Health care is self care

Health care is self care

Illness - whether labeled diabetes, osteoporosis or blood pressure puts the panic button 'on' in us. We then become `patients' entirely at the mercy of the medical mafia. Medicine is far from an exact science, therefore the knowledge and biases of the doctor caring for you will result in medical decisions that vary widely.

Seldom is there a single ideal way to treat the illness. Modern methods call upon technology using advanced drugs, surgery and radiation techniques that rarely cure chronic diseases and are not 100% safe because they have side effects.

There is great confusion and controversy within the medical world itself on efficiency within the medical world itself on efficiency and safety of treatments. Therefore what do we do? We need to take charge of our lives. We need to actively participate in our health care that will ultimately affect the quality and length of our life. We need to understand the cause of illness and significance of that illness. Then a solution will evolve which has the minimum disadvantage and maximum advantages. There is an alternative to every treatment. Seek information on it. You should not lose control over your health care by placing your doctor in position of omnipotence. We go to a doctor for a cure, but instead we receive a pill to take daily to keep the pressure, blood sugar or uric acid under control and make the pain tolerable. Removal of an organ was supposed to catch the cancer in time, but it did not. Look at how much we suffer through this treatment, all for nothing. You are looking for a cure to your illness not a patch up job to cover up symptoms.

However, our present health care system should be re-labeled as illness - supporting system. What we need to question is would the doctor prefer a room full of sick patients for his practice or one in which everyone is healthy! There is an alternative to every thing. We need to first see the options, be well informed. When we buy a car or gas stove, we certainly compare advantages and disadvantages of different models and makes. Unfortunately, the rigid system in medicine has dictated to us only one way to handle our problems. Break those chains.

There is one major drawback. When you follow the caring system of the body you have to be actively involved with your health, you can no longer lie back and be `fixed'. Regaining and maintaining your health is the key to fight illness but it takes effort.