Nice Patients Finish Last
Bill Sakoda
PBS out of New York City broadcast a series
by a Dr. Weil as part of its recent fundraising festival.
Weil (this is from memory, but the drift is right) started
in the 70's
by studying with various rainforest shamans. He is now a
practicing MD, advocating a merging of "alternative"
[he doesnt like the word because it connotes an
adversarial relationship] and "standard" medical
practice.
He closed one of the shows with a list of characteristics
common to many of his patients who had made dramatic comebacks
from serious diseases. I have seen many - maybe all - of the
ideas posted in this NG in some form. I find it interesting
to have the "core list" of an open-approach professional.
Paraphrasing in part:
1) "Nice patients finish last." Never took
NO for an answer.
2) sought out sources of info
3) sought out others with similar cases
4) Formed contructive partnerships w/professionals: not always
an easy thing to do.
5) Would make radical changes (jobs, relationships, eating, ...) to
achieve necessary improvements.
6) Came to regard the illness as a gift - the motivating factor for
making critical lifestyle changes of significance beyond the illness.
7) cultivated attitude of self-acceptance.
There is an "All American" cultural attitude of FIGHTING
a disease. Submitted to the fact of being sick, then sought healing.
He has a website: http://www.hotwired.com/drweil/
which however lacks the charisma and impact of the
video.
ateas...@aol.com
It took me a while to get the point of this post, I think I did anyway, very interesting but there must be ( at least I hope) many more doctors who share these views?
Carol
Lerch_Esther
In article <334C61...@idt.net>, kit...@idt.net wrote: [quoting Dr. Weil]:
> 1) "Nice patients finish last." Never took
> NO for an answer.
Yes! I agree with that completely, Bill. And that's why I just "fired" my
endo.
For patients, the point of the exercise is to be able to live our lives.
For some endos, the point of the exercise is to produce a TSH value within
predetermined limits. Medical practitioners with that approach are not the
people I want on my recovery team. I want professionals who give me the
needed information and support so that I can make the best possible
decisions and stay functional.
All of you -- don't settle! This is your only life. Be pro-active. Don't
let someone else decide for you (after maybe 90 seconds of thought, if
that) what "good enough" or "healthy enough" or "recovered enough" is!
You're the one who will pay (and pay!) for that kind of passivity, not the
smug person behind the desk.
Though I'm not feeling well at the moment, my constructive anger has given
me some energy. Sure beats depression! ;-)
Esther