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May 27, 2009 6:08 pm US/Central
Alt. Medicine Will Be Part Of Hauser's Treatment
(WCCO)
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Daniel Hauser was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in January.
AP
Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old boy with cancer has practically become a household name in recent weeks. After a week on the run with his mom, a judge ordered the Hauser's to treat Daniel's Hodgkin's Lymphoma with chemotherapy.
In court Tuesday, Daniel's attorney said the boy wanted to incorporate alternative healing methods along with his chemotherapy.
Daniel was in Minneapolis Wednesday for an appointment at Minneapolis Children's Hospital, where he will begin chemo on Thursday.
The hospital has the oldest and one of the largest pediatric alternative medicine programs in the nation.
Cody Saurdiff, a 16-year-old cancer patient, gets regular massages when he visits the cancer ward.
Massages are offered to every cancer patient -- something that is also offered to every cancer patient at Children's Hospital.
Saurdiff said they help him deal with the pain.
"They're just extremely relaxing for all the other stuff you have to go through with chemo, just the horrible feelings. The massages feel like an angel rubbing you," said Saurdiff.
He is less enthusiastic about the aromatherapy he was offered.
"Not for me," Saurdiff said, "I wasn't into the scents as much."
Cancer Specialist Dr. Susan Sencer said that's the point -- patients are powerless over so much, but with alternative treatments, its the child and the family that can choose what they want.
"For a child to be able to take some control over his or her own symptoms and how to control that is really great," Sencer said.
The array of options include a pen that has a massage tool at the top, to pressured wrist bands that relieve nausea, to a strip that measure the temperature of a patient's hand in order to determine stress levels and bio feedback is then used to reduce stress.
"A common one that we use is favorite place imagery. So have them imagine going to their favorite place -- for some that's a beach, for some its a water park," said Nurse Practitioner Michelle Berg.
Daniel will be offered all of these tools, and like Cody, he can decide which ones he wants.
Daniel can't make a choice when it comes to the chemo, the judge's court order said Daniel must go through with chemotherapy.
The judge has ordered the Hausers back to court in 30 days to hear how Daniel's treatment is going.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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