A note from Susan C

Rachel Naomi Remen is a doctor who has written much about her experiences with healing and what she has learned from a life in medicine. She is well worth reading (Kitchen Table Wisdom, My Grandfather's Blessing). I like this comment from her:

"Living in one piece is important for healing; in other words, knowing what your deepest values are and living by them, so that there is a coherence between who you are and how you live. If you believe one way but live another, that can be more damaging than any external stress."

Years ago, I was going to be a "doctor" and started down that path with my education. During those years I was an EMT in Middleton and working for an acupuncturist in Madison as well as going to school. There was a lot of opportunity to compare different ways to practice medicine. Slowly I realized that I was fascinated by all of it but really at home in the acupuncturist's office, where people came in happy to be there and left relaxed and sometimes transformed. Our allopathic medicine is an amazing, valuable part of our culture and does much good. But the difference from a student's perspective was that the allopathic medicine was fighting disease while the oriental medicine was incorporating the healthy aspects of a person to work with eliminating the disease. So, as much as the science of medicine appealed to me, the practice of it did not. Working with acupuncture felt similar to gardening; yes, there is a time to pull weeds and get rid of bugs, but most gardening involves coordinating all the different needs of the plants that grow together and affect each other with the rain, sun, and soil conditions. Oriental Medicine/acupuncture must take into account the whole person, including the systems that are healthy as well as the symptoms of disorder, in order to achieve optimal results.

Emergency care was where allopathic medicine really excelled. There, miracles happened, lives were saved and nothing could compare with what the combination of practitioners' skills and the technology of our times could do. To this day, I admire the good doctors, PAs, emergency workers, nurses and all the others who are in our communities doing the best they can every day for their patients, but after all the years still am sure becoming an acupuncturist was the right choice for me. It is coherent with my way of living, my values and the way I prefer to interact with the world I live in. Every day, I'm thankful to be able to offer a service and skill that allows me to live coherently and practice in a way that supports that which is healthy while treating the 'dis-ease'.

Be Well, Be Happy!

Susan Cushing C.A.

Thyroid Troubles?

Dr. Datis Kharrazian has written the book on thyroid disorders. How to recognize them with appropriate testing and how to HEAL them using nutrition.

I have been a fan of Dr. K's for years now. I've learned much of what I know about functional nutrition in seminars taught by him. He's also the formulator of many of the excellent nutritional supplements that I use in my practice. I had been waiting for several months for this new book to come out entitled "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?" and it's finally here. I read through it in a couple evenings and will be referring to it often. Dr. K recognizes the fact that it's not just about the TSH value. He goes through all the different ways one might have sub-optimal thyroid function and what to do about it. Interestingly, he almost NEVER recommends using thyroid hormones as a cure.

Take a look at the book's website: www.thyroidbook.com. This book is written for practitioners and patients alike. If you are unhappy with the results you're getting from thyroid treatment, or feel that your thyroid should be treated somehow but your doctor doesn't agree because your TSH looks 'normal', this book is for you.

Posted by: Susan Barendregt, MNT

Cold and Flu Prevention

It's getting colder!!

Each fall as the weather changes people come into the clinic more often with colds or sinus infections or even the flu.

NOW is the time to think about PREVENTION, which is very possible for all these ailments.

Of course, washing your hands, staying away from others when you are coughing or sneezing and getting plenty of rest are essential. But there is more you can do, and it's easy, inexpensive and safe. For approximately 900 years, people all over Asia have known and used medicines that both prevent and treat these illnesses, and in Asia they are considered "household remedies"; something every mom and grandma has in the cupboard and knows how to use. Today we have standardized, quality controlled products using these time tested medicinals that can be very specifically prescribed for your symptoms. Do you have more chills, or more fever? Are you thirsty or not? Differences such as these mean different medicine for optimal effectiveness. Using carefully chosen medicine, at the earliest stage of catching one of these 'bugs' can prevent days of misery, missed work and also reduce your chance of passing the illness on to others, since you are sick far less.

Each year patients who have used Oriental Medicine and acupuncture to maintain their health stock up for the winter with the Chinese Herbal Medicine prescriptions that fit their personal health needs. They also come in for 'tune-ups' once a month, so that they do not let small health concerns go unattended for long. These periodic, supportive treatments help keep stress symptoms minimal, energy maximized and encourages the body metabolism to return to normal, easily and quickly. That makes it easier to fight off infectious diseases!

Another important and often overlooked way to stay well is to....have fun! Yes, being happy, having fun, laughing and being creative has an effect on our immune systems. We all know how good it feels to be happy or do something we really enjoy; but we don't notice how it also affects our chemistry, immune system and brain function. Since fun is free, it should be one of the first things you do to stay healthy!

We are so fortunate to live here; there is a great variety of opportunities to have fun; many types of music events, a good library and two great bookstores, all sorts of outdoor activities (don't forget the exceptional Kickapoo Valley Reserve!), classes, good restaurants, and many other ways to have fun and share it with your neighbors and friends. See you out there!

"The test of a first-rate mind is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time and to retain the ability to function."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Be Well, Be Happy, Be Safe, Have Fun

Susan

posted by: Susan Cushing