I am a college graduate. I worked professionally in the pharmaceutical
industry for many years. My interest in alternative medicine is prompted
by the fact that profesional medical treatment as we know it is motivated
more by what is good for profits than by what is good for patients. And,
as insurance companies enter the picture, becoming diagnosticians and
healers of the first resort, this situation can only become worse.
January 31, 2010
Re: WHy don't you just use regular doctors?
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In article <44rol0$…@cwis.isu.edu> @.isu.edu writes:
>From: @.isu.edu
>Subject: WHy don’t you just use regular doctors?
>Date: 3 Oct 1995 16:33:36 GMT
>I have a relative nearby who has been trying to get me into all these
>herb things and alternative medicines; magnets, herbs, oxygenators,
>midwifery, eyerdologists… Then one day he stoped pestering me. I
>thought about this for a long time and it occured to me that he was
>looking for a way to save a buck because he was very close to broke and
>his wife was almost ready to deliver their 5th baby. Now he has a great
>business and they are expecting their 6th and they are going to a
>hospital and useing the doctors their (in spite of all the rhetoric they
>tried to get me to believe about these people).
>So I guess my question is, why are you doing all this? Why not just use
>the systems that we have?
>If/when anyone responds to this please explain why you do this and tell
>me how much formal education you have (college), age, gender, ethnic
>background, and financial status.
I am a college graduate with studies beyond that, but no further degree,
female, 50, white, earn in the $20′s, and work at a major medical center.
Those of us who look at alternative medicine use it as just that – an
alternative. That doesn’t mean that we don’t use traditional medicine, but
when it doesn’t work or offers only drastic solutions to our problems, we look
around for other ideas which work.
I am currently looking at using chiropractic and exercise to help with 2
ruptured/slipped discs in my neck (which was diagnosed by an MRI). I lost the
use of my right arm for 3 weeks and the only reason I have use of it now is
that I did what a chiropractor recommended – using an overdoor traction kit 2X
per day every day since then. A surgeon recommends surgery because that is
how he is trained to solve problems. But even he notes that there could be
negative side effects (or no resolution to my problem) based on surgery. So I
choose to try more moderate (read alternative) things, as long as they are
not hurtful to me, to see if they can help.
This is why "I" feel that alternative therapies can be useful.
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
I am a college graduate, 52 years old and in excellent health, a non-smoker,
non-drinker, vegan, and avoid salt and fat for the most part. I don’t have
medical insurance (notice, I did not call it "health" insurance, because it is
most definitely not health insurance), because in order to use it, I would have
to go to doctors. Whenever you go to a doctor, you are, in effect, asking for
drugs. I have found that drugs do little, if anything, for my health, and are
harmful in the long run. Therefore, I don’t want them. Therefore, I avoid
doctors.
Six years ago, my fiancee (now my wife) had her third occurrence of skin
cancer. We treated it with a non-toxic, alternative therapy that totally healed
the cancer, restored her health and enhanced mine tremendously in the process.
The whole exercise cost a few thousand dollars, mostly paid to the organic
grocery, not to physicians. And she has been cancer-free and in excellent
health ever since.
I use hydrogen peroxide instead of antibiotics. I am delighted with the health
of my family, and also that I save about $5000 annually in medical insurance
costs. Over the past ten years, I have saved over $50,000, and have had no
medical problem I couldn’t handle on my own.
You ask, "Why not use the system we have?" Have you looked at the medical
problems in this country? Over 600,000 people die of cancer annually, and the
system that exists charges us over $100 Billion annually to treat it, mostly
with little or no positive effect, while pooh-poohing effective and inexpensive
treatments like we used to cure my wife, and which I have seen used to cure
many other degenerative diseases that the conventional medical system simply
has no answer for. Over 100,000 people die in hospitals from medical
negligence annually. Why would you actually use the system that exists?
/howard straus
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
In article <44rol0$…@cwis.isu.edu>, @.isu.edu writes:
>I have a relative nearby who has been trying to get me into all these
>herb things and alternative medicines; magnets, herbs, oxygenators,
>midwifery, eyerdologists… Then one day he stoped pestering me. I
>thought about this for a long time and it occured to me that he was
>looking for a way to save a buck because he was very close to broke and
>his wife was almost ready to deliver their 5th baby. Now he has a great
>business and they are expecting their 6th and they are going to a
>hospital and useing the doctors their (in spite of all the rhetoric they
>tried to get me to believe about these people).
>So I guess my question is, why are you doing all this? Why not just use
>the systems that we have?
>If/when anyone responds to this please explain why you do this and tell
>me how much formal education you have (college), age, gender, ethnic
>background, and financial status.
I am a college graduate (BFA in Fine arts), an artist earning around 17k.
Are you writing something about this? Why do you want to know formal
education, gender, etc. etc.? I have taken medication for asthma my whole
life, and one day decided I wanted to wean myself off of my medication. I
saw an aromatherapist and I used the oils she made for me, and slowly
weaned myself off of the drugs. She did not give me the oils as a
"replacement". I haven’t taken any asthma pills for years now, and my
asthma has never been better. I feel so much better not being medicaated.
When I do get an asthma attack, I am reminded that I have asthma, rather
then being reminded of it every day. This experience sold me on
"alternative" treatments. I still see "regular" doctors, but also do my own
research on other forms of natural treatment and prevention. I find that
alternative medicine treats the body as a whole, treating the underlying
problems, rather than many drugs which just treat the symptoms.
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
@.isu.edu wrote:
: I have a relative nearby who has been trying to get me into all these
: herb things and alternative medicines; magnets, herbs, oxygenators,
In addition to the truly clear answers you’ve received, I’ll add my
thoughts:
I am truly sorry that you feel you’ve been pressured into accepting or
using wholistic approaches to wellness. Sometimes we get so excited
about what we feel is right for ourselves that we extend that enthusiasm
as a feeling that it is right for everyone. In response to that, we
sometimes push to hard in the against someone else’s sense of certainty.
What you are calling alternative medicines is often thought of as what
I called it previously — a wholistic approach. You’ll note that your
relative is interested in a number of different modalities, or ways of
establishing and maintaing that sense of balance which some of us refer
to as balance. The idea is that when we address all parts of ourselves:
physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, we have a more complete sense
of healing. Therefore, for many who are interested in wholism (or
holism) our spiritual sense is as important as the rest of us.
I’m not sure that true use of what society generally defines as
alternative is possible without some sense that this works for us
spiritually. I’m not speaking of religion, you understand. Spirituality
is how we view ourselves in relation to the universe and religion is how
we celebrate and educate ourselves about that. So, I’d suggest that if you
re-directed your relative’s conversation toward the spiritual context you
might get a different viewpoint and maybe understand a bit better.
–
Catherine
cfen…@netcom.com
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
It kinda sounds to me like you are writing a paper (?) or doing
"research" (?). Just a guess. I was thinking about this possibilty
and just hoping that such "research" would not be considered valid
by any of the usual standards.
Also, of course, I offer the usual feelings of being offended if this
"story" you offer is a ruse to get responses.
And, if I am wrong I totally, sincerely apologize for doubting your
intentions.
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
Howard Straus (hstraus) wrote:
:
: Six years ago, my fiancee (now my wife) had her third occurrence of skin
: cancer. We treated it with a non-toxic, alternative therapy that totally healed
If you didn’t go to a doctor, how did you know it was cancer?
J
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:04 pm
> I use hydrogen peroxide instead of antibiotics. I am delighted with the health
> of my family, and also that I save about $5000 annually in medical insurance
> costs. Over the past ten years, I have saved over $50,000, and have had no
> medical problem I couldn’t handle on my own.
Mr. Straus
I have heard of people using Hydrogen Peroxide for different things
but I blew it off because they were injecting it into their blood
stream. This is not what you do is it? I have heard that H.P. will
destroy some cell tissue.
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:04 pm
Actually, I do use "regular doctors" whenever they have been
effective.
But I am also interested in alternative medicine due to my own
personal experience with orthodox medicine:
1. So far, at least, orthodox medicine isn’t able to do much for some
chronic problems. I have suffered from rhinitis and sinus problems
now for years. I’ve been thru all the usual allergy tests, CAT scans,
antihistamines and steroid sprays. Not only haven’t I improved much
on these treatments, but the problem progressed to full adult-onset
asthma as well. If this is the best that orthodox medicine can do,
why not investigate alternatives?
2. Some chronic problems appear to caused by environmental factors,
which orthodox medicine doesn’t seem to be able to deal with. Again,
in my case, I have been diagnosed with "non-allergic rhinitis"; the
physicians I have consulted speculate that it’s due to some (unknown)
precipitating factors in my environment. And, for them, that’s the
end of the trail and I just have to learn to live with it. So far,
alternative medical practitioners seem to pay more attention to the
effect of the environment on one’s health.
3. Even worse, there appears to be an alarming tendency for orthodox
medical doctors to dismiss a complaint they can’t diagnose as
stress-related or hypochondriacal, rather than continue to investigate
until a real diagnosis can be made, while boosting the patient’s
overall level of health. This is probably due to the cost-cutting
inherent in managed care. That isn’t just my experience. There was
an article in the newspaper "Boston Globe" last week that described a
woman who had vague unexplained symptoms. Her orthodox physician
(from a local HMO), unable to reach a firm diagnosis, dismissed her
symptoms as hypochondriacal. After 3 years, her symptoms worsened to
the point that a firm diagnosis could be made. It turned out she had
cancer, which after 3 years had progressed to the point that it was
now much harder to treat. I wonder if an alternative medical
practitioner might have been able to keep her level of health up
during this time so that the cancer might not have progressed so far.
–
Steven D. Litvintchouk
Phone: (617)271-7753
Email: s…@mitre.org
Disclaimer: As far as I am aware,
the opinions expressed herein are not those of my employer.
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:04 pm
In article <44ujh5$…@gemini.sunnyvale.telebit.com>, Howard Straus <hstraus> writes:
What did you use for your wife’s skin cancer?
–rv
"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen | voor…@brandonu.ca
Goetter selbst vergebens." | **********************
–Friedrich Schiller | *Stars~Stamps~Stories*
| **********************
What goes without saying usually needs to be said.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> I am a college graduate, 52 years old and in excellent health, a non-smoker,
> non-drinker, vegan, and avoid salt and fat for the most part. I don’t have
> medical insurance (notice, I did not call it "health" insurance, because it is
> most definitely not health insurance), because in order to use it, I would have
> to go to doctors. Whenever you go to a doctor, you are, in effect, asking for
> drugs. I have found that drugs do little, if anything, for my health, and are
> harmful in the long run. Therefore, I don’t want them. Therefore, I avoid
> doctors.
> Six years ago, my fiancee (now my wife) had her third occurrence of skin
> cancer. We treated it with a non-toxic, alternative therapy that totally healed
> the cancer, restored her health and enhanced mine tremendously in the process.
> The whole exercise cost a few thousand dollars, mostly paid to the organic
> grocery, not to physicians. And she has been cancer-free and in excellent
> health ever since.
> I use hydrogen peroxide instead of antibiotics. I am delighted with the health
> of my family, and also that I save about $5000 annually in medical insurance
> costs. Over the past ten years, I have saved over $50,000, and have had no
> medical problem I couldn’t handle on my own.
> You ask, "Why not use the system we have?" Have you looked at the medical
> problems in this country? Over 600,000 people die of cancer annually, and the
> system that exists charges us over $100 Billion annually to treat it, mostly
> with little or no positive effect, while pooh-poohing effective and inexpensive
> treatments like we used to cure my wife, and which I have seen used to cure
> many other degenerative diseases that the conventional medical system simply
> has no answer for. Over 100,000 people die in hospitals from medical
> negligence annually. Why would you actually use the system that exists?
> /howard straus
Comment by admin — January 31, 2010 @ 5:04 pm