What is it that makes a case unusual? Is it, as the homoeopaths say, symptoms that are strange, rare and peculiar? Is it that our exceptionally erudite and effective treatment leads to a rapid and swift recovery?

I reflected on this after being asked to write this article. I often think that other practitioners have much more unusual cases than myself or I suspect that their treatments are more remarkably effective. We find many ways to validate our practice, be it through asking others how many patients they are treating, how much others charge or how many seminars and journals do others read. We then compare ourselves with others to see how effective (or not) we think we are. Here in West Cork the question is, “How much land do you have” when meeting someone to find out where they fit in the social structure.

However, it may be useful to consider that all cases are unusual in the sense that all our patients are individuals with their own specific patterns that need an individualised approach. This is the challenge of medical practice whatever method of treatment we use. I am constantly amazed at the courage and fortitude of people in their search for health and the relief of suffering. This, I feel, is what truly makes an unusual case.

Some years ago, a woman of 80 years came for treatment after having a biopsy of a breast lump some 4 weeks previously. This had been diagnosed as cancer of the breast and she was put on tamoxifen treatment. The intention was to see if the tumour responded to the tamoxifen. She had little in the way of symptoms with urination twice each night, loin pain and dragging feelings in her lower abdomen from time to time that was worse for the tamoxifen.

Her past medical history revealed that she had had polymyalgia rheumatica treated with high dose corticosteroids from 1969 to 1984.

Her tongue was pale, dry with lots of central cracks. Her pulse was thin at the Liver and Kidney Yin positions. I made a diagnosis of longstanding Yin and Blood Deficiency and treated her with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

I decided my treatment principle would focus on tonifying and nourishing Blood and Yin as this was the underlying imbalance and rectifying this would be the best option for her long-term health. In addition, tamoxifen leads to Blood and Yin Deficiency as evidenced by its side effects of flushes, feelings of heat, night sweats and restless legs.

Essentially, I treated her over the ensuring months with a Rehmannia Six variation. The basic formula is:

Shu Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae 24 g
Shan Yao Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae 12 g
Shan Zhu Yu Fructus Corni Officinalis 12 g
Mu Dan Pi Cortex Moutan Radicis 9 g
Fu Ling Sclerotium Poriae Cocos 9 g
Ze Xie Rhizoma Alismatis Plantago-aquaticae 6 g

At times I would add

Dang Gui Radix Angelicae Sinensis 6 g
Bai Shao Yao Radix Paeoniae Lactiflorae 9 g

to nourish Blood

In addition, we discussed diet and I encouraged her to continue with her regular breathing meditation practice that she had been pursuing for some years. I also discussed visualisation with her.  I find that a combination of dietary treatment, Chinese medicine and meditation with visualisation to be very effective in the treatment of cancer. During a relaxation session, she would specifically visualise the lump and use mental imagery to heal and remove it. There are considered to be 2 golden rules when following a visualisation practice – do it daily and remove all of the disease by the end of the visualisation. She took to this very naturally and practiced regularly and daily.

A useful aspect of a visualisation practice is to draw what you are visualising. In this way, such images make concrete form and so seem much more real and the images that are drawn can give you insights into its effectiveness. Small changes to the visualisation can have dramatic effects in its effectiveness. Over the next 2 years she gave me 3 drawings –  at 2 months, 4 months and 11 months after first coming for treatment. 

They showed that there was an initial darkness and heaviness in the images but soon changed into much brighter colours and it was clear with later images that she was able to dissolve the tumour completely during the visualisation process.

She came for treatment for a total of 2 years. Two months after beginning treatment, she noticed that the lump in her breast reduced in size (it diminished by 1 mm. on mammography) and she felt generally better in herself. She continued her treatment over the ensuing months. However, the most striking event during treatment was at the hospital clinic some 21 months after her initial visit to me. A doctor saw her and said that the lump in her breast was larger and that she would need a mastectomy. Another appointment was made to see the consultant within 2 weeks.

Both the patient and myself felt that the lump was, if anything, reducing in size and, in any case, she felt very well and was planning a trip to Canada to see her family. Remember that she is now aged 81 years. She went back to see the consultant who told her that the lump was about the same size and that she needed no surgery.

In such a situation, most people would have been swept along by the tidal wave that engulfs them (and the medical staff) and lost their sense of what was important. This woman was remarkably equable and was quite clear that she would not consider a mastectomy, that her health was improving and that she was doing what was right for her. She left to go to Canada and spent 3 months there travelling around and visiting relations.

I felt privileged to be able to offer support in her chosen path of healing. This case confirmed for me the value of supportive treatment that Chinese medicine offers and also the importance of developing mental stability through meditation.