Healthy Me

What do medical doctors have against doctors some consider "alternative" (like chiropractors)? If it isn't the "stick a drug down their throat for the pharmaceutical company" routine, they don't think it's right or safe? I've seen it with my former Endocrinologist who wouldn't do anything but synthetic medication when there were natural treatments that had been around for 100 years that worked for people.

Today my daughter came home and told me that her best friend's pediatrician told her that chiropractors (who her best friend has been seeing for a pinched nerve) give strokes to children. I was thinking about taking my daughter to a chiropractor for her back pain (from a fall) so I looked it up. There is a big debate between chiropractors and neurologists about the risk of stroke with a chiropractic neck adjustment.

From what I found here:

“Even if neck adjustments cause strokes (and no one can say for sure that they do) the risk is low— 1 per 100,000 chiropractic patients who receive multiple adjustments,” says chiropractor William Lauretti, an assistant professor at New York Chiropractic College, and a spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association.

I've heard the possible side effects on those commercials for a pharmaceutical drug. They go on and on and your jaw just drops listening to them. Sometimes you wonder if the side effect is worse than what it's treating. So what is the bigger risk? I'd seriously like to know the answer to that.

How do you know who to trust? How can you give your blind trust to any medical professional? It doesn't matter if they're wearing lab coats - they don't always know what is best for you and you're left wondering if you can find a medical professional (mainstream or alternative) who you can literally trust your life to.

I have some good and bad news. The good news is that the weight I lost after switching my thyroid medications is still holding. One milestone reached! The bad news is that it's been at a stand still. I'm going to give it a little push to reach my next milestone. For this past month, I'm still losing hair and am cold more often than not so I will increase my thyroid medication slightly.

I've broken the weight loss into smaller milestones to keep me encouraged. My next milestone is the next ten pounds. Once I reach that, I'll have the last weight milestone to do.

Maybe I'll be planning wedding favors for our vow renewal after all! I refuse to spend money on a dress and party until I feel better. The weight has been a big issue in terms of self-image the last few years but it is one I hope to conquer! I'd love to say my vows again in a way that we both would love!

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are changing their guidelines for women for all those embarrassing tests women don't like to get but must. Here's the rundown:

• Pap smears every two years instead of annually (surprising given the HPV rates in this country).
• Routine paps at age 21. They used to say within three years of sexual intercourse. Now it's age 21. (I'll still take my daughters when they becomes sexually active for exams and paps, whatever age that is.)
• If you are 30 and over and have three consecutive clear pap tests, you can wait three years for your next one.
• If you have HIV or cervical abnormalities, you might need more frequent screening (ya think?).

I wonder if that means insurance will stop covering them annually now?

I caught today on Rachael Ray's show part of a segment about the 400-calorie fix for losing weight. No, it's not JUST 400 calories a day. It is 400 calorie meals four times a day. Big difference there. The segment said that women should only have about 1600 calories a day. That sounds about right I think.

We are living in a society where everything is super-sized so that may not seem like very much but seriously, portions are way too big anymore. Between all the pharmaceuticals in our system with side effects like weight gain, busy schedules that don't leave a lot of time for exercise, and large portions, it's no wonder obesity is as bad as it is in the U.S. A.

I'm sure many doctors wouldn't want to hear about the fact that the obesity that causes health problems for so many may be caused by the pharmaceutical drugs doctors prescribe to them but that's the way it goes. It's a vicious cycle. I'm not a doctor. I don't go to work in a lab coat with all this medical schooling behind me but my instincts tell me Big Pharma bottom line has too much influence on our doctor's treatment plans and I don't like that.

A small study is indicating that being on the pill may help your asthma. Fluctuating hormones may make asthma worse so when they are stabilized with an oral contraceptive, you might see relief. However, the risk of stroke increases, you will probably gain weight (with the health problems that go along with that) and might increase your risk of cancer.

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

This study only included 17 women though so I wouldn't take it too seriously just yet.

John Stamos talked about this today on The View: Project Cuddle

It didn't take long for it to start burning up the 'net so if you are interested, there's the link for you.

My daughter has been having a lot of headaches and dizzy spells this week. She doesn't have a fever. I'm thinking either sinus infection or dehydration (they practice cheerleading for two hours a day and I doubt she's drinking enough water). I kept her home from school today so she could rest. If they keep up, she'll have to go see her pediatrician.

Since school started, I've had a couple respiratory infections and the flu. On Monday, I came down with a stomach bug - you know the symptoms: vomiting, chills, feeling miserable. By the worst of it, it hurt to inhale too. That was the most worrisome part to me. It was pretty miserable. My two oldest kids also had it but they just had vomiting and then they bounced back and were fine. I'm not sure why it hit me harder.

So "healthy me" hasn't been so healthy lately! At least it doesn't seem like it was H1N1, more like a seasonal flu. I'm taking vitamins, washing regularly...why do I keep getting sick? Maybe I should go to the doctor and get a check-up. Of course, that would mean having to find a doctor to begin with since I don't want to go back to the one I was using. I want a doctor who listens. I don't think because doctors wear lab coats that they're always right. My family doctor was more like a robot, only willing to go with the status quo instead of thinking for herself (and listening to what I was saying about how I felt).

Save me from teenage hormonal upheavals, tones of voice that say "you're stupid and I'm not listening to you" when your child speaks to you, and kids who think they know more than you do. Was I this bad when I was a teenager? Is there a family guide book that can save me from hormones and attitude?

My oldest will be a teenager really soon and she's been showing the signs of it more and more this past year. Since school started, oh boy have the signs hit me over the head. That tone of voice teens use on you is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I go from zero to irritated it 1.3 seconds!

Since stress is bad for my thyroid and adrenals, I need to learn to manage stress because I doubt it is going to get any easier for the next...14 years. Oh.my.gosh!

My eyes are highly sensitive to light. I can remember being about 11 - 12 years old and all of a sudden, the light was excruciating on my eyes. I couldn't open them. There was no reason that I knew of that I had tears running down my face and needed to call out for help. My father came to see what was wrong and gave me the oddest look as I stood there crying - like I was crazy. He didn't know what was wrong with me. I couldn't open them; it hurt so much. That sensitivity never went away. Every once in awhile, it happens to me just like that. It's bad when I'm driving and that happens so I always have sunglasses available to wear to cut the glare. I've seen it referred to as photophobia but I've never gone to a doctor for a diagnosis.

With winter coming, a lot of people don't think about what effect the sun can still have on you. For me personally, I still have to wear sunglasses during the winter months because the glare off the snow literally hurts my eyes. It makes it heard to see to drive with tears pouring from them. Polarized Sunglasses are designed to cut that glare from the snow (water, grass, and asphalt too). Sunglasses are a good investment. They protect the inner eye from sun damage. Plus they protect the skin around your eye - if you're squinting all the time, you'll get wrinkles!

If you get the flu vaccine, and then get the flu from the vaccine, it is supposed to be a milder form. What happens if the other people in your household couldn't or wouldn't get the vaccine and they catch this flu from you...their experience will NOT be the milder form correct?