I can see that medical practitioners will likely continue to get more educated about 'fat' considering the % of the population that is getting more severely obese every day.
I had a wonderful local doctor - who saved my child's life - whom I went to see for thyroid testing, as I had every single 'symptom' associated. At first, he suggested Prozac. (?!) I said, "I said I'm 'beyond exhausted', not that I "feel like sleeping"!" He did a simple blood test for thyroid problems, which came up negative, and told me that most the symptoms for an enlarged heart were the same, which I certainly had due to my weight, so he wouldn't want to medicate for thyroid anyway.
I actually respect that he was aware there could be other sources.
On the other hand, I later discovered that a potassium deficiency pretty much mirrors almost every symptom that thyroid problems do. And, that oxygen deprivation -- which my undiagnosed severe sleep apnea was giving me -- does as well.
So, it was another 2 years and I nearly died before I found the sleep apnea (and by then, asthma infections I thought were bronchitis had thickly coated my lungs, killed half the alveoli that absorb oxygen, and finally just 'locked up' my lungs). And that only happened because a part of me told me clearly, "If you fall asleep, you will quit breathing and die." It was bizarre, I tried to ignore it, but every time I nearly fell asleep, I would wake up having nearly-dreams about going to ER and so forth. Finally, just so I could get some sleep later, I took a shower, and packed a small bag, and went to ER at about 2am. I had so little ability to absorb O2 at that point they checked me in and put me on a variety of things which, to my surprise given I'm not fond of the medical establishment, really did help.
I had three doctors in the hospital. One was the general doctor, who upon seeing me, deigned to speak with me, and spoke only with the nurse about me, or with the air above my head in a way referring to me. Bizarre -- like I just didn't qualify for his attention. I had a specialist in respiratory disorders, who I liked extremely well, and was just the opposite.
And I had a specialist in cardiology, who I also liked really well. (My heart rate jumped to 296 suddenly at one point, when I was stressing out, my kid was there, I'd been on mega doses of a steroid for the asthma, and this nurse refused to believe that she was NOT in the vein and was seriously hurting me - most nurses are awesome btw, in my experience, this one was just having a bad hair moment I think.)
When I followed up with the specialists, about 30 days after I got out of the hospital, the respiratory guy was totally distressed that I admitted that I did not take the (addictive, expensive) asthma drugs (2ea 2 times a day) unless I actually felt my lungs or breathing were having a problem. My 3rd medicine for 'rescue' I didn't need to take, since I used the others only as 'rescue'. I tried to explain to him that my idea was, I didn't want to have a lifetime monstrously expensive drug addiction for this, but he seemed to think I would surely fall over and die, and was clearly disgusted with me for the confession.
The cardiology guy said, "You're a reader, I noticed your book. I have a book for you to check out." And he wrote down the Eades' Protein Power Life Plan on a prescription slip.
I had only heard of Atkins till then, and hadn't gone anywhere with it though I'd tried it briefly eons before. I loved the PPLP book and felt like it inspired me as nothing ever had, and made a point to educate people about stuff I consider important. Thanks to his recommending that, I did do a 3-week trial on PPLP about 9 months ago, which had staggeringly good results on my health.
What really freaked me out (finally to the point here) was that so many of my problems in the end, end up relating to carbs, or carb foods. From food allergies to the overweight itself.
Yet other than my cardiologist (and thank god for him), nobody EVER mentioned that seeming asthma could result from chronic food allergies; that acid-reflux could be improved not through surgery or drugs but through cleaning up my food act; that weight loss, so critical to every part of my health, could actually happen for me through a low-carb eating plan (because no amount of traditional dieting helps - and only causes weight GAIN in my experience, not to mention starving, weak, misery).
I feel that the $15billion diet industry, the sugar and wheat consortiums' influence on medical boards and hence medical training, are contributing to the 'educated ignorance' that so many of our most expert health practitioners seem to have.
I think in the end, what is changing doctors, is seeing patients go on low-carb and have it work, health-wise not just weight-wise. While some it only pisses off, bizarrely (the tales I've heard...), most docs I've heard of that became open to the subject did so because patients they had -- or other doctors inspired by their own patients -- actually went on the eating plan and saw astonishing results.
In a way it is sort of humorous to consider that the most profound education these overeducated people are getting are from the patients themselves. :-)
PJ
|