Why should one take care of their health? There seem to be too few answers to this question.Perhaps, it’s to feel good, or so you don’t get sick or even die; for family members and loved one; some may appreciate the fact that they have a purpose in life, and it would be much easier to fulfill it if they were healthy. But the reasons seem too limited. I even posed this question on social media and got very little response.
I’m In the Hematologist Office
As I write this, I am sitting in the waiting room of the hematologist/oncologist office. Yes, it’s a very humbling experience, that after intentionally taking care of my health for almost 30 years, I have been diagnosed with what is known as a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) called essential thrombocytosis, a type of blood cancer. I am told it is caused by a gene mutation in the bone marrow.
I would like to take the time this week to humbly share my thought process, and even the actual process I walked myself through over the past almost two years and my thoughts now as I get ready to step into the medical world of disease management.
It Started with High Blood Pressure
The first sign that something was out of balance for me was high blood pressure. I talked about this experience in past blogs as well as in my book “Are You Being Deceived About True Wellness” so I won’t belabor on this story today. It was this continued concern that prompted me to search out a functional medicine doctor – someone other than my own self – for the first time. When I pulled out my previous comprehensive, annual labs I ran on myself every year for years, I saw a pattern that I simply pooh poohed away in the past with my complete blood count (CBC), which includes my red blood cells (RBC’s), white blood cells (WBC’s) and platelets. Oh my goodness, they had been increasing over the past 4 years and I never paid any attention to this, until some of these markers were flagged by the lab as being concerning high – the platelets as well as the red blood cells in particular, and the white blood cells to a lesser degree as well as the other markers.
The plan of action that I had determined ahead of time, if there was ever a health challenge for me, was to seek out a functional medicine doctor, to insure I wouldn’t be taking a step out of a place of panic, but intentionality. I wanted to get to the root cause of the high blood pressure, not just mask this sign by taking a medication.
Over the next 6 months or so I diligently worked with the functional medicine doctor trying to uncover the root cause. We ran all kinds of scientific specialty diagnostic tests that simply aren’t on the radar of a conventional medicine doctor – primarily because insurance doesn’t cover these kinds of diagnostic testing. We were mostly trying to find any kind of infection and/or inflammation that could cause these lab values to be out of balance. We ran auto-immune markers, cardiac tests, and very comprehensive metabolic lab tests. I took supplements that are not the common supplements to protect my cardiovascular health, I received 20 hyperbaric chamber treatments – trying to kill off any viral, bacterial or parasitic infections that might be hidden in my body – these critters thrive in an anerobic environment, and we were dousing them with almost pure oxygen. Of course, I tightened up on my diet and other lifestyle habits that I know are good for my health. But all of this to no avail. Each time I re-ran the labs the platelets, RBC’s etc. kept getting worse.
I decided to consult with a conventional medicine hematologist/oncologist last May. He ran some genetic test that came back negative, but he was still convinced that there was some kind of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) activity going on and ordered a bone marrow biopsy which confirmed his suspicions. However, these MPN’s can be primary i.e. genetic mutation (according to the literature, rare), or they can be secondary i.e. due to something like infection and/or inflammation, which according to Cleveland and Mayo Clinics is much more common. The oncologist felt certain it was primary, I was yet to be convinced of that, I still felt it could be secondary and I wasn’t done searching for the evasive root cause. His recommendation was to take a chemo pill, most likely for the rest of my life. But one of my health goals was to go to my grave at a ripe old age bragging that I wasn’t on any medications when I died!The greatest risk of this disease is the possibility of a stroke or a heart attack. In my opinion, the labs weren’t severe enough, and my blood pressure was within range – at least according to European standards. I also felt perfectly fine. So, I declined his medical recommendations.
The Problem Continued
I continued to take care of my health and continued to dig for the elusive root cause. I next consulted with another functional medicine doc that I met at one of my continuing education seminars I took last year. He suggested I run a very comprehensive digestive stool analysis test. This test revealed, unbeknownst to me, that I had a high sensitivity to wheat and gluten. So, I became diligent with totally avoiding foods with wheat and gluten, thinking this was certainly causing inflammation in my body, and was the root cause. Still to no avail – the markers continued to climb. I was beginning to concede that it was in fact a genetic mutation and no other secondary root cause existed.
I then got the bright idea that if I had too many red blood cells, then why not try phlebotomy – where I would routinely have excess blood taken out therapeutically. So back to the hematologist I went, only for him to nix that idea, as this would only be a short-lived, temporary fix for what I was dealing with. He stuck to his guns and once again recommended the chemo pill, and I dug my hills in even more and vehemently said “no.” While my two major indicators – the platelet & RBC levels, and my blood pressure – were steadily rising and holding (respectively), I felt confident (a bit bull-headedly I might add) that it could easily be 5, or even 10 years from now before things got seriously worse, as long as I took care of my health, after all, I felt fine. I continued to monitor my own lab values and checked my blood pressure every morning. They both were rapidly getting worse.
It was at this point my dogmatic pride broke and I decided to go to my next pre-determined plan of action.I always said, that if, Heaven forbid, I was diagnosed with cancer (MPN’s are classified as a type of blood cancer as the cells proliferate even though there isn’t an actual solid tumor present), I would go to Oasis of Hope, a wholistic cancer treatment center in Mexico. So, I reached out to them.
Surprisingly, and a bit disappointing, their strong recommendation, and all they could offer me, was that I receive the chemo treatment from my local oncologist, and once the lab values were back into normal reference range, I could contact them and receive detoxing and immune boosting treatments from them. While I was disappointed that they recommended chemo treatment, I also felt affirmed that the option that was presented to me by the conventional medicine doc was the same as the highly esteemed wholistic cancer doctor recommended. Especially from a center that would be my place of choice if I ever had cancer.
So today, here I sit, in the waiting room of the hematologist/oncologist waiting to be prescribed my first dose of hydroxyurea, a chemo pill.
The Moral of the Story
I need to remind myself, as well as my readers that I am not so dogmatic that I would never seek care from a conventional medicine doctor. What I have always been opposed to is the overuse and knee-jerk response to run to the medical doctor for every little ache and pain and then take the too readily prescribed medication to simply alter lab values. When I write about diseases, I am primarily talking about the all too common, and most of the time preventable, chronic degenerative diseases. I have always said as well that taking a prescription medication without making lifestyle changes is an extreme response to a fixable problem using natural approaches. Most people never alter their poor lifestyle choices, or explore the more conservative approaches first.As a chiropractor, I was always heart-broken when I learned of the number of people that jumped right into steroid injections, and worse, back and neck surgeries, without first exploring something as non-invasive as chiropractic care.
In this case, I feel I explored and frankly, exhausted, all of my other options first. I wasn’t ready to concede that what I am dealing with is a gene mutation – a primary cause. That term “genetic” is way over-used as well, and too often people grab hold of it as an excuse to not take charge of their health. I didn’t want to be one of those people. I wanted to make sure that there wasn’t a secondary root cause first (which is much more common) – infection and/or inflammation. And then I consulted with another functional medicine doctor, then prayed about it, and consulted with some other colleagues – on both sides of the fence – conventional and wholistic, and I prayed about it some more. While the decision I finally made goes against everything I have believed in, promoted, teach about, and still do; I also know that there comes a time when the medical profession direction is the best path to choose. They too have their place in rendering care to our bodies and our health – especially when they are addressing something that is beyond my control – a true gene mutation. I have peace about this.
But I also believe that because I have been pro-actively taking care of my health for almost 30 years know – practicing what I preach – that my body will be in a much better position to receive something as toxic as a chemo pill, utilize it, and rid the body of it once it has served its purpose. My immune system is strong. My liver is clean (I have done a liver detox every year for about 20 years). My digestive health is stronger once I learned of the wheat and gluten sensitivities – remember, 70% of our immune system is in the gut. I am physically active helping the lymphatic system move the body’s waste along, and sweating out more toxins. Heck, I just backpacked over 120 miles, summitted Mt. Katahdin in Maine to finish my 11-year goal of completing the entire Appalachian Trail just a few weeks ago! Other than the BP and lab markers I am thankfully asymptomatic. I give my body the rest it needs, consume a healthy diet and continue to receive quality chiropractic care to remove any nerve interference so my body can function and heal optimally. And above all, I trust in the Healer, Jesus Christ – nothing is impossible with Him!
My Reason for Taking Care of My Health
That is my added reason for taking care of my health – to prepare for the unexpected. Taking care of my health is my insurance. So that if or when something goes wrong, I am prepared, and my body is prepared. I am so grateful I have.