Witnessing the media comments on both doctors and the healthcare system in Australia, I feel to share a recent personal experience of Western medicine in action, which was nothing short of exceptional.

I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism a few years ago but had felt that my body was becoming devitalised in spite of the medication, a synthetic type of thyroxine prescribed routinely for this condition in Australia. I was losing weight rapidly, had dark circles under my eyes, my blood pressure and sleep cycle were very erratic and I was, by turns, racy or had little energy to do anything, including activities I absolutely love. My body was clearly indicating something was awry, so I decided to look more deeply into what was happening with my health.

This proved to be a great decision on many, many levels.

I referred myself to a local endocrine specialist to discuss and address the possible causes for the change in my health. The doctor I met with listened attentively and respectfully to what I shared about my symptoms and treatment to date, asking clarifying questions and making notes throughout. In itself, this respect for me as a patient who knew my body, was very confirming. His avowed philosophy was that the patient is the one who holds the keys to both the aetiology of their illness and to their healing. I had a clear sense that this doctor knew how to exercise true patient care. Continue reading “Appreciating a western medicine practitioner and more…” →

by Francene Cartaar, Australia

I recently suffered a shock – the shock of being informed that at the age of 54 I had osteoporosis in my back and also bone weakness in my hips. My reaction to the news from my GP was to ask myself: ‘How could this have happened to me?’

I realised that I held a perception that osteoporosis only occurred in ‘older’ women who did not look after themselves. As I regarded myself as a ‘healthy’ person, this diagnosis did not fit in with the image I held of myself.  My GP explained that bones could regenerate with weight bearing exercise and that vitamin and mineral supplements were also beneficial. The diagnosis and explanation left me feeling unsettled and upset.

I subsequently decided that I wanted to understand this diagnosis from an energetic perspective so I decided to consult an Exercise Physiologist who also had a deeper understanding of the body on an energetic level from her studies with Universal Medicine. Continue reading “Osteoporosis – how could this happen to me?” →