24 | PROVIDENCE TOGETHER www.providence.org/together Integrative Medicine Yvonne Farrell settles into a recliner. For the next five hours, chemo will fill her veins through an intravenous needle. It will leave her nauseated, fatigued, achy and weak. But it will help to kill the colon cancer cells in her body. The 44-year-old mother of twins knows she needs every possible weapon to battle her disease. “I want the latest technology and drugs, but I am also relying on ancient medicine.” Farrell accompanies her semi-monthly chemo treatment with needles of a different sort – acupuncture. “I believe it’s a great idea to marry all types of medicines,” she says. > > > BY JEAN POWELL MARKS | PHOTOS BY RICK RAPPAPORT Weaving all the pieces together
Transcript
24 | PROVIDENCE TOGETHER www.providence.org/together
Integrative Medicine
Yvonne Farrell settles into a recliner.
For the next five hours, chemo will
fill her veins through an intravenous
needle. It will leave her nauseated,
fatigued, achy and weak. But it will help
to kill the colon cancer cells in her body.
The 44-year-old mother of twins knows
she needs every possible weapon to
battle her disease. “I want the latest
technology and drugs, but I am also
relying on ancient medicine.” Farrell
accompanies her semi-monthly chemo
treatment with needles of a different
sort – acupuncture. “I believe it’s a great
idea to marry all types of medicines,”
she says. > > >
By JEAn POWELL MARKS | PHOTOS By RICK RAPPAPORT
Weaving all the pieces together
www.providence.org/together
The Integrative Medicine Program at Providence Cancer Center strives to do just that – create the
perfect union among various scientifi-cally based medical approaches.
“We started slow because we wanted traditional care providers to see that it was based in science,” says Calvin Harrison, executive director of Providence Cancer Center. “Massage, acupuncture and naturopathy are important disciplines because these are the nontraditional ser-vices that seem to meet the needs of our patients most.”
Walter Urba, M.D., Ph.D, director of the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center in the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, supported the integrative medi-cine concept. Miles Hassell, M.D., an internist known as an advocate of food-based medicine, recognized the many advantages of integrative medicine.
“People in the community are using nonconventional approaches to their health care. We needed to respond to
Integrative Medicine
the demand and help educate patients on which therapies are helpful, and which are not,” says Dr. Hassell, director of the Integrative Medicine Program. “Good medicine is good medicine. If it’s good for the patient, it should be incor-porated into conventional care.”
Blending East and WestIt is late morning on a Wednesday. Loch Chandler, N.D., MSOM, L.Ac., stands in a small treatment room in the Integrative Medicine Clinic on the Providence Portland Medical Center campus. Everything about the room is intentional – the music, the light level, even the soft green on the walls. Dr. Chandler is a licensed acupuncturist and naturopathic doctor. He also has a master of science degree in Oriental medicine.
“The Chinese view the internal body as an environment. A shift in that envi-ronment means the body is no longer in balance,” says Dr. Chandler. He uses his needles to help restore balance to
By JEAn POWELL MARKS | PHOTOS By RICK RAPPAPORT
> > >
Weaving all the pieces together good medicine is good medicine. if it’s good for the patient, it should be incorporated into conventional care.
– MiLes hAsseLL, M.d.‘‘
‘‘yvonne Farrell (opposite page) begins an acupuncture treatment session to lessen the
side effects of chemotherapy. Loch Chandler, n.D., MSOM, L.Ac., (upper right) quickly
and gently inserts a series of needles in Farrell. Acupuncture is one of the complemen-
tary therapies offered by the Integrative Medicine program, which is designed to focus
on the patient, not the disease.
PROVIDENCE TOGETHER | 2�
2� | PROVIDENCE TOGETHER www.providence.org/together
Farrell in her fight against colon cancer. “We treat the person who has cancer. We don’t treat cancer.”
Dr. Chandler inserts the thin metal needles barely an eighth of an inch into Farrell’s skin, turns the lights low, and leaves her to rest, accompanied by Chinese instrumental music.
“I am so relaxed,” says a visibly peace-ful Farrell. “What I am trying to do with complementary medicine is to mini-mize chemotherapy side effects – and it’s working. I am halfway through six months of chemo and I am healthy apart from my cancer.” Farrell learned about the Integrative Medicine Program follow-ing her cancer surgery.
Her first appointment with Dr. Chandler lasted more than an hour. “I feel he got to know me as a person,” explains Farrell, “and understands the physical problems I am experiencing during my chemo.”
What impresses Farrell most is her naturopath/acupuncturist’s regular com-munication with her oncologist. All of her medical experts are on the same page. All are working harmoniously toward achiev-ing the best possible outcome.
Farrell has been given a 60 percent chance of beating colon cancer; that also means she has a 40 percent chance of not surviving. “I want to honor that side of the equation and be prepared also for death,” she says. “That involves a lot of reviewing of my life and a spiritual journey, which I am undertaking and find very satisfying. Dr. Chandler has been a great support to me throughout every aspect of my battle with cancer.”
Treating the whole person
The relationship between traditional and complementary medicine providers is key to the success of
the Integrative Medicine Program. Dr. Hassell believes that each professional must respect the work of the other, keep-ing the patient’s health at the forefront.
“I think it’s important to always address those things that will make patients healthier, not just to treat the acute prob-lem,” says Dr. Hassell. “What makes the greatest difference with most patients is
Under Dr. Hassell’s care, the mail carrier today controls his diabetes through diet and exercise – no insulin injections. He’s lost 65 pounds. “I credit Dr. Hassell with giving me the motivation and support to stay on track,” says Peterson.
Peterson and his wife converted from junk food to a natural-foods diet: fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken and turkey, fish oil and olive oil, and green tea.
Peterson praises Dr. Hassell’s approach. “Each visit, he gives me new goals – add another half hour of walking or add this vegetable. And the man calls us if we are sick. He is sincere and a man of faith. He understands there are many ways to help a person get well.”
to be constantly vigilant about a healthy diet and exercise. Unfortunately, there’s a tendency in traditional health care to reduce the emphasis that should be placed on this.”
John Peterson, 63, is living proof that Dr. Hassell’s philosophy works, and for more than those fighting cancer.
Peterson and his wife, Barbara, recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. They have two children and five grandchildren – the youngest is 2, and Peterson intends to watch that tod-dler grow up.
That aim wasn’t always realistic.Nine years ago, he was battling several
health issues, was newly diagnosed with diabetes and was 80 pounds overweight.
Miles Hassell, M.D. (left), joins John Peterson at a Portland Farmers Market abundant
with seasonal and organic fruits and vegetables. Dr. Hassell helps Peterson control his
diabetes through diet and exercise and without the aid of insulin.
Manipulative and body-based methods:methodsbasedonthemanipulationand/ormovementofoneormorepartsofthebody.Someexamplesarechiropracticorosteopathicmanipulationandmassage.Thevariousmethodscanhelpcontrolpain,easeanxietyandreduceswelling.
A year ago, Elizabeth Colligan’s life was a blur of choices and emotions. The then-32-year-old
mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. A month later, she delivered her second son. Nine days after that, she had a bilat-eral mastectomy. By late summer, she started chemotherapy and then radiation. In November, she added integrative medi-cine to her fight for survival and health.
Colligan’s first appointment with naturopathic doctor Ken Weizer, N.D., of Providence came when she was “in the throes of chemotherapy – I went to my first appointment a sobbing mess.”
Colligan appreciates Dr. Weizer’s holis-tic approach, which included nutritional advice, emotional support and referring her to massage to help with the side effects of radiation treatments.
“I want to help my patients be as healthy and happy as possible during their treat-ment,” explains Dr. Weizer. “I wanted to support Elizabeth physically, emotionally and spiritually as she fought her cancer.”
“Dr. Weizer helped us through a very difficult time,” says Colligan. “He was like a conductor in an orchestra. He was able to help me pull things together and survive, not just physically but also emotionally.”
After an intense year of battling cancer, Colligan’s attitude about life has changed. “I don’t worry as much. I find I have a lot more joy.”
In the world of integrative medicine, there is no such thing as one perfect solu-tion. Instead, there are many possibilities, many forms of relief, many opportunities for hope and optimal health. More mem-bers of the scientific community and their patients have come to think of it as the best of all worlds.
Dr. Loch Chandler’s father, a retired oncologist, likens Providence’s Integrative Medicine Program to what he calls “round-table medicine” – where all the experts gather to help the patient.
“Our mission in the Integrative Medicine Program is simple,” says Dr. Hassell. “We ask each patient, ‘How can we help?’” n
Integrative medicine:
a primer
While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us. – benJAMin Fr AnKLin
