's biography he said that if he hadn't opted to refuse surgery for homeopathic methods that he would most likely still be alive. While he couldn't be for certain that he would actually still be alive, I think he could be quite certain that he would have at least had a fighting chance.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 8:26 pm
(This post was last modified: June 9, 2012 at 8:28 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Whilst we can understand why a person might "try everything" when faced with death, that doesn't make it acceptable for the providers of these "alternative treatments" to bilk the dying for what little might remain as they shuffle out the door.
Its almost as if the scams aren't so bad so long a a dying woman feels better about dying. Hows about we hand her some fucking heroine? The money goes to bastards either way and she feels better.
(also, in defence of the heroine alternative...the dealer is selling an actual product....)
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 9, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Quote:Is this kind of false hope good, or is it dangerous and prone to breeding more science denialism
As she is continuing with traditional medicine,her behaviour seems more desperation, perhaps backed by the sensible notion of doing SOMETHING,as long as it does no harm.
Perhaps in denial about the severity her illness? Perfectly understandable. Nor can I see anything wrong with any kind of hope in such circumstances. Who am I to insist a person MUST face their imminent death?
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RE: Science Denialism or False Hope?
June 10, 2012 at 2:59 am
(This post was last modified: June 10, 2012 at 3:01 am by KichigaiNeko.)
Read something like this yesterday 
For a 29 year old (as she has stated in the article) the news is devastating and she is young enough to say "Fuck this for a joke I'm going to try everything!" or at least that is the impression I get ....
All power to her, reflexology, aromatherapy, and acupuncture are all geared to pain relief and relaxation; it is hoped that she will be in a calm enough state to give the chemo-therapy a chance to work? The vitamin therapy would probably be of benefit as most chemo-therapy I have heard about reduces the patients food intake with some alarming consequences?
Most patients will "try anything" to hang on to life, as the article link I have posted implies. As Welsh has noted..we ALL will die of something.
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