James R. Bowman, MD, ND, NHC, DCP, FAAIM
Health Care and Logic: Are They the Same?
What a silly question! Of course they are! But…ARE they? Well, let’s see. To most of us 1 + 1 = 2, but sometimes, especially given the legal, financial and political aspects of health care, sometimes 1 + 1 = 11…allow me to explain with an example of a recent encounter with a very ill young woman.
We’ll call her Lisa to protect her identity. Lisa is in her early 30’s but has been having persistent and increasing pain in the left lower abdominal area for about 6 weeks. She sustained no known trauma or injury to this area, and has no previous history of any symptoms or problems in the area.
At first she just ignored it, but it has become worse, stronger, more intense, and more frequent pain, so she got some pain pills from the pharmacist. This slightly reduced the pain, but only briefly, and after another two weeks of this she saw her Board Certified family physician. This doctor is a kind-hearted woman, well trained in traditional medicine.
She examined Lisa by touching the painful area, and she ordered a CT scan that showed a mass in the region of the left ovary. Lisa has no history of self-abusive behavior (tobacco, drugs – prescription or otherwise, alcohol) and there is no history of female reproductive disease in her family, but upon reading the CT scan the doctor told her point blank, “You have cancer, you need to have surgery immediately, I will schedule it”.
Needless to say, Lisa was devastated and in shock over this – no history of cancer in the family. She also asked how the doctor could be so certain without any blood tests or biopsy or other testing, after all, the radiologist who read the CT scan before the family doctor had reported this as a “suspicious lesion/mass”, needing further diagnostic evaluation, but he did not label it as cancer for certain.
The doctor replied she was certain from the scan that it was cancer and referred Lisa to an oncologist at another local well-known medical facility. Lisa went to the appointment, and the oncologist told her the same thing, “It’s cancer, we must operate”. When Lisa asked him the same questions she asked her family doctor about blood work, biopsy, etc., the oncologist took offense and said, “Listen, if I say it’s cancer, then it’s cancer!” Lisa recoiled from this rude and unprofessional behavior and came to see us for a second opinion.
We conducted a long history review and consultation, and we did three screen procedures that we use with each new person to determine their current state. After I reviewed the evaluation findings with Lisa I did caution her that there was no way, at that time, to absolutely confirm or rule out cancer, and that normal traditional medical protocols are to order a specific blood test, CA 125, for markers of ovarian cancer, and to a needle biopsy. Without those tests an oncologist or family doctor would be guessing, and health, in my opinion, is too important and too precious a gift to guess about, especially when cancer may be suspected.
The day after Lisa’s first visit here she was scheduled for a second CT scan from her family doctor. I asked Lisa to ask the doctor to perform two screening blood tests, a CBC (complete blood count) with differential analysis of the blood cells, and a CA 125. The tests were performed, and when Lisa saw us today I asked about the scan and blood tests.
She told me the scan was performed and the family doctor seemed almost disappointed that the new scan did not show any further development or progression of the ovarian mass, and again the radiologist did not say “cancer”, but recommended further testing. The blood tests had also been performed as I recommended, but Lisa told me that “My doctor is on vacation for 3 weeks, so I have to wait until she gets back to see what’s what”.
What?!?!?!?!?!? Are you kidding me? On the first visit, with no blood work, the immediate diagnosis was cancer and operate, now a second scan shows no progression of the problem, and actually Lisa’s symptoms have decreased (which doesn’t happen in cancer), but now Lisa has to wait 3 weeks to hear from the doctor… IS THIS LOGICAL? DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
Lisa spoke with the doctor’s nurse, who said, “I can’t tell you anything, I am not allowed. Only the doctor can discuss this with you. You will just have to wait until she gets back.” Again dear friends, is this logical, fair, reasonable, compassionate, appropriate, or correct? I think not, Lisa and her family agree, and actually on today’s visit they asked me about referrals to other more logical, compassionate, open-minded medical practitioners because Lisa doesn’t feel she is getting very good care. I agree.
And we, we who study, and practice alternative health care are considered the quacks, the dangerous practitioners. Let me tell you, it’s not so. A highly esteemed, world-renowned medical researcher and author, Carolyn Dean, MD, ND* just released her 8 th book entitled, Death By Medicine. On the cover is a picture of a coffin and on the opened lid of the coffin is the medical symbol, the cadeauceus. Her studies have confirmed that more than 700,000 people in America die each year from medical care, from a combination of botched surgery, unnecessary surgery, post surgical complications, post surgical infections, and reactions to drugs. 700,000 each year – that outstrips the combined total deaths in the US from cancer and heart disease.
What’s my point? Several: 1) Your health and your life are priceless, precious gifts from God, but you are charged with understanding, protecting, and respecting them; 2) Always get a second, and if needed a third or even a fourth opinion before you submit to the most invasive, most radical medical services of surgery or radiation or chemotherapy. Do not misunderstand here, there are clearly times when those three medical services may be justified, but you the patient, are the consumer of those services and a doctor needs to be respectful of who you, the person, the human being are, and your individual wishes and choices. And if you choose to integrate alternatives like nutritional therapy into your health program to protect you from the toxic side effects of drugs, radiation, and/or chemotherapy, you have the absolute right to choose that.
Your health belongs to you and only you, not any doctor ever. The choices you make should be well reasoned, intelligent, cautious, based on hard science and fact, and not guess work, but over my many years in working with people we have consistently found that natural methods have their place in the scheme of health and sometimes, when all other methods have failed, can prove amazingly powerful and helpful.
You are a unique individual, as unique as your DNA and fingerprints, so generic recommendations, at least in our opinion, is only that, generic for informational purposes. Your unique needs will determine what kind of health care services you receive, but remember you are in charge, not the doctor. Your health belongs to you, not the doctor, it was given by God, not the doctor, and you, not the doctor, should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to deciding what kind of health care is correct for you.
Back to Lisa – I think she should seek diagnostics with medical providers, and I have so advised her. I work with a number of traditional medical providers who realize alternative and natural methods have something to offer. I believe Lisa needs to know for certain via blood work and biopsy what her health issues are. When she finds out she should also have the right to choose who does what to her and why… it’s only logical! And that’s what we recommend. God gave you a wonderful mind to think with; use it, ask questions, gather accurate information, consult with qualified specialists in alternative and natural care, and always, always, always place Holy God in the center of your life and let Christ be your primary physician and advisor – He will take the best care of you, and he doesn’t work for the HMO!
*Dr. Dean has the same basic training I have in medicine (MD) and naturopathy (ND). Although I have those degrees and training, my work is exclusively in natural health consulting only.
