It’s late afternoon, I’ve only been awake for about three hours, and feel a serious case of the blahs. I have no particular desire to do the cleaning and laundry that needs doing, or to fight with the kids in the eternal struggle to have them take responsibility for themselves.
My wife, who has some kind of energy-sapping and pain-causing autoimmune disorder, is still sleeping upstairs. My blahs are worse when she is recovering from doing too much when she’s awake.
Despite years of trying, we still have not gotten a doctor to take my wife seriously so we can get her diagnosed and treated. We are pretty sure we know which disorder she’s got, but today’s medical climate requires that we play stupid and pretend we don’t know how much information is available on the Internet. In the best of circumstances, medical doctors (the highly specialized in particular) have little humility. When the patient tries to figure out what’s wrong with them on their own, their natural arrogance and pride, which are unfortunately required to be exceptional at medicine, take over completely. This reality has us stroking their egos and filling their wallets in an attempt to find one that will listen to her and either disprove or confirm what we’ve already learned. Thankfully, health insurance handles most of the wallet-filling.
We’ve learned something interesting. There’s evidence to suggest that modern medicine’s efforts at wiping out parasites is the reason for the incredible rise of autoimmune disorders, which includes allergies, asthma, type I diabetes, MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and many others. It’s thought that the type of immune response that evolved to fight parasites is what’s responsible for autoimmune problems. In order to survive, the parasites reduces that immune response. We’ve evolved to live in relative harmony with parasites for thousands of years, and now the balance has been upset.
It would be nice if we can get involved in some kind of clinical trial that explores this idea. The alternative is to go to Africa and walk around in open latrines, but that involves risks we’d rather not take.
One response to “blah”
an interesting idea. It would be beneficial for everyone to know if the balance is upset. Do we go back to the ways of Elizabethan Europe? If it would stop the increase of these devastating diseases would we no longer bathe regularly? or brush our teeth? or have indoor plumbing? I think not. It would be an interesting experience to participate in an experimental group. I don’t think it is possible in this day and age, as the damage is already done to the earth’s balance. As far as Kathy, she has plowed this road with your support now long enough that you are getting worn down by the system. The system requires glad handing unfortunately. It took them twenty years to diagnose my MS as MS not some neurosis. Now, it is acceptable to have a transient frustrating condition and to probe into it’s cause. Maybe a trip to Mayo Clinic or another clinic of the same caliber is in order at this point. Anyway it is an interesting thought.