In his book "The Power Of Intention," Dr. Wayne Dyer mentions six characteristics of the ego. When a person can break themselves free of these six illusions that characterize the ego, they are a truly enlightened spiritual being. But such a task is not easy. Even the spiritual masters had to endure many years of spiritual practice through yoga and meditation to reach this level. This blog posting is not a discussion of these six characteristics. Instead, I am going to focus on just one: "You are what you do."
For an autistic person on a spiritual journey, "you are what you do" would probably be the absolute most difficult part of the ego to destroy. The reason for this is because an autistic person grew up in their own world where they could not figure out how to communicate and be part of the neurotypical world. Therefore, that gift that they bring to this world, whether it be a great talent, interest, hobby they excel at, or profession they encompass, becomes THE way that they can bridge the gap between the two worlds. They identify themselves so completely with what they do that they use that as a definition of themselves and their self worth. It is only natural to do so because they lack social interaction skills and normal learning skills to be able to see themselves as anything or anyone else in the world.
How many times do you hear somebody with Asperger's Syndrome talk about their favorite pastime or TV show or an interest in electronics -- incessantly. It really can be annoying, yes? But to them, this is the only way they know how to bridge the gap between their autistic ways of thinking and the "typical" world around them. They identify so intimately with what they do, and this identification may never be broken. As for me personally, ever since I was a kid I was interested in how the body works and in metaphysical topics. So truly did I stick to these interests that I became a holistic physician who practices healing arts that span the spectrum from mainstream medicine (with functional medicine testing) to etheric healing (which encompasses dealing with paranormal phenomena). But these interests do not stay within the walls of my healing center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. I spend a great deal of time answering health related questions in two different online forums. Many times over the years, in social situations I would end up being a turnoff to people because I'd talk about my profession and my place in it. I indeed WAS what I DID.
I felt that I was what I did, like most audies, because I had to place myself somewhere in this world somehow. My way of breaking out of the autistic world was to tell the neurotypical world how I can be of service to them, and loudly so because I always "knew" that I was one of the best darn healers in this world because of my great insight and because I had the best darn teachers teaching me the best darn ways of doing things. I was BEST FRIENDS with this part of my ego -- knowing that I WAS what I DID. Unfortunately, announcing this to the world only alienated me further, when done so in socially inappropriate settings. Like other audies, I was just as boastful about my accomplishments because I had nothing and no one else to identify with; there was no measure for me to identify my place among the "normals".
In her book "Unwritten Rules Of Social Relationships," Dr. Temple Grandin explains that the autistic person needs to develop an interest in something and excel in that interest because that is what will carry them through life. Developing other tools to relate, such as social and interpersonal skills, would be a constant struggle. Thus, it should be no surprise that an autistic person will use that one skill they embrace and are highly proficient at to navigate through their life in this foreign land of the typical world. One must understand this, and perhaps become a bit more tolerant, of an autistic person the next time they hear him talk about molecular physics for the 39,543rd time.
So how does an autistic person on the spiritual path break free from the illusory egotistic belief that they are what they do? For me to really be able to answer that fully would be like a cow trying to explain, and make excuses for, why she is a cow. I myself didn't start to see lights going off in my own mind until I started attending a support group for adults with autism at the Autism Society of Minnesota. Being among other audies, and finally being in a crowd I felt at home with, allowed me to see myself in an objective way. Also, early on in my days of practicing Siddha Yoga, I had profound visions during deep meditations in which I was not only being separated from the world around me by a profound force, but my etheric body was being separated from my physical body. It was a very important lesson to EXPERIENCE the fact that we are, in our pure essence, the Power of God in manifest form. So, there is no reason to be attached to an ego, which makes us have all these illusions of what we are NOT.
Over the past eleven years that I have been practicing Siddha Yoga, I wrote about my meditation experiences and lessons learned from them, which I am willing to share openly. I encourage every audie in this world to adhere to some sort of discipline that will focus on the Spiritual aspect of being. It will surely give you greater insight and strength to carry on in your difficult journey in this world. On that note, though, not all "meditational" paths are the same, so choose wisely. You will know which path is right for you because you will feel your audie ego melting away from the beginning.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Why DO Children Need Chiropractic Care?
In keeping up with my vow to include more educational posts in my blog, here is another installment. It is actually an article I wrote a couple years ago. This article has been published on the website of the American Pregnancy Association and on other sites as well:
BEGINNING OF ARTICLE
Let me start with the facts. These “facts” are not just hypothetical ideas. They are actual statistics and actual studies that show that chiropractic care for children is not only safe, it is vital. Take these figures into account:
- A study done by Abraham Towbin, M.D., an expert in pathology, shows that “Spinal cord and brain stem injuries occur often during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis." (Towbin, A., "Latent Spinal Cord and brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants", Develp Med. Child. Neurol, 11:54-68,1969) This often leads to something known as Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome, a primary cause of upper respiratory infections including ear infections and chronic tonsillitis. (Gutman, G., "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome In infants and Small Children", Manuelle Medizin, 1987)
- A study in which Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome was corrected with chiropractic care showed that 40 out of 43 children studied who were suffering from ear infections improved with chiropractic care alone within two weeks of being adjusted. (Froehle, R.M., J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1996 Mar-Apr;19(3):169-77)
- A study by J.E. Upledger showed a definite and significant relationship between restrictions in movement of the upper neck area of the spine and children with learning disabilities. (Upledger, J.E., J Am Osteopath Assoc, 1978 Jun;77(10):760-76)
What we have going on here is a high prevalence of something known as “birth trauma” that is causing children to suffer as they grow. When bones misalign they press on nerves. When this happens, the whole body suffers as a result. These misalignments are known as “subluxations.” So the question is what type of healthcare practitioner is trained and qualified to diagnose and correct such a condition? Only a Doctor of Chiropractic can do this, particularly one who has specialized training in the care of pediatric patients.
Birth trauma causes DIRECT impingement on the tiny nerves of a child. However, there are two other major reasons why subluxations may occur indirectly: mental stress and toxic stress. While mental stress may not be so prevalent in childhood years, toxic stress is, particularly because many vaccinations contain compounds such as thimerosal and formaldehyde as preservatives. A child’s immune system isn’t even fully developed until after the age of two years. Thus, vaccinating a child before the immune system is even capable of handling such an antigen can impair the immune system’s response at a later time. This is why many children still may develop a disease even though they have been vaccinated against it.
I am often asked by mothers-to-be what is the safest way to give birth in order to minimize the occurrence of birth trauma. They are pleased to learn that the upright or squatting positions are not only easier on the baby, but they are much more comfortable on mom as well. The baby has the benefit of having a gravity-assisted birth that minimizes the amount of force being placed on the baby’s head and neck. Mom doesn’t feel as much pain because the baby is not pressing down on the sacral plexus of nerves as it usually is in the typical “lithotomy” position (mom lying flat on her back with legs up in stirrups). These safer, less painful positions minimize the chance that both mom and her baby will suffer from a subluxation.
Children who receive regular chiropractic care do indeed live healthier lives. While I was a chiropractic intern at Life University in Marietta, GA, I met many people my own age who have never been sick in their life. They said that the key to their abounding level of wellness was that they have never received a vaccination and they’ve been receiving chiropractic care since the day they were born. I have seen for myself how much happier and vibrant children who receive chiropractic care are. It is so heartwarming to see children who no longer have to take medications such as Ritalin, asthma medications, or antibiotics because they started receiving chiropractic care instead.
Seeing a child who was once sickly be able to laugh and play with other kids in an optimal state of wellness gives me the greatest joy. Chiropractic works!
END OF ARTICLE
When I was still practicing on the East Coast, whether it was in Georgia or Pennsylvania, it was an almost daily thing for me to be taking care of pediatric patients for the very reasons cited in this article. Here in Minnesota, however, it is largely unheard of for a child to be adjusted. People here seem backwards in their way of thinking about chiropractic. I blame it mostly on the strong influence that the medical community has here. This is the home of the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota Medical School. It is the birthplace of managed care and the "land of 10,000 hospitals". Even the chiropractic college here in Bloomington, MN doesn't have the right philosophy of what chiropractic really is. I have heard on several occasions in the seven years I've lived here from other chiropractors that they wish they could have gone to the chiropractic college I went to because then they could have actually learned CHIROPRACTIC. When I first moved here, it took me about a year before I found an actual chiropractOR. Even though he was a graduate of the chiropractic school here, he says he then went to the Gonstead Institute in Wisconsin to learn how to actually care for people.
It is time for chiropractic to arrive in Minnesota. That's why I am here.
BEGINNING OF ARTICLE
Let me start with the facts. These “facts” are not just hypothetical ideas. They are actual statistics and actual studies that show that chiropractic care for children is not only safe, it is vital. Take these figures into account:
- A study done by Abraham Towbin, M.D., an expert in pathology, shows that “Spinal cord and brain stem injuries occur often during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis." (Towbin, A., "Latent Spinal Cord and brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants", Develp Med. Child. Neurol, 11:54-68,1969) This often leads to something known as Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome, a primary cause of upper respiratory infections including ear infections and chronic tonsillitis. (Gutman, G., "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome In infants and Small Children", Manuelle Medizin, 1987)
- A study in which Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome was corrected with chiropractic care showed that 40 out of 43 children studied who were suffering from ear infections improved with chiropractic care alone within two weeks of being adjusted. (Froehle, R.M., J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1996 Mar-Apr;19(3):169-77)
- A study by J.E. Upledger showed a definite and significant relationship between restrictions in movement of the upper neck area of the spine and children with learning disabilities. (Upledger, J.E., J Am Osteopath Assoc, 1978 Jun;77(10):760-76)
What we have going on here is a high prevalence of something known as “birth trauma” that is causing children to suffer as they grow. When bones misalign they press on nerves. When this happens, the whole body suffers as a result. These misalignments are known as “subluxations.” So the question is what type of healthcare practitioner is trained and qualified to diagnose and correct such a condition? Only a Doctor of Chiropractic can do this, particularly one who has specialized training in the care of pediatric patients.
Birth trauma causes DIRECT impingement on the tiny nerves of a child. However, there are two other major reasons why subluxations may occur indirectly: mental stress and toxic stress. While mental stress may not be so prevalent in childhood years, toxic stress is, particularly because many vaccinations contain compounds such as thimerosal and formaldehyde as preservatives. A child’s immune system isn’t even fully developed until after the age of two years. Thus, vaccinating a child before the immune system is even capable of handling such an antigen can impair the immune system’s response at a later time. This is why many children still may develop a disease even though they have been vaccinated against it.
I am often asked by mothers-to-be what is the safest way to give birth in order to minimize the occurrence of birth trauma. They are pleased to learn that the upright or squatting positions are not only easier on the baby, but they are much more comfortable on mom as well. The baby has the benefit of having a gravity-assisted birth that minimizes the amount of force being placed on the baby’s head and neck. Mom doesn’t feel as much pain because the baby is not pressing down on the sacral plexus of nerves as it usually is in the typical “lithotomy” position (mom lying flat on her back with legs up in stirrups). These safer, less painful positions minimize the chance that both mom and her baby will suffer from a subluxation.
Children who receive regular chiropractic care do indeed live healthier lives. While I was a chiropractic intern at Life University in Marietta, GA, I met many people my own age who have never been sick in their life. They said that the key to their abounding level of wellness was that they have never received a vaccination and they’ve been receiving chiropractic care since the day they were born. I have seen for myself how much happier and vibrant children who receive chiropractic care are. It is so heartwarming to see children who no longer have to take medications such as Ritalin, asthma medications, or antibiotics because they started receiving chiropractic care instead.
Seeing a child who was once sickly be able to laugh and play with other kids in an optimal state of wellness gives me the greatest joy. Chiropractic works!
END OF ARTICLE
When I was still practicing on the East Coast, whether it was in Georgia or Pennsylvania, it was an almost daily thing for me to be taking care of pediatric patients for the very reasons cited in this article. Here in Minnesota, however, it is largely unheard of for a child to be adjusted. People here seem backwards in their way of thinking about chiropractic. I blame it mostly on the strong influence that the medical community has here. This is the home of the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota Medical School. It is the birthplace of managed care and the "land of 10,000 hospitals". Even the chiropractic college here in Bloomington, MN doesn't have the right philosophy of what chiropractic really is. I have heard on several occasions in the seven years I've lived here from other chiropractors that they wish they could have gone to the chiropractic college I went to because then they could have actually learned CHIROPRACTIC. When I first moved here, it took me about a year before I found an actual chiropractOR. Even though he was a graduate of the chiropractic school here, he says he then went to the Gonstead Institute in Wisconsin to learn how to actually care for people.
It is time for chiropractic to arrive in Minnesota. That's why I am here.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Just A Very Short Note
This note is for all those people who are afraid that I and my wife would ever consider leaving Minnesota: Even if I WOULD find a substantial opportunity to be professionally successful elsewhere in the U.S., it would have to be so substantial that I could afford to commute during break times back HERE to my home in Minnesota. I'm only considering one such opportunity at this moment in time, a clinic faculty doctor position at my chiropractic alma mater in Marietta, GA. We love living here, ESPECIALLY because of events that occurred within the past couple months that showed us how very special the people that we know here are and how great it really is to be a Minnesotan. I guess we can call ourselves "Minnesotans" now since we've been living here for more than seven years now!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
A New Angle On "Success"
In my last entry I mentioned a doctor by the name of Tom Necela. He contacted me, and we are now LinkedIn comrades. It is interesting how the internet definitely does bring people together in the strangest ways! After all, the internet is how I met my wife Bianca.
Bianca and I had a conversation just two days ago that was inspired by a friend of ours, Todd Chowan. It was about how one should measure how successful they are in life. This was based on a series of events that happened just two weeks ago on October 14th - 15th. I had been feeling particularly disappointed and discouraged by the fact that my practice is so incredibly small that it only gives me pocket change. Bianca and I bought a house last summer. We have plans to upgrade the house and to start a family. Although she makes a very good salary as a school teacher, I have contributed very little monetarily to our picture of success.
But, taking money OUT of the picture, it is apparent that I am perhaps one of the most successful people I know! I have succeeded at one of my childhood goals of becoming a doctor with great knowledge of how the body works and can help people improve their health and well-being in holistic ways. The 18 years of being involved in health care BEFORE becoming a doctor were but a primer, a preparatory challenge, that lead me to become a great healer. Having my own health challenges ever since infancy has built my own ability to empathize with people and know what it feels like to be sick, hospitalized, incapacitated,and left wondering if they are going to live to see tomorrow. I now have a wonderful wife and a wonderful hone. That is certainly a success! In my favorite hobby of playing Scrabble, I am ranked among some of the best players in the country. I am sure that I can come up with other ways in which my life was successful to this point.
But this is not the way I was thinking on October 14th. I was feeling quite dismayed, even as Bianca and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant. As on any usual day, Bianca went to bed before I did. I continued my nightowl routines. I suddenly felt very tired at about 2 AM October 15th, which was still a bit early for me to go to bed. I also had a headache. I thought nothing of it because I occasionally do get headaches on days when I abstained from caffeine.
When I woke up at 7:30 in the morning to go to the bathroom, I noticed I couldn't get out of bed. I could barely move my right leg, and I had no strength to balance on it. At the same time, Bianca had asked me to set the alarm for her. As I picked up my right arm, I noticed I couldn't move my hand and coordinate my fingers in any sensible way. I made it to the bathroom and back by holding onto the wall. Bianca was very worried and wanted to call the ambulance. I was stubborn and I said "no" with a slurred and muffled voice, but then said okay. The ambulance came and rushed me to the hospital were a CAT scan revealed that I was having a stroke.
Since I take coumadin anticoagulant for a prosthetic heart valve, they gave me the drugs Vitamin K and Factor 9 to stop the bleeding in my brain. I then spent the next four days in ICU. Then, after spending just one day on the regular hospital floor I was transferred to a rehab hospital where I spent three days. So I was in the hospital for a whole week. During that time, I regained full use of my leg and I can now walk normally. I still do not have full use of my right hand. I can type adequately and eat, but I cannot write very well at all. I also lost some of my voice. I will now be going through outpatient rehab therapy for my right hand and my voice.
Because of this experience, I can truly say that I am connected to a very caring community of friends and people from the school district where Bianca teaches. Thanks to connecting with them through the Caring Bridge website, we now have meal support and ride support to my appointments. It is also uplifting to know that my parents will be visiting from the East Coast next week. It is always good to have family around during a crisis situation. My parents had ALWAYS been there for all of my life health crises. Now that they are in their 70s, this visit is so much more special. Heck, I am the one who is supposed to be looking after THEM!
I can't say for sure if the stroke was brought on by the negative, sulking frame of mind I had the day prior. But I CAN INDEED say that a negative frame of mind DOES lead to illness and continued illness. During all the years I have been in healthcare as a care giver, I can truly say that the sickest people I've ever seen, on a whole, are the ones who do not have a positive frame of mind. The feel as though their whole life has been a failure, and they also lack a support system to give them happiness and encouragement.
Having a feeling, and a genuine notion, of belonging and success in life are PARAMOUNT to good health. Even the psycholgist Abraham Maslow, the founder of humanistic psychology, pointed this out in 1943. In 1895, Dr. Daniel D. Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, pointed out that 80% of all illness in life is due to one's mental state of being. This was a big personal lesson for me! And from now on I will count my blessings and my successes instead of measuring myself based on a monetary income. I am quite abundant in the amount of help I can give others. But if they do not want what I have to offer,that doesn't mean I am not successful!
Bianca and I had a conversation just two days ago that was inspired by a friend of ours, Todd Chowan. It was about how one should measure how successful they are in life. This was based on a series of events that happened just two weeks ago on October 14th - 15th. I had been feeling particularly disappointed and discouraged by the fact that my practice is so incredibly small that it only gives me pocket change. Bianca and I bought a house last summer. We have plans to upgrade the house and to start a family. Although she makes a very good salary as a school teacher, I have contributed very little monetarily to our picture of success.
But, taking money OUT of the picture, it is apparent that I am perhaps one of the most successful people I know! I have succeeded at one of my childhood goals of becoming a doctor with great knowledge of how the body works and can help people improve their health and well-being in holistic ways. The 18 years of being involved in health care BEFORE becoming a doctor were but a primer, a preparatory challenge, that lead me to become a great healer. Having my own health challenges ever since infancy has built my own ability to empathize with people and know what it feels like to be sick, hospitalized, incapacitated,and left wondering if they are going to live to see tomorrow. I now have a wonderful wife and a wonderful hone. That is certainly a success! In my favorite hobby of playing Scrabble, I am ranked among some of the best players in the country. I am sure that I can come up with other ways in which my life was successful to this point.
But this is not the way I was thinking on October 14th. I was feeling quite dismayed, even as Bianca and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant. As on any usual day, Bianca went to bed before I did. I continued my nightowl routines. I suddenly felt very tired at about 2 AM October 15th, which was still a bit early for me to go to bed. I also had a headache. I thought nothing of it because I occasionally do get headaches on days when I abstained from caffeine.
When I woke up at 7:30 in the morning to go to the bathroom, I noticed I couldn't get out of bed. I could barely move my right leg, and I had no strength to balance on it. At the same time, Bianca had asked me to set the alarm for her. As I picked up my right arm, I noticed I couldn't move my hand and coordinate my fingers in any sensible way. I made it to the bathroom and back by holding onto the wall. Bianca was very worried and wanted to call the ambulance. I was stubborn and I said "no" with a slurred and muffled voice, but then said okay. The ambulance came and rushed me to the hospital were a CAT scan revealed that I was having a stroke.
Since I take coumadin anticoagulant for a prosthetic heart valve, they gave me the drugs Vitamin K and Factor 9 to stop the bleeding in my brain. I then spent the next four days in ICU. Then, after spending just one day on the regular hospital floor I was transferred to a rehab hospital where I spent three days. So I was in the hospital for a whole week. During that time, I regained full use of my leg and I can now walk normally. I still do not have full use of my right hand. I can type adequately and eat, but I cannot write very well at all. I also lost some of my voice. I will now be going through outpatient rehab therapy for my right hand and my voice.
Because of this experience, I can truly say that I am connected to a very caring community of friends and people from the school district where Bianca teaches. Thanks to connecting with them through the Caring Bridge website, we now have meal support and ride support to my appointments. It is also uplifting to know that my parents will be visiting from the East Coast next week. It is always good to have family around during a crisis situation. My parents had ALWAYS been there for all of my life health crises. Now that they are in their 70s, this visit is so much more special. Heck, I am the one who is supposed to be looking after THEM!
I can't say for sure if the stroke was brought on by the negative, sulking frame of mind I had the day prior. But I CAN INDEED say that a negative frame of mind DOES lead to illness and continued illness. During all the years I have been in healthcare as a care giver, I can truly say that the sickest people I've ever seen, on a whole, are the ones who do not have a positive frame of mind. The feel as though their whole life has been a failure, and they also lack a support system to give them happiness and encouragement.
Having a feeling, and a genuine notion, of belonging and success in life are PARAMOUNT to good health. Even the psycholgist Abraham Maslow, the founder of humanistic psychology, pointed this out in 1943. In 1895, Dr. Daniel D. Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, pointed out that 80% of all illness in life is due to one's mental state of being. This was a big personal lesson for me! And from now on I will count my blessings and my successes instead of measuring myself based on a monetary income. I am quite abundant in the amount of help I can give others. But if they do not want what I have to offer,that doesn't mean I am not successful!
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Integrative Approach To Health Care
Today I will be mailing off my portfolio and application for board certification to the American Association of Integrative Medicine. While looking at the requirements for board certification, I realized that I am actually qualified to gain the next higher level -- Diplomate status. Having such a designation always looks good on a resume. It will be especially helpful while I am marketing my newest venture, that of being a mobile practitioner of integrative health services. The question that many people may have now is why I chose the subspecialty of integrative health care. Being a chiropractor, don't you just work in an office all day adjusting peoples' spines? Actually, as with any specialty, whether it be being a medical doctor, nurse, or attorney, a chiropractor can have different fields of specialty.
For people who have known me my whole life, it should be no great surprise that I am an integrative practitioner. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "integrate" as "to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole." In this case, I am bringing together multiple disciplines to help a person with his or her health concerns. As a youngster growing up, my parents always took me to medical specialists to find out about my health problems, from a life-threatening food poisoning to chronic ear infections to stunted growth and development and finally being diagnosed with a heart condition that eventually needed open heart surgery to correct. It seemed to go on and on and on. I'm not sure if this is why I've always been fascinated with the science of studying the human body, but it certainly kept me interested. I used to spend hours diving into medical text books before I was eight years old, showing off a rather profound hyperlexia for my age. Even when I decided to pursue health care as a career, I saw that there were so many fields to choose from that I just didn't know which avenue to take.
As fate would have it, I happened upon deciding to make a career in health care after becoming a volunteer ambulance attendant. During those ten years, learning how to save lives and enjoying many great adventures, I spent one year in nursing school. Even though I was always at the top of the class in book work, I performed miserably in the clinical setting. In fact it wasn't until just last year that I finally was able to put my finger on the disability that always stunted my capacity to learn hands-on skills. Eventually I became a Respiratory Therapist, and then from there a chiropractor. Throughout the years of my life and my education, I have always been fascinated with various lab tests and what they mean, diagnosing illnesses, finding out how the human body actually works, and helping those who were suffering from various health woes. Even now as a chiropractor, I see how making use of these same diagnostic tools can help me to help people better their lives. Now as a chiropractor, I feel that I have more tools to work with than the average chiropractor AND the average medical practitioner. I am INTEGRATIVE in my approach.
As an integrative physician, I have knowledge from "both sides of the fence," so to speak: medicine and "alternative" medicine. As I explain myself in interviews, because I have knowledge of both, I know the abilities and limitations of both, and I know when and where I can cross the lines between the two when caring for a patient. In my office, I perform physical exams. I do D.O.T. physicals, pre-employment physicals, athletic physicals, routine physicals, neurological evaluations, and functional medicine lab tests. I will order X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and even medical lab tests when I feel that they are necessary. Because I have knowledge from both sides of the fence, I know when a headache might be due to an upper neck misalignment and when it might be due to an undiagnosed brain tumor. I know when a bad case of enuresis might be due to a lumbar nerve compression or a urinary tract infection. To see things from the integrated view means that I can pool diagnostic and treatment options from medicine, alternative medicine, and of course chiropractic to help a person heal.
Looking back at the illnesses I suffered in my life, I can see what could have been helped by chiropractic when medicine failed, and I can also see when medicine was necessary to help what chiropractic would not have been able to help. Just to stick to one regimen is limiting. The person in need needs to open their mind to the various options and NOT feel hopeless just because the medical approach gave no results. It is just as limiting to rely only on natural methods, including chiropractic, for a particular problem when it is obvious that only medicine, or a life-saving operation, could help. Even the healthcare providers themselves, NEED to open their minds, and open their hearts, if they are TRULY to consider themselves HEALERS.
It's time for both sides to stop throwing stones. To the medical doctors: chiropractors are NOT "quacks," and your Committee Against Chiropractic (later renamed to Committee Against Quackery), which was formed by the American Medical Association in 1963, was your biggest mistake. Your concerted effort to destroy anything you couldn't own for yourselves was despicable, and it set back the healing possibilities of this nation hundreds of years. Likewise, to the chiropractors, I say this: YOUR blind following of super-straight philosophers leads you astray. I was horrified by the blasphemy I heard directed at me by teachers and fellow students at the best chiropractic college in the world because I needed to have medicine for certain conditions that I suffered from. Do not dare tell people that they do not need a certain medication until you have already helped them with your super-straight ideals. Even D.D. Palmer, the founder of our great profession, said in his book "The Chiropractor's Adjustor," "The good Doctor of Chiropractic will know what he can help and when he needs to refer to his medical counterpart."
Now let's integrate and get to work.
For people who have known me my whole life, it should be no great surprise that I am an integrative practitioner. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "integrate" as "to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole." In this case, I am bringing together multiple disciplines to help a person with his or her health concerns. As a youngster growing up, my parents always took me to medical specialists to find out about my health problems, from a life-threatening food poisoning to chronic ear infections to stunted growth and development and finally being diagnosed with a heart condition that eventually needed open heart surgery to correct. It seemed to go on and on and on. I'm not sure if this is why I've always been fascinated with the science of studying the human body, but it certainly kept me interested. I used to spend hours diving into medical text books before I was eight years old, showing off a rather profound hyperlexia for my age. Even when I decided to pursue health care as a career, I saw that there were so many fields to choose from that I just didn't know which avenue to take.
As fate would have it, I happened upon deciding to make a career in health care after becoming a volunteer ambulance attendant. During those ten years, learning how to save lives and enjoying many great adventures, I spent one year in nursing school. Even though I was always at the top of the class in book work, I performed miserably in the clinical setting. In fact it wasn't until just last year that I finally was able to put my finger on the disability that always stunted my capacity to learn hands-on skills. Eventually I became a Respiratory Therapist, and then from there a chiropractor. Throughout the years of my life and my education, I have always been fascinated with various lab tests and what they mean, diagnosing illnesses, finding out how the human body actually works, and helping those who were suffering from various health woes. Even now as a chiropractor, I see how making use of these same diagnostic tools can help me to help people better their lives. Now as a chiropractor, I feel that I have more tools to work with than the average chiropractor AND the average medical practitioner. I am INTEGRATIVE in my approach.
As an integrative physician, I have knowledge from "both sides of the fence," so to speak: medicine and "alternative" medicine. As I explain myself in interviews, because I have knowledge of both, I know the abilities and limitations of both, and I know when and where I can cross the lines between the two when caring for a patient. In my office, I perform physical exams. I do D.O.T. physicals, pre-employment physicals, athletic physicals, routine physicals, neurological evaluations, and functional medicine lab tests. I will order X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and even medical lab tests when I feel that they are necessary. Because I have knowledge from both sides of the fence, I know when a headache might be due to an upper neck misalignment and when it might be due to an undiagnosed brain tumor. I know when a bad case of enuresis might be due to a lumbar nerve compression or a urinary tract infection. To see things from the integrated view means that I can pool diagnostic and treatment options from medicine, alternative medicine, and of course chiropractic to help a person heal.
Looking back at the illnesses I suffered in my life, I can see what could have been helped by chiropractic when medicine failed, and I can also see when medicine was necessary to help what chiropractic would not have been able to help. Just to stick to one regimen is limiting. The person in need needs to open their mind to the various options and NOT feel hopeless just because the medical approach gave no results. It is just as limiting to rely only on natural methods, including chiropractic, for a particular problem when it is obvious that only medicine, or a life-saving operation, could help. Even the healthcare providers themselves, NEED to open their minds, and open their hearts, if they are TRULY to consider themselves HEALERS.
It's time for both sides to stop throwing stones. To the medical doctors: chiropractors are NOT "quacks," and your Committee Against Chiropractic (later renamed to Committee Against Quackery), which was formed by the American Medical Association in 1963, was your biggest mistake. Your concerted effort to destroy anything you couldn't own for yourselves was despicable, and it set back the healing possibilities of this nation hundreds of years. Likewise, to the chiropractors, I say this: YOUR blind following of super-straight philosophers leads you astray. I was horrified by the blasphemy I heard directed at me by teachers and fellow students at the best chiropractic college in the world because I needed to have medicine for certain conditions that I suffered from. Do not dare tell people that they do not need a certain medication until you have already helped them with your super-straight ideals. Even D.D. Palmer, the founder of our great profession, said in his book "The Chiropractor's Adjustor," "The good Doctor of Chiropractic will know what he can help and when he needs to refer to his medical counterpart."
Now let's integrate and get to work.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Spinal Hygiene
When I mention the words "spinal" and "hygiene" together, I usually get a good chuckle. Hygiene commonly refers to the act of cleanliness, such as brushing your teeth properly or washing your hands often. In reality, the true meaning of the word "hygiene", according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "Conditions or practices conducive to health." Therefore, these two words fit together perfectly. Here's a question to ponder: If the brain controls everything in the body, how do the signals get from the brain to the body and back again? It's not a trick answer. The answer is: the spinal cord. All of the nerves that run through the spine, and the 24 cranial nerves, control EEEVEERRYYYTHING in the body. Therefore, it's vital to maintaining optimal health and function to be very aware of proper spinal hygiene.
The first an absolutest rule to proper spinal hygiene is: get a chiropractor. When bones misalign, they can and do put pressure on nerves. When nerves have pressure placed on them, things start to go bad, and it doesn't always cause pain. Chiropractic care takes the pressure off the nerves. You can never reach your true potential in life without chiropractic care! Secondly, the rest is up to you. Do what you can when you're not in your chiropractor's office to keep yourself healthy. This includes setting up your work areas to reduce physical stress. This is referred to as "ergonomics." This also includes de-stressing yourself mentally and emotionally on a regular basis. Dr. Daniel David Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, said that 80% of all illness is due to "autosuggestion", or how we think. Spiritual health is also very important. I'm not talking about the need to go to church or practice a certain belief. Being "spiritual" simply means doing what is right and keeping in mind that there is a bigger picture and a Divine Order to the universe.
In my stress reduction workshops, I teach people a series of physical stretches that specifically focus on spine tuning as part of a complete spinal hygiene package. These exercises were developed in 1999 by Dr. Ron Kirk, dean of the chiropractic program at Life University in Marietta, GA. These exercises are so simple that anyone of any age can do them, even if they have some sort of back problem. You can see the instructional program on how to do these exercises here: http://www.life.edu/node/868. In followup sessions, people have told me that when they do these exercises, they find that they have better endurance throughout the day, whether they are working at a desk job or whether they are an athlete in training. I encourage everyone to look through this spinal hygiene and spine tuning program. It just might make the difference in how healthy you feel and in how well you function!
If you don't already have a chiropractor, and you don't know who in your area to choose, you can always contact me. I will check around to see who in your area I feel will be able to serve you best based on your particular needs. Not every chiropractor is the same, meaning that some have different subspecialties. For example, not every chiropractor is trained in pediatric care or in the care of extremity problems. You can contact me through my NEW website at www.mihsUSA.com.
The first an absolutest rule to proper spinal hygiene is: get a chiropractor. When bones misalign, they can and do put pressure on nerves. When nerves have pressure placed on them, things start to go bad, and it doesn't always cause pain. Chiropractic care takes the pressure off the nerves. You can never reach your true potential in life without chiropractic care! Secondly, the rest is up to you. Do what you can when you're not in your chiropractor's office to keep yourself healthy. This includes setting up your work areas to reduce physical stress. This is referred to as "ergonomics." This also includes de-stressing yourself mentally and emotionally on a regular basis. Dr. Daniel David Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, said that 80% of all illness is due to "autosuggestion", or how we think. Spiritual health is also very important. I'm not talking about the need to go to church or practice a certain belief. Being "spiritual" simply means doing what is right and keeping in mind that there is a bigger picture and a Divine Order to the universe.
In my stress reduction workshops, I teach people a series of physical stretches that specifically focus on spine tuning as part of a complete spinal hygiene package. These exercises were developed in 1999 by Dr. Ron Kirk, dean of the chiropractic program at Life University in Marietta, GA. These exercises are so simple that anyone of any age can do them, even if they have some sort of back problem. You can see the instructional program on how to do these exercises here: http://www.life.edu/node/868. In followup sessions, people have told me that when they do these exercises, they find that they have better endurance throughout the day, whether they are working at a desk job or whether they are an athlete in training. I encourage everyone to look through this spinal hygiene and spine tuning program. It just might make the difference in how healthy you feel and in how well you function!
If you don't already have a chiropractor, and you don't know who in your area to choose, you can always contact me. I will check around to see who in your area I feel will be able to serve you best based on your particular needs. Not every chiropractor is the same, meaning that some have different subspecialties. For example, not every chiropractor is trained in pediatric care or in the care of extremity problems. You can contact me through my NEW website at www.mihsUSA.com.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A New Format
Since I've hardly used this blog, and when I did it was either a for a rant or a good story to tell, I figure I will use it as an educational tool. I am completely revamping my business, my websites, my resume, and now my blog. I still have yet to figure out how to incorporate the Blogspot site into other sites, like you can with WordPress. I'm becoming more in tune with these things, thanks to some help I am getting these days from fellow business professionals. One reason why I haven't been very successful in business is because I always tried to go it alone. Those days are over. Networking with likeminded people is crucial in this day and age. I once complained that it's because people do not like my autistic mannerisms. BUT, that is something people don't even find out about until they've walked through my door. Getting people to do THAT much is the trick!
So, in the days to come this blog will be used to give little health and wellness tips. Nothing fancy, nothing controversial. My newest venture is to get out of the office more and onto the road. The Sufletesc Center has become Mobile Integrated Health Solutions. Mobile does not mean that I am going back to doing house calls. Doing that is how I ended up with chronic pain in my shoulder, which has since healed up nicely. It does mean that I will make business-to-business "house calls" to places like trucking companies, private offices, community events, etc. "Integrated" means that I not only offer chiropractic care, but I also do D.O.T. physicals, employee health screening, employment & athletic physicals, and functional medicine services, just like I always have. This is the new deal. For the time being, I will be serving all of Minnesota from Duluth to Fergus Falls to Worthington onward to the southeast.
For more information about what I've been up to lately, you can see my NEW website at http://www.mihsUSA.com . Or, you can follow me as I take the show on the road on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Louis-Park-MN/Mobile-Integrated-Health-Solutions/126862493842?ref=ts . There's more to come!
So, in the days to come this blog will be used to give little health and wellness tips. Nothing fancy, nothing controversial. My newest venture is to get out of the office more and onto the road. The Sufletesc Center has become Mobile Integrated Health Solutions. Mobile does not mean that I am going back to doing house calls. Doing that is how I ended up with chronic pain in my shoulder, which has since healed up nicely. It does mean that I will make business-to-business "house calls" to places like trucking companies, private offices, community events, etc. "Integrated" means that I not only offer chiropractic care, but I also do D.O.T. physicals, employee health screening, employment & athletic physicals, and functional medicine services, just like I always have. This is the new deal. For the time being, I will be serving all of Minnesota from Duluth to Fergus Falls to Worthington onward to the southeast.
For more information about what I've been up to lately, you can see my NEW website at http://www.mihsUSA.com . Or, you can follow me as I take the show on the road on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Louis-Park-MN/Mobile-Integrated-Health-Solutions/126862493842?ref=ts . There's more to come!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Next Chapter
It's been more than a month since I last wrote. My writing habit comes and goes. For a while I have a ton of stuff running through my head. Then I go into that "empty box" where my head just doesn't feel like thinking of anything. Since I last wrote, I hopped back on the "what am I really supposed to be doing with myself" wagon. Thanks to that autistic tendency to want to try to fit in with different groups of people to see where you can fit in, I ended up losing my job as a security guard at the theater here in Minneapolis. People complained because I said things, rather I wrote things on their Facebook page, that made them feel uncomfortable. My explanation was that being autistic makes it hard for people to draw the boundary lines between what should be said when and to whom. This much is really true. But the fact that they fired me for it and merely relocated another guard to another position led me to file a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. I'm not even going to follow up on it, really. Whatever happens happens, and in the meantime I have moved on.
While being a "healer" always ends up being the answer to what I was really meant to do in life, building a clientele continues to be my weakest point. I can help a three-month old overcome colic when everything else failed, I can help a family member overcome vertigo when a medical doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong, I can uncover deeply-rooted emotional hangups that keep a person sick thanks to medical intuition, but I can't build a practice. Go figure. Just last night I figured that I really shouldn't be surprised. After all, not knowing how to correspond appropriately and with the right people has ALWAYS been my downfall. It still continues to be my downfall. But just like Dr. Temple Grandin, if not for the people who knew of her gift and stuck up for her, she probably would have succumbed to the same lack of social propriety.
On that note, I recently decided to make lemonade out of lemons. I designed a class specifically on living with autism spectrum disorders -- a class about ASDs taught by an audie. What a concept! I advertised it to several local community education programs, 117 of them to be exact. So far, I have about six of them that I scheduled this class with for their upcoming Fall community ed programs. I am also taking this opportunity to seek out the advice of a psychologist who may be able to give me some practical advice. The one who has experience working with audies was all booked up (surprise surprise). So the one I will have an appointment with this coming Wednesday specializes in anxiety disorders and depression. I can't say I have any issues there, but at least it was something that stood out as different from the rest of the people on my insurance provider list. The difference is that I know where to start -- I am a person with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I didn't know that just 13 months ago.
I guess there really is no "next chapter". I am just revisiting the previous one, but now knowing what my shortcoming is. And it's something I'll have to deal with and make known to potential employers. I have gone back to trying to promote myself through making phone calls and proposals for providing chiropractic and examination services. I even list in my most current brochure that I myself live with an ASD. I pretty much had to do that in hopes of cutting down on the amount of strange looks I get if and when people visit my office and see somebody they judge as not being "doctor-like". I have to make do with what is and forget about what isn't. Another thing I am looking into is what possibility there might be that I can get some kind of disability compensation. Sure I can work. But functioning is a different story. Functioning as a "neurotypical" may always be an impossibility. It would be nice if there was somebody who could walk in front of me whenever I am going to make a presentation or reach out to a new contact and say, "Here is a physician who can help you, as long as you overlook the fact that he may act differently because he is autistic."
Audies DO live in a world of their own. It is up to the neurotypical to learn how to coexist with them and communicate with them in a meaningful, functional, non-judgmental, progressive way.
While being a "healer" always ends up being the answer to what I was really meant to do in life, building a clientele continues to be my weakest point. I can help a three-month old overcome colic when everything else failed, I can help a family member overcome vertigo when a medical doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong, I can uncover deeply-rooted emotional hangups that keep a person sick thanks to medical intuition, but I can't build a practice. Go figure. Just last night I figured that I really shouldn't be surprised. After all, not knowing how to correspond appropriately and with the right people has ALWAYS been my downfall. It still continues to be my downfall. But just like Dr. Temple Grandin, if not for the people who knew of her gift and stuck up for her, she probably would have succumbed to the same lack of social propriety.
On that note, I recently decided to make lemonade out of lemons. I designed a class specifically on living with autism spectrum disorders -- a class about ASDs taught by an audie. What a concept! I advertised it to several local community education programs, 117 of them to be exact. So far, I have about six of them that I scheduled this class with for their upcoming Fall community ed programs. I am also taking this opportunity to seek out the advice of a psychologist who may be able to give me some practical advice. The one who has experience working with audies was all booked up (surprise surprise). So the one I will have an appointment with this coming Wednesday specializes in anxiety disorders and depression. I can't say I have any issues there, but at least it was something that stood out as different from the rest of the people on my insurance provider list. The difference is that I know where to start -- I am a person with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I didn't know that just 13 months ago.
I guess there really is no "next chapter". I am just revisiting the previous one, but now knowing what my shortcoming is. And it's something I'll have to deal with and make known to potential employers. I have gone back to trying to promote myself through making phone calls and proposals for providing chiropractic and examination services. I even list in my most current brochure that I myself live with an ASD. I pretty much had to do that in hopes of cutting down on the amount of strange looks I get if and when people visit my office and see somebody they judge as not being "doctor-like". I have to make do with what is and forget about what isn't. Another thing I am looking into is what possibility there might be that I can get some kind of disability compensation. Sure I can work. But functioning is a different story. Functioning as a "neurotypical" may always be an impossibility. It would be nice if there was somebody who could walk in front of me whenever I am going to make a presentation or reach out to a new contact and say, "Here is a physician who can help you, as long as you overlook the fact that he may act differently because he is autistic."
Audies DO live in a world of their own. It is up to the neurotypical to learn how to coexist with them and communicate with them in a meaningful, functional, non-judgmental, progressive way.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A New Venue
A light bulb went on in my head just a couple days ago. I started putting together some of the pieces of the puzzle of my life in a more meaningful way. First, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and I do not have the ability to get out there and promote myself and be present during the daytime hours. Second, thanks to the early days of this CFS problem when I was pretty much houseridden, I became hooked to the internet. I still spend quite a bit of time online, just not in chatrooms anymore. Yes, I have my doctorate degree, which I've felt is going to waste for quite some time because I have not been successful in business. So, how can I get myself out there AND make money at the same time. All this time I've been focusing on creating my websites, tweaking them, making up brochures and ads, all to promote myself. In the past year or less, I started answering questions in different health forums, and I found that I really enjoy that very much. So, finally, it dawned on me what I should do.
The question came to me, "How can I answer people's health related questions online AND get paid for it?" I'm actually quite surprised that I hadn't thought of it sooner. The answer is -- by creating a virtual office. That is what I am in the process of doing now. I found a website where people can call in or write to experts in different categories. If they approve of my credentials and profiles, then away we go. If they do not, then I'll create my own forum on the website that I already have, and I'll advertise it all over the place. All you have to do is click a button and you have me in a chatroom, live and at your service. I already know what I will be charging, and I already have about a year of experience doing this online. Now let's see what happens. It WILL be up and running soon. It's just a matter of how many people I can attract. I figure I can't be invisible forever. Yes, I am here to serve, as a physician, as a healer, as a shoulder to lean on for people who are in need. This IS my calling.
Recently my wife and I saw the movie "The Proposal". Although a very funny movie indeed, there was one somber moment where a question of mine was answered out of the blue. Because of my floundering business success, I had been asking myself lately what it is I was REALLY meant to do. I figured that I wasn't being very successful because I wasn't doing the right thing. Then Betty White answered my question in the movie with this line: "Whatever you do, that's what you'll be." Now it's no mystery to me. I'll keep being what I always was -- a healing practitioner. Let's see how this new venue works out.
The question came to me, "How can I answer people's health related questions online AND get paid for it?" I'm actually quite surprised that I hadn't thought of it sooner. The answer is -- by creating a virtual office. That is what I am in the process of doing now. I found a website where people can call in or write to experts in different categories. If they approve of my credentials and profiles, then away we go. If they do not, then I'll create my own forum on the website that I already have, and I'll advertise it all over the place. All you have to do is click a button and you have me in a chatroom, live and at your service. I already know what I will be charging, and I already have about a year of experience doing this online. Now let's see what happens. It WILL be up and running soon. It's just a matter of how many people I can attract. I figure I can't be invisible forever. Yes, I am here to serve, as a physician, as a healer, as a shoulder to lean on for people who are in need. This IS my calling.
Recently my wife and I saw the movie "The Proposal". Although a very funny movie indeed, there was one somber moment where a question of mine was answered out of the blue. Because of my floundering business success, I had been asking myself lately what it is I was REALLY meant to do. I figured that I wasn't being very successful because I wasn't doing the right thing. Then Betty White answered my question in the movie with this line: "Whatever you do, that's what you'll be." Now it's no mystery to me. I'll keep being what I always was -- a healing practitioner. Let's see how this new venue works out.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
On Being Aligned With The Divine
I am in the process of listening to the new audio presentation of Dr. Wayne Dyer's "Excuses Begone". It is a powerful presentation, and many of the things he says I have never heard before. That's what makes it special. The main message is that we should throw out every excuse we ever used for our not being able to accomplish something and instead think from an "awareness" perspective. The "awareness" part means that all that exists is a manifestation of God. Thus, acting from the awareness that we ARE The Divine made manifest means that excuses should never enter the picture. Excuses are the product of the ego, not of God. Also, the more we think about what we SHOULD be doing, where we SHOULD be, how much money we SHOULD be making, etc., we are thinking from the perspective of the ego. God simply is, and God simply does -- as us, through us.
Yes, I have accomplished quite a bit in my life. I've suffered many health challenges. I've had many life experiences, both as a hospital patient and as a health care provider. I've earned a graduate degree. I have a lovely wife and home. I like where I live. The positives in my life are many. However, taking to heart what Dr. Dyer points out, and what many great sages throughout the millenia have said, I find it odd that God would be content with being sedentary. If God is acting through me, as me, then he must really enjoy having all these ways in which he can love people and help them without actually having anybody coming into the office to receive. Interesting concept. Rather humorous, at that.
So, anyway, I had some ideas of what I wanted to write. But I think I just used them all. It's 5:00 in the morning now, and I really need to get to bed. I have to go back to my $11 an hour job as a security guard in a theater this afternoon.
Yes, I have accomplished quite a bit in my life. I've suffered many health challenges. I've had many life experiences, both as a hospital patient and as a health care provider. I've earned a graduate degree. I have a lovely wife and home. I like where I live. The positives in my life are many. However, taking to heart what Dr. Dyer points out, and what many great sages throughout the millenia have said, I find it odd that God would be content with being sedentary. If God is acting through me, as me, then he must really enjoy having all these ways in which he can love people and help them without actually having anybody coming into the office to receive. Interesting concept. Rather humorous, at that.
So, anyway, I had some ideas of what I wanted to write. But I think I just used them all. It's 5:00 in the morning now, and I really need to get to bed. I have to go back to my $11 an hour job as a security guard in a theater this afternoon.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Enter The "Holistic Physician"
Last week while I was working at my security job at the Guthrie Theater, I got talking to a couple of the ushers. Most of the people I work with already know that I am a chiropractor. But what they don't know is that I am very holistic in how I care for my patients. "I address all of my patients' health concerns," I said at one point in the conversation. At that moment, one of the ushers I was talking to perked up and started asking me all these questions about her high blood pressure problems. She wanted to know what natural ways there are to take care of it. I then thought to myself that THIS is why I became a doctor -- to help people with their health concerns in a holistic way. I didn't become a "back pain specialist," and I really hate being mistaken for one. Even though my business card says that I am a "holistic chiropractor," the word "chiropractor" insinuates, in most people's mind, that I take care of only back pain and headaches. I've been in health care for over 26 years now in many different capacities. I certainly never intended to limit myself by becoming a chiropractor!
What people DO understand is the word "physician". D.D. Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, always frowned on chiropractors who would call themselves "chiropractic physicians". Many medical doctors with an ego would also frown upon a chiropractor considering himself to be any kind of physician. I've always been neutral to using this term because, as the Latin origin of the word "physician" implies, a physician is a practitioner of a "natural science". (Source: the Online Etymology Dictionary) So the question would then be, could I simply call myself a "holistic physician"? To answer that, I turned to the good ol' internet, that magical land where all knowledge can be bestowed. Alas, I came up with an article who answered that question with a profound "yes". Here is the link to the article: http://www.radicalmedicine.com/holistic_physician_defined.html .
According to the article, there are six different healing professionals that can use the title "holistic physician": medical doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, dentists, and acupuncturists. Therefore, I feel at ease to change my business cards to read "Dr. Patrick V. Suglia, Holistic Physician". Then, to be in accordance with Minnesota state law, I would list chiropractic care among the services that I offer. I do offer a slew of others, such as health status testing (which the American Holistic Medical Association calls functional medicine), routine and specialized physicals, Reiki healing (which the AHMA refers to as energy medicine), and others. I won't go into detail about them here because you can always see everything I do on my website at http://sufletesc.twicmn.org .
People haven't quite made the full paradigm shift yet to fully comprehend and appreciate the words of Thomas Edison: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." The human frame IS the specialty of the chiropractor, and the other mentioned items are the concern of any holistic physician. The paradigm shift started only 18 years ago when in 1991, for the first time, more visits were made to practitioners of "alternative" medicine, with chiropractors leading the figures, than to general practice medical doctors. Yes, the paradigm is still shifting. More and more people are learning about the wonderful HOLISTIC benefits of chiropractic care, while the current being created by the medical establishment, who is trying to hold on to their dying ego, continues to try to push us further from the public's interest. Until the paradigm shift is complete, which I hope I live to see, I will, for now, call myself a Holistic Physician.
What people DO understand is the word "physician". D.D. Palmer, the founder of the chiropractic profession, always frowned on chiropractors who would call themselves "chiropractic physicians". Many medical doctors with an ego would also frown upon a chiropractor considering himself to be any kind of physician. I've always been neutral to using this term because, as the Latin origin of the word "physician" implies, a physician is a practitioner of a "natural science". (Source: the Online Etymology Dictionary) So the question would then be, could I simply call myself a "holistic physician"? To answer that, I turned to the good ol' internet, that magical land where all knowledge can be bestowed. Alas, I came up with an article who answered that question with a profound "yes". Here is the link to the article: http://www.radicalmedicine.com/holistic_physician_defined.html .
According to the article, there are six different healing professionals that can use the title "holistic physician": medical doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, dentists, and acupuncturists. Therefore, I feel at ease to change my business cards to read "Dr. Patrick V. Suglia, Holistic Physician". Then, to be in accordance with Minnesota state law, I would list chiropractic care among the services that I offer. I do offer a slew of others, such as health status testing (which the American Holistic Medical Association calls functional medicine), routine and specialized physicals, Reiki healing (which the AHMA refers to as energy medicine), and others. I won't go into detail about them here because you can always see everything I do on my website at http://sufletesc.twicmn.org .
People haven't quite made the full paradigm shift yet to fully comprehend and appreciate the words of Thomas Edison: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." The human frame IS the specialty of the chiropractor, and the other mentioned items are the concern of any holistic physician. The paradigm shift started only 18 years ago when in 1991, for the first time, more visits were made to practitioners of "alternative" medicine, with chiropractors leading the figures, than to general practice medical doctors. Yes, the paradigm is still shifting. More and more people are learning about the wonderful HOLISTIC benefits of chiropractic care, while the current being created by the medical establishment, who is trying to hold on to their dying ego, continues to try to push us further from the public's interest. Until the paradigm shift is complete, which I hope I live to see, I will, for now, call myself a Holistic Physician.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Writing Cramps
As you may notice already, I hardly write in this blog. But when I do, it's pretty much to the point. People tell me I'm a great writer and that I should consider it for a career. That would be great, if I was a writer. To tell you the truth, I really have to have something pounding in my brain, begging to come out, in order for me to write well. Otherwise, if I just sat down to write because I had to, it wouldn't sound good at all. Such is life! So, that's about all I have to say right now. I'm still waiting for the next great spark.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Chiropractic: Realism vs. Idealism
Yesterday there was a post on the Minnesota Chiropractic Association's newsgroup announcing that the association was looking for doctors to volunteer their services at a local walk-a-thon. At the walk-a-thon, doctors would be working with medical professionals to help care for the participants, and the purpose of the walk-a-thon is to help raise money for breast cancer research. Another chiropractor wrote in, chastising the association for wanting to promote a "medical" paradigm of chiropractic which would cause the general public to not recognize chiropractic for its true holistic value. I couldn't resist writing back to this guy. Here was my reply:
"I hear you. After being in practice for 9 years, 7 of those years in Minnesota, I've come to realize a few things. First of all, people do not understand chiropractic the way we PRINCIPLED chiropractors do, but to "get to them" we have to approach them from an angle that they do understand -- the medical paradigm. I've also come to learn that when you approach people from the (chiropractically) realistic viewpoint, they see this as an idealistic philosophy that they most likely would not buy into anyway. The second issue is the fact that we are here in Minnesota means that people will AUTOMATICALLY be misconstruing chiropractic for a branch of medicine, which you and I both know it is not. We also know that there isn't enough chiropractic philosophy being taught in our own state's chiropractic college, which means that many chiropractors in this state also have this misconception, unfortunately. On that note, I regret to say that I had a MUCH better practice when I still lived on the East Coast. People here just don't have the same mentality."
Yes, it depends on which chiropractic college one goes to whether or not they are going to be subject to the medical, or "realistic", paradigm of chiropractic or the chiropractIC, principled, or "idealistic" paradigm. (Insert here a side note for chiropractors that whichever one you are exposed to, the schools lack the ability to teach you how to market yourself and become successful. That you have to figure out on your own.) Are you a doctor who does physical rehab in your pain relief and personal injury clinic? Or are you a chiropractOR who tells their patients that EVERYONE needs chiropractic care in order to function at their very best potential in life? This is the difference between realism and idealism. The general public identifies MORE with the realism because to them the idealism is just that -- an idea. And why is that?
Here in the United States, people constantly have the medical paradigm of "health and wellness" in general jammed down their throat. You have to take this pill for that, you have to get this vaccine for this flu, you have to take medicine to prevent this disease, and anything "alternative" has no merit unless the American Medical Association (aka "God") says so. Plus, God, in this case the AMA and the pharmaceutical industry, has the greatest means of getting their words of advice, or dare I say "scare tactics", out there: the media in all forms. Thus, the pain relief chiropractor has it made, especially when he partners with a medical doctor or physical therapist. Enter chiropractIC where we proclaim the truth that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism that needs to external influences and only to be free of the interferences that caused the dis-ease to begin with. That cause is the subluxation (misaligned bone) that impinges on and interferes with the proper function of the master regulator of the body: the nerve system. Such a lesson in reality is just too hard for people to grasp after they've been told that their bodies are incapable of such greatness and will constantly be dependent on medicine to survive in this world.
It is probably evident to you by now that I side more with the "idealistic" view of chiropractic. Yet, here's another point I absolutely need to make. The realistic and the idealistic paradigms need to merge. Just after I graduated from chiropractic school in March of 2000, a doctor who graduated from National College of Chiropractic in Chicago said to me, "You need to throw out all the garbage you learned about subluxations and get real." Likewise, chiropractors from my own alma mater, Life University in Atlanta, say, "You need to throw out all the garbage you learned about medicine and get real." Okay, here's what's real. Because of medicine, I am still alive after almost dying at the age of 5 months from salmonella. Also, because of medicine my heart still beats after having open heart surgery to correct an aortic valve defect at the age of 19 years. Because of a chiropractOR who corrected my subluxations in the summer of 1986, I overcame a ten-year bout with chronic sinusitis. Because of a chiropractOR who corrects my subluxations, I am able to function quite well despite having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Because I am a chiropractOR who corrects subluxations, a pediatric patient I once took care of no longer suffers from chronic ear infections. BOTH medicine and chiropractic have their place, and they need to stop throwing stones at each other. Here's the tricky part, though -- the general public needs to know this, and they need to be able to think for themselves without all the brainwashing.
This is possible if we get rid of false gods, our own egos, and simply join hands to serve the people we are supposed to be serving. This is NOT impossible because it happens in many countries around the world -- outside the U.S., that is. The "realistic" and the "idealistic" chiropractors get together to go to countries such as Guatemala, Peru, India, and many other undeserved areas to do one thing -- get people well and help them stay well. One relieves their pain while the other helps their bodies function optimally. Choose your paradigm. It still does the job. And in these countries, people flock in droves, filling up entire sports arenas, waiting their turn to be adjusted by a chiropractor. There is no AMA to tell them this is quackery. Their own governments support and promote this because they know how this helps the people of their country!
Let's put the stones and rocks away and get to work. We BOTH have places in this world, and we BOTH are here to make a difference!
"I hear you. After being in practice for 9 years, 7 of those years in Minnesota, I've come to realize a few things. First of all, people do not understand chiropractic the way we PRINCIPLED chiropractors do, but to "get to them" we have to approach them from an angle that they do understand -- the medical paradigm. I've also come to learn that when you approach people from the (chiropractically) realistic viewpoint, they see this as an idealistic philosophy that they most likely would not buy into anyway. The second issue is the fact that we are here in Minnesota means that people will AUTOMATICALLY be misconstruing chiropractic for a branch of medicine, which you and I both know it is not. We also know that there isn't enough chiropractic philosophy being taught in our own state's chiropractic college, which means that many chiropractors in this state also have this misconception, unfortunately. On that note, I regret to say that I had a MUCH better practice when I still lived on the East Coast. People here just don't have the same mentality."
Yes, it depends on which chiropractic college one goes to whether or not they are going to be subject to the medical, or "realistic", paradigm of chiropractic or the chiropractIC, principled, or "idealistic" paradigm. (Insert here a side note for chiropractors that whichever one you are exposed to, the schools lack the ability to teach you how to market yourself and become successful. That you have to figure out on your own.) Are you a doctor who does physical rehab in your pain relief and personal injury clinic? Or are you a chiropractOR who tells their patients that EVERYONE needs chiropractic care in order to function at their very best potential in life? This is the difference between realism and idealism. The general public identifies MORE with the realism because to them the idealism is just that -- an idea. And why is that?
Here in the United States, people constantly have the medical paradigm of "health and wellness" in general jammed down their throat. You have to take this pill for that, you have to get this vaccine for this flu, you have to take medicine to prevent this disease, and anything "alternative" has no merit unless the American Medical Association (aka "God") says so. Plus, God, in this case the AMA and the pharmaceutical industry, has the greatest means of getting their words of advice, or dare I say "scare tactics", out there: the media in all forms. Thus, the pain relief chiropractor has it made, especially when he partners with a medical doctor or physical therapist. Enter chiropractIC where we proclaim the truth that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism that needs to external influences and only to be free of the interferences that caused the dis-ease to begin with. That cause is the subluxation (misaligned bone) that impinges on and interferes with the proper function of the master regulator of the body: the nerve system. Such a lesson in reality is just too hard for people to grasp after they've been told that their bodies are incapable of such greatness and will constantly be dependent on medicine to survive in this world.
It is probably evident to you by now that I side more with the "idealistic" view of chiropractic. Yet, here's another point I absolutely need to make. The realistic and the idealistic paradigms need to merge. Just after I graduated from chiropractic school in March of 2000, a doctor who graduated from National College of Chiropractic in Chicago said to me, "You need to throw out all the garbage you learned about subluxations and get real." Likewise, chiropractors from my own alma mater, Life University in Atlanta, say, "You need to throw out all the garbage you learned about medicine and get real." Okay, here's what's real. Because of medicine, I am still alive after almost dying at the age of 5 months from salmonella. Also, because of medicine my heart still beats after having open heart surgery to correct an aortic valve defect at the age of 19 years. Because of a chiropractOR who corrected my subluxations in the summer of 1986, I overcame a ten-year bout with chronic sinusitis. Because of a chiropractOR who corrects my subluxations, I am able to function quite well despite having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Because I am a chiropractOR who corrects subluxations, a pediatric patient I once took care of no longer suffers from chronic ear infections. BOTH medicine and chiropractic have their place, and they need to stop throwing stones at each other. Here's the tricky part, though -- the general public needs to know this, and they need to be able to think for themselves without all the brainwashing.
This is possible if we get rid of false gods, our own egos, and simply join hands to serve the people we are supposed to be serving. This is NOT impossible because it happens in many countries around the world -- outside the U.S., that is. The "realistic" and the "idealistic" chiropractors get together to go to countries such as Guatemala, Peru, India, and many other undeserved areas to do one thing -- get people well and help them stay well. One relieves their pain while the other helps their bodies function optimally. Choose your paradigm. It still does the job. And in these countries, people flock in droves, filling up entire sports arenas, waiting their turn to be adjusted by a chiropractor. There is no AMA to tell them this is quackery. Their own governments support and promote this because they know how this helps the people of their country!
Let's put the stones and rocks away and get to work. We BOTH have places in this world, and we BOTH are here to make a difference!
Friday, April 10, 2009
An Eerie Fairwell To Edgerton
From the very beginning, I could see signs that the whole Edgerton venture was going to be just another headbanging disappointment. Little could I have guessed then that the final straw would be an altercation with a ghost which would close the door to Edgerton all together. Joni, the massage therapist I was sharing the place with, owned the building that I had my practice in. From the moment I set foot in the house, I knew something wasn't exactly right. But I figured it was just an old house, and it had that "old house" feel to it. Besides, most of the town seemed like that. After all, sharing a place with another healing practitioner who would refer clients to me was ideal.
The population of the town is right around 1,000. It was a town full of farmers, kids, and locals who just opened new businesses. Sounded like an opportune place to be. Then I learned that the people there were of Dutch descent. I knew from growing up around the Pennsylvania Dutch that such people shy away from anything that is "new" and are very skeptical of anything that might make them have to think progressively. Soon I came to realize that these people were no different. My ads that I placed in the local newspaper, and even an interview in the same paper, generated only three new patients -- people that were already clients of Joni. For a town that size, I wasn't getting the reception that I thought I would.
Even as far as Joni herself goes, she is a great person and fun to be around, by Edgerton standards. But her own reservations about getting the care she needs, chiropractically speaking, and the fact that she couldn't even pronounce Reiki correctly, brought me to the realization that I was probably in the wrong place after all. I didn't really see much of a "spiritual" component to her practice. It was more about her interest in selling Arbonne products. Even the massage therapist who was sharing the place with her was a very uncultivated redneck. All in all, Joni was nice enough to allow me to sleep overnight at the house so I don't have to pay to stay in a hotel. Besides, the closest hotel was 21 miles away in Luverne. (There were two bed-and-breakfasts in Edgerton, but that's not my thing.)
Even though Joni offered her place to me, I didn't take her up on it right away. I had listed my hours as being Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 PM to 10 PM. Out of the three weeks I spent taking care of patients there, the first week I had driven down and back all in one day because I had only one patient scheduled on Wednesday. But that was way too much driving, and I realized how quickly I got tired out. A 3-1/2 hour drive one way where all you see is farm fields the whole way was just too much to handle. But the next week were different. During the second week I had a new patient scheduled for Wednesday and the client from the week before scheduled for Thursday. So I stayed at the house located at 321 East Mill Street overnight.
It was a quaint, small house with a kitchen, full bath, and laundry room on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. This is where Joni had lived until she got married several years ago. She retained ownership of the house, and now uses it just for the massage studio and to house family guests when they come to town. Now if the "old" vibe to the downstairs of the house wasn't scary enough, the feeling I got when I went upstairs to the bedrooms was downright frightening. Still, I set up my Aerobed air mattress and settled in. After all, it sure beat paying to stay in a hotel. But later that night, I wouldn't be so happy about my decision to stay there.
Being the nightowl that I am, I decided to go for a joyride late at night. The town of Edgerton was so still that you could hear a pin drop a mile away. So I decided to drive down to Sioux Falls, South Dakota just to see how long it took to get there. After all, I had my laptop with me and I was hungry, and I was looking for a place to take it easy for a while. Just over an hour later I arrived at a Denny's Restaurant, the only one in Sioux Falls. They had internet connection there, and both my need for food and for being online were fulfilled. When I arrived back at the house in Edgerton it was almost 3 AM.
I laid down on my air mattress, felt the eeriness of the air around me, and hoped to fall asleep soon. Instead, for the next three hours I would be constantly woken up by an unseen force. This force was no stranger to me. I knew EXACTLY what it was -- an evil entity that was there to attack me. I knew because I had this exact same thing happen to me only once before in my life, the night after I performed an exorcism in the apartment I lived in in Smyrna, Georgia ten years ago. Invoking the same healing energy I used to dispel that unwelcome spirit, I shrouded the house and myself with protective light in hopes that the disembodied attacker would go away. The attacks did lessen, and at dawn they stopped all together. I was then able to sleep soundly the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.
I didn't think much of what happened during the night. Haunted houses are aplenty, and I've even gotten rid of a few unpleasant entities in my day. But I do so only if the owner of the property asks me to do that. I don't just go around "playing with energy" like a voyeur. But how was I to tell Joni that there is something evil in her place, the house she once called home? I didn't. Right after I took care of my patient for the day, I packed up and went home to Richfield.
Now came this past Wednesday. I received the bill for the ads, saw that the interview appeared nicely in the newspaper, and I was confident that word was getting around that there was a new chiropractor in town. I only had one patient scheduled on Wednesday. My plan was to stay overnight again and spend the day on Thursday going around the city and to neighboring areas introducing myself and posting signs. Joni asked me how it was staying overnight the week before. I said that they energy wasn't very good, but it was probably due to the fact that I was sleeping in an unfamiliar place. I thought to myself I would give it another try though because, again, it still beat paying to stay in a hotel, and I thought maybe this time things won't be so disruptive.
I had gotten only 4-1/2 hours of sleep the night before. So after I took care of my patient I was in no condition to go for a joyride again. I stopped by Tally Ho, the local coffee shop, to get myself something to eat, and I return to Joni's house to spend the rest of the night reading and typing on the computer. I finally felt tired enough to go to bed at 1:30 AM. But instead of getting a good night's sleep, the SAME EXACT thing happened as the week before, and it was now WORSE! This ghost was more aggressive as it not only "stole" my sleep from me but was also poking me with something that was sharp or burning. I didn't even bother to call upon the protective energies. I figured if I could just put up with it until daybreak I'd be fine. But the more I laid there, the more I told this intruder to go away, the more adamant it became. It really wanted me out of there!
I can sense the negative energy around me. It feels like a still, heavy, dark cloud. Whereas some mediums and psychics can actually see spirits, auras, and energies, I feel them and intuit them. By having my sleep "stolen", I mean that I would be sound asleep one minute and then would find myself lying wide awake the next without apparent reason, and this would be repetitive every time I started to fall back to sleep again. But the poking and prodding was something new. Now I knew I was dealing with something I never dealt with before. Still and all, it wasn't in my place to play the rescuer of the house here. Just before daybreak, I finally gave in and said, "You win. I'm outta here." And at 5:30 in the morning, I packed up my belongings, my patient records, and my chiropractic table, and I left for good, never to return.
This event wouldn't end without something positive coming from it, though. As I drove down Murray County Route 1 on my way back home, the scenery all around me was one on the best I had ever seen in my life. Daylight was just starting to creep above the horizon in the East, and the dark silhouettes of the hundreds of windmills flapping in the night sky filled my vision. The planet Mercury sat on the horizon to announce the beginning of a new day. I turned around to see the night sky behind me. Clouds just started to obscure a bright full moon. Despite all that happened, this one vision of the morning sky in Edgerton is what I will walk away with and will cherish the rest of my days. It was as if the Universe were saying that from here on, things will be better.
The population of the town is right around 1,000. It was a town full of farmers, kids, and locals who just opened new businesses. Sounded like an opportune place to be. Then I learned that the people there were of Dutch descent. I knew from growing up around the Pennsylvania Dutch that such people shy away from anything that is "new" and are very skeptical of anything that might make them have to think progressively. Soon I came to realize that these people were no different. My ads that I placed in the local newspaper, and even an interview in the same paper, generated only three new patients -- people that were already clients of Joni. For a town that size, I wasn't getting the reception that I thought I would.
Even as far as Joni herself goes, she is a great person and fun to be around, by Edgerton standards. But her own reservations about getting the care she needs, chiropractically speaking, and the fact that she couldn't even pronounce Reiki correctly, brought me to the realization that I was probably in the wrong place after all. I didn't really see much of a "spiritual" component to her practice. It was more about her interest in selling Arbonne products. Even the massage therapist who was sharing the place with her was a very uncultivated redneck. All in all, Joni was nice enough to allow me to sleep overnight at the house so I don't have to pay to stay in a hotel. Besides, the closest hotel was 21 miles away in Luverne. (There were two bed-and-breakfasts in Edgerton, but that's not my thing.)
Even though Joni offered her place to me, I didn't take her up on it right away. I had listed my hours as being Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 PM to 10 PM. Out of the three weeks I spent taking care of patients there, the first week I had driven down and back all in one day because I had only one patient scheduled on Wednesday. But that was way too much driving, and I realized how quickly I got tired out. A 3-1/2 hour drive one way where all you see is farm fields the whole way was just too much to handle. But the next week were different. During the second week I had a new patient scheduled for Wednesday and the client from the week before scheduled for Thursday. So I stayed at the house located at 321 East Mill Street overnight.
It was a quaint, small house with a kitchen, full bath, and laundry room on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. This is where Joni had lived until she got married several years ago. She retained ownership of the house, and now uses it just for the massage studio and to house family guests when they come to town. Now if the "old" vibe to the downstairs of the house wasn't scary enough, the feeling I got when I went upstairs to the bedrooms was downright frightening. Still, I set up my Aerobed air mattress and settled in. After all, it sure beat paying to stay in a hotel. But later that night, I wouldn't be so happy about my decision to stay there.
Being the nightowl that I am, I decided to go for a joyride late at night. The town of Edgerton was so still that you could hear a pin drop a mile away. So I decided to drive down to Sioux Falls, South Dakota just to see how long it took to get there. After all, I had my laptop with me and I was hungry, and I was looking for a place to take it easy for a while. Just over an hour later I arrived at a Denny's Restaurant, the only one in Sioux Falls. They had internet connection there, and both my need for food and for being online were fulfilled. When I arrived back at the house in Edgerton it was almost 3 AM.
I laid down on my air mattress, felt the eeriness of the air around me, and hoped to fall asleep soon. Instead, for the next three hours I would be constantly woken up by an unseen force. This force was no stranger to me. I knew EXACTLY what it was -- an evil entity that was there to attack me. I knew because I had this exact same thing happen to me only once before in my life, the night after I performed an exorcism in the apartment I lived in in Smyrna, Georgia ten years ago. Invoking the same healing energy I used to dispel that unwelcome spirit, I shrouded the house and myself with protective light in hopes that the disembodied attacker would go away. The attacks did lessen, and at dawn they stopped all together. I was then able to sleep soundly the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.
I didn't think much of what happened during the night. Haunted houses are aplenty, and I've even gotten rid of a few unpleasant entities in my day. But I do so only if the owner of the property asks me to do that. I don't just go around "playing with energy" like a voyeur. But how was I to tell Joni that there is something evil in her place, the house she once called home? I didn't. Right after I took care of my patient for the day, I packed up and went home to Richfield.
Now came this past Wednesday. I received the bill for the ads, saw that the interview appeared nicely in the newspaper, and I was confident that word was getting around that there was a new chiropractor in town. I only had one patient scheduled on Wednesday. My plan was to stay overnight again and spend the day on Thursday going around the city and to neighboring areas introducing myself and posting signs. Joni asked me how it was staying overnight the week before. I said that they energy wasn't very good, but it was probably due to the fact that I was sleeping in an unfamiliar place. I thought to myself I would give it another try though because, again, it still beat paying to stay in a hotel, and I thought maybe this time things won't be so disruptive.
I had gotten only 4-1/2 hours of sleep the night before. So after I took care of my patient I was in no condition to go for a joyride again. I stopped by Tally Ho, the local coffee shop, to get myself something to eat, and I return to Joni's house to spend the rest of the night reading and typing on the computer. I finally felt tired enough to go to bed at 1:30 AM. But instead of getting a good night's sleep, the SAME EXACT thing happened as the week before, and it was now WORSE! This ghost was more aggressive as it not only "stole" my sleep from me but was also poking me with something that was sharp or burning. I didn't even bother to call upon the protective energies. I figured if I could just put up with it until daybreak I'd be fine. But the more I laid there, the more I told this intruder to go away, the more adamant it became. It really wanted me out of there!
I can sense the negative energy around me. It feels like a still, heavy, dark cloud. Whereas some mediums and psychics can actually see spirits, auras, and energies, I feel them and intuit them. By having my sleep "stolen", I mean that I would be sound asleep one minute and then would find myself lying wide awake the next without apparent reason, and this would be repetitive every time I started to fall back to sleep again. But the poking and prodding was something new. Now I knew I was dealing with something I never dealt with before. Still and all, it wasn't in my place to play the rescuer of the house here. Just before daybreak, I finally gave in and said, "You win. I'm outta here." And at 5:30 in the morning, I packed up my belongings, my patient records, and my chiropractic table, and I left for good, never to return.
This event wouldn't end without something positive coming from it, though. As I drove down Murray County Route 1 on my way back home, the scenery all around me was one on the best I had ever seen in my life. Daylight was just starting to creep above the horizon in the East, and the dark silhouettes of the hundreds of windmills flapping in the night sky filled my vision. The planet Mercury sat on the horizon to announce the beginning of a new day. I turned around to see the night sky behind me. Clouds just started to obscure a bright full moon. Despite all that happened, this one vision of the morning sky in Edgerton is what I will walk away with and will cherish the rest of my days. It was as if the Universe were saying that from here on, things will be better.
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Last Call
I was going to write about my trip to Vancouver tonight. But instead, I am writing about something far more sentimental to me.
My interest in healthcare as a career started "by accident," I guess you could say. Here's the story. The year was 1979. I was just a bumbling, nerdy high school kid who had a friend named Michael that I used to hang out with. My activities consisted of taking piano lessons and playing Scrabble. Other than that, I was pretty average. Then Michael started telling me about his dad being a fireman, and about the local Fire & Rescue Explorers Post that trained kids our age how to be firemen and rescue personnel. I figured that sounded like a great way to add some excitement to my life. After all, I was looking for some action, a way to really dive into something that would get my adrenalin rushing. I was looking for a way to "fit in" and be a part of society, and being a fireman would be a great big huge way to do it. So I joined the explorers post that Michael belonged to. Over the course of the next two years, I really enjoyed taking training classes in first aid, CPR, firefighting techniques, and even going to some real-life emergency calls to observe. I really felt that I was onto something great.
Then came my senior year in high school. I turned 18 years old. Now I was old enough to actually join the fire company and become a volunteer fireman. So I did. Reading, Pennsylvania has the oldest existing part-paid-part-volunteer fire department in the U.S. Even though you become a member of one station within the city, you can go to any station and hop on the fire truck if an emergency call came in. Naturally, I joined the station that served my neighborhood, the Oakbrook Fire Company. That was in March of 1981. I now had a place to call my "second home," and many of us enjoyed hanging out there during the evenings. Even though the "Oakies" was my primary base, I didn't hesitate to go anywhere in the city to help fight a fire if it was big enough. Six months after joining the Oakbrook Fire Company, I transferred to another company simply because I wanted a place where I could sleep at night and be right in the middle of the action even during the night. That station was the Keystone Fire Company, and it was located in downtown Reading. Many fellow Oakies warned me not to transfer my membership. But I didn't listen, especially because they never gave me a good reason. Within a matter of days, I found out why.
One night I was at a fire call with the "Keystones," it was a house fire, and I maintained my position outside the burning building, unraveling the hoses when they'd get crossed and maintaining crowd control. During the cleanup process after the fire, the head chief at the time, Swifty Schaffer, called me over to talk to him. I wondered why he would want to talk to me personally. He said that he knew about my heart condition, and he told me not to go to any more fire calls until a doctor gave approval for me to do so. That took the wind right out of my sails. Until then, I was flying on Cloud Nine. Then I began to wonder who squealed. Who could have blabbed that I had a heart condition, a failing aortic valve, to be exact. Interesting. What was even more interesting was that just two months later, my cardiologist discovered that my heart condition had worsened to the point where something needed to be done. On November 4, 1981, I had life-saving open heart surgery at the Deborah Heart & Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey. If that wasn't life-changing enough, all I could think about in the days that followed was when I would be able to get back on the fire truck and be a fireman again.
I ended up spending three weeks in the hospital due to post-operative complications. Despite the internal bleeding and infections, my main question to my cardiologist was about returning to the fire department. He said that I would never return again because I will be taking an anticoagulant medication the rest of my life which would make me more prone to internal bleeding if I was ever injured bad enough. Needless to say, I was not at all happy. Three months later, during a followup visit, I asked a doctor who was examining me if he could write a letter giving me permission to be an active firefighter again, even though I was aware of the risks. He did, and I could feel myself rising up to Cloud Nine again. As soon as I got back home, I brought the letter to Chief Schaffer. But Chief Schaffer wasn't so agreeable.
A friend of mine named Matt, who was a fireman with the city's rescue unit, said to me, "Maybe you'll be allowed to work on the ambulance instead." So I started approaching things from that direction. Why not? At least I can still be of help in some way. I can still help out in emergency situations. I would be saving lives. I would be very happy if I could do that! When I approached Chief Schaffer again, he said that I would have to talk to the city's examining physician. So the next day I did. Lo and behold I was jumping for complete joy when Dr. Hassel approved and I was granted a city license to work on the city's ambulance squad. WOW! I took that license right down to the Keystones, which is where one of the city's ambulances was housed. A few minutes later I was riding on my very first ambulance call ever.
Upon returning to the station, I received a phone call from the deputy chief, William Rehr. He told me that that was not acceptable because in order to be able to ride with the ambulance, I had to be able to perform ALL the functions of a firefighter. That's when I knew I've been railroaded. That's when I knew that the REAL situation was that nobody wanted me around -- period. That was in March of 1982. I walked out of a Reading Fire Department station for the last time as an actual member.
I think to this day that if the guys at the Oakbrook Fire Department would have explained their reasons for not wanting me to transfer to another station I certainly wouldn't have done it. I was told that they were protecting my status as a firefighter because they are an independent annex of the city. Well, it was a little too late for explanations now! Now I could only sulk and be very bitter. I still continued to hang out with my friends at the "Oakies," even though I couldn't go to the emergency calls with them. I was glad to be able to help out in the cleanup work after they got back to the firehouse.
Then one day I met my friend Matt again. He said to me that if the doctors did indeed allow me to work on the ambulance, then there was a sure chance that I could work for the neighboring volunteer ambulance service -- the Governor Mifflin Area Ambulance Service. That was in July of 1982. The president of the ambulance service was a guy named Larry. Larry and my mom worked for the same company, so they knew each other well. My mom explained the situation to Larry, and Larry showed me around the ambulance station. After becoming a member there in August of 1982, I went on to spend the next ten years as an ambulance attendant. I had FINALLY found a place where I felt welcome and where I could really make a difference!
But that's not the end of the story. On weekends I continued to hang out with my firefighter friends at the Oakies and the neighboring volunteer fire department in Kenhorst, PA. That's where I learned about Fire Police. Fire Police are called Reserve Police Officers in most municipalities in the U.S. In states where fire departments are mostly volunteer, they are called Fire Police instead. When I realized that my heart condition did not prevent me from becoming a Fire Police officer, I just had to sign up. That was in September of 1986. Over the next six years, I went on to serve as a Fire Police officer in five different municipalities. One of them was in Cumru Township as a member of the Cedar Top Fire Department.
Now I had TWO fantastic ways to be of service to the community -- as an Emergency Medical Technician on an ambulance, and as a volunteer Fire Police officer. Fire Police, just like Reserve Police officers, function as police officers during times of emergencies or special events. Duties include setting up road detours during emergencies, crowd control, commencing evacuations, and more. It was quite an honor to be given such a responsibility! At the time, my squad Fire Police captain with the Cedar Top Fire Department was Ron Gehman. Cedar Top was a small community, and the Fire Police squad consisted of only four men. A few months after joining Cedar Top, Ron passed away. The fire chief, Richard Trostle, appointed me to be the new squad captain since the other men didn't want the responsibility. I gladly accepted. That was in February of 1992.
One day, on August 30, 1992 to be exact, the Cedar Top Fire Department was called to stand by at a routine training that the Cumru Township Police Department was conducting. They were training that day with highly explosive materials. The firefighters' job was to go through the surrounding woodlands around the training site to hose down any fires that would start after the incendiary devices were deployed. Later in the day, some of the firefighters were getting tired, as it was a very hot day. The police had just set off a very large bomb that shook the whole area. Burning embers were flying everywhere, and we knew that there would be a lot of ground we had to cover. That's when Chief Trostle called me over to talk to him. I wondered what on earth he would have different for me to do. He handed me an Indian Tank, which is a vest full of water that is used for fighting brush fires, and told me to get geared up and go fighting fires. In that instant, I was once again a fireman. This moment in history was captured in this picture that you see. But what the camera could never capture was how high and how far my heart jumped for joy. And that was the last call.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Surprising Update
I was browsing through the zip code locator that I used to find all those 40 cities that I had on my list of "underserved" populations when I was deciding which one to choose to open a satellite office. I was quite surprised to see that Edgerton made it on the list quite by accident! The marker that shows where the zip codes are located was actually pointing in the wrong spot. With this in mind, I decided to redo the entire list. Now the list of underserved populations in Minnesota, chiropractically speaking, is down to 24 cities. The closest of these cities to where I live is Willow River, a mere 112 miles in comparison to Edgerton at 197 miles. But, accidents do happen. Sometimes it's the accidents that lead to something great big huge. My plans won't change because of this. It's an interesting find, nonetheless!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Nine Years In The Making
In just nine days from now I'll be celebrating my 9th Anniversary of being a chiropractor. In numerology, nine represents the end of an era and the beginning of another. In this case, let's hope so! Although I've never been successful at building a successful chiropractic practice, I did a lot of tweaking along the way which led me to the way I practice today. What I do today would indeed be something people would flock to, if I only knew how to market myself. People always told me to just do what you do and if people like it they'll tell others. That worked to a degree when I was still in Atlanta, Georgia, when I was in Maysville, Kentucky, and also when I was at the truck stop in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania. It did not work at all here in Minneapolis, Minnesota -- not in the seven years I've been here! But no matter where I was, I still have yet to make a 5-figure income with chiropractic alone.
When you look at my website, you will see all the things that I do at The Sufletesc Center. Each page of the website was written by me and me alone. Each service I offer and each technique that I use were part of the nine-year evolution. Now that I am taking this concept of the practice the way it is today to the small town of Edgerton, there's no telling what might happen. Most people don't realize that chiropractic care is pretty much a MUST for children if they are to have a healthy childhood. Most people don't realize that there is a chiropractic technique specifically for extremity injuries. Most people don't realize that chiropractors can perform Department Of Transportation CDL driver fitness exams and employment exams. Most people also don't realize that chiropractors can order lab tests including hormonal profiling, metal toxicity testing, and food allergy testing. I do all of these things at The Sufletesc Center, and it will be interesting to see what the people of Edgerton make of it.
Later today the local newspaper, the Edgerton Enterprise, will be interviewing me for an article they will place in their paper on Wednesday. What a PERFECT opportunity to tell my story! I am hoping that this opens some eyes. Like I said, what I do evolved over the past nine years. What also evolved over the past nine years was my confidence in what I do, what I offer, and how I can present myself. The reason for that is because I did so many things that DIDN'T work, both advertising-wise and business-wise, and so I can assuredly explain who I am and WHY I do the things I do.
There has been an ad in the Edgerton Enterprise running for the past four days. I am figuring that nobody called yet because they don't know that they CAN call. The ad says that the office opens for business on Wednesday. I certainly won't be driving all the way down there if nobody calls for an appointment. So, I will keep my hopes a bit elevated for another week and see what happens. If nothing happens in another week and a half, then I can start saying that this was yet ANOTHER attempt at success that went nowhere. But I'm not going to say "I have a feeling" because I've had "feelings" in the past. (Besides, Bianca knows better to roll her eyes when I say that.) Instead, I will say that I'm keeping my chin up -- for another week.
When you look at my website, you will see all the things that I do at The Sufletesc Center. Each page of the website was written by me and me alone. Each service I offer and each technique that I use were part of the nine-year evolution. Now that I am taking this concept of the practice the way it is today to the small town of Edgerton, there's no telling what might happen. Most people don't realize that chiropractic care is pretty much a MUST for children if they are to have a healthy childhood. Most people don't realize that there is a chiropractic technique specifically for extremity injuries. Most people don't realize that chiropractors can perform Department Of Transportation CDL driver fitness exams and employment exams. Most people also don't realize that chiropractors can order lab tests including hormonal profiling, metal toxicity testing, and food allergy testing. I do all of these things at The Sufletesc Center, and it will be interesting to see what the people of Edgerton make of it.
Later today the local newspaper, the Edgerton Enterprise, will be interviewing me for an article they will place in their paper on Wednesday. What a PERFECT opportunity to tell my story! I am hoping that this opens some eyes. Like I said, what I do evolved over the past nine years. What also evolved over the past nine years was my confidence in what I do, what I offer, and how I can present myself. The reason for that is because I did so many things that DIDN'T work, both advertising-wise and business-wise, and so I can assuredly explain who I am and WHY I do the things I do.
There has been an ad in the Edgerton Enterprise running for the past four days. I am figuring that nobody called yet because they don't know that they CAN call. The ad says that the office opens for business on Wednesday. I certainly won't be driving all the way down there if nobody calls for an appointment. So, I will keep my hopes a bit elevated for another week and see what happens. If nothing happens in another week and a half, then I can start saying that this was yet ANOTHER attempt at success that went nowhere. But I'm not going to say "I have a feeling" because I've had "feelings" in the past. (Besides, Bianca knows better to roll her eyes when I say that.) Instead, I will say that I'm keeping my chin up -- for another week.
Friday, March 13, 2009
All Ready To Go
This is the ad that will start appearing in next Wednesday's Edgerton Enterprise. There had been an ad that started this past Wednesday, but I was very dissatisfied with it. That weekly area newspaper needs an editor very badly! So I decided to design my own ad. Here it is. I already submitted it to Joni as well so that she can distribute it all over town.
I'm not quite sure what the actual population of Edgerton is. It's anywhere between 800 and 1,200 people, but the exact number remains a mystery to me. I feel that the two days a week I spend there will be fruitful, though. They have a local coffee shop where I plan on eating lunch. They also have an inn just on the outskirts of the town whose owners Joni knows personally. There is also a pizza joint, a volunteer ambulance service, and a volunteer fire department where I am sure I'll make lots of contacts. But, this is all stuff I am thinking of in my head. None of it will become a reality if nobody actually CALLS me to become a patient. That's the problem I have here. I certainly would hope things would be different in a town where the closest chiropractor is 18 miles away. Time will tell, I guess.
Back here in my home city of Richfield, I am excited about the chance to serve on the local Advisory Board of Health. The first meeting I will actually attend will be this Monday night. I figure it's about time I become a community activist, now that I actually am a homeowner and settled in a community. Richfield is a great place to live, and I never considered living here before. Now that I know that there are neighborhoods in Richfield as nice as the one I live in, I am glad to be here. If you're just passing through on Nicollet Avenue or 66th Street, you pretty much miss all the good parts. I feel that Richfield is the nicest suburb of Minneapolis where you can get a lot of house for the price. Also, from the people I have met thusfar who sit on the City Council, I feel as thought I am surrounded by some pretty caring and involved people. Two thumbs up for "The Urban Hometown"!
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Curse Of Modern Technology
Remember the TV commercial for some cell phone company that was showing how human reactions to what is said, or is not said, depends very much on what message is received, or not received? That's pretty much what has been happening during the past four days between me and Joni, the person I am to share office space with in Edgerton. I had already pulled the plug in my mind, and I made contact with Joni's competition to examine the possibilities there. Then suddenly this morning I received a phone call from Joni saying that she had placed the ad in the local paper about me joining her office, and the reporter wanted to interview me for an article. WHAT??? Here is the same person I hadn't heard from in 12 days, who never returned my phone calls. And now she's acting as though everything is just peachy? Hmmmmm! When I called her back and wondered what was up, she asked me if I had received the phone messages she had left on my cell phone both Thursday AND Friday. I received neither, thus she was very surprised by my reaction when I called her back today.
After we figured out a way to get around this glitch so that neither of us thinks the other has dropped the ball and lost interest, we proceeded to make plans for opening day. The ad for me in the Edgerton area newspaper will start running THIS Wednesday, and my first day actually working there, provided somebody calls and sets an appointment, will be next Wednesday the 18th. Wow, what a turn-around! And once again I am looking forward to a regular breakfast stop at Emma Krumbee's. Once again I look forward to seeing those windmills dot the countryside as I drive into town. The sun has risen on Edgerton! Whew!
Oh, and regarding my conversation with Dr. Graber, my new "competition," I found out all about his game plan. I guess this curse of technology was meant to be JUST so I can find out what this guy is up to -- and figure out a way to outmaneuver him. I don't see him as competition, though. In reality, there aren't ENOUGH chiropractors in the world. There just aren't enough people going to chiropractors, and there aren't enough people who are educated to the fact that chiropractic is all about optimal wellness and not just relieving back pain. Perhaps in the future it would be great for Dr. Graber and I to cohort. However, from learning a bit more about him I will say that the way we treat our patients vastly differ. He uses physiotherapy machines to zap and prod his patients. I use my hands to correct their subluxations and help them HEAL.
After we figured out a way to get around this glitch so that neither of us thinks the other has dropped the ball and lost interest, we proceeded to make plans for opening day. The ad for me in the Edgerton area newspaper will start running THIS Wednesday, and my first day actually working there, provided somebody calls and sets an appointment, will be next Wednesday the 18th. Wow, what a turn-around! And once again I am looking forward to a regular breakfast stop at Emma Krumbee's. Once again I look forward to seeing those windmills dot the countryside as I drive into town. The sun has risen on Edgerton! Whew!
Oh, and regarding my conversation with Dr. Graber, my new "competition," I found out all about his game plan. I guess this curse of technology was meant to be JUST so I can find out what this guy is up to -- and figure out a way to outmaneuver him. I don't see him as competition, though. In reality, there aren't ENOUGH chiropractors in the world. There just aren't enough people going to chiropractors, and there aren't enough people who are educated to the fact that chiropractic is all about optimal wellness and not just relieving back pain. Perhaps in the future it would be great for Dr. Graber and I to cohort. However, from learning a bit more about him I will say that the way we treat our patients vastly differ. He uses physiotherapy machines to zap and prod his patients. I use my hands to correct their subluxations and help them HEAL.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Another Thought On Edgerton
So Joni, who appeared to be quite interested, suddenly changed her mind without telling me. After saying how excited she was and that she would do all this advertising and even make up new business cards for me, she is no longer answering my e-mails or returning my phone calls. But let's look at the other side of it all -- she certainly was not all smily and friendly. She was very businesslike, and she kept referring to her "competition" who suddenly moved into town, that being a salon up the street, who she seemed determined to undermine. So, in the end, it all seemed like one big territorial war for her. Add to that the fact that she said, for whatever reason I have no idea, that the massage therapist that shared her little place with her was not happy there and wanted to be on her own. Oh well. I guess nothing was lost after all.
Now let's look at another situation. There IS a chiropractor in town, and he only works eight hours a week, two mornings a week. His main office is in Fulda, which is about 30 miles away, and Edgerton is his satellite office. His office is located inside that very salon that Joni was afraid would pull all her massage business from her because they have a massage therapist there too. So, what do you think my next step is if I want to keep this Rural Minnesota Chiropractic Initiative alive? Well, I'm no dummy. It dawned on me tonight that I should give this chiropractor a call and see if he wouldn't mind having me share the space with him in the afternoon hours. If he's okay with it, I am sure he will refer me to talk to the owner of the salon. I am all for that. This MAY be my chance to still open shop in Edgerton. If not, then it's on to the next town.
One thing Joni said when I was at her place was, "Don't go running off to those guys," referring to her salon competition. My answer was, "Nooooo. To me it's all about loyalty." I am a loyal person. When I find someone who is willing to give me a thumbs up or a cause that is worth fighting for, I'm ALL for it, and I'll come out with all barrels loaded. Apparently Joni's barrels were empty. And now it's time for me to take my loyalty elsewhere. That's the way it goes in life, and ESPECIALLY in business! Loyalty doesn't really exist these days when it comes to making a buck. It might have in the "old days". But the "new" days are "me first" days, and loyalty is a very antiquated, and practically dead, concept. Let's see where my new idea leads.
Now let's look at another situation. There IS a chiropractor in town, and he only works eight hours a week, two mornings a week. His main office is in Fulda, which is about 30 miles away, and Edgerton is his satellite office. His office is located inside that very salon that Joni was afraid would pull all her massage business from her because they have a massage therapist there too. So, what do you think my next step is if I want to keep this Rural Minnesota Chiropractic Initiative alive? Well, I'm no dummy. It dawned on me tonight that I should give this chiropractor a call and see if he wouldn't mind having me share the space with him in the afternoon hours. If he's okay with it, I am sure he will refer me to talk to the owner of the salon. I am all for that. This MAY be my chance to still open shop in Edgerton. If not, then it's on to the next town.
One thing Joni said when I was at her place was, "Don't go running off to those guys," referring to her salon competition. My answer was, "Nooooo. To me it's all about loyalty." I am a loyal person. When I find someone who is willing to give me a thumbs up or a cause that is worth fighting for, I'm ALL for it, and I'll come out with all barrels loaded. Apparently Joni's barrels were empty. And now it's time for me to take my loyalty elsewhere. That's the way it goes in life, and ESPECIALLY in business! Loyalty doesn't really exist these days when it comes to making a buck. It might have in the "old days". But the "new" days are "me first" days, and loyalty is a very antiquated, and practically dead, concept. Let's see where my new idea leads.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Rural Minnesota Chiropractic Initiative
The title of this post is what I call my effort to bring my services to underserved areas of Minnesota. The remainder of this post is actually a re-post of my progress that I wrote this past Thursday in my Facebook notes. I will also attempt to post the same cute picture that I posted there as well:
My chiropractor, Dr. Joe Donahoe in Roseville, MN, told me that if I wanted to be very successful in my practice that I should look for a town out in the middle of nowhere. So, being the audie that I am, I decided to do that in a very methodical way. Using the criteria that a zip code had to have no chiropractors listed in it, according to the Minnesota Board of Chiropractic's list, AND no chiropractors listed in all the adjacent zip codes, I cam up with a list of 40 towns. While the closest of those towns is 118 miles from where I live here in Richfield, MN, I chose to seek out the more populated towns instead. Redby came out on top, but I didn't find any info on the place anywhere. So, next on the list was Edgerton. But according to the latest census, Edgerton is actually bigger than Redby. Not only that, I did find business listings and a whole bunch of stuff on the city of Edgerton.
I found one massage therapist listed in Edgerton, so it was obvious where I would start in my search to open a new door. Her name is Joni, and I've been in contact with her by e-mail for about a month before actually making the trip to Edgerton to visit her yesterday. The trip was exactly 196 miles from where I live to her office. Edgerton is right on the "edge" of the Minnesota state line, just before you cross over into South Dakota, and is located in Pipestone County. The drive was long and boring. Once I got outside of Bloomington, I saw nothing but wheat fields as far as the eye could see for the ENTIRE trip! I did stop at Minnesota's famous Emma K
rumbee's restaurant in Belle Plaine to have breakfast on the way there. What I saw RIGHT before I got into Edgerton was indeed a sight to see -- HUNDREDS of windmills dotted the landscape for as far as you could see! WOW!
rumbee's restaurant in Belle Plaine to have breakfast on the way there. What I saw RIGHT before I got into Edgerton was indeed a sight to see -- HUNDREDS of windmills dotted the landscape for as far as you could see! WOW!Joni and I came up with a business plan. For now, my office hours in Edgerton will be from 3-10 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays. But if nobody signs up on a particular day, I won't drive all the way there for nothing. Joni will do all the advertising and setting appointments for me. That sounds like a pretty neat arrangement, and I pay her a percentage instead of a flat rent. Pretty cool! Also, the next closest chiropractors to town is 17 miles away in Pipestone or 21 miles away in Luverne. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this pans out.
So the plan is that I will travel down there on a Tuesday night if I have patients scheduled for Wednesday, and I will drive back to the Cities on Thursday night, assuming I have patients scheduled on Thursday as well. It is a 3-1/2 hour drive. Yesterday I drove down and back all in the same day, and that way definitely too much! Then I would work at the Guthrie, like I have been, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. The job at the Guthrie, and with Mill City Security, will stay unless things get SO busy in Edgerton that I end up increasing my hours there.
Sure it would be a bit of a strain with Bianca and I not seeing each other for a couple days. But she did suggest a while ago that I look for work elsewhere since nothing is panning out here in the Cities. So, that's what I am doing here. Although Austin, Texas WOULD be a nice change! (haha) Besides, I have come to accept the fact that I am a MINNESOTAN now, and I better get darn used to this winter crappy weather. I've become accustomed to living in the constant below-freezing weather. But it is when the temperature drops below 10 above zero that things start to get unbearable, and I start screaming that I need to get out of this place. Oh well. C'est la vie!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Meaning Of "Spirituality"
When I tell people that I diverted from my Roman Catholic background and was ordained as a "ULC" minister, I get all kinds of reactions. Most people are confused as to what that actually means. The term "ULC" has become standard for ANY type of minister who has obtained their credentials through making an online donation to a church that gives them a piece of paper or one who has completed correspondence coursework to obtain their ordination. In proper, "ULC" stands for the Universal Life Church, who originally started this trend back in the 1950s. Now there are many different variations of the ULC concept, and everyone that follows it is lumped into the "ULC" category. But what is this "ULC" religion anyway? While many ULC-type churches may pass themselves off as Christian, their basic creed is spiritual in nature. For example, the Universal Life Church itself adopted the creed "Do only that which is right." When I start discussing spirituality as a way of believing, people get even more confused. So, that is my topic for this discussion.
When I taught my Intro to Spirituality classes, one of the first things I said to open the class was, "No matter what religion you are, you can still be a spiritual person." Spirituality, in and of itself, is NOT a religion. Far too many people confuse it with some type of new age practice or a system of non-religious living. It is neither of those, yet if somebody follows either of those, they too can be spiritual. Spirituality simply means being connected to the Divine Source. Dr. Wayne Dyer does an excellent job at describing this connection in his book "The Power Of Intention," and I will not try to repeat his words here. Religion, on the other hand, is a disciplined approach to practicing one's spirituality.
How many Catholics, Muslims, Jews, atheists, New Agers, and Buddhists do you know that are very happy? How many people from these same religions do you know that are miserable? Wouldn't you say that the number is about the same? Why is that? They certainly have different religions, so we can't say that it is the religion, can we? Indeed not. Some people are connected to the Divine Source, eg Spiritual, while others feel disconnected and lost and are therefore not Spiritual. It's just that simple. No other explanations are needed.
People sometimes ask me how can they tell if they are connected or not. The first question I ask them is if they see the glass as being half empty or half full. If a person can stop, even in the middle of a moment of sadness, and see beauty in the sunset, then they are connected. If a person can grasp the fact that the entire universe is interconnected by the power of the Divine Source, they are Spiritual. They do not need to be taught anything else.
People are disconnected if:
- they think that their religion is better than anyone else's
- they love their family but they hate their neighbor
- they feel wounded and hopeless
- they think that ALL Muslims are terrorists and ALL Christians are superior (or insert your religions here)
- they think the word "om" is the name of a Hindu god that needs to be despised
- they think such things as energy healing and meditation are "the devil's work"
- they think that The Holy Bible, the Koran, (or enter your religion's scriptural text here) is absolute law
- they base their self-worth on how much money they make
And I am sure I can think of hundreds of other examples. On the other hand, people are connected to the Divine Source if:
- they see only equality in all people that they meet
- they see the Light of God before they actually see the person in front of them
- they feel love in their heart that NEVER wanes, no matter what
- they teach their children to play fairly with the children in their school who may be of a different race, nationality, or religion, and to treat them respectfully
- they take time out to pray or meditate regularly
- they are hopeful and joyful
- they spread their love and joy to others through their words and actions
- they shy away from gossip, greed, and discrimination
- they can look at the evils in the world, feel sad, and know that it is not their place to feel hateful because of it
Again I can think of many other examples.
I know that I left a lot of room for people to inquire, "Well, what about if (insert your dilemma here)." That's just the point -- get rid of the dilemmas in your mind and just BE. You will be connected, and you will be Spiritual.
When I taught my Intro to Spirituality classes, one of the first things I said to open the class was, "No matter what religion you are, you can still be a spiritual person." Spirituality, in and of itself, is NOT a religion. Far too many people confuse it with some type of new age practice or a system of non-religious living. It is neither of those, yet if somebody follows either of those, they too can be spiritual. Spirituality simply means being connected to the Divine Source. Dr. Wayne Dyer does an excellent job at describing this connection in his book "The Power Of Intention," and I will not try to repeat his words here. Religion, on the other hand, is a disciplined approach to practicing one's spirituality.
How many Catholics, Muslims, Jews, atheists, New Agers, and Buddhists do you know that are very happy? How many people from these same religions do you know that are miserable? Wouldn't you say that the number is about the same? Why is that? They certainly have different religions, so we can't say that it is the religion, can we? Indeed not. Some people are connected to the Divine Source, eg Spiritual, while others feel disconnected and lost and are therefore not Spiritual. It's just that simple. No other explanations are needed.
People sometimes ask me how can they tell if they are connected or not. The first question I ask them is if they see the glass as being half empty or half full. If a person can stop, even in the middle of a moment of sadness, and see beauty in the sunset, then they are connected. If a person can grasp the fact that the entire universe is interconnected by the power of the Divine Source, they are Spiritual. They do not need to be taught anything else.
People are disconnected if:
- they think that their religion is better than anyone else's
- they love their family but they hate their neighbor
- they feel wounded and hopeless
- they think that ALL Muslims are terrorists and ALL Christians are superior (or insert your religions here)
- they think the word "om" is the name of a Hindu god that needs to be despised
- they think such things as energy healing and meditation are "the devil's work"
- they think that The Holy Bible, the Koran, (or enter your religion's scriptural text here) is absolute law
- they base their self-worth on how much money they make
And I am sure I can think of hundreds of other examples. On the other hand, people are connected to the Divine Source if:
- they see only equality in all people that they meet
- they see the Light of God before they actually see the person in front of them
- they feel love in their heart that NEVER wanes, no matter what
- they teach their children to play fairly with the children in their school who may be of a different race, nationality, or religion, and to treat them respectfully
- they take time out to pray or meditate regularly
- they are hopeful and joyful
- they spread their love and joy to others through their words and actions
- they shy away from gossip, greed, and discrimination
- they can look at the evils in the world, feel sad, and know that it is not their place to feel hateful because of it
Again I can think of many other examples.
I know that I left a lot of room for people to inquire, "Well, what about if (insert your dilemma here)." That's just the point -- get rid of the dilemmas in your mind and just BE. You will be connected, and you will be Spiritual.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Rural Chiropractic
I just completed a huge project that took me several weeks to complete. It was inspired by my chiropractor, who recently shared with me the plight of a chiropractor he knows very well. This chiropractor moved from a small town in western Minnesota, where he had a hugely successful practice, to the big city. Now that he is in Roseville, just north of downtown Minneapolis, he is struggling like never before to even have somebody give him any credibility. That sounds all too familiar. My chiropractor suggested that maybe the thing for me to do would be to open up shop in a small rural town. That set the wheels in motion for me to make a study of the entire state to find possible places to go.
Now I had been in a small town in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. There were 25,000 people in the city, and 25 chiropractors who were all struggling for the most part. I certainly didn't want a repeat of that situation. Therefore, I set very specific rules for what a prospective town had to have. (Remember, as an audie I thrive on making rules!) I investigated the possibilities by zip code. Not only could there not be a single chiropractor in the zip code. There could not be a single chiropractor in any of the zip codes that border that zip code. I found a great online zip code map, and I looked in chiropractic directories to double-check. In the end, I had a list of 40 zip codes throughout the state that met the criteria. The closest one, though, is 89.4 miles away from my own zip code. So if I do end up in a rural place, I certainly won't be commuting every day!
Then, after looking at populations, I chose what appears to be the most populated of these 40 towns. I say "appears" because different sources give different populations. The most populated, thusfar, appears to be Edgerton, Minnesota. The actual town is 197 miles from my home in Richfield. Just before I began writing this post, I gathered a list, although quite small, of potential businesses I may want to partner up with, eg massage therapists. I WILL be contacting them very soon.
On that note, tomorrow I will be taking care of my first new patient since October. I am excited about that, and so is my new patient. Tomorrow also will begin my hopeful venture into becoming a community activist. In 46 years, I have never felt as though any one place I've ever been was "home". Now that my wife and I are settled somewhere, now that we own a home and are set in our careers (at least she is), I figure it's time to start getting involved in the community. I will be dropping by the Richfield City Hall to hand them my application to be part of either its Advisory Board of Health or one of its other seven commissions. My first choice is to be on its Civil Service Commission, since this field is where I spent twelve good years of my life when I still lived in Pennsylvania.
I have been setting stages lately. Stay tuned for the opening act!
Now I had been in a small town in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. There were 25,000 people in the city, and 25 chiropractors who were all struggling for the most part. I certainly didn't want a repeat of that situation. Therefore, I set very specific rules for what a prospective town had to have. (Remember, as an audie I thrive on making rules!) I investigated the possibilities by zip code. Not only could there not be a single chiropractor in the zip code. There could not be a single chiropractor in any of the zip codes that border that zip code. I found a great online zip code map, and I looked in chiropractic directories to double-check. In the end, I had a list of 40 zip codes throughout the state that met the criteria. The closest one, though, is 89.4 miles away from my own zip code. So if I do end up in a rural place, I certainly won't be commuting every day!
Then, after looking at populations, I chose what appears to be the most populated of these 40 towns. I say "appears" because different sources give different populations. The most populated, thusfar, appears to be Edgerton, Minnesota. The actual town is 197 miles from my home in Richfield. Just before I began writing this post, I gathered a list, although quite small, of potential businesses I may want to partner up with, eg massage therapists. I WILL be contacting them very soon.
On that note, tomorrow I will be taking care of my first new patient since October. I am excited about that, and so is my new patient. Tomorrow also will begin my hopeful venture into becoming a community activist. In 46 years, I have never felt as though any one place I've ever been was "home". Now that my wife and I are settled somewhere, now that we own a home and are set in our careers (at least she is), I figure it's time to start getting involved in the community. I will be dropping by the Richfield City Hall to hand them my application to be part of either its Advisory Board of Health or one of its other seven commissions. My first choice is to be on its Civil Service Commission, since this field is where I spent twelve good years of my life when I still lived in Pennsylvania.
I have been setting stages lately. Stay tuned for the opening act!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Audie Or Not?
I see that the neuropsychologist who did my in-depth evaluation said that I DO NOT display behavior typical of someone who has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. BUT, I found THIS: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism/complete-publication.shtml . This is an article right from the National Institute of Health which states that Autistic Spectrum Disorders are indeed part of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (which is what I have). So, even though I don't have "autism" per se, I am darn near close to it. It is not unusual that I identified so very closely with Sean Barron and a lot with Dr. Temple Grandin as I read their stories. I think like them, and I act like them. There is very little difference. I just wanted to make that note before I go to bed. I just spent all night doing one of my audie things -- studying all the zip codes in the state of Minnesota, but for a particular reason which I'll talk about next time. Good night.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Year Of The Hero
It's 2009. The economy is very bad all over the world. Jobs are being lost. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Nonprofits are feeling the burn too as donations are dwindling. Sounds pretty bad, huh? I'm feeling the pinch too since my hours are being cut back at my security job, since the theater I work at is losing some of its funding. But, alas, there is some hope on the horizon. This will be the "year of the hero." One thing to look for are news bits about people who do good things. Such reports will give us all encouragement and hope that there really are good people in this world and some good things going on. Take for example the pilot whose expertise and skill saved the lives of 155 people as he safely landed an airplane in the Hudson River. There will be many more stories of heroes to come in 2009. I can feel it.
Let's look at another American hero. Now I never really discuss my political views. I won't even say if I voted for Barack Obama or not. But I will say this -- he is a hero to many. Who knows how he will be as President of the United States of America. That remains to be seen. But the fact is that he has already lifted many heads. No longer is a person's race a limitation. No longer is a person's economic status a lifelong cross. Barriers have been broken. What is even more fantastic to see is that the festivities surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration fall on the same weekend as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. What a wonderful way to bring a message full circle! I consider it a very big deal that Barack pays so much homage to Abraham Lincoln, the very president who started the whole freedom movement for minorities. (But you have to admit, though, that Abraham Lincoln WAS a Republican.) I get goosebumps to think that a man who just 143 years ago would have been hung from a tree for disobeying a white man is now the leader of the nation. We have certainly evolved, spiritually, as a people! We must keep in mind, though, that there are those who would rather keep the mindset that existed 143 years ago, and thus we still have problems.
Dr. Wayne Dyer says in his book "The Power Of Intention" that there are just enough spiritually sound people in the world to counteract the negativity being put out by the hateful. So, instead of just seeing the damage being done by people who want to cheat, people who want to attack America, liars who serve in high positions, and even more liars who want to push an agenda, we can turn our attention to the fact that there are also people in the world who are doing much good. I believe that this is why you will hear about such people in news reports in the months to come. We need hope, and we need these people to turn to. The best of these people will not follow a particular ideology, religious belief, political agenda, or fit a particular social norm. They will appeal to ALL people, and the message will be universal. You will know them when you meet them or hear about them because they will touch your heart, and you will feel goosebumps when they speak. And how will you know that they aren't just wolves dressed as lambs? That's where gut instincts come into play. Use them wisely, and LISTEN to them. You do have that ability to be discerning. And you DO have the ability to be somebody's hero.
Let's look at another American hero. Now I never really discuss my political views. I won't even say if I voted for Barack Obama or not. But I will say this -- he is a hero to many. Who knows how he will be as President of the United States of America. That remains to be seen. But the fact is that he has already lifted many heads. No longer is a person's race a limitation. No longer is a person's economic status a lifelong cross. Barriers have been broken. What is even more fantastic to see is that the festivities surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration fall on the same weekend as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. What a wonderful way to bring a message full circle! I consider it a very big deal that Barack pays so much homage to Abraham Lincoln, the very president who started the whole freedom movement for minorities. (But you have to admit, though, that Abraham Lincoln WAS a Republican.) I get goosebumps to think that a man who just 143 years ago would have been hung from a tree for disobeying a white man is now the leader of the nation. We have certainly evolved, spiritually, as a people! We must keep in mind, though, that there are those who would rather keep the mindset that existed 143 years ago, and thus we still have problems.
Dr. Wayne Dyer says in his book "The Power Of Intention" that there are just enough spiritually sound people in the world to counteract the negativity being put out by the hateful. So, instead of just seeing the damage being done by people who want to cheat, people who want to attack America, liars who serve in high positions, and even more liars who want to push an agenda, we can turn our attention to the fact that there are also people in the world who are doing much good. I believe that this is why you will hear about such people in news reports in the months to come. We need hope, and we need these people to turn to. The best of these people will not follow a particular ideology, religious belief, political agenda, or fit a particular social norm. They will appeal to ALL people, and the message will be universal. You will know them when you meet them or hear about them because they will touch your heart, and you will feel goosebumps when they speak. And how will you know that they aren't just wolves dressed as lambs? That's where gut instincts come into play. Use them wisely, and LISTEN to them. You do have that ability to be discerning. And you DO have the ability to be somebody's hero.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)