Medical angst: Surgery, sorcery, and some slapping.

Today, is just one of those bad days!!!!

You can't believe how many people find what I do most mysterious...

A woman walked in today asking if I could read her tarot cards.

A month ago a teenager asked me to dust off my crystal ball and demanded that I tell her whether she'd pass her driving exam. I went with it a bit and told her....I see you passing, if you...study!!!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, one symptom belongs to a pattern. You can 'fortune tell' symptoms, so to speak. Like being a dectective, I find clues that go with this and that and it all comes together magically.

But, in a small rural town like this, if you offer donations only services and shock people with knowing their intimate bodily symptoms, you become a witch doctor!!

I realized this and fought the urge to slap everyone awake today, and say HEY! I undertook formal training, studied for years, passed the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine...But, I've learned to accept, I'm just the witch doctor here.

I was discussing whether surgery is the best solution for a patient of mine, I soon became disgruntled. I knew she was being sheepishly misled like the many victims of modern medicine who undergo unnecessary surgery.

But the patient was convinced as much as the physician and as sure as the whole health care system, removing her thyroid was the ONLY solution.

It bugs me how society thinks...so many people go the pharmacist and get a quick fix. They say to me, 'Why get acupuncture when I can just pop a pill, have this chopped off or just live with the pain in a heavily medicated daze?

Alas, I am only a witch doctor, who will take me seriously?

In twenty years, I hope things will be different.

But, I guess, only time will tell. Till then, I can at least blog about it and let out all my medical angst. Thanks for listening...