Thank You For Arguing

The Death of Socrates - Jacques Louis David, 1787

Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The lack of civility in public space nowadays is appalling. There is so much abuse on social media that it is almost impossible to make a statement or discuss anything intelligently anymore without being insulted by those who disagree with you. Once the barrier of civility is broken, there is no end to the flow of epithets derived from human anatomy and physiology or from the animal kingdom.

An intelligent, knowledgeable, eloquent person is in full command of the language he or she uses and does not have to resort to insults, cursing, vulgarities, and such. Intelligent arguments are based in grammar, logic, and rhetoric and are backed by knowledge, imagination, and experience. Unfortunately, modern students are not taught the art of rhetoric anymore. The arguments are won in verbal fistfights whereas everybody must agree or else. Any divergent thought is bullied out in a totalitarian manner. But, but, but! One does not really win an argument because of a large repertory of insults.

Unfortunately, everywhere you look, on social media, in the press, on television, people are unable to truly discuss or debate anything anymore in a civilized manner. The intellectual immaturity is appalling. People get offended because you do not think like them. As soon as you present a different view people start calling you names no matter who you are. 

What happened to "we agree to disagree?" What happened to civility? What happened to tolerance and respect? As with anything, one would normally assume that both sides have the right to their own opinion. This, unfortunately, seems not to be the case any longer. 

Name calling, insults and intimidation do not work at all with me, but an intelligent argument based in logic might. If you managed to convince me that my way of thinking was wrong, I would gladly reconsider my viewpoint and accept your argument, grateful that I have learned something new.

I do not subscribe to politically correct views or the view of a majority unless, of course, the majority is well informed and has a valid opinion I can logically agree with. But rest assured, I would never accept a view simply because it is the preferred view of a majority. I would rather have a sip of hemlock!

Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2024

 

It's All Yours, Forever

Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people - they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart. - Bruce Coville in "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher"

Happy heavenly birthday to my late husband James!

Image: My husband with our puppy at the Bottomless Lakes, Roswell, NM, long before the cancer diagnosis. Both gone now but mine, forever.

The Joy Of Seeing Things Grow or How to Mend a Broken Heart

"Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes." – Unknown

I lost my husband last year, short before Christmas. I lost the love of my life, my best friend, my companion. I lost my home, my garden, my dogs and my cats. I was told that now, that my husband was dead, I could go back to my life. I wish I could "go back" to my life. I wish I could "go back" to my life as it was before my husband passed away. I wish I could return to the time long before my husband's diagnosis when dreams were still possible.

One of the most important things in life is to never define yourself or your happiness by your possessions or people in your life. You should be able to be happy even if you lost everything. I always understood that happiness was an inside job but I never imagined how I would cope with the loss if it actually happened in my life.

When you and your spouse are so completely connected that you become one mind, one soul, a sudden loss of your "other half" leaves an incredible emptiness. Nothing in your life prepares you for such a tragedy. Your world is completely shattered in an instant. You cannot "return to your life", you don't simply move on. You have to learn how to live again.

My husband's 2021 stage IV renal cell carcinoma diagnosis came as a shock to both of us. We hoped that he would be able to beat the disease, but we also knew that our days together were somewhat numbered. Still, his passing came unexpectedly. An unimaginable void opened after his death and unbearable pain became my companion ever since.

Interaction with my late husband's daughter in the weeks that followed his passing left me completely heartbroken. I had to face evil I was not prepared for. I lost my husband twice. He would have been shocked if he had witnessed what transpired after his death, but this is material for a book that will probably never be written. Dealing with a loss takes all your energy, but to deal with pure, premeditated evil when you didn't even know it existed, is beyond anyone's imagination.

Healing takes time and requires a lot of strength if one doesn't want to drown in anger, resentment and self pity. Some things cannot ever be repaired, one will never be the same. One does not move on. One cannot really recover from the loss. The grief will never go away. All one can do is to learn to cope, accept the things the way they are and try to somehow mend the broken heart.

Grief is not a linear process. Everyone experiences it differently. The extreme emotional pain one feels after a loss of a loved one can profoundly affect one's emotional and physical health. Finding something that will give one sense of purpose and accomplishment could help during the time of grief.

Gardening seems like one such thing that could help a grieving person to deal with the avalanche of emotions. It is an active exercise in mindfulness. It requires willingness to learn, concentration and many hours of work every day. Getting your fingers dirty is actually healthy and quite relaxing. Spending a lot of time outside and watching the plants grow and move through their cycles of life can help you take your mind off your pain and connect with nature in a most healing way. You not only observe the cycles of life but also learn to accept the impermanence of things.

Many stressed or distressed people believe that there is no better way to calm the nerves and stimulate one's creativity than digging in the dirt and planting seeds. In fact, serious scientific studies were conducted on the relationship between mental and physical health and gardening. 

 

Scientists found out that gardening 

• reduces stress and anxiety
• decreases risk of such chronic diseases as heart disease and old age diabetes
• improves physical agility
• brings joy and happiness to your life
• improves cognitive health and keeps your mind sharp
• helps you relax and sleep better

 

And, of course, if you are growing vegetables in your garden, gardening improves the way you eat since there is nothing more delicious than freshly plucked tomato or cucumber that you have seen growing. 

 

Naturally, no amount of gardening will ever take your pain away, but it may help you manage stress and depression, if only just a bit.

 

I no longer have a large garden so I started a small, bio-dynamic one on my balcony. I no longer have cats or dogs so I make friends with bumble bees and wasps. I thank the bees for pollinating my plants. I thank the wasps for keeping my plants free from aphids and other vermin. Watching the things grow gives me joy and comfort while I am trying to sort through memories from a much happier time.

Growing, harvesting and cooking your own food is probably one of the most satisfying experiences any gardener can have.

Being able to prepare a meal from the fruits of one's diligent labor is a vital element of self care and cannot be underestimated during such a difficult time.

Most days are very difficult for me. I could probably water my small garden with all the tears I am shedding but I also know that my beloved husband would not want me to let myself go. Watching the things grow in my garden fills my heart with joy and gratitude. I have my morning coffee in my garden just like we both used to do on so many mornings. I harvest my vegetables and prepare my meals the way I did for both of us. I don't even need to close my eyes to see my husband's smile as he is waiting for the salad dressing I am making.

We promised each other to be together forever. He never left. He just moved to another plane of existence and is waiting there for me...

By Dominique Allmon

In loving memory of my husband James W. Allmon (1953-2023)

Dominique Allmon©2024

 

Do Silly Things

Do silly things. 

Foolishness is a great deal more vital and healthy 

than our straining and striving after a meaningful life. 

- Anton Chekhov

Lost Dreams

I had grand dreams when I was younger. 

I imagined a life of fame and glory, 

but as real life caught up with me

I had to downsize my dreams. 

Today they are all meaningless. 

Life became small and grey, 

and I am no longer that dreamer...

Image: Lost Dreams by Dominique Allmon©2024 

80th Anniversary of the D-Day

Eighty years ago in the morning on June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on the heavily guarded beaches of Normandy and burst through the German defenses. Thousands of these soldiers died. Many more were wounded. We cannot even imagine the carnage they faced.

Code-named Operation Neptune, it was one of the most daring military operations undertaken during World War II. The landing is considered to be the largest seaborne invasion ever executed, and it was probably the bloodiest one. The secretly prepared operation was a turning point in the war against the Nazi Germany.

As every year, the celebrations that commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of so many will take place in Normandy with the participation of World War II veterans, including those who fought in France on D-Day, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world. 

The heroes of the Longest Day will be remembered and honored forever.

In gratitude - Dominique Allmon

Image: world wide web

Happy Earth Day 2024!

The apocalypse is not something which is coming. The apocalypse has arrived in major portions of the planet and it’s only because we live within a bubble of incredible privilege and social insulation that we still have the luxury of anticipating the apocalypse. - Terence McKenna

The current climate change narrative causes climate anxiety in many people, especially among the younger generation. Unusual weather patterns, instant reporting and the 24/7 news cycle are not helping at all. Manufactured fear is counterproductive.

On this Earth Day 2024 I do not want to talk about the climate change preaching hypocrites flying from one conference to another in their private jets. I also do not want to talk about the very profitable carbon emission trading. Instead, I'd like to talk about the destruction of nature and the scandalous abuse of people and resources happening every day behind our backs.

Some of my readers might be aware of child labor in African lithium mines. Some may even know about the child labor in the carpet industry in Nepal or Pakistan, or the children working in the cotton industry in cotton producing countries. Many are aware of the slave labor in China and the human trafficking happening in so many countries. But did you know that children are being sold to farmers in West Africa to work on cacao plantations? Maybe next time you are buying a bar of chocolate you will make sure that the raw materials for the product come from fair trade with no child labor involved. 

To save the planet we are told that the animal farms must go because of the devastating amounts of CO2 and methane they produce, but did anyone tell you how detrimental to nature are the mono-cultures of soy or corn. Or how much water is being used to produce the almonds for your vegan almond milk or the avocados for your avocado toast? How about the tons of pesticides used in conventional farming that are destroying not only the fragile balance of life in the soil but also polluting our groundwater supply? 

Enormous profits are being made by the agribusiness conglomerates. At what coast? And who is actually paying the price? 

How about the fast fashion and the senseless mountains of textile trash and pollution this business model produces? What about the people working in the sweatshops to satisfy the ever growing demand for cheap goods?  

How about the built-in obsolescence that keeps the "engines" of capitalism running? It is actually scandalous that the products we buy "die" on us short after their warranty expires, forcing us to replace them with new ones. In many cases the new product is cheaper than the repair of the broken one. Worse even, in many cases the repair option does not even exist. On the other hand, it would be extremely naive to believe that we could slow, or even stop, the endless production of goods and return to the standards of the pre-industrial era.

I have no answers to these questions. However, I believe that each of us should do some research. We should take responsibility for our own actions, reconsider our choices, and hold the companies responsible for pollution accountable. We probably will never be able to stop the mindless consumerism so prevalent in our societies, but we could at least start in our own backyard and try to educate others. 

 

Burning issues such as the destruction of natural habitats, deforestation, topsoil degradation, environmental pollution, potable water scarcity on our planet, and the mountains of trash that we produce every day - to name only a few - should be our main concern right now. The Earth will survive without us but we will not survive without the Earth. Unless we increase our environmental consciousness, we as a species will not make it.

With this sentiment I wish you all a very happy Earth Day 2024!

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2024

Spaghetti with Agretti or the Friar's Beard

Agretti, also known as the barba di frate, barba dei frati, riscolo, rosciano or roscano agretto, is an unusual vegetable, or weed, with a rather short harvest season and an exquisite taste. In English it is known as the friar's or monk's beard. The plant belongs to the family of Chenopodiaceae and forms small bushes and thrives in the wild in coastal regions of the Mediterranean basin, in the soil with high salinity. It is a halophyte or salt-tolerant, plant. Under special conditions, the plant can also be cultivated in the garden. 

Agretti is very popular among the gourmets in Italy during its growing season in Spring. It can be consumed cooked or raw. Uncooked it has a slightly tart, salty taste.

Like any green vegetable, agretti (Salsola soda) is rich in chlorophyll and fiber. It is also a good source of vitamin A and C, some B vitamins, carotenoids especially lutein, and minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron.

I made this simple dish for the first time ever, and it was delicious. If you can get the ingredients, give it a try. The amount of agretti I used was about half of the cooked pasta, proportion 2:1. You may want to use more and change the proportion to 1:1 or even 2:1. Although I was very happy with the outcome, I probably will double the amount of agretti the next time I cook this dish. 

I was very lucky to get the incredibly tasty and very ripe Amalfi lemons that are now in season. I decided to use the juice and the aromatic zest in this recipe. Lemon juice harmonizes perfectly with the friar's beard.

Ingredients: 

• spaghetti or any other pasta of your choice, enough for two people
• 1 small bunch agretti
• 4 Tbsp virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 6-8 sun dried tomatoes halves
• 1 heaping Tbsp capers
• juice of 1 Amalfi lemon
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest 
• generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
• shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Sardo cheese for garnish
  

Gather all the ingredients and prepare them before you start cooking.  

Method:

• Soak the sun dried tomatoes in water to soften them. Once they are soft, chop them up roughly. To save the time you may want to use the soft sun dried tomatoes that were preserved in olive oil.
• Wash the agretti and cut off the though white ends. Set aside. 
• Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
• Cook the pasta in slightly salted water. Follow the package instructions to get it right. I like my pasta al dente, you may want to cook it for a little longer. 
• A few minutes before the pasta is ready, toss the agretti into the pot and cook together with the pasta until the noodles are cooked to perfection. 
• Reserve one cup of the water from cooking the pasta. You will need it for the sauce. Using a sieve, sieve off the noodles and agretti. Let it drain and discard the remaining cooking water. 
• In a large pan gently warm up the olive oil. I use medium heat. Toss in the garlic and cook it until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. 
• Add chopped sun dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for a minute or two, stirring gently. Add the capers and continue for another minute still watching the garlic. 
• Transfer the drained pasta and agretti into the pan and mix well with all the other ingredients. Add the reserved water from cooking the pasta and mix well. Take the pan off the heat. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix again. 
• Portion out the pasta. Add a generous amount of black pepper and garnish with shaving of aged Italian cheese. Serve right away and enjoy in good company! 

Tip: You can replace the agretti with garlic scapes to create another delicious dish.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2024

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Year of the Dragon

On February 10, 2024 Chinese people all over the world celebrate the beginning of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated in Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

 

The symbol of the dragon in Chinese culture is very ancient and dates back to the fifth millennium B.C.

In Chinese mythology and folklore, the dragon is an auspicious symbol of power, strength,  wisdom, good luck, and prosperity. In imperial China the dragon symbolized the imperial power of the Emperor. The throne on which the Emperor sat was called the Dragon Throne.

Dragon is usually portrayed by a long, lizard-like, scaled four legged creature that controls the realm of weather and water and is responsible for rain, floods, and hurricanes. Unlike European dragons, Chinese dragons are not evil predators, but they may be tempestuous and very unpredictable.

Dragon is one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. He is the fifth animal that arrived at the feast given by the Buddha. He is the only creature that is imaginary.  

Year 2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon. Wood is one of the Five Elements in Chinese philosophy. In the Five Elements system it is represented by the color green. The wood element brings qualities like growth, renewal, creativity and flexibility to the normally tempestuous nature of the dragon.

The Chinese geomancers associate Year of the Dragon with a new beginning and good fortune. This is a good year to start a business, expand your vision and explore new opportunities. Any new venture, including marriage, is bound to succeed. 

 

People born under this sign of the Wood Dragon are not only very gifted and lucky, they are also very ambitious, adventurous and rather optimistic when facing their challenges. They are considered to be loyal, compassionate and generous friends, and charismatic, visionary leaders. 

Those less fortunate who suffered losses and misfortune in the past may expect some positive change in the new year since the Wood Dragon combines the prowess of the dragon with the creativity of the wood element. 2024 is expected to be a year of growth and innovation. It is the year to freely express your ideas, pursue your dreams, fulfill your vision, and advance your career. In order to succeed, you need to be creative and flexible.

No matter what the predictions for the Year of the Dragon may be, remember that you are the ultimate master of your fate.  

Wishing everyone Happy and Auspicious Lunar New Year - Dominique

 

   新 年 快 樂 !

 

By Dominique Allmon

 

Dominique Allmon©2024

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass

Most people on raw food are familiar with wheatgrass. Many green superfood supplements contain some percentage of it, and many juice bars offer freshly pressed wheatgrass juice. 

What is wheatgrass?   

Wheatgrass is the young green grass that grows from germinated seeds of the common wheat plant or Triticum aestivum. The plant grows in the temperate regions of the United States and Europe where the ripe berries are harvested and usually turned into flour. Wheatgrass, however, is harvested long before the plant riches its maturity.

Wheatgrass consumption was initiated by the famous holistic health practitioner, Ann Wigmore. She observed dogs and cats eating grass to improve their digestion and believed that humans could also benefit from the practice. And the easiest way to introduce wheatgrass to human diet was to juice it. 

Ann Wigmore developed a strict health regime for patients with chronic or incurable diseases. The patients were to avoid meat and diary products. They were put on raw, living food diet and had to drink fresh wheatgrass juice. This diet produced incredible results. Patients with cancer, gout and diabetes got healed. Many skin disorders and immune system related problems disappeared as patients indulged in the nutrition-rich foods. Great part of the success was attributed to the detoxifying and alkalizing effect of the wheatgrass juice.

Nutrition facts

Wheatgrass is rich in chlorophyll and SOD (Superoxid dismutase) enzyme. It is a natural source of various minerals and vitamins, including iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and selenium, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and B vitamins including B12. Wheatgrass is a perfect source of protein. It provides all essential amino acids. Moreover, the protein comes in the form of polypeptides which are easily utilized by the body.

Wheatgrass is gluten-free and can be safely consumed by people with gluten allergy and gluten sensitivity. The type of gluten that causes adverse reactions exists only in the wheat grains which are seeds that produce the grass. 

Health benefits of wheatgrass

As mentioned before, wheatgrass is believed to have many health benefits:

• It has the capacity to detoxify blood and liver. It helps neutralize environmental toxins and pollutants. Thanks to SOD it helps to remove heavy metals and radiation form the body;
• It helps alkalize the body and relieve such ailments as peptic ulcers and ulcerative colitis;
• Thanks to a high chlorophyll content, it helps to cleanse and oxygenate the blood and increase the red blood cell count;
• It helps to clear the brain fog;
• It helps improve digestion and relieve constipation, diarrhea, bloating, bad breath and body odor;
• It stimulates the thyroid function and may help to manage weight problems;
• It can help reduce inflammation in the body and alleviate such ailments as rheumatoid arthritis when used topically as a compress;
• It helps improve many skin conditions thanks to its detoxifying and alkalizing function and the effect it has on digestion;
• When consumed fresh in form of juice, it may increase bio-electricity and awaken inner life-force. It helps to increase vibrancy and activates self-healing mechanisms within the body.

Grow your own!
 

If you are living in a big city, you probably have no problems finding a juice bar that serves freshly made wheatgrass juice, but wheatgrass is not as easily accessible in smaller communities. In this case the best thing you can do is to grow your own.

By growing your own wheatgrass you will be in control of its quality and purity. By choosing organic seeds and purified water you can make sure that the wheatgrass you are consuming truly is organic and pollutant-free. You also determine the conditions for growth and the moment of harvest.

Should you decide to grow your own wheatgrass, remember not to expose it to a direct sunlight or it will taste bitter. Also make sure that it does not develop a mold. For best results grow it in specially developed trays and follow the instructions of the manufacturer.

Best time to harvest your wheatgrass for juicing is about one week after germination of the seeds, short before the so called jointing stage. In the life of a cereal plant such as wheat, jointing stage is a moment of growth at which the internodal tissue in the grass leaf begins to elongate and form a stem. By harvesting your wheatgrass at this stage of growth you make sure that your juice will have the highest concentration of nutrients. Once harvested, you can leave the cropped grass in the tray and allow to grow again. With a little practice you will be able to grow your own healthy grass.

Juicing wheatgrass

Juicing wheatgrass is very easy if you have the right tool. Juicers such as the Champion juicer have additional attachments specially developed for juicing grass. There are also juicers on the market that were designed only for juicing grasses and leafy greens. Some of them are electric, some are manual. The price varies depending of the type of juicer. If you decide to buy one, always buy the best you can afford, but make sure it is easy to clean.

A word of caution

Wheatgrass is a powerful detoxifying superfood. Depending on your health condition it may cause so called Herxheimer reaction if consumed in large amounts. This reaction occurs when more toxins are released into the bloodstream that the body can process. Symptoms may include headache, skin rush and even a light fever. To prevent this you should start your detox gradually and always drink a lot of water to support the elimination of toxins from the body. 

 

By Dominique Allmon 

Dominique Allmon©2024 

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Death by Conventional Medicine

"Did you know that the 3rd or 4th largest cause of death in the US & Canada is iatrogenic death? Iatrogenic disease is rampant and we are virtually kept blind to it. In fact, you are desensitized to it... its normal... because you hear about it at the end of commercials all day long... " - Melanie Milletics

Death by medicine - conventional or alternative, may not always be easy to prove. The post mortem is a way to determine the exact cause of death, but may not tell us whether the patient would have lived a little longer, or die a little healthier if, for instance, a particular treatment wasn't administered. 

I am not a medical doctor and I would never assume that I know all the answers. A human being is more than just a sum of his or her organs. Holistic view of a patient is not necessarily encouraged in conventional medical schools, neither is the importance of nutrition. A body is often understood as a machine that needs repairs. When the systems break and there is nothing more to repair, the patient dies.

Statistics are not very flattering to the medical profession. Too many patients die from unnecessary procedures, adverse drug reactions, medical errors, negligence, or as a result of surgery and hospitalization.

If you are lucky to realize early enough that the treatment will eventually kill you, you might be able to save yourself. Unfortunately, most people trust their doctors and are often ignorant about their own bodies and the origin of their disease. In most cases disease forms over a long period of time and may have multiple causes, including lifestyle and genetics.

Wrong diagnose, diagnose for profit, wrong treatment, and over-medication are incredibly prevalent. Hippocratic oath does not prevent many doctors from seeing their profession as a money making business. Who can blame them? 

Healthy, or relatively healthy patients who need only little medication or none at all, are very bad for business, but once a symptom is "decoded," a patient may become a real gold mine. This is true in countries like the United States, where healthcare system still has to undergo necessary reforms; this also is true in countries like Austria or Germany that are proud of their socialized medicine. 

Have you ever met a person who started his or her medical odyssey with one prescription drug, but ended up taking five, six, nine, or more, prescription drugs and seems to be doing worse than ever before? 

I know of many such cases and might have even become one myself. A few years ago a company I enjoyed working for for more than twenty five years, implemented a major change in my job description. My whole life changed overnight. The stress, anger, and disappointment were the cause of an extremely elevated blood pressure. My blood pressure went from low to pathologically high. The chance of a heart attack or stroke in an otherwise healthy person did not seem like something I wanted to even consider, but things were turning from bad to worse and I had to see a doctor. I received a sample pack of a blood-pressure reducing drug. After a week my blood pressure went down a bit - a clear sign that the drug was working - and I felt better.

As much as I hate drugs, I agreed to take it till my condition improved. I got my prescription filled and started taking the drug. It was not the same drug as the sample I tried before. My doctor informed me that this one was a generic drug and even better than the sample I tested. It was just as effective, and that he himself was taking it and had no problems with his blood pressure whatsoever. Wouldn't you trust your doctor in such a case? 

I put my skepticism on the shelf and started taking the medication. No more than one week later I developed horrible joint and muscle pain, as well as a rush all over my body. I could not walk, sit or lie down without pain, I could no longer climb the stairs without horrible pain in my knees. This happened so fast I could not believe my very eyes. Naturally, I went back to see my doctor. He refused to acknowledge my symptoms as a result of that particular medication he prescribed, and suggested another drug for the pain and inflammation I now suffered from. I got a new prescription and went home. I did some research online and found out that the suggested drug could help me with the pain, but would have possibly damaged my liver. The great news, I would be spared the heart attack or stroke if I agreed to taking two drugs together. Oh, I almost forgot. I would have had to see a dermatologist to take care of the rush on my skin... 

Blood pressure medication, anti-inflammatory drug, and soon something to mitigate the elevated liver enzymes, plus whatever the dermatologist would have prescribed for the rush on my skin. And if any of the new drugs caused, say kidney damage or pancreatitis, there would be a new prescription for me. And so on, and so on.

As far as I was concerned, that was it! I stopped the blood pressure medication altogether. The blood pressure went up again but the inflammation in my body subsided. A few months later I quit my job and went on a long vacation. Within a only few weeks everything turned back to normal: my high blood pressure, the joint inflammation, the skin rush simply disappeared. I now know that if I did not refuse to take the medication, today I might have been on four, five or more drugs, one treating the negative side effects of the other. 

I had a neighbor who wasn't strong enough to say no to her doctor and was, only a few years into her treatment, unable to take care of herself. She lost most of her teeth due to inflammation. She had to use a rollator, if she walked at all, and relay on nursing services. All this started with blood pressure medication her doctor convinced she needed. She trusted her doctor and accepted her rapid degeneration as a natural consequence of aging. Turning into a cripple at the age of 63 should not be an option to anyone.

Another of my neighbors has an even more terrible story to tell. She underwent surgery for her stomach ulcer. After initial improvement, she developed pain and the left side of her body, where the surgery was performed, swelled up enormously. Her doctor "diagnosed" a tumor, suggested biopsy and a possible cancer treatment that would include chemotherapy. Horrified of cancer and the chemotherapy, the poor woman changed her lifestyle and nutrition, but as the pain and swelling grew, she had a feeling, an inkling, that there was some "thing" within her body that caused this swelling and discomfort. After more than a year of suffering and countless visits to different doctors, including the surgeon who performed the ulcer surgery, only one medical professional agreed to take her seriously. After a CAT scan, to everybody's horror, they found out that the woman wasn't simply a hypochondriac. The enormous, tumor-like swelling was caused by a small surgical clamp that was left in her body by mistake or neglect during the original ulcer surgery!

 

One of my acquaintances in Germany is currently receiving chemotherapy for a cancer that normally responds badly to chemotherapy. There is extensive medical literature documenting this and yet, her insurance company would not pay for any other treatment. Without telling her oncologist she is using herbs to keep her immune system strong.

My husband receiving his first immunotherapy infusion in January 2022

I have one more story to tell. A few weeks ago I lost my husband. He was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in Fall 2021 and underwent four different treatments. The side effects of all four drugs were horrifying, but he managed to improve considerably. The immunotherapy infusions he received were quite promising. The tumor was shrinking. In July 2023 he was very energetic and glowing, and people were surprised how well he looked. 

 

In August 2023 he had a dental procedure and prophylactically received two different antibiotics to prevent possible infection. By mid-September he developed a serious cough and was given two more antibiotics and a cough syrup. When this did not work, more drugs, including Z-Pak and two other cough medications with serious side effects, were prescribed by his oncologist. Nobody checked his lungs! At the end of November he was flown by helicopter from Roswell, NM to El Paso, TX, and ended up in intensive care unit with internal bleeding and seriously compromised immune system. He had to be treated for ulcers and pneumonia, and received three blood transfusions. When nothing worked, they realized that he did not actually have pneumonia but rather pleural effusion (water in the lungs) that required a very different treatment. More drugs (including midazolam and fentanyl) were administered and multiple tubes inserted to his body to drain the lungs. He was heavily sedated. By December 13, he was only a shadow of himself, his lungs damaged so completely that he could not breath on his own anymore. He passed away on December 15. Not from cancer, but from a wrong treatment and side effects of countless drugs administered without proper diagnosis.  

When one hears stories like that, one can only get very angry. The trust we put in people who are supposed to save our lives blinds us so completely that we are unable to think clearly. 

Just imagine, how many lives could be saved if people sought a second or third opinion. How many lives could be saved if people changed their lifestyles and understood their bodies a bit better? How many lives could be saved if doctors did not prescribe dangerous, often unnecessary,  medication so freely?

Disease prevention is still largely a domain of alternative medicine. Nutrition, stress control, detoxification, and various fitness programs, are often suggested to patients by naturopathic doctors. In many cases, such solutions work, but for some patients it may be too late for treatment of any kind. My thoughts go to a dog park acquaintance who was "eaten up" by cancer because she refused any treatment whatsoever. This happens sometimes when guilt and wrong beliefs interfere with the will to survive. A visit to a doctor, when she first noticed a growth in her breast, might have saved her life, but she believed that her disease was a sort of punishment she deserved.

This whole subject is very difficult and often, emotionally loaded. I have no intention to denigrate the entire medical profession, but something definitely is not right. When we look at the history of medicine, we are often shocked at the barbarity of medical treatments and therapies that were common only a hundred years ago. Will the people of the future cringe at our cancer treatments or surgical procedures that seem so advanced to us today?

Technological progress and growing knowledge open way to new therapies. Many more lives will be saved in the future, but unless we change the way we live, eat, and relax, there will be many more sick people, and doctors will prescribe drugs that don't really work. Chronic disease develops over many years, yet we can prevent it and, to some degree, even reverse the symptoms when we change the way we live. Ignorance probably kills more people than the medical profession ever will, but the whole healthcare system has to be revised if we really want to save lives.

Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2024

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It is not here to malign the medical profession, or accuse nurses or doctors of mistreatment. I published this article to make a point that sometimes a second opinion might be life saving. Doctors are human and not necessarily infallible. 

Images taken by the author. 

 

1. Picture of some of the medication my husband was prescribed to mitigate the side effects of the cancer drugs and to repair the damage caused by the botched dental procedure.

 

2.  My husband receiving his first immunotherapy infusion in January 2022

Also of interest:

• Table of Iatrogenic deaths in the United States. Article link here
• Death by “alternative” medicine: Who’s to blame? Article link here
• Johns Hopkins Study. Article link here
• Conventional Medicine Is the Leading Cause of Death. Article link here
• Death by Medicine. Article link here 

Happy Science Fiction Day!

Fragment of a Roswell mural by Larry Welz

“Science fiction stories are extraordinary voyages into any of the infinite supply of conceivable futures.” - Isaac Asimov in “Asimov on Science Fiction”

Just Listen in Silence

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention... A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words. - Rachel Naomi Remen 

Wishing everyone a very peaceful start into a New Year - Dominique

Image: Silence by Dominique Teng©2024