Since we can't even afford to use our insurance with it's $10,000 deductible, we pretty much have to be bleeding at a major artery or out cold before we will go to any doctor. We've learned lots about taking care of ourselves at home! Having bad health insurance has made us a lot tougher, that's for sure!
Just today, I've cancelled my follow up appt with the ortho for the broken ankle for I think the 5th week in a row. Now that it's at about 92% of former use I don't see the need for more x-rays and a $75 office visit just to tell me "your doing good lets see you in 6 mts".
I've superglued a major cut on the pad of my middle finger... just call me 'scar finger'.
I've taped my own broken toes.
I feel better off Blood Pressure meds than on.
My mom is one of 10 neither her nor her sisters or brothers have had any breast problems at all, I had one mammogram and probably won't have another unless I notice something. I only have one sex partner (DH) so I won't have another pap unless I notice a change.
I've raised two boys with only two emergency room visits. I consider getting impaled on a tree limb a valid reason for an ER visit. I questioned sending the other to the ER when his wrist was slit by a scissor blade but I wasn't home and my DH isn't as handy with bandages, superglue, etc. (no more sword fighting was allowed in the house).
We do go to the dentist once a year.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
It seems every time I go see the MD they find something else wrong and want to give me a pill.
case in point, for some reason in my mid 50's I suddenly developed awful allergies. The things immediately mentioned by the MD were allergy shots, antihistamines, nasal sprays and inhalers. What improved my symptoms about 90% were nasal irrigation, mattress and pillow anti-mite covers, not replacing pets when they left this earth, and when they were alive keeping them out of the bedroom. I also have no live plants in the house, and DH vacuums and dusts every few days for me. Simple measures instead of pills and shots really improved my health. Of course, if my breathing we compromised I would have had to go the medical route, but these environmental changes were very helpful with no negative side effects. I found the info on the internet on the allergy association website.
I also believe that our food is making us sick- too much processed food, mass produced meat, genetically altered grains and seeds so we try to eat as close to natural as we can.
as an aside, I had a foot injury and could barely walk, and the first MD wanted to do immediate surgery to reposition the heel bone. I got a second opinion and they second MD gave me exercises and I figured out putting a pillow at the foot of my bed helped my foot to stay upright and straight all night. I did a lot of water exercises as well and I am at about 90% healed. But I had to figure out most of this myself.
I still see the MD a few times a year and I think they get aggravated at me but I have good insurance so they put up with me!
My criteria for seeing a doctor: uncontrollable pain or bleeding, inability to breathe...
"I feel better off Blood Pressure meds than on." I read somewhere (The Last Well Person? Good book.) that blood pressure medication is a frequent cause of falls in the elderly. It used to be taken for granted that blood pressure went up with age; now we're all supposed to have the metrics of twenty-something athletes. Phooey.
I agree with many of the posts here. Our high-profit medical system is mostly about pushing pills and procedures. (A friend's relative regularly drove something like two hours for shockingly over-priced cancer treatment that had no effect on the course of their illness.) Except in the case of emergency/trauma medicine, it's mostly about covering up symptoms. Diagnosis of anything more obscure than a compound fracture seems to be a lost art.
The more pills you take, the more likely you are to throw off your body's ability to regulate itself and cause all kinds of new problems. The healthiest people I know and have known are those who avoid regular doctor visits, including those in my family who died in their nineties.
Love you folks--you're after my own heart and practice. I self-doctor in 99% of my ailments. Usually rest, heat/cold, herbal/folk remedies cure most everything. I wouldn't attempt to remove my diseased gall bladder (if I had one), but other than that and similar situations, I let my body heal itself with a little help from holistic and alternative care.
Our body is a wondrous creation--it WANTS to be healthy...and fails us mostly when we abuse it with bad fuel, stress and mechanical breakdowns from some activity gone wrong.
Except for flu--which is the spawn of the devil.
Even now I'm fighting off a flu that wants to come visit but has been held off with lots of vitamin C, some extra zinc, and regular applications of a saline nose inhaler.
Author of the green eco-thriller: Falling Through Time http://fallingthroughtime.com Editor of http://vibrantvillage.com
Hydrotherapy is great, too. One time I felt like I was getting really sick. I filled the tub with cold water and got in. It was a shock to my system, but the effects were instant. I could feel my bladder shrinking, my heart speeding up, my skin reacting, and poof! the flu syptoms vanished. I went back to bed and was able to sleep. (the ultimate healer.) It clears the aura, too. Another one that helps me is taking a warm epsom salt/baking soda bath. (Up to a pound of each.) It's great if you sensitive to your surroundings. I think I'm going to go take one now...
Went in for my annual blood letting at the VA hospital lab today (results with the Dr tomorrow and next comes the brain scans andhearing tests and womanly scans - bleck - hate them all). Unfortunately those kinds of things are not something we can do at home but I do try to do as much self care as possible. Mostly don't go to the Dr unless I am in serious pain - and even then wait to see if it gets better or not - or if I was hurt badly enought that I thought I might die without immediate help. Otherwise it's self care all the way.
What do you mean by "sensitive to surroundings?" Like, bothered by odors or clutter or noise, or something else?Originally Posted by awakenedsoul
Your bath sounds wonderful, that's why I wonder.
Hi awakened soul, have read in the Spiritual Sience Research Center that putting your feet in warm water so they are about two inces apart and ankles covered,with about a half of a container of salt and chanting the name of your version of God , is only beneficial. I used to love baths too but they say a lot of negative energy is taken on during the bath and it is much better to shower.... Just letting you know a different point of view...PS the water should only ever be dumped down the toilet and the bucket you use should only be used for this purpose...
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