We are as strong / medically competent as our weakest

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Phil. What this experience is helping me to see, is that there is a

much, much bigger picture in healing, than the interactions between me and my

patient(s) - there is the micro picture (patient, their constitution, their diet

and other lifestyle habits, their work and family, etc. and the influence of

these on his or her health), the macro picture (practitioners and modalities

sought, the interplay of these with each other, and recommendations followed -

or not), and the " beyond macro " picture - the influence of the Divine in our

life paths and death. Today, I am awed by the complex interweaving of so many

elements which contribute to our daily experience.

 

Thank you for writing about Zen archery. I have been drawn to this beautiful

art, and more than once have considered studying/practicing it. Thank you for

also sharing your experiences with veterinary medicine - I imagine you must have

been horrified in each of those instances, and must have had some special inner

guidance to keep practicing. I believe every loss brings with it a jewel to be

discovered, if we care enough to look for it.

 

 

 

< wrote: Hi Andrea Beth & All,

 

Andrea Beth, please do not let this case get you down. Accept your

humanity / weakness / imperfections and move on. Continue to study and

learn more.

 

Only a few months after graduating from vet school, I made a misdiagnosis

in a young horse that led directly to its death within a few hours.

 

Later, when working as a research vet for the Agricultural Institute, " blind "

biopsy of liver tissue (of which I have done tens of thousands in cattle

without a single known fatality) was a standard procedure to allow us assess

bovine copper status. [if uncorrected by adequate copper supplementation,

bovine copper deficiency is a national problem here]

 

I killed 5 sheep, however; they died of internal bleeding and shock within 10-

30 minutes after blind liver biopsy. If the biopsy cannula penetrates the

portal vein, or vena cava, the sheep collapses within minutes and usually

dies within 30 minutes, regardless of conventional medical Tx, and despite

my using acupuncture at GV26. As we were working in the field, under farm

conditions, we could not provide emergency surgery - only immediate

laparotomy and repair of the ruptured blood vessel(s) could have saved

those sheep.

 

All professionals (surgeons, doctors, vets, L Acs, etc) are human, imperfect

and mortal. We are not G_d. We make mistakes, hopefully, few fatal

mistakes.

 

Our overall medical knowledge, skills and competence are as strong as our

weakest links.

 

IMO, NO SINGLE medical system / modality (surgery, psychiatry, allopathic

med, herbal med, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy) has

all the answers to medical problems.

 

That is why I (and many other professionals) espouse the concept of

INTEGRATIVE medicine. In that system, a person tries to be highly

competent in at least one modality, but ALSO competent in a few, or many,

of the other modalities. We should refer cases that cause us any concern to

colleagues more skilled than we are.

 

Medical and scientific knowledge (including acupuncture & herbal

knowledge) is evolving; it is not static. There is so much to learn! That is why

I believe that the study of medicine must be life-long. Indeed, those of us

sympathetic to the concept of reincarnation might regard medical studies as

the work of several reincarnations!

 

Though I pipe-dream of the day when integrative medicine will be

mainstream medicine, I believe that powerful forces (Big Pharma, the

" hospital industry " , academic and professional turf-wars, power-plays, and

other commercial interests) will prevent my pipe-dream from realisation.

 

Andrea Beth, you did your best; you asked your patient to seek conventional

medical diagnosis and treatment in addition to your treatment. IMO, you

could do no more.

 

Like the Zen Archer (who missed the target), forget the last attempt and

believe: " I will hit the target, dead-centre, next time " .

 

The blessing of ancient Chinese doctors to each other was: " May you have

few red lanterns outside your door(*) "

 

May that blessing fall and stay with all of us!

 

Best regards,

 

 

(*) According to Roger Wicke [Orwellian schemes for maximizing health-

care industry profits - How these endanger the practice of herbal medicine

http://tinyurl.com/5vbl75 ]:

 

In ancient China, the wisest doctors were said to treat their patients before

illness occurred. Consequently, doctors who had many ill patients were

considered inferior; during the Zhou Dynasty doctors were paid annually in

proportion to their cure rates. In earlier periods, doctors received payment

for their services only while the patients remained healthy. The doctor was

required by law and custom to treat the patient for free until he or she

recovered. Each doctor was also required to display one red lantern outside

their clinic for each patient who died of disease while under the doctor's

care; according to traditional Chinese history, the death penalty

applied to violators of this law.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Phil,

 

Thank you so much for your post. Many of us come to the healing arts

because we genuinely want to help people. This can cause us to become

blind to the limitations of our modality, because we so desperately

want to help the person in need. Your humility and honesty about the

realities of being a practitioner are spot on. We also need to look at

what things can be best treated with the modality we practice, and

then find practitioners in complimentary practices that are strong

where we are weak (even with allopathic doctors and surgeons). Through

this we honour the medicine we practice and truly serve the people who

come to us.

 

Mark Milotay

 

On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 6:40 AM, < wrote:

> Hi Andrea Beth & All,

MESSAGE CONTENT EDITED DOWN FOR LENGTH

>

> Andrea Beth, please do not let this case get you down. Accept your

> humanity / weakness / imperfections and move on. Continue to study and

> learn more.

>

> Only a few months after graduating from vet school, I made a misdiagnosis

> in a young horse that led directly to its death within a few hours.

>

> All professionals (surgeons, doctors, vets, L Acs, etc) are human, imperfect

> and mortal. We are not G_d. We make mistakes, hopefully, few fatal

> mistakes.

>

> Our overall medical knowledge, skills and competence are as strong as our

> weakest links.

>

> IMO, NO SINGLE medical system / modality (surgery, psychiatry, allopathic

> med, herbal med, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy) has

> all the answers to medical problems.

>

> That is why I (and many other professionals) espouse the concept of

> INTEGRATIVE medicine. In that system, a person tries to be highly

> competent in at least one modality, but ALSO competent in a few, or many,

> of the other modalities. We should refer cases that cause us any concern to

> colleagues more skilled than we are.

>

> Medical and scientific knowledge (including acupuncture & herbal

> knowledge) is evolving; it is not static. There is so much to learn! That is

> why

> I believe that the study of medicine must be life-long. Indeed, those of us

> sympathetic to the concept of reincarnation might regard medical studies as

> the work of several reincarnations!

>

> Though I pipe-dream of the day when integrative medicine will be

> mainstream medicine, I believe that powerful forces (Big Pharma, the

> " hospital industry " , academic and professional turf-wars, power-plays, and

> other commercial interests) will prevent my pipe-dream from realisation.

>

> Andrea Beth, you did your best; you asked your patient to seek conventional

> medical diagnosis and treatment in addition to your treatment. IMO, you

> could do no more.

>

> Like the Zen Archer (who missed the target), forget the last attempt and

> believe: " I will hit the target, dead-centre, next time " .

>

> The blessing of ancient Chinese doctors to each other was: " May you have

> few red lanterns outside your door(*) "

>

> May that blessing fall and stay with all of us!

>

> Best regards,

>

[Guest guest]

Great advice as usual Phil. Myself, I sweated and agonized a bit over everyone

who didn't recover quickly, and if I had provided no relief, then- no charge. I

would think at night about everyone in my care and pray/qi gong out to them in

ways. This feels natural still, but dropping the anxiety. The anxiety is a

negative misuse of the positive healing impulse energy. The fact is, if you

care, you will do better and better.

My primary teacher (who was the minister in his mandarin chinese church), said

that acupuncture is not a panacea, you won't help everybody, and Jesus is the

'Great Physician'. That has been a comfort and encouragement to me. Peace.

 

 

< wrote:

Andrea Beth, please do not let this case get you down. Accept yourhumanity /

weakness / imperfections and move on. Continue to study and learn more

 

 

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Andrea Beth & All,

 

> ... All along my points of contact with him, I encouraged him to seek

> medical diagnosis and treatment, which he did, yet the local docs and

> clinics failed to provide a proper diagnosis until too late. With my

> training, I had no way to diagnose either valley fever, nor leukemia. I

> am trying to sort out what part I played in my patient's demise, if

> any. I take my responsibility for my patients' welfare seriously, and

> am trying to determine whether I failed him in some way. I'd appreciate

> any input, especially from other practitioners who have wrestled with

> similar scenarios. I have had other patients die in the past, but

> these were all frail elderly. This guy was only 48, and before he

> became ill, he was fairly robust. Thank you for your thoughts. Andrea

> Beth Damsky, L.Ac.

 

Andrea Beth, please do not let this case get you down. Accept your

humanity / weakness / imperfections and move on. Continue to study and

learn more.

 

Only a few months after graduating from vet school, I made a misdiagnosis

in a young horse that led directly to its death within a few hours.

 

Later, when working as a research vet for the Agricultural Institute, " blind "

biopsy of liver tissue (of which I have done tens of thousands in cattle

without a single known fatality) was a standard procedure to allow us assess

bovine copper status. [if uncorrected by adequate copper supplementation,

bovine copper deficiency is a national problem here]

 

I killed 5 sheep, however; they died of internal bleeding and shock within 10-

30 minutes after blind liver biopsy. If the biopsy cannula penetrates the

portal vein, or vena cava, the sheep collapses within minutes and usually

dies within 30 minutes, regardless of conventional medical Tx, and despite

my using acupuncture at GV26. As we were working in the field, under farm

conditions, we could not provide emergency surgery - only immediate

laparotomy and repair of the ruptured blood vessel(s) could have saved

those sheep.

 

All professionals (surgeons, doctors, vets, L Acs, etc) are human, imperfect

and mortal. We are not G_d. We make mistakes, hopefully, few fatal

mistakes.

 

Our overall medical knowledge, skills and competence are as strong as our

weakest links.

 

IMO, NO SINGLE medical system / modality (surgery, psychiatry, allopathic

med, herbal med, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy) has

all the answers to medical problems.

 

That is why I (and many other professionals) espouse the concept of

INTEGRATIVE medicine. In that system, a person tries to be highly

competent in at least one modality, but ALSO competent in a few, or many,

of the other modalities. We should refer cases that cause us any concern to

colleagues more skilled than we are.

 

Medical and scientific knowledge (including acupuncture & herbal

knowledge) is evolving; it is not static. There is so much to learn! That is why

I believe that the study of medicine must be life-long. Indeed, those of us

sympathetic to the concept of reincarnation might regard medical studies as

the work of several reincarnations!

 

Though I pipe-dream of the day when integrative medicine will be

mainstream medicine, I believe that powerful forces (Big Pharma, the

" hospital industry " , academic and professional turf-wars, power-plays, and

other commercial interests) will prevent my pipe-dream from realisation.

 

Andrea Beth, you did your best; you asked your patient to seek conventional

medical diagnosis and treatment in addition to your treatment. IMO, you

could do no more.

 

Like the Zen Archer (who missed the target), forget the last attempt and

believe: " I will hit the target, dead-centre, next time " .

 

The blessing of ancient Chinese doctors to each other was: " May you have

few red lanterns outside your door(*) "

 

May that blessing fall and stay with all of us!

 

Best regards,

 

 

(*) According to Roger Wicke [Orwellian schemes for maximizing health-

care industry profits - How these endanger the practice of herbal medicine

http://tinyurl.com/5vbl75 ]:

 

In ancient China, the wisest doctors were said to treat their patients before

illness occurred. Consequently, doctors who had many ill patients were

considered inferior; during the Zhou Dynasty doctors were paid annually in

proportion to their cure rates. In earlier periods, doctors received payment

for their services only while the patients remained healthy. The doctor was

required by law and custom to treat the patient for free until he or she

recovered. Each doctor was also required to display one red lantern outside

their clinic for each patient who died of disease while under the doctor's

care; according to traditional Chinese history, the death penalty

applied to violators of this law.