Wat I hearin’ dere nuh!?…
How did he know? He insisted he did not have prostate cancer and had no need for a medical check up. He had gone to a place where you just hold on a thing connected to a computer and “it telling you right away if you have cancer.” Another lady raved how they just scanned her iris (of her eyes) with a machine that automatically printed out a list of all the diseases she had – along with a plethora of expensive ‘natural’ herbs and supplements to buy (in pill form). Another had to put her feet in an electronic bath of water. It buzzed and bubbled, making a bunch of nasty looking froth. “See, all the poisons coming out of your system?” They told her she just had a complete detox.
These stories paint a rather disturbing picture of 21-century health care in Dominica. Mind you, these were fairly well educated patients. They had been eventually persuaded by their families to seek proper medical attention, only to resist formal testing or decline prescription. Reason: “I am not a pill person.” Granted, I expect coming across one or two people like that from time, but three in one day? After all man, that’s too much!
I know the folks at the Health Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Education. I know how tirelessly they work to highlight good health practices and regular screening. Encounters such as above, however, make it clear how much work is left to do.
There are basically three beasts on the prowl seeking prey to devour. I call them:
- Superstition
- Sacred confusion
- ‘Seudo-Rasta thinking.
Before elaborating on these challenges, a word of praise in order. Purveyors of such questionable wellness schemes must be credited for excellent customer service. Their marketing strategy is quite sophisticated. They reach out to prospects at work, at church and social organizations. They listen to their needs, cater to their fears, know how to make repeat customers and stimulate referrals. Arrogance and ossified bureaucracy among the medical elite provide a fertile matrix for them to flourish.
Superstition
We’ve addressed the old superstition before. In our grandparents’ days, when someone started losing weight for no reason, it was always ‘soukouyant sousaying’ them. Even today, when people start wasting away, the first impulse is not checking to diagnose some cancer likely eating them on the inside. Instead they go to some other creole country to ‘garday zaffeh,’ to find out who’s doing what to them. After bush tea, salves and portions fail, the final common pathway is coming to the doctor. By then it is almost always too late.
The new superstition is a fascination with any kind of computerized device. I remember as if it was yesterday how shocked we were as students when we first noticed a ‘typo’ in a textbook. Our teacher explained these things happen. Editors are human. They make mistakes too. Prior to that, once it was printed in a non-fiction book, we took it for gospel truth. Likewise today, once it has some blinking lights, bells and whistles and prints out a computerized report, people tend to see it as authoritative and convincing.
Sacred Confusion
In what has to be the most amusing account in the entire Bible, some copycats started casting out demons “in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The demons turned on them, beat them up saying, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?!”
I believe in miracles. I believe they occur at time and place of God’s choosing. A mass produced miracle on demand is an oxymoron. I am more impressed by medical missionaries and religious orders devoutly serving the sick than all the theatrics from behind a prosperity pulpit. Even when a faith healer cannot heal himself, the gullible resort to cleverly devised doctrines to continue their misplaced trust. We lose too many good people from depending exclusively on the prayer of faith. Dominica regards health care as a God-given human right. Take advantage of it.
Pseudo-Rasta Thinking
Rastafarianism took hold in Dominica during my high school days. It became fashionable to proclaim ‘I’m off the deaders’ and ‘off the chemicals.’ Deodorant became taboo, as did Western medication and technology in general. Nowadays, many intelligent Rastas realize they cannot stop the march of science and have modified their views. There is still a hangover in certain segments of the population. Though not Rastas, they are influenced to the point of shunning pills and clinging to their bush tea come hell or high water. These are the same folks who not only cannot do without their cell phones, but also will proudly flash you the latest models. We all have our contradictions, but when it comes to health, that’s precisely when we should go with the best that science has to offer.
Get a proper checkup
Throughout the ages there have always been snake oil salesmen promising to cure all manner of illness. They whisper, “We are not nurses or doctors and we don’t diagnose or treat” then shout, “We don’t see any cancer.” The current rage is regular purging and enemas to remove toxic impurities from the body. Yet the basic fact is that just a high-fiber diet rich in fruits and vegetables confers superior health benefits to any such detox. Just ask your medical professional.
We all have to choose which road to take. At the end of the day, those falling victim to such schemes have only themselves to blame when the deadly demons of disease turn on them. In a free society, government cannot over-regulate and entirely protect citizens from making wrong choices. As in any kind of business, the rule of thumb is always ‘caveat emptor,’ let the buyer beware!
Dr. Sam Christian is surgeon who runs the Urgent Care on 137 Bath Road. It offers general medical care, office surgery and acupuncture. He is Medical Adviser to the Dominica Cancer Society and author of the faith and fitness nutrition book, ‘Mannafast Miracle.’ Dr. Christian can be reached at 440-9133 or by writing to [email protected].
“Sacred Confusion” In what has to be the most amusing account in the entire Bible, some copycats started casting out demons “in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The demons turned on them, beat them up saying, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?!”—News article of Dr. Sam Christian
Doctor Christians, I read most of the news articles on DNO, but I choose not to comment on most of them–yours is one of those–not that I do not learn from you, or have even experienced some of the things you talk about–it is helpful for me.
Nonetheless when it comes to the “Word of God” I will always make a leap in defense, while guarding when people speak the Bible without the wisdom and understanding of Holy Spirit.
First of all, I really do not think that the quote from the Bible above belong in your message here, much worse for your claim that it is simply “amusing” as through your topic of “sacred confusion”
Yes, I laughed too, when I read it, but just for a short while, because God’s Word is serious–it is the message of Life for mankind, which I consider to be the most profound message of man’s existence.
I hope that you understand that Jesus healed people of all sorts of sickness and disease by simply touching them or speaking the words of healing, or they touching Him, as faith motivates them to do so. He bestowed that authority of healing to His disciples–we are still in existence today.
For example the Army Officer, in the report of Matthew 8 and Luke 7, who knew the power of words through his own profession; when he called to Jesus for the healing of his sick servant, he asked his messenger to tell Jesus stay wherever He was and speak the words of healing towards his servant and that would be enough. Jesus commended that Army Officer’s faith–saying that He did not find that kind of faith anywhere, not even in Israel.
You mentioned that faith and prayer is not enough—I somewhat agree with you–in that I know that people go around with lazy or dead faith–because that is what faith without works is known to be.
Faith with works tells me that there is healing for my sickness through a doctor, nurse, or any person–even one who will pray on my behalf. My work of faith is to trust in God’s power healing through whomever and however He has planned my healing process–but God does His work at His time, not yours or mine.
That quote in the Bible, which you mentioned above, it was written to teach us, “human beings” that we have no authority without the blessings of gifts of ability from God in our Life–those people were thinking that they could do what Jesus’ disciples were doing, as they tried to cast the demons from a man, by using the name of Jesus Christ, whom they did not believe.
Unfortunately for them, the God of authority and supernatural power would not allow this; and so He caused the demon in that man to rebel against those who were foolishly searching for the honor and merits that do not belong to them–this is not about “sacred confusion” according to your topic.
This sort of practice of those in that Scripture of the Bible–at Acts 19– is still happening all over the world today. Man does not know how to glorify God through their success of good works–whatever their profession–that is the reason they are high on the ladder today, and tomorrow they go down crashing face to the ground, because of all the natures of self conceit in them.
So please remember that as most of us read your messages, we do so to learn. Nothing is wrong with quoting the Bible, for its message is the message of Life–but those quotes demand our perfect understanding, or else we leave them alone.
Knowing Dr. Sam I think he would agree with you completely. The fact that I also find humour in that passage however, does not make me irreverent.
What is sad is that so many people reject readily available medical help and wait for a miracle. Parents in the States who let there children die while praying for them are convicted all the time. This is serious business.
By all means, celebrate the miracles, but churches should be held accountable for causing the death of innocent members. To add insult to injury, these dearly departed are criticized for not having strong enough faith…or ailas, it was God’s will. NO! It’s God’s will to have abundant health and to take advantage of all resources He provides to attain it.
It’s about time someone stood up and set the record straight. Dr. Sam, tell it like it is. There are timid church-goers being bullied and suffering who long to break free. Even if you save just one, that would be worth it.
There is a certain number of risks involved in any medical treatment; there are side effects from any medication taken, even over the counter medication. However, whereas you may suffer some side effects from a particular medication, thousands of other people probably use the same medication, without suffering any side effects.
Physiologically; we are different!
Now where it pertains to medical malpractice that is something which occurs, however, it is much more common in Dominica, than the United States. I assure you that medical malpractice in North America most of the time occurs by accident, rather than lest’s say a missed diagnosis.
People are missed diagnosed everyday in Dominica, and that is the ultimate cause of medical malpractice; if one missed diagnosed a patient the medication prescribe will not solve the patients problem, and could indeed cause the patients death.
Doctors in America are very careful not to make such errors, for when they do they lose credibility, and their license to practice medicine is immediately taken away, and 99.9% of the time they are sent to jail for malpractice.
Believe it or not you do not go to a doctor in this country, and complain of any discomfort and a doctor simply looks at you and conclude you are suffering from any precise problem unless it is something visible as a gun shot wound, or you were brought in from a motor vehicle accident where physical injuries can be seen.
There are methods used to diagnosed people, there is a set protocol, if they are not followed that treating physician could be in plenty of trouble if they are found operating contrary to protocol. For your information, in the state of California, medical inspectors (auditors) goes to the office of doctors at certain intervals and inspect the files of patients.
If a doctor diagnosed me with a certain problem, and it is found that the medication the doctor has me on should not be taken for that problem the doctor has to account for the reason they deviated from the medication developed to treat such medical condition.
So, medical malpractice is not easily accomplished in America, I do not know about Canada; now accidents do happen I have a tenant right now who had surgery, and her doctor slashed an organ by accident, he did not tell her, another doctor discovered the what happened, and told her, the doctor who caused the damage is no longer practicing, right now he cannot even buy insurance to allow him to practice, he has become a high risks for the insurances companies.; and must find another job!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Just truth that was in response to you!
FET.
Columnists do not generally respond to comments of readers – they put they work out there for the public to dissect, praise or criticize as they wish. I value every single one of your comments and very much appreciate that you take the time to express your opinions. I actually learn a lot from my readers. Seriously.
Having said that let me respond to comments by Playboy and Trudy in particular. The specific practices that I criticized were detailed in the opening paragraphs. Do I hear anyone coming out in support of those?
Playboy’s assertion that I appear to have ‘intolerance to Alternative Medicine in general’ is well taken. Writing an article does not allow much space to go into a whole talala qualifying my statements. Suffice it to say that I studied acupuncture AFTER graduation and routinely use it in my practice. One of my patients in the US would end up in the ER or hospitalized an average of six times a year for severe asthma. With acupuncture, that was reduced to an average of 2 times a year. That was without pills. It may not sound like much, but if anyone ever tried to take away her acupuncture she would give them one lash!
Furthermore, you are speaking to an obesity surgeon who ended up promoting the alternative non-surgical approach, which I called stomach conditioning. This led to 1000 pound weight loss in a super-morbidly obese gentleman and featured on the Discovery Channel. That was without pills or surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this world record stands. See for yourself. Just go on Youtube and search for “How to lose 1000 pounds, Dr. Sam Christian.”
I wrote a book that incorporates just about all the excellent points mentioned by Trudy. It’s called Mannafast Miracle available in local bookstores and my office. Please note that I did not call that ‘Rasta Thinking.’ Read the article again to see exactly how I characterized it.
I am a great fan Dr. Ornish whom I quote in my book. You are right about several excellent points including having to be regarded as a fanatic to eat right. I am anything but an advocate of pills at all cost or a tool of the pharmaceutical industry. As far as not seeing a doctor since the 80’s, I say praise God for your good health. If and when something does crop up however, I trust you do not wait until the last minute to get help.
I have no doubt you are much more educated than I am regarding bush tea. It would be an honour to have you write a guest column on the topic!
In 1980/1981 when I took a years sabbatical to study herbal medicine and healthy lifestyles in the Caribbean I found it fascinating that the Rasta Culture was so advanced in their lifestyle information.
Of course in those days we were being told that health food people were crazy and healthy lifestyle advocates were hippies or rastas – people on the fringes of society.
In my lifetime I have been called a fanatic but now the very tenants I was called a fanatic for following are promoted by the medical industry.
Every tenant the early Rasta’s proclaimed (before almost any person in the medical field did): eating less salt; less or no meat; no processed foods; organic foods; and drinking bush teas; to name a few is now promoted by the medical industry to prevent the many non communicable diseases of today – they Rasta were so right on it was mind blowing!
More recently scientists have had success in reversing heart disease and prostrate cancer in SCIENTIFIC STUDIES.
Dr. Dean Ornish has reversed prostrate cancer with healthy lifestyle program very similar to the Rasta Lifestyle.
In his first study his lifestyle program reversed PSI levels
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16094059
In his next 2 studies on patients diagnosed with prostrate cancer by biopsy his lifestyle program (very similar to the Rasta Lifestyle Program and based on the Yoga Lifestyle Program actually changed the cells!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24051140
He has also reversed heart disease without medication and his NO PILL program is covered by 2 medical insurance companies blue cross and medicare in the US.
Keeping in mind that Rasta is many things to many people and that not all who consider themselves Rasta are the Livity Rastas (healthy lifestyle oriented). In my belief had we listened to the Rasta Lifestyle in the 1970’s and 1980’s we would likely have 30 to 40 % less metabolic syndrome, obesity, cancer and diabetes today.
Thanks to my healthy lifestyle I have not been to a doctor since the 1980’s. But when I have a medical issue I want to know more about I go to a doctor who respects the value of healthy lifestyles as a medical treatment as well as pills.
Perhaps when offered a spectactular electronic machine reading of our health we need to ask the person offering the test how many yearss they have studied medicine. I personally would much rather trust a doctor who has dedicated many years of their life to the study of medicine.
Much of what the doctor is saying, I can identify with, But he seems to have an intolerance to Alternative Medicine in general.
He would not have learned this in school during his time, but medical schools, and I mean the best of them, are incorporating such a program in their curriculum nowadays.
Some medical personnel are careless .I brought a relative of mine for checkup at the outpatient in PMH , in the doctors presence the patient was vomiting so much that they attended her first. When the doctor checked the patient vitals they said it was good. They did not give her nothing for the vomiting. The blood level was 4 i was asked to go back with the patient get some ppl to give her blood and come back in 2weeks time . We went back to our village before we entered the house the patient was so weak could not walk she was carried to her home, about 10min later we had to hire a transport to take her back casualty the same day. she never slept the night, her sugar and pressure was so low nothing could bring it back ,the patient died the following day. I cant understand a patient with such low blood level was sent home to return in 2 wks time. God help us in Dominica.Thank you so much Doctor for the info keep educating us.
Doctor, I am not disputing that you are not a proficient doctor. Thank you for your interesting information.
We are told if we do not feel well we should see a doctor. I would beware of taking medication unless a thorough examination is conducted and the diagnosis is confirmed. There are some doctors who dispense medication too quickly in addition to being too quick to operate. It is said they make more money operating.
There are also times that doctors’ diagnosis is conflicting. Although it is wise to get a second opinion, if a patient sees more than one doctor, they may receive more than one diagnosis and advice. It has happened to people. I personally know of someone this happened to. Two doctors said to operate; one said do not operate. The person opted for the operation, developed complications which had nothing to do with her health. A few months later she died. I do believe had she not been operated on she could have been alive.
We have a problem in this country pertaining to patients taking too much medications and you know, as well as uppers and downers and pills to make them sleep. Some people are dependent on medication.
The pharmaceutical companies make a mint. The government is not enthused about health stores in this country. They take away business from drug companies.
The government will not recognize naturopathic doctors. Patients who visit them are not able to use their Hospital Insurance Plan card. If they visit one, they must pay out of their pockets. The cost is high.
There are pros and cons. If people are not well, they should visit the doctor. However, they take their chances when medication is diagnosed and they are in need of medical treatment as also an operation.
I have read in a Toronto newspaper that a woman’s daughter stated her mother did not feel well. She went to the doctor who diagnosed medication. The woman took the medication and got progressively sick and weak. The family member stated that she will sue the doctor; don’t know what happened later.
This occurred in Great Britain. A woman was treated for cancer for years. It was found out that the woman did not have cancer. The doctor was using the wrong chart which belonged to another person. I wonder what happened to ‘the other person” who was the one who had cancer during that time the other woman was being treated for cancer which she did not have.
There are times doctors operate on the wrong foot and take out the wrong lung.
When people hear and read of these malpractices, it surely will scare them to go to a doctor, take medication and also be operated on. It could be scary. How many people died prematurely due to malpractice?
There are times they visit the doctor annually for a check-up. The tests did not reveal a medical problem which surfaced a few years later.
A man had just visited his doctor who gave him a clean bill of health. As he drove home from the doctor he got a heart attack. His car ended up in a bus shelter. Fortunately no one was in it at the time. The stories go on and on and many we do not hear of or read about.
Doctor, keep on doing good and offering such advice. May those who read your articles pay heed. It does not hurt to go to a doctor and take certain tests. That is what hopefully good doctors are there for.
Love the twist! Spot on! Keep writing Doc, I’m reading.
I personally don’t like pills, but my God Almighty said in his word, “If we are sick, we need a Doctor”. “Ignorance is Bliss.” We know we have to get sick, we know we have to die, but I don’t like to suffer if I know I can get some help.
Doctors don’t always heal people, but they really try to help us to get well, or to alleviate our pain. God bless Doctors, and thank God for giving them the knowledge to help human beings mentally and physically. We cannot force anyone to go to Dr. But it is sad, some don’t even go to at least get an opinion.
Blessings to you Doc.It’s refreshing that there are still people like you,who would disperse knowledge in such digestive way.If F E-D T responded to your article like that,you pass.
Keep Up the Good Work.
Love it! Very interesting. You have not lost an ounce of your sense of humour from back in the days of Dominica Grammar School. It has been a very long time but every time I read your article it reminds me of those days. Great job my brother. Hopefully will surprise you when I visit some time.
I see where this is coming from and I understand where it leads. In the past most people have decided that no machine or pill can tell you about or cure your ailment or disease. Most decided to leave it to fate or god, and used remedies of old to aid them. However there must be something that we are doing that is working due to our great number of elderly. In conclusion a large number of elderly mean that we have seen the impact of 20th Century sciences and the advances wrought in treatment and prevention. Thanks to Dr. Sam for bringing medicine and medical advice to us in a manner we can appreciate. His column is like sugar coating on the pill of knowledge so we can be enticed to taking it.
Well Said Doc. Too much of anything is always bad.There is need for balance between reality and fiction.
“Pseudo-Rasta Thinking”
Doc, sorry I have to make this comment, I did not want to make my first submission to long so I left it out.
It is important to note that there are doctors, or a so called doctor, in Dominica telling people that he has a machine that he will attach to them, and that instrument will diagnosed every medical problem they experienced known and unknown.
That was told to a relative of mine, that relative try to convince me that is true. I simply advised him when he comes to the U.S. for his annual check up, find out from his doctor the name of the machine so that I can try to get my hands on one.
Some doctors in Dominica is making fools out of our people, before my father died some so called doctor try to rip him off charged him ten ($10,000.00) dollars he claimed to do a single blood test!
Out outrageous as this may sound, it happened, to my late father!
Here is another one for the record! When we studied hematocrit which means, literally to separate blood which is determined by centrifuging a blood sample to separate the cellular elements from the plasma; the results of the test indicate the ratio of cell volume to plasma volume, and are expressed as milliliters of packed cells per 100 ml of blood, or in volumes per 100 ml. Normal range is 40 to 54 volumes per 100 ml for males, and 37 to 47 volumes per 100 ml for females.
Some of us who majored in Health Science knows that the hematocrit, in conjunction with other hematologic tests, provides information about the size, functioning capacity, and number of erythrocytes. Keep in mind the number “5”
If the blood volume in a female should be between 37 and 47 per 100 ml, and a doctor discovered that this woman has only five (5) volumes of blood per 100 ml in her body, anybody with commonsense would realize the patient is an almost dead person, no doctor should send someone home from the hospital without effecting a blood transfusion at this point.
That is what happened to relative of mine mother from the village of Delices. The lady died by the time they ask her to return to the hospital. That is malpractice, but that is very common in our country, in any event Dominicans no longer have to deal with the doctor who sent the patient home with no blood in her body, since that doctor died weeks after the mother of my relative.
Again do, you are doing a very good job teaching our people.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
You people are so stupid, you make nonsensical comments which causes even a fool to laugh at you. Sam is a darn good doctor, at least he can practice in the United States, at anytime he so desire, and in Dominica also.
Unlike your Dominican Cuban so called train Doctors who cannot work in this country, unless they decide to return to school here; and mind you many of them who has done that have failed to make it.
If you do not believe me pick any of those you believe are your best trained Dominica native doctors who did not attend medical school here; send them to any State in the United States and let them apply for a job to practice medicine let’s see how many of them will succeed.
In the first place no foreign doctor, even from Britain, or Canada which are in the Commonwealth, cannot come here and practice medicine, without first passing the FSE, and that is where most of them fail all the time, and without passing that exam, no medical administrator will even give them an interview, never mind a job which would allow them to see a patient.
Some have challenge the exam passed it, however, most of them could only find work in a Morgue, working on dead people!
Mind you there are people born in Dominica practicing medicine here, however, they went to medical school here, they are trained in the American Medical System, there are people even from Wesley, and from Marigot too; relatives of yours truly practicing medicine here; not that it matters but where it pertains to law I have relatives here practicing law also.
Do not dwell on me because scum bags like you are jealous of my intelligence, the focus should not be on me: you should focus on the message conveyed by Dr. Christian; and if you have something significant to contribute to what he said voice your opinions, and let the reading audience judge for themselves who are the people wearing their stupidity on their forehands as a badge of honor; which is the trait of the majority of Dominicans. You are wearing yours right now and is showing it off because you found out I am not as dumb as you, so you jump on a computer talking crap, believing you are smart, fact is just because someone can access a computer, that computer cannot make you smart if you are an idiot. I am college, and University educated, that is where I get my smarts, okay; anything I deliver can be authenticated because that is taught in medical school!
If any of you prefer to follow the Rasta-man advise, and drink his bush medicine, go ahead drink it to the day you die; when they are burying you let them fill your coffin with bush tea, or bush medicine prepared by the Rasta-man so that you can drink in order to reincarnate yourself; so that you can prove modern technology, and modern medical medicine, and treatment does not work.
I do not care what funny, or sarcastic remarks you idiots make about me, all of my submissions are scientific, and from an intellectual point of view, any medical comments I make came straight out of some University, medical school, some of which are taught even in premed lectures, you all have nothing to say to because I surpassed you people by far as far as intelligence and my academics are concerned.
Talk don’t bother me, if you know the subject better than Sam, and you have something to offer better than I have contributed, put it in writing, venom, hate, jealousy, and insults and attacking the messenger proves nothing, if anything you have proved yourself an uneducated idiot!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Fete you make us laugh like the ski-ing economic- citizens from the US & Canada.No blood in her body I thought you were educating us on HB &HCT lol you like JZ man.
The reason you laugh is because you are a darn fool!
If you were not a fool you would perhaps try to understand what you read, and store it in the back of your cranium which might help you to recognized you have prostate problems when it develops!
Everything I wrote in my submission, are taught in medical School, but an idiot like you have no use of such information, how can you laugh when you do not do not understand what the heck you read!
Whoever you are you need to hang yourself, the world I live in will be better off without fools like you! You call me as much doctor as you wish. I am not a practicing medical doctor, but I assure you I have enough in my head which I can use to save your stupid life.
Since you are running your stupid mouth off. I challenge you to contribute something directly relating to the subject let me see how much you know about medicine in comparisons to what I know and can debate, or talk about, prove your smarts, and not talk crap!
Your mother might b laughing at you and ashamed of your stupidity!
You idiot!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Telemaque, I am not contradicting what you stated. However, there are quack doctors in every country. I have heard/read that thousands of patients died from malpractice in the US and continue to die every year. No exception in Canada. This is one reason some people fear doctors and taking medication.
It is strange that some people die of medical treatment and/or operations and others live for some years after a similar treatment. If they have cancer it is in remission while others are not so fortunate. Why do some die from treatment and others do not is a mystery.
I would take a pill anytime to get better. However i am not a syrup person.lol.
Is fete a lotion person or an injectable guy.
” a thing connected to a computer and “it telling you right away if you have the cancer.” Another lady raved how they just scanned her iris (of her eyes) with a machine”
Unless such machines were invented last night no such machines are in existence; at lease not in the United States, or the more developed world, but indeed Dominica!
Let me start by identifying “Prostatalgia” as pain in the prostate; the prostate however is a gland in the male that surrounds the neck of the bladder, and the urethra. The prostate consists of a median lobe, and two lateral lobes, and is made up of glandular matter, the ducts from which empty into the prostatic portion of the urethra, and partly of muscular fibers that encircles the urethra; it contributes to the seminal fluid which is a secretion containing acid phosphatase, citric acid, and proteolytic enzymes, which account for the liquefaction of the coagulated semen; the rate of secretion increases greatly during sexual stimulation.
Disorders Of The Prostate.
Enlargement “benign prostatic hypertrophy” is a common complaint in men over fifty (50) years of age. Due to its position around the urethra, the enlargement of the prostate quickly interferes with the normal passage of urine from the bladder. Urination (voiding) becomes increasingly difficult, and the bladder never feels completely emptied; if left untreated, continued enlargement of the prostate will eventually obstruct the bladder completely, and emergency measures become necessary to empty the bladder. If the prostate is markedly enlarged, chronic constipation may result; the resolve in most case is prostatectomy. In men over sixty (60) years of age, cancer of the prostate may occur. Prostatitis is a relatively common inflammation of the prostate, and may be acute, or chronic
Surgery Of The Prostate.
Malignancy of the prostate and intractable prostatic infections are treated by prostatectomy, which is removal of the entire gland, and its capsule. Benign prostatic hypertrophy can be treated by either a closed, or open approach to the gland and removal of only the hyperplastic tissue (enucleation). The closed method of treatment “transurethral resection” [TUR] is preferred when there is relatively small enlargement of the gland, and the patient is elderly, and a poor surgical risk. A resectoscope is inserted through the penis and along the urethra in a manner similar to that for cystoscopy.
When the site of the hyperplasia is reached an electrical cutting loop is inserted, excess tissue is resected, and bleeders are cauterized. There are other techniques that can be used, such as using a hollow sliding knife to scoop out tissue, cryosurgery, in which the tissue is frozen, and thereby destroyed. The TUR removes only the enlarged tissue; normal prostatic tissue and its outer capsule are left intact. I can elaborate a lot more; nonetheless this is a short version!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Fete you full or fool of jokes
but great article as usual, and you have a pulse on the Dominican mentality. Keep writing, I’ll keep reading.
Excellent and amusing article with a serious message. Personally, I love bush teas etc, but see them as something to boost the body’s defence systems, not an alternative for medical treatment.
Wow, an informative eye opener for me. Very impressive and factual.