"24 year old female with likely I.B.S. and dyspepsia."
Everybody has their cache of things they just live with. Today it is reiterated that this is my stomach, I do what I can and live with the ups and downs of it. At this point I'm not upset or frustrated, only mildly annoyed that I paid an insurance office visit co-pay to be told that. It took less time than it did for me to wait for my prescription refill.
This diagnosis is basically just words, which makes me wonder if medical culture has ever been analyzed under a Structuralist's scope. Truth is, as with much of herdy GERDy stomach and bowel problems (and most medical problems), we have little idea why they happen. This fascinates me. What do we know? How much further are we than we were with herbal medicine and witch doctors? This is a sincere question stemming from innocent curiosity–unlike my constantly simmering frustration towards politics and the darker side of monetary systems–meaning no disrepute on medical professionals. I have a lot to thank them for, a few people I love are still alive thanks to modern medical marvels and life has been legitimately better for a lot of people because of these advancements. I hope we forever continue to research and discover.
But really, what do we depend on clinics and hospitals and doctors for that we could do more naturally?
And as I'm a million percent certain I am not the first to ask this, and the first to think we could do a better job of educating the general populous about these issues which would probably cut the nations medical bills by two-thirds (countless studies show...2/3...I don't know, I made that up. Does it sound good?).
And I am not the first to suggest that we already try to make our citizens aware of the way to life a healthy life but they choose to not live that way, not believing that somewhere along the line there is a cost. UNIVERSAL KARMA, KARMA, KARMA!!! (Might this be my moment to say I am skeptical of the effect the new graphic warning labels on cigarettes will have. In a world where we stylize violence and gore because of our fascination with the construction, deconstruction, and the capabilities of our physical body, I have a hard time believing that a garish picture is going to stop kids trying a cig out in the alley with their friends. Why are we trying to scare people? How about we give people reasons to respect their bodies instead.)
In fact, reread those last two sentences in the parentheses, please. Why are we trying to be the skinniest, sexiest, sleekest models? Let's be humans instead. Let's worry about what we eat because of whether it's healthy for your body and let's not worry about what we eat because of how we will compare to the person (WITH AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BODY-TYPE) next to us.
Oh, how did I end up on my soapbox?
30 June 2011
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That's exactly what happened to me and what I got diagnosed with too! everything was and is still so vague....I haven't to a doctor about it in years because it seems like such a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteOh, but it's a good soap box. I heard a great interview on NPR about the graphic warning labels. We should talk about it as we paint with toxic paints.
ReplyDeleteI believe the graphicness of the words in the warning labels to be better than icons representing bad things - as much as i believe in Graphic Design and its power to change the world. I am sorry you feel frustrated by the doctor, diagnosis and treatments options. I know very many things about bowels and one is that mine is also irritable and it is hard to know what to do about IBS. You can read all about my feelings in my last doctors visit on my recent post. I love you, and as always, the answer is to let it go, do your best and trust in God and the venues He's provided to bless you.
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