Holistic Medicine: A Buzz Term You Should be Wary of

Everything the doctor told me was groundbreaking: "Eat well," he said. "Take vitamins. Exercise. Be at peace." Yes, of course! I was at "war" with myself, and my body was in the warpath! It all made perfect sense. As soon as I found peace, my body would heal. I became filled with hope. My life would improve; no more medications; I would save my gut!

Six years ago I was rushed from my University's Health Center to the emergency room when doctors determined I had lost an alarming amount of blood.  After a series of invasive tests and a misdiagnosis, a Gastroenterologist told me I had Ulcerative Colitis (this is a degenerative disease of the large intestine in which the body essentially attacks the lining of the intestine, creating large ulcers.  This causes weight loss, anemia, crippling pain, and arthritis, and greatly increases one's risk of colon cancer.  The only cure is to have the large intestine removed.  Ouch.)  At the time, the seriousness of the statement didn't register with me.  "Can I take something to help it?"  I asked.  
 
When I left the hospital I had four new bottles of prescription drugs.  I was taking about 20 pills on a daily basis.  But hey, I was still able to drink booze and eat enormous amounts of chicken wings, so I was content.   Did I mind that I had to run to the bathroom 12-15 times a day?  That I was losing weight?  Of course, but when things worsened my doctors would adjust my prescriptions, and this worked for a long time.
 
Four years later my condition took a sudden turn.  My weight dropped from 195 lbs. to 150; my skin was pale and dry; I slept 10-12 hours a day and still struggled to get out of bed; I became anemic and to avoid a transfusion I was put on a prescription strength iron supplement.  My low point came one morning when I was getting ready for work and decided to put on a fresh T-shirt.  My girlfriend was brushing her teeth.  She exited the bathroom, scanned me from head to toe, and said: "You look sickly.  It looks like you're dying."
 
I turned to the mirror.  My shoulders were pointy.  The shape of each rib was discernible even when my lungs were at rest; blue veins protruded through my skin.  My t-shirt, once a tight fit, was loose and baggy.  "Yeah," I said.  "I feel like it too." 
 
A colonoscopy of my large intestine revealed pseudo-polyps, severe inflammation, ulcers and bleeding.  The doctor looked disgusted by the appearance of the images placed before me, and so was I.  He told me that if things did not improve I would need the aforementioned surgery.  The idea of losing my large intestine and having it replaced by some odd synthetic pouch scared me. 
 
In an attempt to improve my condition the doctor prescribed let's say a series of seriously invasive treatments (uuuggggh, anal probing).  They didn't work.  Then we went to the corticosteroid known as Prednisone (no, not the body-building steroids; corticosteroids are a strong anti-inflammatory).  This improved things, but it wasn't a permanent solution since the steroid causes severe swelling of the face (moon-face) and decalcification of the bones. After 8 weeks the pain and bleeding returned.  I was told it was only a matter of time before my intestine ruptured or my quality of life became so poor that I would beg for surgery.   
 
Like many who suffer from a chronic illness, I became desperate.  The doctors who I trusted had no answers.  The medications that I had depended on for years no longer worked.  My body could not be healed.  When you're sick, things in your life change drastically.  You can't do things you would regard as "normal."  For me things like going to the gym, eating out and buying a couple of drinks with friends were replaced with visits to the doctor's office, colonoscopies, blood tests and constant trips to the bathroom.  No one can help or understand your ordeal.    Your back is put against the proverbial wall and you'll do anything to feel normal again. 
 
One day I heard the term: "Holistic Medicine."  After reading the anecdotals featured on a certain doctor's homepage I was convinced that alternative medicine would cure me.  Hell, the website practically guaranteed such a thing.  So in a panicked frenzy I dove in head-first.    Everything the doctor told me was groundbreaking:  "Eat well," he said, "take vitamins.  Exercise.  Be at peace."  Yes, of course!  I was at "war" with myself, and my body was in the warpath!  It all made perfect sense.  As soon as I found peace, my body would heal.  I became filled with hope.  My life would improve; no more medications; I would save my gut!
 
The doctor prescribed a very strict diet that eliminated anything with wheat flour, oats, processed sugar, rice, potatoes, starch, corn, corn syrup, oranges, and all forms of dairy.  So I could basically eat paper and sawdust.   I took 15 vitamins three times a day in combination with my other medications, and started exercising again. 
 
As I was seeing the holistic doctor, I worked very closely with my Gastroenterologist to make sure that none of the vitamins I was being prescribed would do any damage, ditto for the diet.   The GI said that the regimen might help, but it would be very costly, and it might not do anything.  After four months of eating baked goods made from almond flour, and spending $100 a month on vitamins, not much had changed.  I had more energy, but the pain and bleeding were still present.  The holistic doctor said I had to wait at least a year to judge if the method had worked.  He then told me to try a probiotic (a supplement containing live bacteria that is supposed to restore positive bacteria to the gut).  
 
The probiotic treatment was the only thing that my GI completely encouraged and endorsed, so I started taking it while sticking with the diet/vitamin regimen.  Major bleeding and pain stopped after four months. I returned to my normal weight, slept well, had energy, and was no longer anemic.  One year had passed since I had combined holistic methods with traditional Western medicine, and it was time for my annual colonoscopy.  This test would disclose if anything had truly changed or if I had merely hit a short-term remission.  
 
I woke up in the recovery room to find my GI sitting beside the bed holding a manila folder.  He was scribbling something into my chart and smiling.  I asked him if things had gotten better or worse.  For a second he continued to write, then stood up and said, “I can’t believe it, but 85% of your large intestine is completely healed.  The only place where there’s evidence of the disease is in your descending colon.  Everything else looks perfect.”  The classification of my condition changed from "severe" to "mild,” and the doctor lowered my dosage from 20 pills a day to 9.
 
In the end, did the holistic method work?  I definitely think so, but it's a difficult thing to judge.  Nothing seemed to work on its own.  Sometimes I would cheat on the diet and have a flare-up, other times not.  Sometimes I would run out of supplements, causing a flare-up, other times not.  The only two things that had direct and immediate impacts were the probiotics and prescription medications, both of which were recommended or endorsed by my GI.  
 
I was scared of losing my large intestine.  Looking back from a sane perspective, I had hit a low point, and probably would have reversed things with consistent medication and traditional Western treatments.  Would my condition have reversed so greatly that I would have been nearly asymptomatic?  I don't know.  I do know, however, that I have no regrets about seeing a holistic doctor who studied at an accredited institution, and genuinely seemed to care about helping me.  And he did help.
 
My case, I have learned over the past few weeks, is rare.  Alternative, holistic, or Eastern medicine has become a type of buzz-term in the United States.  When you're sick, when you see your body changing on a daily basis, when you feel terrible every day of the week, you'll do anything to get your life back.  In an effort to hang on to the life slipping through your fingers you'll try anything, and listen to anyone who presents a possible cure. 
 
If you're a person who is considering holistic treatment, or ever find yourself in such a terrible situation, be skeptical.   Many holistic practitioners prey on the desperate and ill.  The cost of my treatment was nearly $10,000 (about a $1,000 a visit) and only a fraction of that was covered by my insurance company, leaving me completely broke and in debt.  Imagine paying in excess of that amount without seeing any results.  It would be devastating.
               
Just recently a series of stories were featured on "The Today Show" promoting the benefits of Eastern medicine.  But is there anything aside from first-person accounts to support the position that herbal remedies, acupuncture and chiropractic treatments, or over-the-counter vitamin supplements do anything to cure illnesses?  No, there is not.  Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and Eastern/alternative/holistic medicine is not endorsed by the American Medical Association.  Doctors who advocate these treatments, and guarantee success, are referred to as "Quacks” or doctors who are health frauds and willing to say anything to get the sick and disadvantaged to fork over some serious cash.  
 
Alas! Do not lose hope my friends.  I can say from personal experience that there are well-trained holistic doctors out there who can help, but they can be hard to find and are usually very expensive.  A good alternative health practitioner usually does not refer to him/herself as a holistic doctor.  He or she is a well-trained healthcare professional who acknowledges that in order for a patient to attain complete wellness, he or she must pursue a healthy diet and exercise regularly. 
 
If you're still interested in pursuing holistic treatments go to www.quackwatch.org.  It is the only non-profit organization I know of that is dedicated to exposing health frauds.  On the site you'll find tips on how to evaluate holistic doctors, and avoid the ones who are unreliable, poorly trained and looking to rip you off.
 
The bottom line: alternative medicine, like healthcare itself, is a business.  The doctors who push various methods are trying to make money.  Some genuinely want to help the terminally and chronically ill get well while others want to make some big bucks at the expense of the sick.  So when choosing a holistic doctor, be cautious, ask questions, look out for the ones who have their own vitamin stores and always consult your internist before moving ahead with any type of alternative treatment. 
 
Holistic remedies helped improve my health and life.  I still take a ton of vitamins every day, and follow a very strict diet.  I truly believe that these things help me remain active and healthy.  Recently, however, I found myself thinking: what if I had chosen a Quack?  Chances are I’d be sick, frustrated and flat broke.  It can go either way with holistic medicine, so as the geriatric knight said in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

“Choose, but choose wisely.”