I understand what you are saying and I essentially agree with you 100%...it is not just the government and the medical system that is broken...it is our society that is broken...I absolutely get your frustration...and I did notice that the lady was in need of medical care...which broken bones are not something I would deal with. I am talking about a change of behavior before such a crisis occurs. You actually sound like someone in the medical community who cares and wants to make a difference. Unfortunately I believe you are in the minority...I applaud your efforts....
I have a 93 year old MIL that still lives independently cared for by 2 granddaughters that are like children to her. My mom lived to be 90 with no assisted care. I am 71 so I know about the things you speak of. I am on no medication and am trying to avoid the Alzheimer's that killed my dad in his 70's. I am just trying to show that there ARE alternative ways to approach healthcare that can be beneficial.
You actually prove my point with caring for your mother as you have. She is very lucky to have you and I get that all elderly are not in that position. This also points to the fact that the overdrugging of most people...especially the elderly...has not been beneficial. There are just other ways to deal with illness at any age.
I have had my doctor for over 25 years and we respect each other's knowledge and treatment protocols...so we have a very good working relationship. My son-in-law works in a nursing home and my daughter was a hospice social worker so I am very aware of the plight of the elderly. I have 2 nurses, an EMT and a nurse-practitioner in the family so we are pretty medically inclined.
See...relating to the fragility of bones in the elderly would be the consideration of vitamin D levels and the supplementation of that and vitamin K. If doctors were aware of how important it is to maintain healthy vitamin D levels, that could be a game changer. I am not saying that being your own health care advocate is the end all...but I am saying it is a start to a way of life that can greatly improve one's health outcomes.
Believe me I get your anger and angst...but it should be directed at the failed institutions in this country...overuse of drugs because of $, medical care dictated by the bottom line...$, doctors who know very little about good health or natural healing, nursing homes that use and abuse the elderly...$, and families that ignore their elderly...these are the things that need to change...NOT what I advocate...
I do appreciate your reply and I assure you we are on the same page. Jokingly I have told my husband "if I ever need to go to a nursing home...take me out back and shoot me"...BTW he is a general contractor and does work for one of the biggest nursing home chains in the south..which is what prompted that statement...
Sorry if it seemed as though I was directing any frustration at you. I agree with everything you said and no doubt we are coming from the same place. Holistic and intelligent prevention are the key to overall health. This forum could not contain the information that either one of us could expound upon.
There were two populations that I personally saw as a provider that I felt were grossly underserved and mistreated - veterans and the elderly. The topics concerning their lack of appropriate preventative care, misdiagnosis, polypharmaceutical status, and lack of support, are all areas that I unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it, am well acquainted with. Often my positions on these subjects put me at odds with employers and colleagues - sometimes even the family members of my patients. I did manage to keep my head down with the state board however. They can't shoot at you if they can't see you.
I am now semi-retired but I still keep my ear to the ground and help others try understand the deadly minefield called "health care." In some ways I am grateful that I am out of the insanity. The current system for me is unrecognizable from what is was years ago when I started. What is has become, is not what I signed up for. AI protocols and the digital data collection that builds it has taken over. More and more, the critical thinking required for patient care and management are overridden and sidelined by the digital bean counters hell bent on removing humanity from the equation. Pure insanity.
I lost my job at the VA for being a patient advocate and calling them out on their crap. They spend a lot of money and spin a lot of plates that do not necessarily translate into actual patient care. In fact, most of the money they spend is not on direct patient care. It is spent managing the bureaucracy. Some of the stuff they do defies any and all logic. I do believe the Almighty put me into that situation and pulled me out of it for a reason. I needed to see it. Both my entry and my exit were sudden. Old habits of defending and advocating for the abused and oppressed can get me going and often in trouble. ; )
I have worked in medical research, public health, and private practice. All of it was done with a bent towards trying to call out the BS of the system and shine some truth about real health care and not just dis-ease management. Having worked in these various genres has given me a unique perspective due to having an inside view of how the cake is baked. However, despite the aggravation of dealing with a medical system geared towards ill health, my biggest frustration at times was dealing with the patients themselves and their indoctrination of dependence upon someone else for their well being. They can spend money on a new car, vacations, clothes, big screens, and almost anything else other than their own health. They have this crazy idea that someone else is supposed to pay for the most precious gift they have - their own life and health. Without health, all the other trappings are pointless.
I still try to help where I can. There will be a need for healers and others like us in a parallel or entirely new system. We will have to take care of each other. My only regret is not spending more time learning how to grow and process herbals and essential oils - a lifetime of experiential knowledge that I don't possess. But, there will still be a need in a new system for one that can suture a wound and set a bone. Skills that my grandparents and their ancestors all knew how to do - so I guess my apple didn't fall too far from that tree.
God bless you and yours fren. Thank you for the conversation.
My heart breaks for you and your good intentions...you are definitely one of the "good ones"...we certainly needed more like you...and I agree that veterans and the elderly are the most neglected (unless you are very rich).
You hit the nail on the head with..."my biggest frustration at times was dealing with the patients themselves and their indoctrination of dependence upon someone else for their well being"...that actually being the main gist of my point all along...
I feel ALL your frustrations...those are the very things that pushed me into alternative healthcare at the ripe old age of 20. I was only 24 when my sister first flipped out...schizophrenia...but I found Dr. Abram Hoffer and Orthomlecular Psychiatry, which saved her life. It is all a process and I have been learning for over 50 years.
My daughter who was a social worker for hospice for over 10 years had a breakdown last October and is currently in rehab after drinking on the job and being involved in a head on collision...many jobs have such a high stress level and do not have adequate support...at least you didn't end up like that...it is ALL messed up.
I have at least 15...maybe 20 healing modalities and there is nothing I love to do more than educate people. I would love to share any books or resources I have that you may be interested in...some things are very easy...some harder...but ALL learnable...
We are on the same side...my battle has always been for me and my family...I had home births...no drugs...didn't circumsize...didn't vaccinate...used my kids as guinea pigs for natural healing modalities...home schooled etc. You get the picture...we both have fought all the corrupt broken systems in our own way and we are on the same side...
It was truly wonderful to meet you and chat...we could have some great discussions I am sure...again...I love to share natural healing information...if you are ever interested...there are some really intelligent people on GAW, also...
Thank you for your kind words. Interesting about your sister. I knew a psychiatrist in San Francisco in the Tenderloin district that was using nutraceuticals to manage mental illness linked to addiction - and she was quite successful with it considering the demographic group she was working with. The medical establishment, which normally rejects and discredits therapies that do not utilize pharma, left her alone because she was the only one willing to treat patients in that war zone. We used to have some very interesting conversations.
Too bad about your daughter. At one time I considered social work or juvenile probation. I rejected the idea because of what you said happened to your daughter. God bless those that work with people usually at the worst times in their lives. It is very stressful. I went into health care with my head already screwed on pretty tight, so I was not tossed around emotionally like many others. It is not always easy trying to remain a bit detached for your own sanity and yet be empathetic to people. It's a tough balancing act for sure and some are much better at not falling off the tight rope than others.
Any time I could get a patient off meds and improve their well being through nutrition and supplementation, it was a huge win. The most rewarding cases were those that showed up on my doorstep being written off by other practitioners. After some common sense adjustments, they turned completely around. I never grew tired of seeing them recover their life.
Once I had a young women in her thirties who was essentially sent home to get her affairs in order because her ticker was going kaput. She was severely depressed and on the verge of giving up. She came in already taking 3 BP meds for uncontrolled HTN and arrhythmia. Duh, she was a classic case of magnesium deficiency unless proven otherwise. Got her on some supplements and tweaked her diet, and voilà... she made a dramatic recovery almost overnight. Her cardiologist was floored and in disbelief. However, this cardiologist learned a few things and started checking her patients for Vit D and Magnesium deficiency among other things. She just was not taught this in school nor did she read about it in any of the typical medical research journals. I am not sure why the mindset exists that does not allow these highly educated and capable individuals to move out of their respective lanes and examine other ideas.
Anyway, thanks again for sharing and for your kind words. Blessing to you.
I understand what you are saying and I essentially agree with you 100%...it is not just the government and the medical system that is broken...it is our society that is broken...I absolutely get your frustration...and I did notice that the lady was in need of medical care...which broken bones are not something I would deal with. I am talking about a change of behavior before such a crisis occurs. You actually sound like someone in the medical community who cares and wants to make a difference. Unfortunately I believe you are in the minority...I applaud your efforts....
I have a 93 year old MIL that still lives independently cared for by 2 granddaughters that are like children to her. My mom lived to be 90 with no assisted care. I am 71 so I know about the things you speak of. I am on no medication and am trying to avoid the Alzheimer's that killed my dad in his 70's. I am just trying to show that there ARE alternative ways to approach healthcare that can be beneficial.
You actually prove my point with caring for your mother as you have. She is very lucky to have you and I get that all elderly are not in that position. This also points to the fact that the overdrugging of most people...especially the elderly...has not been beneficial. There are just other ways to deal with illness at any age.
I have had my doctor for over 25 years and we respect each other's knowledge and treatment protocols...so we have a very good working relationship. My son-in-law works in a nursing home and my daughter was a hospice social worker so I am very aware of the plight of the elderly. I have 2 nurses, an EMT and a nurse-practitioner in the family so we are pretty medically inclined.
See...relating to the fragility of bones in the elderly would be the consideration of vitamin D levels and the supplementation of that and vitamin K. If doctors were aware of how important it is to maintain healthy vitamin D levels, that could be a game changer. I am not saying that being your own health care advocate is the end all...but I am saying it is a start to a way of life that can greatly improve one's health outcomes.
Believe me I get your anger and angst...but it should be directed at the failed institutions in this country...overuse of drugs because of $, medical care dictated by the bottom line...$, doctors who know very little about good health or natural healing, nursing homes that use and abuse the elderly...$, and families that ignore their elderly...these are the things that need to change...NOT what I advocate...
I do appreciate your reply and I assure you we are on the same page. Jokingly I have told my husband "if I ever need to go to a nursing home...take me out back and shoot me"...BTW he is a general contractor and does work for one of the biggest nursing home chains in the south..which is what prompted that statement...
Sorry if it seemed as though I was directing any frustration at you. I agree with everything you said and no doubt we are coming from the same place. Holistic and intelligent prevention are the key to overall health. This forum could not contain the information that either one of us could expound upon.
There were two populations that I personally saw as a provider that I felt were grossly underserved and mistreated - veterans and the elderly. The topics concerning their lack of appropriate preventative care, misdiagnosis, polypharmaceutical status, and lack of support, are all areas that I unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it, am well acquainted with. Often my positions on these subjects put me at odds with employers and colleagues - sometimes even the family members of my patients. I did manage to keep my head down with the state board however. They can't shoot at you if they can't see you.
I am now semi-retired but I still keep my ear to the ground and help others try understand the deadly minefield called "health care." In some ways I am grateful that I am out of the insanity. The current system for me is unrecognizable from what is was years ago when I started. What is has become, is not what I signed up for. AI protocols and the digital data collection that builds it has taken over. More and more, the critical thinking required for patient care and management are overridden and sidelined by the digital bean counters hell bent on removing humanity from the equation. Pure insanity.
I lost my job at the VA for being a patient advocate and calling them out on their crap. They spend a lot of money and spin a lot of plates that do not necessarily translate into actual patient care. In fact, most of the money they spend is not on direct patient care. It is spent managing the bureaucracy. Some of the stuff they do defies any and all logic. I do believe the Almighty put me into that situation and pulled me out of it for a reason. I needed to see it. Both my entry and my exit were sudden. Old habits of defending and advocating for the abused and oppressed can get me going and often in trouble. ; )
I have worked in medical research, public health, and private practice. All of it was done with a bent towards trying to call out the BS of the system and shine some truth about real health care and not just dis-ease management. Having worked in these various genres has given me a unique perspective due to having an inside view of how the cake is baked. However, despite the aggravation of dealing with a medical system geared towards ill health, my biggest frustration at times was dealing with the patients themselves and their indoctrination of dependence upon someone else for their well being. They can spend money on a new car, vacations, clothes, big screens, and almost anything else other than their own health. They have this crazy idea that someone else is supposed to pay for the most precious gift they have - their own life and health. Without health, all the other trappings are pointless.
I still try to help where I can. There will be a need for healers and others like us in a parallel or entirely new system. We will have to take care of each other. My only regret is not spending more time learning how to grow and process herbals and essential oils - a lifetime of experiential knowledge that I don't possess. But, there will still be a need in a new system for one that can suture a wound and set a bone. Skills that my grandparents and their ancestors all knew how to do - so I guess my apple didn't fall too far from that tree.
God bless you and yours fren. Thank you for the conversation.
My heart breaks for you and your good intentions...you are definitely one of the "good ones"...we certainly needed more like you...and I agree that veterans and the elderly are the most neglected (unless you are very rich).
You hit the nail on the head with..."my biggest frustration at times was dealing with the patients themselves and their indoctrination of dependence upon someone else for their well being"...that actually being the main gist of my point all along...
I feel ALL your frustrations...those are the very things that pushed me into alternative healthcare at the ripe old age of 20. I was only 24 when my sister first flipped out...schizophrenia...but I found Dr. Abram Hoffer and Orthomlecular Psychiatry, which saved her life. It is all a process and I have been learning for over 50 years.
My daughter who was a social worker for hospice for over 10 years had a breakdown last October and is currently in rehab after drinking on the job and being involved in a head on collision...many jobs have such a high stress level and do not have adequate support...at least you didn't end up like that...it is ALL messed up.
I have at least 15...maybe 20 healing modalities and there is nothing I love to do more than educate people. I would love to share any books or resources I have that you may be interested in...some things are very easy...some harder...but ALL learnable...
We are on the same side...my battle has always been for me and my family...I had home births...no drugs...didn't circumsize...didn't vaccinate...used my kids as guinea pigs for natural healing modalities...home schooled etc. You get the picture...we both have fought all the corrupt broken systems in our own way and we are on the same side...
It was truly wonderful to meet you and chat...we could have some great discussions I am sure...again...I love to share natural healing information...if you are ever interested...there are some really intelligent people on GAW, also...
God richly bless you and yours...
Thank you for your kind words. Interesting about your sister. I knew a psychiatrist in San Francisco in the Tenderloin district that was using nutraceuticals to manage mental illness linked to addiction - and she was quite successful with it considering the demographic group she was working with. The medical establishment, which normally rejects and discredits therapies that do not utilize pharma, left her alone because she was the only one willing to treat patients in that war zone. We used to have some very interesting conversations.
Too bad about your daughter. At one time I considered social work or juvenile probation. I rejected the idea because of what you said happened to your daughter. God bless those that work with people usually at the worst times in their lives. It is very stressful. I went into health care with my head already screwed on pretty tight, so I was not tossed around emotionally like many others. It is not always easy trying to remain a bit detached for your own sanity and yet be empathetic to people. It's a tough balancing act for sure and some are much better at not falling off the tight rope than others.
Any time I could get a patient off meds and improve their well being through nutrition and supplementation, it was a huge win. The most rewarding cases were those that showed up on my doorstep being written off by other practitioners. After some common sense adjustments, they turned completely around. I never grew tired of seeing them recover their life.
Once I had a young women in her thirties who was essentially sent home to get her affairs in order because her ticker was going kaput. She was severely depressed and on the verge of giving up. She came in already taking 3 BP meds for uncontrolled HTN and arrhythmia. Duh, she was a classic case of magnesium deficiency unless proven otherwise. Got her on some supplements and tweaked her diet, and voilà... she made a dramatic recovery almost overnight. Her cardiologist was floored and in disbelief. However, this cardiologist learned a few things and started checking her patients for Vit D and Magnesium deficiency among other things. She just was not taught this in school nor did she read about it in any of the typical medical research journals. I am not sure why the mindset exists that does not allow these highly educated and capable individuals to move out of their respective lanes and examine other ideas.
Anyway, thanks again for sharing and for your kind words. Blessing to you.