For the last few months I have been seeing a Chinese Herbal Doctor. There's a large surgery, dispensary, and training college just on the other side of my canal. Hey, I live in Chinatown, what did you expect?
Its been an eye opener to say the least.
My problem with the general (Western) Practitioners is their inability to treat me as a whole person, holistically. For example I know that certain of my ailments are caused or at least aggravated by my mental state of health, and/or vice versa.
My Chinese Doctor(s) don't seem to bat an eyelid when I reel off my list of symptoms ranging from joint ache to an infected fingernail that won't heal. Blurred vision and backache. Constipation and dry eyes. They seem to regard all these seemingly unconnected symptoms to be a part of the way the body communicates and displays illness.
It was a relief the first time to have a Doctor actually take interest in all of my symptoms, and offer a plausible reasoning afterwards for their connection. And also say when they had no connection. To them, the patient is absolutely responsible for their own well-being and as such must take responsibility thereof if any positive state of health is to be achieved.
Its very empowering to me to be told that I can make a difference to my health in a positive way. Negative influence is also (up to a certain point) my own responsibility, that is made very clear at the beginning of the treatment - well-being can be achieved, but will take longer to achieve if advice is not taken.
All this is a far cry from the hospital hit and miss diagnosis technique.
Nurse:
Doctor, the patient has lost his arm!
Doctor:
But I'm a heart surgeon, tell him we can't do anything about that until I've got his heart started again!
2 comments:
Hi Nic,
Once more, you're blogs mirror my life. I've been thinking about returning to a chinese doctor i used to see years ago on the Nieuwmarkt but I'm seriously concerned that the contents of the chinese medicines will affect the hiv meds.But what you say about the doctors is spot on. I've got neuropathy problems in my feet and hands and give the internist his due, he believed me when i told him it was getting worse but then prescribed Lyrica, via a consulent and over the phone. This drug makes me so high that the side effects are worse than the problem itself. I'm stopping immediately of course - this is not the first time it's happened and the internist should have known, considering the nightmare trip i had with Stocrin two years ago! Ho hum, details - boring I know but the point is that I've been telling them for years that I need someone with a bit of knowledge, who will look at me holistically in a medical sense! it's like bashing your head against a brick wall - they're all fiercely protective of their own specialisms and can't think outside the box, or outside the system. I'm not sure abput the Chinese doctors being the answer for me though, despite having beeen helped in the past when western medicine failed. Dilemmas eh!
Best wishes and keep surviving.
dave
Dear Dave,
Sorry to hear about your dilemma, but yes, it does sound very familiar.
So okay, a Chinese doctor may not be the answer to all the problems, but it won't hurt to try. The point is that its YOU that has to do the trying. I have a great Internist and Nurse Specialist who I wouldn't swop for the world, but I am still the one who has to be in control of my own health.
I have no qualms in saying, change your Internist if he/she is not working for you in the way you want to. The only (I repeat ONLY) good thing about the revised health care plan in this country is that you are free to pick and choose whatever health care specialist you want. My Internist is extremely aware of this and when I need testing/treatment for whatever he advises me to shop around at different hospitals to see where the waiting list is shortest and/or the reputation is best.
Still (and this is supremely sad) if you are hiv+ then you should only be seeing an Internist at the OLVG or the AMC in Amsterdam.
As for the Chinese Doctor not being aware of the hiv meds and combinations with the herbs etc. Don't worry, they are very much up on what is happening in that field. Especially Tasly in Niewmarkt. They are the biggest manufacturer of Chinese Herbal Medicines in the world, and the Teaching Facility in the Nieuwmarkt location is the central one for Europe.
.... and of course quite a few of their clients are hiv+'ers ....
Yours,
Nic
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