Thanks... My doctor is a great guy overall. I would love to be his next door neighbor. I suspect it was just the way that he was trained. Yes, yes, my body, my temporary problem and my life - mine to fix.
I once had a similar issue, with different underlying causes. I still remember speaking with the doctor, and asking what would happen if the first course of medication didn't work. She said "We will up the dosage for the next course. And then we will up it again, and we can go like that for a couple of years if we need to."
I asked when we would try to determine what the root cause was, and if there were any options other than just continuting to up my medication level - she said "Why? This usually works."
Sigh. I took the meds for 6 months, worked on other things on my own, and finally resolved it without years of medication. She was surprised I would even try.
I had a similar thing happen to me. I changed my diet and got lots of exercise and the good doctor was all but stunned and with reservation allowed me to go off meds. He walked me out saying that I was in a very exclusive group that turns it around.
However, the flip side is I reverted to bad habits (poor food choices and stopped going to the gym) so I was put back on a low amount of medication.
The funny part was that I stopped taking BP medication and didn't tell the doctor. I went in for an exam he said my BP was a bit elevated but I was ok with the dose that I was taking. When I told him that I stopped taking the BP meds he wanted me start back up again. So I was in an OK range without the meds but have to take them because I have the diabetic label. Nice.
When I was on the medically monitored VLCD diet I did to lose the last 100 pounds I lost in 2003, every single person in the program who'd been on diabetes meds went off of them within 6 weeks of starting the program - reduced caloric intake, increased protein, increased exercise. Cleared it right up
( ... )
I think you are dead on correct about it not being easy and a lot of people just want to pill pop and keep living their life style.
The first month of changing everything was, in a word, unfun. I also was not getting sort of behavioral therapy or support from the western medicine side of the house. However, Deb has been over the top supportive.
I can also see that since most people don't change doctors have to prescribe meds or get sued. There is a subset of today's society that do not want to take personal responsibility and are constantly looking for someone else to sue when they should start by looking in the mirror.
I also agree, interesting (sad) that a gym membership and a personal trainer is not a prescription that doctors will issue or insurance companies will not cover.
My second story - a few weeks ago I fell and hit my head. It wasn't bad at the time - I had a lump, and a sore spot for days, but no bleeding, loss of consciousness, dizziness etc. I finally went to the doc (it was a clinic, on a Saturday - not my regular doc) about a week later after having sustained headaches that I could not get rid of, just to make sure I hadn't damaged something I wasn't aware of.
She pretty much confirmed what I thought, that I had hit my head pretty hard, but there was no lasting damage. After that conclusion, she said "But we can take a CT scan to be sure if you want."
I said "Do you see ANYTHING at all that indicates a problem that would lead to me needing a scan?"
She said "No, nothing - but lots of time people feel better after they have one. If you think you would feel better, we can order one."
Really? You are going to order an expensive but apparently unnecessary test just because sometimes having the test itself makes people feel better?
Well, my sweet, you rock for coming forward on this. I think a lot of people struggle and feel completely alone. For your viewing public it is important to note that you have utilized herbal and nutritional support with some success but EXERCISE gives the best bang for your buck. And you got off of the blood pressure medicine super quick and don't need the precautionary cholesterol meds. So you have scored more victories than you let on.
It is a forever commitment, one that most of us should make a lot sooner. But it not an easy one.
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I asked when we would try to determine what the root cause was, and if there were any options other than just continuting to up my medication level - she said "Why? This usually works."
Sigh. I took the meds for 6 months, worked on other things on my own, and finally resolved it without years of medication. She was surprised I would even try.
Reply
However, the flip side is I reverted to bad habits (poor food choices and stopped going to the gym) so I was put back on a low amount of medication.
The funny part was that I stopped taking BP medication and didn't tell the doctor. I went in for an exam he said my BP was a bit elevated but I was ok with the dose that I was taking. When I told him that I stopped taking the BP meds he wanted me start back up again. So I was in an OK range without the meds but have to take them because I have the diabetic label. Nice.
Reply
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The first month of changing everything was, in a word, unfun. I also was not getting sort of behavioral therapy or support from the western medicine side of the house. However, Deb has been over the top supportive.
I can also see that since most people don't change doctors have to prescribe meds or get sued. There is a subset of today's society that do not want to take personal responsibility and are constantly looking for someone else to sue when they should start by looking in the mirror.
I also agree, interesting (sad) that a gym membership and a personal trainer is not a prescription that doctors will issue or insurance companies will not cover.
Reply
She pretty much confirmed what I thought, that I had hit my head pretty hard, but there was no lasting damage. After that conclusion, she said "But we can take a CT scan to be sure if you want."
I said "Do you see ANYTHING at all that indicates a problem that would lead to me needing a scan?"
She said "No, nothing - but lots of time people feel better after they have one. If you think you would feel better, we can order one."
Really? You are going to order an expensive but apparently unnecessary test just because sometimes having the test itself makes people feel better?
I declined.
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Reply
It is a forever commitment, one that most of us should make a lot sooner. But it not an easy one.
Reply
Yes, doing the right herbs helps and your right... (for me) exercise makes a huge difference in the numbers.
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