Winter Fun

Not much to say so I'll let the kids entertain you instead. We spend a lot of time dancing around here which makes us laugh! Marie discovered some of my dusty belly dancing costumes, so here she is giving it a whirl. Willie has a thing for scarves, evidently.

Sickening Health

Politics. That word and all it emotes in us. For you it may be the thought of Pork barreling from high school history class or the image of a round American man with a comb-over and perfect teeth. It may spark a fire inside, flamed with rage or disgust, or it may send a wave of Patriotism through each of your vessels. It has the strength to incite riots, to strap a bomb to itself and enter an ignorant place of public travel. This one word can shatter a family into fragments of misunderstanding and allow a nation to forget its purpose of better life for all who call its soil home. Politics inspires divisiveness and perpetuates resentment. It feeds corruption and buys values. It allows for growth all the while stifling change. It struggles to find its own meaning through charismatic debates and handshakes that seethe in untold truths. Politics.

Being married to a man who has the memory for details of historical fact and one-liners from movies such as Raising Arizona which rivals that of my father's for songwriters of the 60's, I have no choice but to be embedded in Politics. As the current election year continues to blast its ugly self in HD across all things electronic, I attempt to ride a wave to keep above it all if only for a breath. Although I have many opinions to share, I feel that my most important and valuable perspectives are those on the healthcare system. A highly conflicted topic, I know and one with which I personally grapple on a daily basis.

The current system as we Americans know it is absolutely unacceptable. According to an article from a reputable medical journal, JAMA, doctors are the third leading cause of death in the US, causing 250,000 deaths every year.
ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:

12,000 --- unnecessary surgery

7,000 ----- medication errors in hospitals

20,000 ---- other errors in hospitals

80,000 ---- infections in hospitals

106,000 ---non-error, negative effects of drugs

These total to 250,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!

Does this mean that doctors are the problem? In some situations, yes, but being a licensed Naturopathic Physician myself, I surmise a faulty system that ties the hands of well trained practitioners both in education and in practice. My brother begs for more big business and less government. Yet big business, although a component and freedom of democracy, historically grows like cancerous cells unchecked and hidden from surrounding healthy cells. It does not self-regulate. If big business were allowed its wishes, our air would now be unsuitable to breathe and our water unfit for drinking. Our children would experience outrageously higher rates of asthma if the Clean Air Act had not come to fruition. If not for government programs and funding, we would not have roads to drive our choice of cars on or beautiful parks to escape from the city. Sure, private companies could do such things, but if left to the bottom line, which is without a doubt profit, there is just no incentive. The good of the people is no longer the priority and it is simply the good of the individual, or said business (remember, a corporation is treated as its own entity, a life in and of itself).

This brings me back to healthcare. Interspersed between mudslinging political ads are commercials about pharmaceuticals. Tell me one person who truly enjoys seeing erectile dysfunction discussions by none other than former politicians while waiting for the next scene on Heroes. Oh, wait the writers are still on strike so that's a mute point. And everyone except us with our rabbit ears has Tivo, so commercials don't affect them, but I am certainly offended by the media telling me what I should ask my doctor about. Hold it, I am a doctor. Fortunately in my field, my patients are asking me about alternatives to drugs instead of asking me to prescribe them "you know that one with the glowing butterfly or the happy faced rock". Pharmaceutical companies, aka big business, run the show. And although I know there are many drugs out there that keep people alive, there are many others, if not far more that shorten people's lives and absolutely ruin quality of life. Who funds the research? Who validates the efficacy of drugs? Who challenges the safety of an herb like licorice that has been used safely and effectively for centuries in China and the Americas and allows medications that have been PROVEN to kill people to remain on the market? Who inundates med students and doctors with clocks, notepads, free lunches, samples, and even textbooks in order to ensure that their product will be the first to be prescribed? Who lobbies politicians so that their drug will remain under patent longer to keep prices sky high--healthy competition, you say? Who creates a corrupt paradigm for research that could never apply to such practices as healthy lifestyle or energetic techniques like acupuncture which has been a traditional healing method for thousands of years? What is the bottom line?

And then there are the insurance companies. Not to pick on you, brother, but you say that anyone can walk into any hospital emergency room and receive appropriate care no matter what his or her insurance is or is not. Not true. I beg of you, don't take my nephews to the nearest Kaiser ER, then. That is unless you are covered by Kaiser, and then you'll be treated well. I bill insurance. I want people who work hard to pay for their insurance to be able to use it for my services (mind you, Bill and I are self employed and pay for ours and our children's health insurance completely) as well as people who choose not to or who do not have Naturopathic or acupuncture coverage and pay out of pocket. I see first hand the challenges of our system and the game that physicians must play in order for the insurance companies to say yay or nay. Why is big business dictating (or trying to, that is) how I practice medicine? As I recall, I am the one who sat in classes for six years. I am the one paying my loans. I am the one who did special training under the best Chinese doctors in cancer treatment. I am the one who learned every muscle insertion and origination of the body and drew blood from my partially trusting peers. I am the one sitting face to face with patients who tell me their challenges with health and life. I am the one who listens to their hearts and feels their pulses. I am not an insurance company. I am not a big business. I am a sole proprietor who aspires to practice safe and effective medicine and teach people how to optimize health. I want to pay my loans and contribute financially to my family. I want to have the freedom to buy land or travel. I don't need a million dollar home or a yacht. I want to contribute in a real way to the health of our nation by teaching individuals techniques to take charge of their health. And right now, compared even to some less "developed" nations, we are facing a crisis in our individual health and our healthcare system that is unprecedented. Who will check this unfolding tragedy? Politicians? Big business? I trust neither with the health of my children.

Emphatic Snuggler, Leg Hugger

Under duress of my siblings, I must post another blog urgently. I thought I would go into some detail of my children, since they are home from their respective schools now for Christmas break and are such a strong presence. No, not college, just daycare.

I'll begin with Willie, my 13 month old son, aka Big Chunk or as titled above, the Emphatic Snuggler. He is on the move these days and as my brother, the father of 3 sons warned me, leaves a wake of destruction in his path. Although he flings food that mirrors a satellite careening through space at warp speed and says "hello" to all humans younger than him with a solid bonk on the head, he is one of the sweetest babies I have come across. He hugs with such force that it chokes you up, both literally and sentimentally. The mixture of affections range from a "gentle" swat on the face to a head on your chest that would make even the biggest Grinch melt with fulfillment. I endure these gestures and wince through the pain in order to cherish every moment of this surely short-lived babyhood. His show of love certainly spreads to his sister, Marie as he scrambles her puzzles, knocks over her towers and giggles with a depth that only she can elicit thanks to her games of chase.

Recently, my husband's company, Oregon Timberworks hosted a circus at the main shop. There were three members of the troupe and they awed us with acrobatics, juggling and some Cirque du Soleil antics. Willie was absolutely mesmerized. He sat perfectly still and hardly blinked for the hour long show. He also has a similar fascination for the moon. At first sight, he points and says "mooh, mooh" and will continue to do so until it is out of view. This makes for interesting walks and car rides!

Our first born, Marie delights us everyday. She is 3 1/2 and is reading short words such as c-a-t and t-o-p as she sounds each letter out. Her writing skills are also developing at an amazing rate. She traces letters and spells out words with letters. Today she wrote on some gift tags and various symbols such as "t" and "o" and "m" appeared. Although we are not touted as religious folks, we do try and teach our children about different faiths so that they may be enlightened and follow their respective spiritual paths. In speaking of Jesus and his life of good deeds, Marie asked if baby Jesus shows up with policemen and ambulances if someone needs help. On some level, I'm sure He does.

Rarely is there a moment when she is not singing, dancing or jumping. In fact, we can often gage the level of excitement in direct relation to the number of jumps. She knows several Allman Brothers songs and the majority of tunes from "O Brother Where Art Thou?". Her hula dancing is coming along and she now attempts moves from the Nutcracker. In order to refine these burgeoning skills, we are enrolling her in Portland's "Do Jump" classes. We may have our own circus troupe before you know it.

Where's Mr. Heat Mizer?

Wind. Rain. Snow flurries. All this and I'm supposed to brave the pass over Mount Hood tomorrow so I can work on a remodel. Wait, I'm a Naturopath and acupuncturist and mother of two, why a remodel, you ask? As fate has it, the Oregon Sturms are returning to Bend after a (long) intermission in Portland. Ah yes, the dry air, blowing snow and crisp mornings beckon our family to take respite from the highway sounds (and fumes) of I-5. Thus the remodel.

When I began my 6 year medical school endeavor in 2000, my new husband, Bill and I were fortunate enough to purchase a tiny house on the "posh" west side of Bend, a smallish mountain town on the East side of the Oregon Cascades. Smallish has turned to booming and now a once light on culture community is thriving with relocated Californians, seasonal boarders and wealthy retirees. With money comes demands for the better things in life, like exclusive health clubs, fancy sushi bars and lucky for us, a music scene and even venues to boot. The growth in Bend is bitter-sweet and both serves us and disturbs us. Our respective businesses will prosper, our children will have options and we'll get to eat unagi with the best of them. But what once was a quiet "mirror pond" is now laden with drunken teens on palm tree floats in the summer and what was a mellow mountain is now a powder-hog's haven. Such is life and we will continue to be swept up in it; gracefully, I hope.

Since this is my blog, I guess I get to talk about me! That sure feeds my Leo self. As I said, I am a licensed Naturopathic physician and acupuncturist. For those of you who just said, "what?", I will try to educate you. Naturopathic medicine is a practice strongly rooted in its philosphy. First do no harm, the healing power of nature, find and treat the cause, treat the whole person, prevention and doctor as teacher are the 6 principles. My training was at a four year accredited natural medical school, where I opted to obtain a masters in Classical Chinese Medicine as well; thus I was there for the 6 year dual degree program. My husband patiently and supportively stood by as I came home talking about pemphigus, homeopathy and speaking in Chinese. In the course of my study, Bill and I thought it a good idea to have children, too!

Marie was born in April at the end of my 4th year and Willie was born in November, one month after my board exams. Although school was an intense, fulfilling and amazing experience, having children has been the most rewarding and challenging process in my life. Marie is truly a beautiful little girl who is as creative as she is sassy. She always has a project going and she rarely stops singing. Our sweet little Willie has recently turned one. He is an absolute joy and could melt the heart of the iciest of individuals. He feeds my soul. The universe has rained down some true blessings on this family and we will certainly soak it all up.