In the part of Fiji I visited (rural and removed from the main islands), there were 2 options for medical care: (1) Getting a boat ride to a hospital on the main island (3 hour boat ride -- expensive and rarely done) or (2) Handling things on your own with the aid of your friends and relatives.
In America, we have quite different and many more options. We are fortunate but the amazing thing is that they live nearly as long as we do and arguably with as good or better quality of life despite diffuse poverty and minimal resources. What can we learn from these joyous, loving people? How can we be the students as opposed to us being the givers? To me, it is all in their priorities and values. They focus on completely different goals than we do. For them, life is only about connection, community, God, family and giving. For us, it is about money, fame, power, productivity, and competition. The way they care for their people is a reflection of these values and principles. We all want to be happy and healthy; we just have different ways of going about it.
By letting in their world view and mixing it with ours, we could quite possibly end the crisis of trying to manage chronic disease the way that we are currently and approach it with new eyes and beliefs and values. Then, we might just stand a chance of saving our world and even making it better. Less medical; more social and genuinely supportive. It is all within our grasp; it can be done. Chronic disease needs a new model; a community based, psychosocial, spiritual approach mixed with medical back-up. If we make the bold step away from trying to fit chronic care into the acute care model, we can improve our world and save our money. Win-win.
In America, we have quite different and many more options. We are fortunate but the amazing thing is that they live nearly as long as we do and arguably with as good or better quality of life despite diffuse poverty and minimal resources. What can we learn from these joyous, loving people? How can we be the students as opposed to us being the givers? To me, it is all in their priorities and values. They focus on completely different goals than we do. For them, life is only about connection, community, God, family and giving. For us, it is about money, fame, power, productivity, and competition. The way they care for their people is a reflection of these values and principles. We all want to be happy and healthy; we just have different ways of going about it.
By letting in their world view and mixing it with ours, we could quite possibly end the crisis of trying to manage chronic disease the way that we are currently and approach it with new eyes and beliefs and values. Then, we might just stand a chance of saving our world and even making it better. Less medical; more social and genuinely supportive. It is all within our grasp; it can be done. Chronic disease needs a new model; a community based, psychosocial, spiritual approach mixed with medical back-up. If we make the bold step away from trying to fit chronic care into the acute care model, we can improve our world and save our money. Win-win.
Comments
I'v read through what you wrote and
agreed with every bit. I am seeing (every 6 months now) a cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Suhar, of Scripps NCBI-related medical group; he monitors my myocardial regurgitation thru meds and attention to BP and exercise.
I'll soon be 91 so don't expect to
live forever. I must have had the mitral valve insufficiency for years. Never had hip or knee replacement,those areas cause some pain now.I did yogaa for years and practiced some meditation so I'm
probably an example of what you are trying to do. Best of luck
and Happy Halloween! Therese Tanalski