A thought on doctors
I don't go to doctors. I treat myself - when I get sick or injured, I get well. It I had a serious emergency the required surgery or something, I would though. But it occurs to me that the word "doctor" comes from the Latin, "doctus". Doctus does not mean healer or physician. It refers to a teacher. I think health care would be much better if we asked, is my doctor a good teacher? Does he or she talk about preventing illness or explain the treatment prescribed? If he learning after medical school, or just throwing antibiotics or what ever new drug the pretty, young pharmaceutical rep is pushing that month, at problems? Can he answer the question of "why"? If not, maybe we need to find better "doctors".
Comments
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It's so frustrating! I'd not been in over 10 years, but when I lost vision in one eye, I went to the optometrist to find out why. My blood pressure was really high, causing a clot that killed the blood supply to my optic nerve. I needed to get on some blood pressure meds before my good eye was affected.
Oh my goodness. I chose a nurse practitioner, thinking it would go better than with an MD. I had to argue and finally simply refuse cholesterol meds (my level is about 50 points over "normal", but I eat a lot of healthy fats and think those drugs are poison). Then I had to refuse meds and/or therapy for my "depression". I told her I thought that a bit of depression was a good and expected response to losing half my vision. Never mind that I learned on my own that covering my bad eye made me way less tired, dizzy, and frustrated - the very symptoms of depression that I supposedly needed treatment for.
They make me go in every 6 months for blood work in order to stay on the blood pressure pills. All my values are great, except the cholesterol. My blood pressure is OK - not great, but no longer dangerous. Now they are insisting on a separate "wellness check", which I'm sure will involve my refusing more tests, more pills, and more unnecessary interventions because they just check boxes and accept that the algorithm they get is the treatment plan I should follow. No teaching involved, except to parrot the conventional offerings.
I expect that I will get the dreaded "uncooperative patient" label.
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@Mary Linda Bittle We have fought that same battle so many times in my family.... that is why I avoid doctors now.... arrogance, myopic understanding and malpractice. The only answer I have is the Joel Salatin model of the informed consumer changing the market through conscious choices. We are so far away from that though.... further than in previous generations due to so many factors of education, culture and marketing. If/when the change comes, we'll be long gone.
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@Mary Linda Bittle You already have that label and so they will push you even more. I have it too and renewed it every time I went in. 🙄 You are a strong, well educated force, and they can see it. They don't like our type.
You will be aware of herbs that can be used to keep your blood pressure regulated. Have you tried any in particular? I would see what could be done so that they won't keep hassling you over the blood tests. If you are on meds already...Guido Mase just had a webinar on heart health (it was SO VERY informative) and will be holding online classes soon. I wish that I could attend, but the funds aren't available. One thing he said one could start with was 2 tsp of hawthorn jelly/day and monitor changes through the blood tests. Past that, I would have to look at my notes.
@judsoncarroll4 They are not there to teach, but to deal drugs. In certain emergencies they can be good, but usually, they are just the middlemen doing the dirty work. That is why they are highly paid.
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Thank the Good Lord @Mary Linda Bittle for sticking to your guns: ie Following... your Innate wisdom/your Good sense, that God Blessed each of us with. - Also do Learn how to get your BP into a health range, so you can Stop the BP-pills. I wish you well friend. 🙂 My BP remains around 100/60. And I take NO meds whatsoever.
In fact, Not just because of how I was Raised... - but after spending forty years working in the ama's Concentration camps, before falling a FORCED victim ten years ago w/ 4 yrs. complications, Again I totally refuse "to have a PCP" (primary care provider) ". Instead of their d..... prevention/Discovery,
Again I live true, & safe & real & dependable prevention, a totally different Paradigm...
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PS. @Mary Linda Bittle My mom used to get very nervous when she would go to doctors. SO, her blood pressure always showed as high. It wasn't though, when she was home. SO she started popping a couple of valerian capsules before going to the doctor and that lowered her blood pressure. I'm not giving advice, but thought you might be interested in that anecdote.
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@judsoncarroll4 - Awesome. 🙂
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I've used herbs to help moderate my blood pressure. Hawthorn, garlic, linden, and I use magnesium. They help, but I still get spikes when I'm unusually stressed. I have agreed to take a cheap, old fashioned diuretic, mostly because it keeps my legs from swelling when I'm on my feet all day. I inherited my grandmother's varicose veins, and did some damage to my right lower leg when I was 20. That, and I'm really afraid of losing my good eye.
Herbs to help with stress are useful to me as well. I seem to have a special affinity for wild rose, and for lemon balm and chamomile. I think once I'm able to drop the custodian job (physical stress) and level out the mental stress (as if that EVER happens), I can maintain a decent B/P without drugs.
I am following K. P. Khalsa's recommendations for both heart health and high blood pressure. I learned about him from Learning Herbs and Herb Mentor. There's a lot about Ayurvedic medicine that I like. https://internationalintegrative.com/about/kp-khalsa/
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For quick only Symptomatic relief for "swollen legs" you can wear TED-hose, in various strengths.
For restoring any tissue -strength & flexibility, have you tried Collagen ? - Collagen is found in every mammal, & is a member of a family of naturally occurring Structural proteins.. The word collagen comes from the Greek word kólla, which means glue, & making up like 1/3 of our body, it is one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, corneas and teeth. It provides tendons and ligaments with tensile strength, and skin with elasticity, often in conjunction with other important proteins such as keratin and elastin.
Collagen synthesis of 28 different types happens constantly in our body, in specialized cells called fibroblasts & started mainly by 2 amino acids: glycine & proline, plus you need enough vitamin C.
So what happens when after our prime (starting age 40, or sooner) - we Stop making enough collagen ? - Then you get wrinkled & saggy skin, including therefore also Varicose veins, & hemmorhoids. Lowered collagen production also means weaker cartilage in your knees Iow, these conditions are Not "inherited". People only say that because they lack enough awareness, in this case re Collagen. Learn more here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen#section3
& https://www.humann.com/nutrition/different-types-of-collagen/#section2
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I love collagen..... Head Cheese!!!!!!!!!!! Aspics are good... but give me a pig's head cooked down with onions and spices and a bit of vinegar.... congealed..... oh my! And, trotters... simply roasted or pickled... yum!
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My MIL drinks pickle juice. Valerian would most likely be a better choice and easier to swallow, so to speak.
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@Mary Linda Bittle I have great respect for K. P. Khalsa. His information is spot on.
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@judsoncarroll4 okay that was hilarious.
But far too many Americans needlessly suffer from arthritis, hemorrhoids, joint & knee replacements, osteo-arthritis, varicose veins & endless /1000 other despicable conditions, - all such beg this question: how many actually read the best sources of various COLLAGEN types that I posted previously - 1?, 4?, dare one ask 8? or more? https://www.humann.com/nutrition/different-types-of-collagen/#section2
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Well then @rainbow , I shall.
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@Mary Linda Bittle When I was 10 years old, my mother had varicose veins so bad, every time she stood up, veins in her feet and legs would break. So, she was bed-ridden until a neighbor heard about it and brought her some reading material. The first book she read was about Folk Medicine and talked about using apple cider vinegar to strengthen the blood vessel walls and get rid of cholesterol buildups. So, she started drinking 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of honey in an 8 oz. glass of very warm water 2-3 times a day. In less than a week, she was able to get out of bed without any veins breaking. That was the beginning of her journey (and mine, respectively) into natural medicines and healthy eating.
For bringing down high blood pressure, my qigong sensei taught us to eat 6 stalks of organic celery a day.
Also, here are some excerpts from some of my health notes:
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Stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol:
Ginkgo Biloba - helps to recover from stroke. Helps brain cells to heal. Ginkgo increases the body's production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound that is the main source of energy at the cellular level. This activity has been shown to boost the brain's metabolism of glucose for energy and to increase its electrical activity. Prevents platelet aggregation inside arterial walls to keep plaque from forming.
Use anywhere between 120 to 600 milligrams of the extract daily to boost brain function. If you want to use this supplement, start at a low dose first (120 milligrams) and then gradually increase it. It's said that it takes anywhere between four to six weeks before improvements are noticeable. Do not use if taking blood-thinning medications.
Hawthorn - used with Ginkgo biloba, improves blood circulation which also can increase oxygen to brain. An herbal tea of hawthorn is said to calm your nerves and induce sleep, especially when used with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and St. Johns wort.
Recommended dosages of hawthorn are typically 160 to 900 milligrams two or three times a day. You can also use it as an herbal tea from 4 to 5 grams of the dried berries or 1 to 2 grams of the dried leaves and flowers. Liquid extracts are also available, with recommended dosages of 20 to 30 drops in a small glass of water.
Blood Thinner:
Pycnogenol - 100mg Pycnogenol (maritime pine bark extract) does a better job of blood thinning than 500mg of aspirin and without any side effects. Doesn't cause free-bleeding either.
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Just suggestions. Hopefully there is something here that can help you too.
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My mom went to a lung specialist about a week before she died. She wanted to be checked out because she was getting out of breath. She told me later how much she enjoyed his personality.
After the funeral, I found out from my aunt (who was with mom at the appointment) that my mom had a 196/90 blood pressure reading at the start of the lung appointment. She also had pain in both arms. My aunt questioned such a high blood pressure reading, saying that was abnormal for mom. The doctor said that they would take another reading at the end of the appointment. The later reading was 176/80.
The doctor set up another appointment and let mom leave. Criminal incompetence!
The nurse at the ICU told family that the final outcome would have occurred anyway due to heavy heart damage from Mom's numerous cancer radiation treatments. The difference would have been those from out of town could have visited with her before her passing.
My outlook on doctors: use them when you need them. Trust but verify.
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@shllnzl - I am very sorry that your mother was another victim of criminal medical malpractice.
re "Trust, but verify": Um, In 1847 the entire ama-scheme was corrupted. Their sole aim at their inception/beginning then was Growing... business, to make evermore $$. - That's when they sold their soul.
That was totally covered up, as then multiple generations... of children were raised with the brainwashing... that "Doctor knows best" - Grrrrrrr !! - Those kids grew to become doctors, & 'therapists', & 'specialists', & parents, & schoolteachers & other religious preachers, & politicians in the West - AND that nefarious cycle has now been repeated so often, that during the past 170 some years increasingly the vast majority of people have LOST the ability to 'verify' anything, let alone in medicine.
The AMA thinks nothing of taking a Well & Healthy person, & turn them into a "patient". How? - Principally by telling bold-faced lies..., often by telling the unsuspecting person something on the order of YOU HAVE CANCER ! (whether or not the person actually does). - Sure, increasing numbers of people ARE falling from cancering (a verb, an action), - but the very word CANCER immediately FREAKS most out, so people become putty, for the ama to do with as they want. ((but the very astute, who know how to Intelligently & rationally respond, like I posted here https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/852020#Comment_852020)).
@shllnzl - handed that corrupt history, how do you think that most people stand a chance to even Intelligently & rationally respond with "Trust, but verify".-- when in all actuality the REAL question is: given that criminal history, How can you "trust" the AMA in the first place ??
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@rainbow My mom had absolute trust in her doctors. Some of them were good, all of them neglected to keep her informed re: damage to her heart (presumably they knew from all of the tests they ran.)
I was caught in the medical trap with my stage 0 breast cancer. I now know, AFTER aggressive treatment, that those cells may never have turned cancerous. I have educated myself and have been avoiding doctors since.
I will have to break down eventually and get a wellness check, complete with current status on thyroid nodules. Sigh.
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Another comment: I have witnessed with my mom and other elderly people that doctors DO NOT LISTEN to the elderly! Doctors tend to disregard or downgrade what they are being told by these elderly patients.
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@shllnzl & really many of TGN us - Both true, & not. - It depends on What, & How you present yourself. Case in point:
1.NOT listened = "Fractures can be remodeled, even IF person ages, so long as the person does the right things."
2.LISTENED = "the Leukemia vehemently diagnosed, I Proved after 4 months, that I self-Healed". They called it a miracle, & this shut them up !! 🤗
3.LISTENED = "the Swiss-cheese you called my DEXA bone-density, well after Iceskating 4x/week now my bone-Density is normal" They called this a miracle too, & this shut them up !! 🤗 The ama has NO defense against people who Accept responsibility for their own health. But anyone weak, they will prey... on, until they are dead. And that is the awful truth.
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I myself have recently started using modern day doctors since I was a kid due to illness. I ended up with a extreme case of pneumonia in January 2017. Actually my husband was told on 3 separate occasions and by 2 separate doctors that I might not make it. I lost my gallbladder and then my appendix bursted and it was gone too. I finally started to get better by April of 2017 i started to feel normal by May I was completely out of whack with myself. Started gaining weight and my eating hadn’t changed. I couldn't stay awake all day, if I didn’t nap around noon for at least 2 hours I couldn’t function to stay awake with my children of an evening. That went on till September when I had put on a total of 75 pounds and struggled to focus stay awake have any energy to complete even the smallest task. Depression was starting to set in and I was drowning in pain felt like my ankles were breaking and that I was gonna keep walking while my feet and ankles stayed behind. Severe pain in the heels of my feet and the tendon around my ankles. A cyst popped up in my wrist my hand started to twist and turn painfully. My elbow and forearm swelled with pain. This weird rash started to pop up here there and all over. My back had so much inflammation on it the brought in a chiropractor to adjust me at the hospital (which no one around here had ever seen or heard of that being done before) they stated that with out the initial adjustment and folkow ups for 6 months that the inflammation was going to shove my brain stem upward into the base of my brain. Longer story short my pneumonia and the antibiotics they used to treat it caused severe consequences to my body and my health. I now have Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves disease as well. I show that I carry both antibodies. I was then diagnosed with uveitis of the eyes only to go on and find out the rash was psoriasis soon followed by psoriatic arthritis carpal tunnel Ankylosing spondylitis and now possible liver issues on top of it all caused by meds to treat everything else. I have found an amazing functional medicine doctor in my town even. She is helping me to get back to myself and off all the meds slowly. She is working with my PCP so I can still get modern testing and scans emg’s etc and be able to bill my insurance instead of all out of pocket cost. Im slowly healing and getting back to myself. So as for modern day docs fir me and mine I say heck NO!!!! I use what the good lord intended with the aid of some with more knowledge to help lead teach and guide the way all while doing my own research. If I can share anything with anyone about my experiences do your due diligence education is key to all.
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Unfortunately i broke my finger a week ago. Finally will get surgery to pin it 11 days later. I've been to pre op now and was frankly little concerned as to how I would be treated since I stopped all their meds and protocols that were making me ill. Have not seen a doctor for several years.
When asked if I was on a special diet I replied I was on a clean diet. With a blank look on her face she said "I have no idea what you are talking about". I said, we grow our own vegetables and meat, shop the perimeter of the store and eat no processed foods. And I'm gluten and corn free. Could almost see the eye roll! Interestingly when she escorted me out she asked if I canned my own food. I added that I also ferment lots too. She leaned in close and said,"Makes you wonder what they put in our food."
The pharmacist interview was fun. She was very interested in the herbs and supplements I'm taking and we had a great conversation. She said I was inspiration to her and very unusual to see a person at my age looking so great! I came away feeling like seeds were planted for their lives. Also with the thought that many are caught in a profession that has gotten out of control on them. They have no choice but to follow methods they may not agree with. I think gradually people are getting wiser and starting to demand more natural treatments.
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@soeasytocraft Good for you re 'educating' medical employees. - I worked in medicine for 40 years, & did what you do also with 1000's of people. It was 1 of 2 ways to survive that establishment. - The other way I helped was by helping people self-Heal.
When in the garden my left wrist sustained three fractures (actually the ER fractured a 4th bone), I refused the surgeon's hardware (posts & screws, etc), because as small-boned, were I to fall on all that hardware while Iceskating..., they would most likely need to amputate at the elbow, & I was not having that. The surgeon was so egotistically outraged by my refusal, that he casted my wrist out of Alignment "to teach you a lesson". - For 5 years I've ignored the resulting pain.
But that is not you, and I wish you a speedy Recovery 🙂
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@judsoncarroll4 Thank you for sharing. I was never a big fan of the ethnocentric allopathic medicine and we grew up healing ourselves and went to the doctor but not at our required intervals. A brother and my mother both see a homeopath. I for the most part don't see anyone but have been healing myself (and trying to help others to heal) for a good portion of my adult life.
My daughter healed a really bad burn from radiator fluid a couple of years ago with some homeopathic remedies (my brother had suggested) and I had her make a poultice using Comfrey. Within a couple of weeks or less her arm looked normal again. She chose to not go to the doctor and called me when I was out of state helping my step grandmother move as she did wanted to heal naturally and knew that I could assist.
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Reminds me of the time when my partner had a triple heart bypass and we refused the statins offered, saying he was taking vitamin C to keep his arteries healthy. The surgeon told us that vitamin C would kills us!!!! No idea where he got his info, as any kind of research into mortality stats will show there have never been any deaths from excessive intake of vitamin C!! He also said that if he'd known my partner would refuse to take statins, they wouldn't have operated on him.
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@kmartin.mail I let a Dr talk me into statins and had a bad reaction, so she changed the type and I nearly died. I still had Drs insisting I need them as I have familial Hypercholesterolemia. My total cholesterol runs over 300 and yes I definitely watch my diet, exercise etc. I had to put statins down as a drug allergy to get them to leave me alone about it. Finally research has caught up and they realize I can't take them. I now have a designation on my chart that my reaction to statins is critical. I recently had a complete heart work-up for other reasons and there is no plaque build up no blockages and basically no cardiac problems at all. The cardiologist acknowledged I needed no treatment or interventions. Sometimes you just have to stand your ground and let them catch-up. I am not encouraging anyone to discontinue their meds or to avoid any specific one based on my reactions. My husband takes them and I don't fuss, it's his decision. I am saying: do your due diligence and listen to what your body is telling you, tell you healthcare provider about your reactions and don't let them push you around.
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@VickiP yes they are finally coming to the realisation that cholesterol doesn't cause heart disease! We need cholesterol in so many places and for so many uses in our bodies, it's crazy to try and stop the body making it (as statins do). Every cell in our body has cholesterol in the cell walls, the brain is mostly cholesterol, and we also need cholesterol to make sex hormones and vitamin D. There is a theory that cholesterol sticks to the artery walls as a kind of sticking plaster if the arteries are damaged, so as long as we have healthy arteries, the cholesterol won't stick :) Vitamin C is vital for keeping blood vessels healthy (deficiency causes scurvy, after all).
Keep up your good work in keeping yourself healthy!
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We go to doctors when it is absolutely necessary, but still get frustrated. I went in a few years ago and as I was telling the doctor my problem, he was looking it up online. I had already done that! This is why I prefer much older doctors - at least they seem to know something without the computer. But usually they prescribe something and I don't like taking meds. We did start using a naturopath who is at least interested in trying to find the cause of what is going on instead of covering it up.
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@Lisa K I surely hope your Dad is doing ok now! Some GPs are just so dangerous. We have one locally who is very fond of prescribing blood pressure meds in way too high doses! In older people who have balance issues this is really dangerous, as both my mother and our ex-neighbour found. My mother fell and broke her pelvis, and the neighbour had several falls, and ended up in hospital where they operated on her spine and now she is paralysed. Unfortunately there is no way to report his practice and get him de-registered :'(
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@rainbow Wow! Your story is horrible! What happened to Doctors cree of First Do No Harm?!!!! Did he actually say that? What an exercise in forgiveness on your part! Very difficult I'm sure! So very sorry this happened to you!
I had my surgery and it went well. I didn't need a single pain killer through this entire mess. Was going to try willow tea if needed for pain. The upside of that is my hubby is now drinking the tea to help with some pain he is dealing with. We avoid meds if at all possible but he could use some relief at times. Hope the willow tea is the ticket.
The pins in my finger will come out and i hope therapy and exercise will get my strength back fast. Thanks for your well wishes and all the best to you!!!
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Doctors can be a HUGE minefield...that's my experience.
Some doctors are integrative, and I've found a google search can help you find one. You may need to travel further however.
Generally speaking I leave doctors for things such as sewing up a deep cut...which thankfully isn't a regular practice.
Beyond that I treat myself and animals almost exclusively. When I don't know what kind of a treatment can help I have used a search engine and looked it up.
The other great resource I've found it a homeopath that is online. They are in another state but they are reasonably priced, has always spoken to me over the phone for FREE when I've needed help, and ships things out rapidly.
On the occasion I do have to see a doctor I don't mention that I treat myself for things. What they don't know can't hurt you or them 😀
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