What should I do when my mom refuses chemo for religious reasons?
Over labor day we received news that my mother had breast cancer, specifically invasive ductal carcinomas, She was very proactive in checking herself and they were able to catch it in Stage 1. My mom has been doing endless research about treatments and did a complete 180 in the way she eats, She has also visited doctors who told her she would need surgery to remove the lumps and might need to do chemo depending on if it spread. It was upon this that she told us that she refused chemo saying that its going to do more harm and she doesn't want that 'poison' in her body. Instead she is doing this alkaline water treatment and keeps saying God will heal her. We are a strong Christian family but I've always been more of the type who understands the role of medicine and people's skills in healing disease and sickness. She has talked to several doctors who keep telling her that her change in diet is good but she might have to do more and they don't support doing an all natural treatment despite getting the same opinion from multiple doctors she keeps saying she is going to find a doctor who supports her decision and if it doesn't work and she dies in five years then it was God's will.
I feel very lost and upset. I want to support my mom and show her my love but I am having a very difficult time with her choice. I know its her body but I am scared that she is going to be spending all this time trusting on a cure that isn't proven and one that I'm having difficulty finding scientific proof that it works. Right now the cancer is treatable but I fear she will waste so much time on this and then it won't work and she will progress further and it will be too late.
I know this is coming out of purse selfishness of not wanting to lose her but I don't want to see her go through the pain of dying from this terrible disease because she didn't want to take a treatment. I believe God is capable of wonderful things and can heal but its a huge gamble to make with her life. My sister and I have expressed to her separately and together how we feel about this. I am just frustrated and scared and I don't know what to do. I'm just looking for some advise on how to deal with this.
Thank you for listening.