6 degrees apart
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
the lesser of two evils
those who see my mug day in and day out will know that over the years i have developed a morning cough, caused by weak lungs, exaggerated by cold air. a hacking cough will be a more appropriate description and not exactly conversation conducive. too little lung pounding exercise? too much lounging on the sofa? i thought the mere thought of exercise was enough! blame it on useless reader-digest unproven small facts.
a little while back, mum brought me along to visit a chinese doctor. a miracle worker! an eastern medicine practitioner who could make disabled walk. *raise eyebrow* perhaps mum was tired of being unable to get a word in through my melodious and jarring coughs. anyway, the doctor placed her fingers on my wrist and immediately pronounced weak lungs. a little like visiting a fortune teller. the mystery is unfolded. i was presented with three bottles of capsules; red, yellow and brown. very colourful - for chinese medicine.
without much thought, i popped those into my mouth, over the course of time. i basically will put anything into my mouth. that's the underlying reason i am having trouble keeping the weight off. but then that's another story altogether. the result was fast. almost instantly, the cough stopped. i can hear myself think again. another cynic was converted. and i continued to pop those pills - on and off. on when i remember them, and off when.....i don't remember them.
miracle pills? mum, who had constant pain in her shoulders, was cured. aunt, who found walking to be difficult, became relatively more active. and then there was her and him, and her and him, a whole posse of people who were miraculously cured. whilst we were still taking the medicine, that is. but it has to get you thinking, doesn't it? what is in these pills?
the test result came back last week. arsenic and steroids, it will seem. acccccckkkkkkkk! thump! that was the sound of me falling dead on the floor. i feel like a lab rat! the bottles were immediately chucked into the rubbish receptable. steroids? i can still understand. no wonder i was feeling so full of energy. arsenic? *raise eyebrow* i quite fancy the idea of living and would like to enjoy that for a number of years. i like being witty and clever too, thank you. i'll keep my brain and its not-quite-full-capacity operation, if you don't mind. it helps with the breathing and eating part, another favourite past-time of mine.
today an old friend visited me. i am coughing again.
a little while back, mum brought me along to visit a chinese doctor. a miracle worker! an eastern medicine practitioner who could make disabled walk. *raise eyebrow* perhaps mum was tired of being unable to get a word in through my melodious and jarring coughs. anyway, the doctor placed her fingers on my wrist and immediately pronounced weak lungs. a little like visiting a fortune teller. the mystery is unfolded. i was presented with three bottles of capsules; red, yellow and brown. very colourful - for chinese medicine.
without much thought, i popped those into my mouth, over the course of time. i basically will put anything into my mouth. that's the underlying reason i am having trouble keeping the weight off. but then that's another story altogether. the result was fast. almost instantly, the cough stopped. i can hear myself think again. another cynic was converted. and i continued to pop those pills - on and off. on when i remember them, and off when.....i don't remember them.
miracle pills? mum, who had constant pain in her shoulders, was cured. aunt, who found walking to be difficult, became relatively more active. and then there was her and him, and her and him, a whole posse of people who were miraculously cured. whilst we were still taking the medicine, that is. but it has to get you thinking, doesn't it? what is in these pills?
the test result came back last week. arsenic and steroids, it will seem. acccccckkkkkkkk! thump! that was the sound of me falling dead on the floor. i feel like a lab rat! the bottles were immediately chucked into the rubbish receptable. steroids? i can still understand. no wonder i was feeling so full of energy. arsenic? *raise eyebrow* i quite fancy the idea of living and would like to enjoy that for a number of years. i like being witty and clever too, thank you. i'll keep my brain and its not-quite-full-capacity operation, if you don't mind. it helps with the breathing and eating part, another favourite past-time of mine.
today an old friend visited me. i am coughing again.
4 Comments:
Are you asthmatic perhaps, N? May be that is why the steroids helped. My Mum coughs on occasions; the doc says it is asthma. A friend of mine also developed a cough turns out she is allergic to dust – bit hard to avoid unless u have a super clean house.
How does one strengthen weak lungs? Would exercise help?
F
Did you know the % / amount of steriod / arsenic that was in the meds?
Interestingly enough according to BBC Health report 27/9/07: There are benefits to arsenic. 'Small doses of arsenic have been shown to send some forms of cancer into remission and it can also help to thin blood.
Homeopathists have used undetectable amounts of it to cure stomach cramps. However therapies involving the chemical are still in the experimental stages.'
I am not a Doctor but too much of anything even 'good' stuff can kill you but some things even 'poison' in the right amounts it can benefit/cure you! Take Warfarin it is a Rat poison but it is used as a medicine to thin the blood to help thoses with a high risk of heart attacks.
Maybe thoses old time herbalists & Chinese Doctors know something that modern / Westen meds don't?
i'm not short of breath, just allergic to cold air perhaps. reason being weak lungs are unable to warm it for the body? something along that line, i figured. i'm great during the afternoon, mornings depend on how healthy my lungs are.
i do agree abt chinese herbalists knowing more than us, eventhough my lady doctor is nowhere qualified. but i do believe that many chinese herbs are inevitable tainted with arsenic and steroids and other things, but it being a natural side ingredient rather than the chemical thing. but still, knowing that steroid and arsenic is in it is enough to make you stop taking the medicine and throw it in the nearest bin. arsenic may be good in small forms...but if ingested long term, i believe there will be more bad than good. better safe than sorry. there are too many unscrupulous people out there. don't want to wait until i'm turning blue or my hair starts falling off :-(
True, better safe than sorry. Your family will want you around for a long time yet. Hope you will find something to cure you soon. *BIG HUG*
Much love,
F
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