Many families, ours included, have learned the hard way there are gaps in treating chronic illness. In those gaps lies the secret to healing. Few families, however, figure this out because they are being told by those they trust (the doctors) that there is nothing else they can do. These doctors aren’t purposely misleading patients; they are just unaware. It’s also easier to be ignorant than informed when your livelihood benefits from a lack of knowledge.
We were fortunate! A career in pharmaceutical sales has given me a look behind the curtain, ONE I WISH EVERYONE COULD HAVE. This look behind the curtain has allowed me to question everything and make the right decisions for my family. So, here is a little peek, with the intention that it inspires you to ask lots of questions and view everything with a discerning eye.
Over the last two decades, I have watched the medical system change dramatically. Many things are contributing to the unraveling of patient care. The system is overburdened, and most doctors no longer have the time needed to stay current with research. There are very few who can claim to be caring, compassionate physicians, medical detectives, and savvy business owners. Without this combination, it is hard to maintain a successful practice and even harder to get patients well. Ever-increasing liability insurance, the squeeze on reimbursements, and time spent fighting with patient’s insurance plans over approvals (for medications & procedures) all impact the practice’s ability to operate at a profit. Furthermore, in most urban areas, hospital systems are buying up the small practices and running them like hospitals which cuts care, compassion, and time spent with patients. While many doctors may have been inspired to help others, they didn’t go to Medical School to be broke, so they do what helps keep them in “practice.”
Most of the doctors I know have to see a minimum of forty to sixty patients a day to stay profitable. How many doctors want to go home and do research after that??
So, where do many of these doctors get their current information? From their pharmaceutical reps or conferences (if they even attend conferences anymore). Both, of course, are an education in medication utilization by big pharma (which is better than NO current data), but how does this type of schooling fill those GAPS in treatment? It doesn’t! A doctor would need to read and research on their own to discover what these GAPS in treatment are and how to meet them. If the medical model doesn’t reward physicians for doing this extra work, and instead makes it difficult, what is their motivation? Many of us believe that our doctors want us to be HEALTHY and are willing to DO WHAT IT TAKES to help us achieve that health. IT IS MORE ACCURATE TO SAY THAT OUR DOCTORS (NOT ALL, BUT MOST) WANT US TO DO WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT AND TELL US TO DO.
Throughout my career, I have met many caring, compassionate physicians who felt the calling to help people. I have also encountered MORE THAN A FEW APATHETIC, LAZY physicians who actually disclosed that they based their decisions on what was easiest for them (& some who did not admit this, but it was evident in how they practiced.) It is possible that the medical system and increasingly sick patients’ demands have worn those doctors down. Either way, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE DOCTORS? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A GREAT DOCTOR? HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOUR DOCTOR’S SUGGESTIONS BENEFIT THEM OR YOU?
The search for WHY someone is CHRONICALLY ILL IS FAR HARDER THAN MEDICATING THE SYMPTOMS OF THAT ILLNESS. Ultimately, more than one cause contributes to chronic illness, so ONE treatment being the answer is unusual. Mainstream medicine will prescribe medications, then optimize or change them, or add additional medications. Occasionally, walking, movement, or eating better are advised, depending upon the doctor and the diagnosis. More often than not, this is never discussed.
So, what are some of the crucial elements of a healing plan? What are the GAPS in treating chronic illness? What should our physicians be well-versed in?
DIET – What we eat SHOULD BE a conversation that all doctors are well-versed in. Food is information for our cells. To think that this does not impact our health in a significant way is short-sighted. A few short hours on this topic in medical school is either a GROSS OVERSIGHT or ABSOLUTELY INTENTIONAL. Either way, it is an area that must be addressed and SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED. WE HAVE FALLEN INTO A CONVENIENCE TRAP, and the food that we eat & feed our children is often inflammatory and filled with additives and toxic chemicals & antibiotics. Diet is the first area that needs to be addressed to heal.
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES- Many of us (Docs included) are completely unaware that even when we eat the healthiest of diets, we are typically deficient in many different minerals and vitamins. This is mainly due to over-farming and lack of regenerative farming methods. Our soil no longer has the same mineral content it once did, and in turn, our food doesn’t either. So how could we be getting enough? Especially when even those who eat healthy still don’t get enough veggies, or we cook them in a way that reduces their benefits.
ENVIRONMENT- Even with some of the best integrative doctors, I have seen this area overlooked in some significant ways! You can do many things to address your health issues, but if you live in a “sick” environment, you will continue to stay stagnant or backslide as soon as you ease off a protocol.
The following are a few ways to make our homes a healing oasis instead of the TOXIC SOUP it could potentially be:
MOLD is so common and prevalent. If you or a family member are chronically ill, you should test and address it. Mold is a much deeper topic that requires expert help as even those who claim to be Mold Remediators have NO CLUE just what this involves. ( I will cover this in DETAIL IN another blog).
CHEMICALS are so pervasive, and we are inundated in so many ways. The paint on our walls, the furniture we buy, our carpets, and our cleaning products contribute to our indoor air quality.
EMF(Dirty Electricity, WIFI, RADIATION) This tends to be hard for people to make peace with. However, this is a significant contributor to illness, and there is a TON OF RESEARCH proving it. If you have WIFI in the house – make sure it is far away from your living and sleeping spaces & turn it off at night.
PESTICIDES- BETTER TO HAVE AN UGLY LAWN than to have your family playing on carcinogenic chemicals.
DETOXIFICATION- This is how we rid the body of these environmental toxins and internal pathogens, metals, etc.- it is important to note that many “done for you detoxes” will not bring about the kind of long-term healing we are discussing. You want a plan that focuses on your biochemistry and health challenges. Drainage should always be addressed first, or you will recycle those toxins.
MICROBIOME – Many things impact our microbiome, and recent research has linked the microbiome to a plethora of illnesses and conditions including anxiety, autism, diabetes, and inflammation. Overlooking this critical component of our health is a tragic mistake that most mainstream doctors make because they are not yet up-to-date on current research. That said, the goal is to rebalance our microbiome, to improve the terrain, thus making ourselves more resilient.
MENTAL/ EMOTIONAL/ENERGETIC-
This is another area that can be overlooked by some integrative and holistic physicians, too. It is our energy that influences our biochemistry. If this seems crazy to you now, that’s ok. Eventually, it all begins to make sense. We cannot heal our bodies in a toxic environment, and that environment can be our thoughts too! Every healing plan needs a GET HAPPY PLAN. Meditation was a real game-changer for our family, but we have done so much more than just that, all in the name of true healing.
Although there are other things our doctors should be familiar with, such as our MITOCHONDRIA & METHYLATION, this discussion is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all you can and should do, nor will it suffice as an action plan for healing. Instead, it is intended as a starting point, a way for you to determine how much your doctor knows and cares about your ultimate health, not just medicating you. I AM ALSO NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU WILL NEVER NEED MEDICATIONS. I AM, HOWEVER, ASSUMING THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TRUE HEALING AND THAT WILL REQUIRE MORE THAN A MEDICATION, AND OFTEN WHEN DONE CORRECTLY, YOU CAN ESCAPE MEDICATIONS ALL TOGETHER.
If you are looking for more answers and are coming up against resistance, I would love to help you dig a little deeper and find not only more profound health, but also a level of peace and joy that you may not have felt in years.
