I wanted to say a few things about embarking upon a path of alternative medicine.
Alternative medicine for chronic illness requires a lot of time and effort. It is a process of addressing
imbalances in one's body and is not well addressed by taking one set of supplements for long periods of time.
A well balanced approach to a chronic illness is one that involves guidance of diet and supplements over time in an effort to change the balance inside the body thereby regressing the state of imbalance.
I am saying this because, people often come to my clinic thinking that if they get a set of supplements they can go off on their way and take them indefinitely and be well. This is unrealistic.
Another issue is taking herbs for immediate effects-a "quick fix". This is also unrealistic, and often substances that make you feel better very fast may cause problems on the other side of it when taken for too long.
Alternative medicine is complex and should really only be provided by an educated and licensed provider that is experienced in the area of your particular condition. It can otherwise be very problematic and in some cases even dangerous.
After 19 years of clinical and academic experience, I have come to realize the cliche is true. The more you know, the more you realize that you don't know. And, I continue to be humbled by the complexity of the human body and the countless possibilities of the form that illness can take. I am also humbled by the complexities of the human spirit and the impact that that has on the body as well.
Thank you for listening. I hope this spoke to someone:).
Dr. M
Comments
OK - you "spoke" to me.
I am a brand new patient and am still "testing" the waters of where I have found myself. I know that if you had told me a year ago that I would get on a plane to Burbank, meet with you, an "alternative" doctor, squeezed in the Santa Monika boardwalk, and get back on the plane, I would have told you that I wish I was that type of person. Then one day, after self-treating myself for two months, scouring this site (kind of felt like this blog was "speaking" to me) that is exactly what I did. When I got there, I joked about being grateful that I hadn't found a burned out gas station in a really bad part of town. The thing is, it wasn't an extreme fear for me. Something about all of it just felt right; meeting with you felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. While I have spent twelve years fighting cancer, bladder problems, strange infections, and various bizaar ailments, up until now, my biggest fight has always been finding a practitioner with a heart, with eyes that look at the "whole" patient, and with ears that take the time to really listen. I believe that I have finally found that in yourself and your staff. For that I thank you.
So, while I do have new "herbs" in hand, I look forward to my telephone appointment with you next week.
Take Care,
Denise
Denise
Thank you so much for that Denise. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and feelings. I am so glad you are on the beginning of your new path and that we will be working together.