Integrative Medicine in a Dis-integrated World
I tell my patients all the time that I believe that working from an integrative approach is where we will make our best mark. It doesn’t have to be all of one approach or the other. This is a hard concept to understand, even for me, with a mind that resides in both the eastern and western worlds of medical philosophy. It’s nearly impossible to see things entirely from an eastern perspective while living and practicing in a western world. We can use this to our advantage, however, and effectively combine as many approaches as necessary for optimum wellness. Recently I had a personal experience where I could put this theory to the test. Turns out that I am correct!
Integrating Eastern & Western Approaches
I was hospitalized for a bowel blockage that required surgery in order for it to be cleared. Frightening as that was, as surgery was the last thing that I wanted, it saved my life. I did try to use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to clear it, to no avail. I surrendered, turned my care over to the western approach and I am glad that I did. One approach by itself was not enough and surgery was inevitable.
It’s a very scary and vulnerable situation for any of us to be in when it comes to turning our health and wellbeing over to the care of others. Fortunately for me, I have a foundational understanding of the human body and medical procedures. This knowledge helped me to navigate through the process, however, I still found it challenging to do so. It’s difficult to be able to advocate for yourself when you are sick and confused, wrecked with pain or under the influence of medications that may impair your judgment. With the COVID pandemic happening I found it heartbreaking to see so many other patients in the hospital without anyone to help advocate for them, particularly the elderly. It was a lonely isolated ward of the sick and dying.
This planetary pandemic is showing us so many things that we have taken for granted. The ability to have someone at least stand by your side and hold your hand was a huge one for me during my hospital stay. To not be able to have someone there to help fill in some of the gaps of information and ask questions, that should be asked, left me with a feeling of helplessness.
Finding Alternative Connections
It also became painfully clear that at a time when we all need to be loved and touched, we are doing just the opposite. Which is just exacerbating all the anxiety, depression and angst that most are experiencing. In a time where all the pieces seem so fractured my awareness of needing a deeper connection has been heightened. I touch people almost everyday in my practice and deeply value the importance of that. I’ve come to understand that a handshake, hug or even just making eye contact, are also ways that I like to connect with people. Having most of those means removed, I find myself contemplating different ways of connecting with others.
Walking out of that hospital and the environment was a liberating step for my mindset. But my recovery process was just beginning, and I knew that I needed to seek the treatment that would help me to heal from the inside out. I looked to my skillful colleagues for this care. Regular acupuncture treatments along with herbs regulated my sleep and digestion, increased my appetite, decreased my pain and nausea and helped my tissues to heal from the trauma of the surgery. It was also instrumental in helping me detox from the pain medication.
While I know that my healing process is still taking place I am so grateful to experience a feeling of vitality again. What a gift it is to have found healing in a place where east meets west under the care of the amazing practitioners of both worlds. No patient should ever feel like they have to choose one type of medicine over another. Truly, there is a place for both.