Traditional medicine cures cancer
Traditional medicine cures cancer
JAKARTA (JP): Ten years ago, a doctor told Risma Abednego that she had cancer. The doctor said she need a hysterectomy because there was no other way to cure the disease. But Risma refused to undergo the operation.
"I was scared," Risma, 38, told The Jakarta Post recently.
Her mother-in-law, upon reading a magazine article about a traditional healer who was able to cure cancer, suggested that Risma gave it a try. Risma agreed and immediately went to see healer Soetijono Darsosentono in Yogyakarta, where he practices.
Soetijono gave her traditional medicine made of dried benalu (Loranthes sp.) and tapak dara (Catharanthus roseus, Vinca rosea or Lonchnera rosea) leaves, which must be cooked with water. He also told the patient to boil daun sirih (betel leaves) and drink the water.
After nine months, she saw her medical doctor and was told that her condition was getting much better.
"After a year and a half, the doctor said I was totally cured," she said.
She fell pregnant in 1993 and the baby was born without a problem.
The 38-year-old Risma is now healthy and happy. She lives in South Jakarta with her husband, a pilot, and their three children.
Cancer is one of the most frightening diseases. It is incurable and treating it is quite costly.
The number of people with cancer has dramatically increased in the past few years. Every year there are more than 190,000 new cancer patients in Indonesia. It ranked the sixth major fatal disease in 1992, up from 12th place in 1986.
Even though Risma is now free of cancer, she still takes the traditional herbs to keep her healthy. It is recommended that patients who have cancer of the uterus take the concoction everyday for five years, even though they have been cured. Those with breast cancer are told to drink it for 15 years, according to Risma.
As she has been sold on the effectiveness of traditional herbs, Risma did not mind when Soetijono asked her to become an agent for the herbs. One bag of dried benalu and tapak dara leaves cost Rp 3,000 (US$1.30). She does not sell daun sirih as it can easily be found in many places.
A patient should boil two bags of the leaves at once, but the leaves can be re-boiled for the next two days' use.
"Sometimes I can sell up to 100 bags a month, but sometimes only 10 bags," she said.
She is also on a strict diet. She does not eat seafood, lamb, food which is sour, spicy food, instant food or preserved food.
Her husband and their children follow her footsteps as they are sure of the benefit of the diet.
"We eat a lot of tofu and tempeh," she said.
The herbs and the diet alone, however, will not work.
"Ask God to help," Risma said.(sim)