Why Natural and Organic Solutions? Part 3

While it is important to understand where we are in health care in the U.S., it is more useful to focus on proposed solutions which will produce better results than we are currently getting.

If we are honest, an overview of our healthcare shows results look very much like a system headed in the wrong direction.

Additionally, as our system become more like socialist healthcare systems, with the state more in control, it is impossible to ignore the facts that costs are continuously rising to dangerous levels and- not producing the results people want and need.

What is the Alternative?

We need an alternative approach which will provide better results, at much lower cost, with far fewer side effects.

I call it natural health care. That doesn’t mean throwing out the baby with the bath water. We should still use scientific thinking and common sense. We just don’t have to rely on pharmaceutical chemicals to produce every good result. From my perspective, they should be a last resort, not a first choice.

Real Life Example

Recently, I had an issue with blurred vision in one eye. What I was trying with diet and supplementation was not working. I went to a local eye center. The optometrist sent me to a highly respected eye care center in the traditional medical realm.

After examination, testing and diagnosis, it was determined on the second meeting that I had what they labeled ocular herpes (a viral eye infection).

They prescribed a medication called valcyclovir to treat the active herpes 1 virus. Concerned about my vision, I filled the prescription, along with some prescribed steroidal eye drops.

My Challenge

Since I take no medication and am very selective about what I put into my body, I decided to research the medication.

Reading the slip which accompanied the medication left me uncomfortable with even the most expected side effects= headaches, dizziness, nausea, stomach pain etc. I have none of these symptoms. I sure didn’t want them either.

I read further and discovered that the more serious impact could be mental or mood changes, hallucinations, slowed or fast heartbeat, sudden vision changes (Wait, thought this was to help with the vision issues?), seizures and even leading all the way up to kidney failure, particularly in older populations. Not good.

Struggling with putting this med in my body, I did some additional research. The more I discovered about this medication, the less I wanted to take it.

Still uncertain, I sorted my options as I continued to struggle with whether I wanted to take this med or not. Hmmm….let’s see, worst case scenario. On the one hand if I did nothing, I could end up blind in one eye. On the other if i got the most extreme results of this medication, kidney failure…wellll.

Blind in one eye or dead from kidney failure? Remember, I’m thinking worst case here.

After continued struggle, it finally dawned on me to try what I have done for over four decades- see if there were any natural alternatives. I logged on to the net for a little research to see if there were any potential help from the world of nature.

Searching for Natural Alternatives

My first inclination was to see if there were any printed or Kindle books on natural herpes treatments. I searched Amazon and to my surprise, a nice selection of results popped up.

I sorted, eliminated, narrowed, read reviews, descriptions etc. I decided on what looked like a good selection. Downloaded a Kindle book which offered a scientific look with natural treatment selections and began reading.

To my surprise, there were a nice selection of natural options presented to choose from. I chose what appeared to be the most recommended and available options and looked them up on Amazon.

I was again surprised. Wow, in some cases hundreds of reviews on these things!

All options were pretty well represented with reviews from people who had used these natural alternatives with some hard core medical diagnosis. Things were feeling a bit more hopeful that there were in fact, natural alternatives for this condition.

I sorted again. Selected the best quality, organic and pure, I could find from each of the three options I settled on. All natural, no side effects from two and a possible side effect from one if taken for a long period of time (3 weeks of continual use). Sounded good to me. Certainly, worth a trial run of a few days or week to see if there are any positive changes.

I ordered them from Amazon Prime and used the next day delivery option. My natural remedies arrived on a Sunday. Started taking them immediately. Let’s see what happens.

Back to the Docs

Went back to the hospital for a visit three days later. “Well,” said the doc, there has been some improvement. Your vision in that eye when you first came in was 20-200 and now it’s down to 20-60. Must be the medication. Are you taking it 3 times a day?”

Ok, so I kind of lied. “Oh yeah, 3 times a day.”

I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t their prescribed medication but rather the natural remedies I had dredged up from my research. Know what though, I thought, if 3 days can produce that result, why should I stop? I didn’t.

Four Months Later

After four months, I still had some blurred vision in the eye. I was told that was because the herpes infection caused what they call “scarring” on the cornea. However, the infection part of the problem? Gone…completely. I have still never taken valcyclovir ever! Likely, never will. Why take the risk when I can do it naturally with no uncomfortable or risky side effects.

Doctors Simply Don’t Know

In a recent visit to the same hospital center, the senior doctor was called in after the routine eye exam and tests.  The senior looked. After some side discussion with the other doctor in vernacular which I’m not supposed to understand but did because I read and research, he asked me if I would like to go on a maintenance dosage of their medication.

“Is there any infection?”, I inquired, knowing he already told the other doctor there wasn’t.

“No, but sometimes these things can come back.”, he said.

“There are other alternatives.” I said figuring maybe he would take the bait, so to speak. Then, I could bring up how I had really addressed the issue. I was feeling braver now that my natural remedies had proven themselves to me (and them, although they didn’t know it).

He immediately rattled off three different medications. The one I was originally prescribed (valcylovir) and two others.

“Why bother?”, I thought to myself. It would go in one ear and out the other. He’d probably chalk it up to a placebo effect or something.

So, I just let it go and said nothing further other than I did not want to take a maintenance dose of the medication because I didn’t like to take medications. He let it go at that.

The Take Away

The point here is that it is highly likely your doctor knows only one approach- allopathic medicine (mainly drugs and surgery).

That is their professionally approved medicine. He/she basically can’t stray from that path. If you are relying on your doctor or specialist for a natural recommendation alternative- forget about it!

They pretty much don’t know anything about natural alternatives for the most part. Few are open to that venue. Those who are and practice natural approaches (nutrition, supplements, etc.) are generally considered “quacks” by their colleagues- who ostracize them.

If you are looking for alternatives to what you are working with as prescribed by allopathic treatment providers, don’t hold your breath. You likely won’t get them.

Even if they wanted to suggest them, they are taking a professional risk recommending them. I understand that and don’t hold that against them. This is an industry bias and a professional limitation. That’s why I do my own research.

Let’s Be Clear Here However

I am not suggesting in any way that you stop taking what you are currently taking if you are taking something to treat something. The choice as to what you put into or on top of your body is your option completely.

If you wish to replace your current allopathic treatment with natural alternatives, that choice will be yours entirely. It’s your life (in a manner of speaking) and your choice. Ultimately also, your consequences.

My intent is to educate people on the options. I have gone through all of my life taking no allopathic medications, so I know there are other choices. I am still healthy. I discovered that with my recent eye issue visit.

As part of the initial visit, they subjected me to a blood test (filled 5 tubes), chest x-ray, blood pressure and a few others.

I was expecting to hear back on the results but never did.

Curious, after about the 3^rd visit, I finally asked if they ever got back any results. I was told that I must be fine because they had nothing to report. The emphasis in modern medicine is on symptom eradication, not prevention.

For now, just know that you are not locked in to the modern medical care system unless you choose to be. (Thanks to the much-maligned Donald Trump who ended the medical insurance mandate with tax reform by the way.)

My Intention With This Site

If you are undergoing a medical regime, and want to continue, please do so. I am here to educate and provide safer alternatives, long term solutions and restorative or preventative measures.

This site is for those who have reached a point at which they are ready, able and most importantly, willing to consider an alternative to a very costly and potentially harmful treatment system (Look up iatrogenic illness or pick up a current Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) for 2017 from Amazon and do your own research for what I mean here.)

This site is also intended for the person who is interested in and capable of taking responsibility for their own health.

You may have a nagging health issue that is hanging on and bothering you even if it doesn’t interfere with your normal life functions. Perhaps, you have a major health issue that may be life  threatening. First however, you must be willing to take responsibility for your own health before you consider an alternative path.

Step One – Commitment

If you want support, a medical doctor is always available. You can alternatively find a natural health-oriented practitioner to help you.

Nonetheless, your part of the deal is that you must be willing to take full responsibility for your own health and the choices you make.

Without that internal commitment, you may not have the personal discipline to carry through to the desired end.

With it, when obstacles arise, as they may, you can reflect; make adjustments to your program; try a new solution or adjust the current one knowing that in the end you are responsible for the choices and the results.

In the next section we’ll contrast and more fully flesh out just what is meant by natural and organic solutions.

Read Part 4