The True Cure

All my life I have been in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals.  Every year of my childhood it seems some random event happened resulting me needing medical treatment.   Each time it felt as though I was just a number to these doctors. Like cattle, I was shuffled in and out of their offices as quickly as possible.  After waiting for hours sometimes, to just be greeted by the doctor, diagnosed within five minutes, then sent on my way.    

In one incident I got hit in the jaw so hard that it knocked out my lower front tooth and the root was exposed.  I rushed to the hospital, only to wait for hours in agonizing pain, to be seen. It hurt to even breath because the air touching my exposed root caused so much pain. When I finally saw the doctor, he says all he can do is put a sealant on my root so it is not exposed until I can get into the dentist for a root canal.  Ok, simple enough right?  

He takes one of those wooden tongue pressers and breaks it on his leg to form a splintery pointed edge.  He uses this to stir around the sealant and scoops up a big glob. He grabs my head with one hand and brings this splintery piece of wood towards my mouth.  My root is already throbbing. Is he really going to stick this thing in my mouth? 

Right as he is about to touch my mouth with it, a nurse calls his name.  He turns to look at the nurse and his hand follows, in turn jabbing it into my already exposed root.  I immediately scream out in extreme agony. It was like he had just jabbed that into every nerve in my body.  He had to pry it from my mouth which was now bleeding again. My body shutters in pain, and I am balling. He is completely unfazed by the fact that he just caused me ten times more pain than when the tooth got knocked.  He never even apologized for his mistake.  

This experience is just a peek into the countless times I have been mistreated by the healthcare system.  Most doctors do not take time to truly understand your personal body, lifestyle, and needs, in order to get to the root of your problem.  They simply take one look at you and use their “experience” to determine a lifetime’s worth of issues. They put a band-aid on the most obvious, fixable issue to hold you over until the next time you must pay another $50 for five minutes of undecipherable doctor verbiage. Up until this point, when I brought up my body pain to a doctor, they simply said it was tendonitis.  They said to ice it, heat it, and take Tylenol. Nothing more nothing less. My overall disposition for Western medicine was part of why I let my pain go untreated for so long.

After being diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, and the doctor's automatic instinct to put me on the most extreme treatment possible, I felt extremely discouraged. I moved my entire life back to Arizona, and was able to quickly find the problem, but was no closer to finding a solution. I felt more helpless than when I had just ignored my pain.

Knowing my distain for doctors, my physical therapist gives me the name of a naturopath; an alternative to Western medicine that uses natural remedies to treat the root causes of your issues, instead of just treating the symptoms.  I’d never been to a naturopath, but I have always agreed with the natural way of living. It is now or never, so I reluctantly make an appointment.  

I walk into the naturopath’s office; It is an old home with lots of character turned into a holistic healing center.  It smells of lavender and eucalyptus. There are salt lamps glowing, fountains trickling, and plants everywhere. The walls are painted a calming sage green.  Not the sterile feeling of a doctor’s office at all. Terri greats me with the warmth of one of my mom’s hugs.  

She patiently listens to my issues as I go on and on.  Usually I am short with doctors and give them one-word answers, but Terri makes me want to tell the whole story.  I tell her things I have never told anyone. Her energy helps relax me into a space of much less worry.  

We come up with a treatment plan of all-natural vitamins, minerals, and supplements to get my immune system back where it should be. She suggests a few simple lifestyle changes such as taking baking soda and salt baths, not drinking alcohol anymore, and drinking apple cider vinegar daily. I am put on an anti-inflammatory diet to decrease my pain.  I am given homeopathic medicines derived from plants, herbs, minerals, or animal products to help me mentally cope with everything. Yes, I will have this disease for the rest of my life, but I will not let it define me. There are many ways to decrease the symptoms and prevent me from getting any worse, without pumping my body full of chemicals.

For once, I can stand behind all of these treatment options knowing they are not harming my body or the Earth.  It will not be easy to make all these lifestyle changes, but I feel confident in my naturopath to support and guide me through it all. I am optimistic for my future again. And so began my journey to health.