In his book, the psycho-biology of mind body healing, Dr. Ernest Rossi reports on a ground breaking case which showed the effects of beliefs on a drug in controlling a person's immune system. It was the case of this person called Mr. Rai who suffered the advanced cancer of the lymph-nodes, called lympho-sarcoma.
And he was at such an advance state of cancer that he developed resistance to all known treatments. Nothing could so called cure his cancer. He had huge tumor masses the size of oranges in his neck, his groin, his chest and his abdomen.
His thoracic duct was obstructed, and between one to two liters of milky fluid had to be drawn out of his chest every other day. He was taking oxygen via a mask frequently and he was in the terminal stage, almost ready to die. But in spite of all these, Mr. Rai had not given up hope, although all his doctors had given up hope on him.
The reason was because of a new drug that he had expected to come along and cure him. And this drug had finally been reported to be ready for trial use. This drug was called Krebiozen.
But, initially Mr. Rai was not able to qualify to be used for the drug trials, as patients had to have a life expectancy of at least three to six months to qualify. But Mr. Rai, at that point of time, was given only less than two weeks to live. But Mr. Rai believed so much that this drug would cure him that he kept begging for the opportunity, that he asked his doctors, "Please give me the drug!" Eventually, his physician, Dr. Philip West decided to go against the rules and to give him the drug. Injections were to be given three times weekly.
And Mr. Rai had received his first injections on a Friday. When the doctors came back on Monday, they expected to see the patient in his bed half dead. But, instead the doctor found him walking around the ward and chatting with everyone around him. Immediately, the doctor went on to check on the other cancer patients who have been receiving the same drug.
But, he saw no change or no changes. In fact, some of them changed for the worse. Strangely, only in Mr. Rai was there a brilliant improvement in his condition after the drug was given. The doctor found out that his tumor masses have melted into half their original size in a few days.
So, because of this, the doctor continued giving him the injection, continued to give him the medication. Within ten days, Mr. Rai was discharged from hospital, breathing normally and fully active. This unbelievable situation began just at the beginning of the drug trials.
However, within two months, reports started coming out saying that all the testing clinics reported no results from the drug and it was probably ineffective as a drug for cancer. When Mr. Rai heard about these reports after he recovered, guess what happened? He loses faith. After two months of having practically perfect health, he relapsed into his original condition. The cancer came back. He became extremely miserable. He was readmitted into hospital. His doctors wanted to further investigate if his initial cure was the result of a placebo effect or the result of Krebiozen.
So, the doctor lied to him, and said that he had now heard that there was a super refine double strength formula that was about to arrive the next day. Immediately upon hearing the news, Mr. Rai regained his optimism and his beliefs in this cure. The next day, the doctor injected him with the new double strength formula. But, in actual fact, the doctor injected him with nothing but fresh water. This time the cure was even more dramatic than the first.
The tumor masses melted, the chest fluids vanished, and he recovered fully and was discharged from hospital again. He then remained symptom free for two whole months.
And this time, the American Medical Association finally announced in the press, that nationwide tests showed that Krebiozen was a worthless drug in the treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, within a few days of this report, Mr. Rai, after reading this report, was readmitted into hospital again. This time, his belief and faith were totally gone. In less than two days, he succumbed to the disease and he passed away.
Over the past couple of years I have dedicated much of my time to finding out what's happening in the medical community around creating seamless information flow. One of the things I have discovered is a serious lack in the area of consistent medical care. By consistent, I mean constant. You know, the doctor that you go to for whatever ails you and who knows you better than you know yourself because they've been at the helm of your medical well-being for decades.
Of course, the day of the housecall has long since seen sunset, but if you're not under the care of a G.P. (general practitioner), then who is making sure you get your annual physical? Who is plotting and planning to get those middle age tests looked after? And, who has ALL of your medical records.
These days, we are all in a hurry and in a society of global mobility, our records are being scattered hither and yon! The walk-in clinic you visited last week has a record of your prescription for that nasty chest cough. And the emergency room that you took your son to after that little soccer incident has the x-ray of his sprained ankle. But does anyone, anywhere have a record of everything ... every treatment that has been undertaken ... every medication ...
In all, one million adults and 130,000 children in Ontario alone don't have a family doctor. The OMA says the province needs 1,000 general practitioners now. (Hamilton Spectator Nov. 26, 2007) (This number grows exponentially when you look across North America ... to a whopping 9.8 million!! - US Govt. Committee on Healthcare, Statistics -June, 2007). Government has, over the past few years, introduced a number of programs to provide more medical care especially to rural settings, but is it enough?
There's too much room for error with numbers like this staring healthcare in the face ... medical error that is! And medical errors cost money and lives!! People's lives are permanently changed or even ended unnecessarily every day across North America due to the lack of essential information needed for doctors to make informed decisions about our care. The time for change is NOW!
But who needs to make the change exactly? Governments across North America and worldwide are recognizing the need and making funds available to improve communication capabilities in the medical industry. Medical practitionners have long-since noted a gap in the flow of information between facilities, private practices and healthcare providers of all sorts. All of these groups are thoughtfully and positively working toward change, but I would suggest that it is not their sole responsibility.
In fact, I would argue that responsibility is just as much that of the individual as it is their doctors' and governments'.
So today's order of business ... where is your personal health information right now ... right this minute? Do you have it neatly organized and typed on your computer or does only your doctor or medical practitioner know for sure? Perhaps you have some things in your filing cabinet, a few in the back of your mind and still more under the seat of your car?
Here's the rub folks ... you never know when you might need to know about yours or your family's medical infomation! What if you're on vacation thousands of miles from your doctor's office or what if they're just not available at the time? Even if you're perfectly healthy, you just never know if something from your past might help you out, right?
Medical information technology is forefront in the new US administration's mandate and your information is in their sights. Canada is working hard to implement a system for health communication as well. But those systems could still be years from supporting you as an individual. What are you going to do in the meantime?
It's up to you to take control! Do it! You have both the right and the responsibility to make sure that your health information is accurate, complete and current.
Bottom line ... something is always better than nothing. Even if you just take a few minutes to write down life threatening conditions, a little of your medical history and what medications you take regularly, it's better than leaving things to chance. Emergency contact information is also important in any personal health record so that healthcare providers can get in touch with someone who knows and cares about you. Keep your notes in your wallet and give a copy to someone who cares about you.
Better yet, make it as comprehensive as you possibly can. The more information you can provide, the less likely it is that an unnecessary medical mistake will affect your life!
It's time for all of us to take responsibility for our own information in every area of our lives. How else can we really be sure the world has an accurate picture of who we really are?
Both Adam Khoo & Wendy Blair are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Adam Khoo has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Web Development and Computers and The Internet. Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and a self-made millionaire by the age of 26. Discover his million dollar secrets and claim your FREE bonus report 'Ultimate Success Formula' at. Adam Khoo's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Wendy Blair has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development. Necessity is once again the mother of invention. Wendy Blair is an entrepreneurial community youth advocate and mother of three teens. Most recently, she is serving as President of EMERG-e-Solve Inc. bringing the. Wendy Blair's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.