More Health, Less Care: How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care and Write Your Own Personal Prescription for Lifelong Health (Popular Medicine Health) PDF
Preview More Health, Less Care: How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care and Write Your Own Personal Prescription for Lifelong Health (Popular Medicine Health)
Praise for More Health, Less Care We all need help to reach our health goals, but individual re- sponsibility is the key. Dr. Weiss has described a way for all of us to take responsibility for our own health while living and work- ing in contemporary society. The Personal Prescription can work to get you healthier, keep you healthier and prepare you to deal more effectively with health issues that we all will face at some time in our lives. THOMAS EBERT, MD CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER HEALTH NEW ENGLAND, INC., SPRINGFIELD, MA Peter Weiss provides an effective and motivating way to think about how everyone can play a much more direct role in their own health and wellness care. The lessons found in this book will make a positive difference in the life of anyone who reads it. PATRICIA KOHN CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER MANAGED CARE AND HEALTH PLAN GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN HEALTH SYSTEM, LA CROSSE, WI Finally, a physician engages us in a real discussion about our re- sponsibility for our own health and then provides a clear road map to help find our way. ALLAN EINBODEN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SCOTT & WHITE HEALTH PLAN, TEMPLE, TX Dr. Weiss inspires us to take charge of our health and reap the benefits of our life-changing efforts. Experience the powerful ef- fects of managing your own healthcare! TONY FERRETTI, PHD, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Written with clarity and insight, Peter Weiss’ message is that good health depends on making simple and practical changes in our lives. By following a down-to-earth, practical approach to staying healthy, More Health, Less Care instills the courage and commitment needed to change bad habits that can impact one’s lifelong health and wellness. JAMES V. PALERMO, MD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SPACE COAST MEDICINE & HEALTHY LIVING While the politicians debate, here’s all you need to start your own personal health care reform. In More Health, Less Care, Dr. Peter Weiss shares an insider's view of the limits of modern medicine and helps you move closer towards total health in body, mind and spirit. No silver bullets, but complete, concise, ‘start tonight’ recommendations for achieving and maintaining maximal personal health. ROSEMARY D. LAIRD, MD, MHSA MEDICAL DIRECTOR HEALTH FIRST AGING INSTITUTE More Health, Less Care More Health, Less Care HOW TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MEDICAL CARE AND WRITE YOUR OWN PERSONAL PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFELONG HEALTH Peter J. Weiss, MD, FACP LACHANCE PUBLISHING • NEW YORK www.lachancepublishing.com Copyright © 2010 by Peter J. Weiss, MD ISBN 978-1-934184-24-0 Edited by Victor Starsia and Richard Day Gore Cover design by Stewart A. Williams Illustrations by Brian Silvernail All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted—mechani- cally, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system—without the express written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939810 Published by LaChance Publishing LLC 120 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 www.lachancepublishing.com This book is available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales pro- motions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers, excerpts of existing books, and corporate imprints, can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, write to LaChance Publishing or email at Contents Foreword xi Introduction xiii Acknowledgments xxi 1. The Shortfalls of Traditional Healthcare 1 Bob’s Untimely Demise 1 Why Did Bob Die Early? 5 2. Now What? 9 An Open Mind and an Action Attitude 9 Get Right by Being Wrong 10 Thoughts Are Not Facts 12 Tame Your Ego 13 3. Be Your Own Doctor: Preparing to Write Your Personal Prescription 19 Be a Student of Health and Medicine 20 vii Contents Accept Responsibility and Make a Commitment 20 Be Honest and Courageous 21 4. Be a Great Patient: Four Must-Have Attributes 25 Responsibility 25 Willingness to Learn 28 Honesty 29 Commitment to Health 30 Summary 33 5. Make a Diagnosis: What’s Wrong with Your Health? 37 Diagnosis: A Fancy Word for “Illness” 37 Unmask Denial 40 Identify Your Problems 42 Peel the Onion to Find the Cause 44 Explanations Are Not Excuses 46 6. Assemble Your Medical Team 49 Bob’s Heart Surgery 49 “Successful” Surgery = Failure of Personal Health 52 Teamwork: Essential for Success 52 Build a Winning Team 54 Find Health Professionals That Fit 55 Consider a Coach 57 Seek a Support Group 59 God As a Team Member 60 Accept All the Help You Can Get 62 7. More On Thinking: Our Deadly Culture 65 Don’t Be Brainwashed 66 viii Contents 8. Write Your Personal Prescription 71 You’re Unique: Personalize Your Prescription 71 Take an Organized Approach to Learning 73 Making Sense of the Information 78 Complementary and Alternative Medicine 82 New Ideas for Success 83 Be Counter-Cultural 85 Willpower Is Not the Answer 89 Structuring Success 92 Focus on Where You Want to Go 96 Write the Plan to Win 98 9. Follow Up Care: Stay on Track 103 Adjust and Keep At It for Success 104 Build On Your Success: Upgrade the Plan 106 My Prescription 108 Stay a Student of Health 110 10. Case Study: The Personal Prescription in Action 115 Bob’s Daughter Debbie: A Different Story 115 Small Start, Big Results 124 11. Total Health: Body, Mind and Spirit 129 Physical Health: Simple but Not Easy 130 Beyond Physical Health 131 My Emotional Health Prescription 144 Spiritual Health: Often Ignored but Vital 145 Afterword 149 Looking Ahead to a Healthier You 149 ix
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