It Works!

Ever wonder if Washington, DC ever gets the message? Well, it does.

In Mississippi yesterday, another Republican seat in the U.S. House of Representatives was lost to a Democrat. This particular seat (like the ones earlier in two other states) was in a supposedly solid
Republican district. The special run-off election was to fill the seat of a Congressman who left to fill the unexpired term of Senator Trent Lott. It was the 2nd “safe” Southern seat to elect a Democrat over a Republican in the deep South.

Apparently, the GOP’s contempt for its Conservative base and its roots in smaller Government is going to cost the GOP dearly this fall. It should be noted that those Republicans losing all ran against Barack
Obama, Jeremiah Wright and Nancy Pelosi INSTEAD of running FOR those principles that have held the Reagan Coalition together for so long.

It really bears out the idea that if the voter has a choice between a Democrat and a Republican who acts like a Democrat, they’ll choose the Democrat every time. And, why shouldn’t they.

This is the purging many on my side have been yearning for for quite some time. Between this housecleaning and Bob Barr’s Libertarian candidacy, maybe the GOP will finally wake up and smell the coffee.

America is good AND great!

I was talking with a friend the other day about the state of the economy, gas prices, international competition, the dollar and a few other things.  Hisdespair was apparent.

But honestly, I am NOT discouraged.  America has been though much worse.  Certainly, the dollar sucks right now.  BUT, with all the other currencies so high compared to the dollar, it will make our goods a cheaper alternative to what many other countries are buying.  I also believe the spot price of oil is irrationally high.  Certainly, OPEC is enjoying this.  BUT when reality strikes, I think you’ll see the price of oil plummet causing panic among oil speculators.

The trade imbalance will (as it always has) correct itself.  Remember when the Japanese were buying up everything back in the ’80s?  That came to a screeching halt.  Same will happen with China and India.

The fact that Obama is going to get elected and the current crop of phony Republicans is about to get their clocks cleaned, will clear the way for a fresh new approach to the country’s problems.

I see a silver lining around the looming recession, war, etc.  The World is emulating America from China and India to France and all of Europe.  Our star is rising despite Bush, McCain and Obama.

Better days are on their way!

Dr. T!m

So, you REALLY want Government sponsored health care?

A new report from the FDA suggests that recent problems with heparin have proven to be even worse than originally thought.  The report concludes that deaths linked to all versions of heparin–including a tainted version of the drug sold by Baxter–have tripled. There now are 62 reports of patients dying who were infused with heparin from January 1, 2007 through the end of this past March who had a one or more allergic reactions. A prior FDA report had only listed 19 deaths. At present, the FDA isn’t sure what caused the spike in adverse reactions. Right now, they’re suggesting that this is more of matter of delays in reports from companies and a growth in reports from consumers reading about Baxter’s problems.

The FDA’s job is to PROTECT consumers from this kind of travesty!  Yet, it appears that the Government’s real job is to get drugs to the market as soon as possible and then cover its backside when things go wrong.  Unfortunately, the consumer loses!  If you can’t trust the FDA to prevent stuff like this from happening, how can you be confident of ANY FDA approved drug for whatever ailment for which you might be treated?

Stay healthy!  Avoid drugs when you can.

Avandia: Another case of betrayed trust

According to the US Food & Drug Administration, GlaxoSmithKline didn’t turn over post-marketing data about Avandia to the agency, a lack of disclosure that looks pretty sinister given subsequent reports linking Avandia to increased risk of heart attack.  Many drug companies fail to report post-approval data to the FDA once they begin selling a drug, since the rules for such reporting are at best somewhat loose.  But in Glaxo’s case, the failure to report arguably could have harmed consumers, given the risks exposed by last year’s article in the New England Journal of Medicine. The agency now is demanding that the company turn over all data on Avandia, pronto, or risk regulatory action.

Why do I even mention drugs?  As a chiropractor, I don’t put people on drugs and I don’t take them off drugs.  So, why bother?  Because, the whole concept of “better living through chemistry” is killing Americans in droves.  There’s a better way!  Staying healthy and relying on the design of the body to BE healthy is a much better way to live.  The “science” so many Americans have come to rely upon to keep them healthy has become little more than a shell game to deceive the public, create false demand and extract as much money from consumers and their insurance companies in as little time as possible.  That’s why this chiropractor talks about drugs.

Why I work on Good Friday

I work on Good Friday.  As long as I’ve been self-employed, I have.  I’m also a practicing Christian.  An unashamed Evangelical one, too.  So you may ask “Why in the world would you work on Good Friday and not observe its significance?” But, I DO observe the significance of Good Friday BY working on that day.

I try not to wear my Christianity on my sleeve.  Not trying to be self-righteous here.  But, I know plenty of folks who show off their religiosity like crazy in public and make up for it  when no one is looking.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m far from perfect and would not want anyone to use me as an example of the “perfect Christian”.  But, I do try to live my faith in an active way.

A friend asked me some time ago how, despite having gone through some extremely tough times, how I could still have joy and peace of mind.  He mentioned that he doubted he could do the same without some help.  It was awesome being able to relate to him how I did not and could not have done as well as I had alone, as well.

When I was young, the future did not look so bright.  Growing up in an abusive home with with little hope but to get out someday, I was somewhat cynical about God and Jesus.  Sure, I KNEW who they were and what they were all about.  But, I didn’t buy into the whole “being saved” or “born again” thing.  It just seemed a little hokey and distant.  My life really sucked.  I had even gotten my parents to agree to allow me to enlist in the Marines when I turned 17 so that I could go to Vietnam and kill or be killed.  Needless to say, something was wrong.  it was like I was just disconnected from anything like happiness, joy or peace of mind.

Being from the South, it was not unusual to be invited to church with a friend or family member.  On one such occasion, the preacher talked about the sadness that many people feel because they simply feel they don’t belong or simply because they feel “lost”.  Lost.  Not as in sin.  Because most folks believe they’re pretty good people and don’t need to be “saved”.  But, lost in the sense that nothing works and you’re just disconnected from something.  That was when he talked about the prodigal son and how even being a one of his father’s servants was better than sleeping and eating with pigs.  So, on seeing the son coming home, the father threw a feast for his son.  The preacher said, “Come home.  Just as you are, come home”.

Since that moment, I have known a connectedness that is impossible to relate adequately in words.  But, it’s significance isn’t lost on me OR folks with whom I come in contact on a regular basis.

All my life, I have gotten great satisfaction from helping others, specifically helping them feel better.  Sometimes, in a physical sense.  And sometimes, emotionally.  Many of the folks I help as a chiropractor suffer because deep inside they suffer from emotional stress and trauma.  It may be anger, fear, worry or doubt.  Nevertheless, their emotions affect their health.  And while most of them do come to alleviate physical suffering, many come back because something about my practice makes them feel at ease.

So, this brings me to Good Friday.   Good Friday represents the day Jesus was crucified.  On that day, all the wrong that I (and all of Mankind) had done was paid for.  As brutal as human sacrifice may sound, we all know that doing wrong eventually carries a price.  And, that price was paid for on Good Friday.  When I think of Good Friday, I am able to bury the past and literally turn toward the life I really want to live, full of joy and peace of mind.  While I still must deal with the World, I do it on my terms and never alone.

So, I work on Good Friday.  I work just in case that one person who needs some physical or emotional healing comes in and asks, “Why are you so happy?”  I work so others might see God’s Grace shine through my joy and happiness.  I work on Good Friday, because I never have to be alone again and I want others to feel that joy, too.

Happy Easter!

Drugs in Your Drinking Water

This drug-culture thing has simply gone too far! The Associated Press released the results of a months long investigation into the drinking water of dozens of major US cities and found traces of various medications in the water supply. If every drug has a side effect, how would some of these drugs affect a healthy person, especially with prolonged undetected exposure?

How long before the Congress tries to pass legislation making it impossible to sue drug manufacturers or municipal water treatment agencies for health problems caused by exposure to dangerous drugs in our drinking water?

AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water.

Why I Don’t Take Medicine

Many of my friends think I’m a little crazy because I don’t take medicine.  It’s funny in a way.  Some people think it’s because I’m a chiropractor, I’ve been brainwashed into hating both medicine and Medicine.  But, it’s really just the opposite.  Chiropractic made sense to me BECAUSE of my skepticism and cynicism about drugs and the practice of medicine.

Don’t get me wrong.  There have been times in my life when I have taken medicine, usually over-the-counter pain killers for an occasional headache or when my back would go out.  BUT, it’s been almost twenty years since I’ve taken a pill of any kind.  And, I will admit that both of my kids have been to the Emergency Room.  In my mind medicine shines in the Emergency Room.

And at this point, I must say that while I’d like to help thousands (why not millions) of people learn to live a life without dependence on drugs, I never feel compelled to tell them NOT to take drugs.  Yes, of course I want to help people get off drugs.  But that’s a personal decision.

But for me, the thought of taking pills for virtually ANY condition has always repulsed me.   I grew up in a home where both parents were alcoholics.  At that time there were few drugs for depression or anxiety.  So, they self-medicated their pain and misery with booze.  Then, they’d have to take aspirin the next day to cope with hangovers.  Then, maybe Pepto Bismol  to settle their stomach from the effects of drinking and bad eating.  And over the years, I’ve seen friends and family members taken untold different drugs to manage symptoms or conditions and then to manage side effects of the drugs taken for the original symptoms.

Another thing that affected me deeply was watching my other live in constant fear of the dreaded “C” word, cancer.  I remember her taking vitamins and other supplements out of sheer fear of cancer.  She would do anything to avoid the disease.  She feared even going to the doctor because she thought that whatever symptoms she might be experiencing was cancer.  When she died at 43, it was from liver failure cause by her self-medication with alcohol WITHOUT any evidence of cancer whatsoever.

I decided early on that I would live my life to the fullest, staying as healthy as I could and getting everything I could from every experience, good or bad, without having to lean on some drug to help me thought the day or the problem.  And I must tell you, I don’t worry about heart disease, cancer, stroke, anxiety, depression, restless leg syndrome or whatever the disease dujour might be.  Because I know that drugs are not part of my health regimen, neither is disease.  It really is an awesome way to live.

The premise that our bodies were designed for health and NOT with a deficit of drugs or too many parts  simply makes sense to me.  And honestly, most of the people who come to me have already tried the medical approach with little or no success and have decided to try a drug-free approach.  And if you wanted to live a life free of drugs and fear of disease, wouldn’t you want a doctor who lived that lifestyle himself?  I believe so.

What’s going on with this economy?

A friend who knows my background in business asked what I thought is causing this slump in the economy.  So, I thought, I’d share my insights.

I attribute most of this to a few things.  Probably the biggest factor is the housing collapse.  There are several reasons for it, of course.  But, the fact is the market is correcting an overheated, prolonged boom fueled by easy lending.  Anyway, When housing slumps, jobs back off in almost every sector.  I believe one of the reasons the labor force shrank is that alot of those immigrants we’ve been bitching about, packed up their families and went back to Mexico.  AND this thing has been sliding for at least a year now.  It’s about wrung out.

Another is the oil situation.  With gas at the pump now over $3 a gallon and headed to $4, it’s really eating into discretionary income.  There’s no extra money to spend.  AND with the Government steering farmers to agriculture for fuel instead of food, the cost of groceries is moving up steadily further stressing the family budget.

I think uncertainty over the election is forcing companies to thin their ranks BEFORE the Administration changes.  Also, uncertainty over possible tax increases forces folks to hold on to what they’ve got “just in case”.

Finally, the so-called “wealth effect” is working in reverse.  When times are good and stocks and home equity are increasing, people “feel” like they have more.  They borrow against that equity.  The spend more.  And, the cycle feeds itself.  When values and equity are shrinking, just the reverse is true.  DEBT is killing the consumer.  So-called bankruptcy reform makes it easier for the banks to dump credit cards on the market, impose usurious fees and collect hard.  Consumers can’t bankrupt as easily.  So, more income is directed toward debt reduction.  I think we’re gonna see a wave of bankruptcy that is staggering.

Might take a year to pull out of this.  It will be a good time if you’ve got cash in the bank or buried in the back yard.  If not, it might be a challenging time.  Pity the old guys who’ve been downsized and actually NEED a job.

In the words of Tim McGraw, “Would you like fries with that?”

States combat drug reps to cut costs

A small but growing number of advocates have begun working to provide their own brand of drug education to doctors–without the sales message that pharmaceutical companies deliver. These “counter-detailers,” as they are known in some quarters, are paid by groups outside the industry to visit with doctors and provide neutral, hype-free information on medications. Previously, we told you about one effort, paid for by the state of Pennsylvania, which sent out 500 clinicians to discuss prescribing options.

Over the past year, it appears that the idea has become more popular. Today, a handful of states, including Pennsylvania, Vermont and South Carolina, have rolled out programs presenting drug cost and effectiveness information. Vermont’s program focuses on rural medical practices, and South Carolina’s focuses on mental-health drugs. Pennsylvania, which spends $1 million a year on its “unsales” force, has reported that it managed to cut costs on drugs for seniors with the program; for example, the state began saving $60 on average per doctor on pain relievers within six months after an unsales visit. However, it’s not clear the others are successful. (Small wonder, given that the pharmaceutical industry spends more than $7 billion a year on direct marketing to doctors.)

Here’s a link to the full article.

American Healthcare: A Failed Paradigm

One of the overriding issues in America is health care. It affects virtually every aspect of domestic policy, including politics, business, the economy and personal lives of Americans from the poor to the very rich.

Sadly, in this current political season the answer seems to NOT be on solutions other than offer us more of the same with so-called “universal coverage” for everyone.  In other words, the system we have now sucks, so everyone should suffer through it equally.  When I discuss this, my Conservative and Liberal friends respond with something like, “What do you mean?  We have the best health care system in the world!”  But still, both sides simply approach the problem as an insurance problem.  Too bad.

In my mind, the problem with health care in America is that the entire paradigm is flawed.   From birth, we’re indoctrinated into the disease model and that drugs can prevent or cure any mallady.  In other words, we must prevent and fight disease.

So, we start babies off with “their shots”.  While I believe vaccination should be a matter of choice, the number and types of shots recommended for babies and toddlers really is an assault on their developing immune system and is downright scary.  Then throughout their early school years, many kids are “diagnosed” with ADD/ADHD and given narcotics grade drugs to force them to sit still so they can do better in school.  And then (ironically)  complain about athletes taking drugs to enhance their performance.  Strange.

As we enter adulthood, we’re convinced that giving birth is a traumatic and dangerous event that must be handled strictly in a medical setting.  Why aren’t women in modern America told that giving birth is a natural, beautiful thing for which they were uniquely designed.  Instead of empowering women to do what they were naturally designed for, we scare them into compliance with a pathological, allopathic model of childbirth.

Further into adulthood, Americans are checked routinely for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and a host of other chronic conditions.  And when measures creep outside established norms, they’re put on medications to force that particular reading to what the doctor thinks is right.  Unfortunately, every drug has a side effect.  And, we Americans hardly ever ask our doctors “What is in this drug?” or “What are some potential side effects of this drug?” or “How will this affect me with the other drugs I’m taking?”  Instead, we simply comply.

Then as we enter middle age, we start seeing problems like liver and kidney failure, congestive heart failure, etc. and become regular visitors to the local hospital.  As the drugs either no longer work or our bodies start to shut down from weird symptoms that can’t easily be classified, we begin to “doctor shop” to find someone who can come up with an accurate diagnosis.

Eventually, we end up in a nursing home being given dozens of different drugs and put through untold numbers of tests until our bodies finally give in and give up.  From birth to death we are taught to fear and fight fever, vomit and diarrhea.  And because our focus is on disease, we create disease.  Two of the largest and most profitable industries in America just happen to be insurance and drug companies.  have you noticed all the new “diseases” being advertised on TV, like “Restless Leg Syndrome”, GERD and a host of others?  And, have you checked to see how much money those industries invest in advertising and political lobbying?

So, what’s the solution?  Well first, we must recognize that our entire premise is wrong from the start.  Just like our education system and tax code, we need a whole new way of thinking.  Maybe it was Einstein who said “No problem can be solved with the same level of thinking that created the it in the first place”.

Instead of a system that makes someone else responsible for finding or preventing a disease; or your employer (or worse, the Government) paying for your “health” insurance; or expecting Medicare/Medicaid to pay for your dying care, we should give individuals responsibility for their own health.

In a wellness paradigm, you start with the premise that you’re supposed to be healthy!  Instead of sitting around watching TV, eating junk food and smoking cigarettes, we encourage folks to exercise, stay fit, eat better and do those things that keep them healthy and out of harm’s way.  Instead of a mangled care system that minimize the time you spend with “a” doctor, you find the doctor that’s right for you and develop the kind of relationship that makes you  healthier and gives you greater control over your health and your life.

After all, this is STILL America, “home of the FREE and land of the BRAVE”!  The American pioneer spirit has always been responsible for our strength and prosperity.  We should get rid of this “plantation mentality” where the Government or an employer should take care of us.  As one writer wrote, “you are endowed with the seed of greatness”.  By realizing and pursuing that greatness in every aspect of life in America, we can restore our nation’s health and vitality and reduce our dependence on drug makers and insurance companies.

Live the very best life you can.  Don’t give your freedom and power to anyone!