Skip to main content

Rat Poison or Life Giving Potion

A friend called last week worried about her dad. He is not a hysterical person at all and he was worried he was going to die. He blamed his"darn coumadin". He was having a whole slew of symptoms including dizziness, exhaustion, general malaise, poor balance, chest pains, nausea, headache, decreased mental sharpness and the night before I met him he felt like I could die". He had seen his doctors and had his medicines adjusted because of low blood pressure and pulse. This did not make him feel better. His pulse and blood pressures which were both low(they always have run low his whole life) did NOT correlate with his negative symptoms. His labs were ok. His echocardiogram turned out ok(he had had previous heart surgery). Although his symptoms seemed like they could be heart failure, this was not the case.

We talked several times over the next few days between his tests. He was convinced it was his coumadin. His doctors here and previous doctors from the Mayo Clinic told him he had to take coumadin. He thought it was killing him. He was in a tough position. It is really hard to take a pill every day that you think is hurting you.

Over the next few days, he shifted in his attitude toward coumadin. He came to realize that it was ABSOLUTELY necessary and it was not going to harm him. He "befriended" his coumadin and resumed taking it. He took it with a peaceful heart. His symptoms all went away. He came back to feeling well. His mind was once again at peace and his body followed suit.

This case reinforced what I have come to believe about healing. (1) Our perceptions and beliefs mean everything when it comes to health and healing. (2) Things may not always make sense to me but they make sense when viewed through the eyes of the patient (3) Healing happens when beliefs shift(taking the coumadin(previously thought of as "rat poison") with a positive perspective makes all the difference. Major symptoms dissolve when attitudes shift.

It took a long time and many sources(his wife, daughter, 2 cardiologists, and me) to change his perception and beliefs but when he shifted, all returned to peace. No pacemaker necessary. No hospitalization or further medicines. Just a shift in beliefs. Wow!

Comments

Katie Kobayashi said…
That is exactly what I went through when I had to come to terms with taking Tamoxifen....acceptance is the key. Thank you for sharing, Dr. Kalina.. Blessings, Kathleen Kobayashi
More on this thought about how positive outlook has an effect on our health:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-r-hamilton-phd/positive-people-live-long_b_774648.html?ref=nf

Popular posts from this blog

Connecting to the World

This is a picture from the Eucalyptus Grove At UCSD -- my dogs' favorite walk. Upon our return from our adventure, I read this from Buddhist psychologist, Rick Hanson. I really resonate with this aspect of connection. Connecting is in 3 directions -- inside with oneself, with others and with the world. When we strengthen one direction, we simultaneously strengthen our general connection. This is guidance to connect more deeply with the world. What makes you feel connected? I'd like to know.   Are we really so separate? The Practice   Love the world. Why?   Your brain evolved in three stages (to simplify a complex process): Reptile - Brainstem, focused on AVOIDING harm Mammal - Limbic system, focused on APPROACHING rewards Primate - Cortex, focused on ATTACHING to "us" With a fun use (to me, at least) of animal themes, the first JOT in this series -  pet the lizard  - was about how to soothe the most ancient structures of the...

A Guest Post from Jenna Walters

Tai Chi for Health Tai Chi is a secret weapon in the battle against the physical and mental demands of life. It has been able to help improve health in individuals with illnesses ranging from peritoneal mesothelioma to migraines . Its quiet and slow movements bring a calm balance to the mind. It also brings strength and balance to the body. Tai Chi demands very little from its participants. The focus is on body awareness and deep breathing. Its stretching is soft and fluid and its movements are low-impact. Young, old, athletic, or the rehabilitating can all gain better health with Tai Chi. Studies have shown that Tai Chi improves physical health . Although the movements are slow and require no added weight, those that practice Tai Chi become stronger in both upper and lower body. There is also proof that flexibility and balance are improved. The fact that the gentleness of this exercise has such positive results makes it perfect for the unfit, the elderly and for those recovering f...

Becoming Aware

In doing the work that I am so happy to be doing at Pando Health Groups, I have become acutely aware of the painful, demeaning,  limiting and downright cruel thoughts that people carry around and repeatedly tell themselves. Amazingly successful, intelligent and gifted people continually return to a dark and very negative image of themselves that is not based on current reality or supported by their current performance, relationships or modern lives. However, the tape is still playing. Worse yet, the tape hurts them deep down and affects all that they care about, desire and create. It takes away energy. It zaps power and limits potential. It creates misery and suffering. It, too often, makes their lives stay "stuck in the groove on the record". This tape can be turned off (or destroyed) but for too many it keeps raising its head when circumstances replicate past wounds or when there is an ongoing, overpowering, loud voice that just keeps breaking into one's hea...