Monday, March 30, 2009

The Naturopathic Healing Road

This story, by AANP President Lise Alchuler, ND, FABNO, appeared in the AANP's November 2008 eNews.

A 67-year old man came to see me in my practice a couple of weeks ago. As he slowly shuffled down the hallway into my office, touching the wall occasionally for support, he muttered apologies for taking so long. I assured him that it was okay and to take his time. Once seated, he moved to the front edge of his chair and began his story.

He described a 20 year history of excruciating abdominal pain. His pain was so tremendous that his entire day revolved around minimizing it. It included long periods of staying perfectly still in a certain position so as not to aggravate the pain, a diet that consisted of chicken and white rice, a regimented schedule of pain medication, and sleepless nights. His days had, he said, gotten to the point where his life was not worth living. Over the years, he had consulted gastroenterologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, oncologists, and internists, and had received every conceivable test. At last, four years prior, with no options left, his gastroenterologist surgically removed his colon in an effort to relieve the pain. Unfortunately, despite the lack of his colon, his pain remained. He concluded his history with a question, "If this is in my head, can you please tell me what I need to do to get it out of my head? Is there any hope for me?"

As I listened to this man's tale of suffering, I was struck by several things: his suffering, the hope for health that still held flame within him, the harm done to him in an effort to help, and, finally, the vast potential for the principles and practices of naturopathic medicine. I assessed him naturopathically and made several suggestions. He returned a week later and the first words out of his mouth were, "I felt better over the last week than I have felt in the past five years. Each day, I had more time without pain. Yesterday, I slept for five hours without waking. I ate steamed spinach! Do you think that I might actually get well enough to move away and rejoin my family?"

Encapsulated in these declarations and his question was a compelling affirmation of the healing power of naturopathic medicine and the tenacity with which the human spirit holds onto hope and health. Listening to him, I too felt renewed and reinvigorated. As we continue down the road of his wellness, our faith in the inherent capacity for health that lies within, and in the transformative power of hope, will add spring to our step while our way will continue to be guided by the healing forces of Nature.

I carry this man's experience with me now. As our profession journeys into the arenas that we must travel into in order to grow - arenas of politics, public relations, economics, partnerships, etc. - we can call upon experiences of healing such as this in order to remember the power of our medicine. Through these remembrances, the motivation and direction for our profession's advancement is then obviously, and radiantly, clear.

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