Would you believe me if I told you that a growing number of researchers have come to the conclusion that routine mammogram screening for breast cancer in women who are not in a high risk category does not reduce the overall death rate from breast cancer in the general population and can even be harmful? And would it surprise you to learn that the Swiss Medical Board no longer recommends routine breast cancer screening and that they are actively dismantling their mammogram screening programs? These statements will surely raise some eyebrows because they fly right in the face of what … Continue reading
Category Archives: Medicine
Who would have imagined that a simple outpatient procedure would result in a potentially life-threatening experience? At twelve years old, my son’s wisdom teeth had grown in sideways. The impacted teeth needed to be removed surgically to give more space in Barrett’s mouth and prevent crowding of his other teeth. The oral surgeon I chose for Barrett’s difficult dental extractions, Dr. Andrews (not his real name), had an excellent reputation. He had done consistently good work on the patients I had referred to him in the past for dental surgery. After filling out all the paperwork on the clipboard, Barrett … Continue reading
In the 1990s, about twenty years before the topic of fecal transplants entered into polite conversation, my friend, Kate, made a comment that stopped me in my tracks. One sunny afternoon while we walked along the Santa Fe River, Kate bent over to examine the pile of poop her dog deposited among the willows. She said, “Erica, come look at this shit. I wish mine looked this healthy. Do you think it would help my chronic gut problems if I ate some of my dog’s shit?” I had held Kate’s intelligence and creative problem solving in high regard. But eating … Continue reading
When you look in the mirror, you might think that the entire image reflected back to you represents a human being exclusively, but that is not the case. Only 10% of the cells in your body are human, the rest are made up of billions of microorganisms that colonize your body. We are literally walking ecosystems, miniature versions of the Amazon rainforest. My son, Barrett, went through a short-lived phase of germ phobia around the time he turned four years old. He refused to wear second-hand clothing from other children, washed his hands frequently, and did not want to use … Continue reading
Martha was in her mid forties. Her face appeared pale and distraught, with disheveled hair. The red and swollen eyelids suggested she had been crying. Before she sat down, she opened her fist and handed me three crumpled fifty-dollar bills. “Three of my friends got together and each donated fifty dollars for this hour with you. I lost my job as a therapist at the Counseling Center after a car accident. I have no savings and no place to live. My friends are helping me survive.” It was 1996. I had been practicing environmental medicine in my little in-home clinic … Continue reading
Mold toxicity is a frequently misdiagnosed medical condition. Marissa—the poster child for misdiagnosis—had consulted over twenty different healthcare practitioners in Santa Fe and had received nearly twenty different explanations for her constellation of debilitating symptoms, along with multiple remedies. By the time Marissa came to me, she had nearly depleted her retirement funds in her desperate attempt to find answers. When she called to make her initial appointment, I could detect a slight accent. Her voice sounded soft and tentative. “Doctor, I want to make an appointment to come in and see you, but I first need to ask if … Continue reading
Danny looked distressed. “There’s no way I’m going to give up gluten. How can I? I’m Italian. I live on pizza and pasta.” He sat slumped in his chair. His dark-brown eyes looked up at me, waiting for my response. Danny, a forty-two-year-old man of Italian descent and father of two children, came to my office for a consultation in the late 1990s. He requested help for his rheumatoid arthritis, a potentially crippling autoimmune disease. He had been prescribed several aggressive drugs for pain relief and for immune suppression. The side effects had become intolerable. Like many of my patients, … Continue reading
I lay face down on the exam table as the drill penetrated into the bone in my lower back where the posterior pelvic arch joins the spine. The strange sensation caused my breath to quicken, even though I did not experience any real pain, thanks to the numbing medicine injected before the procedure. After Dr. Adelson aspirated the bone marrow, he suctioned out a small amount of fat around the same area just below my waist—a mini liposuction of no cosmetic consequence. The friendly assistant took the vials of aspirated bone marrow and fat, then placed them in a machine … Continue reading
The guidance counselor was an older, serious-looking silver-haired man. “You’re here to discuss the possibility of applying for medical school. Is that correct, Miss Elliott?” “Yes. That’s correct.” I told him that I was thinking of applying to two or three schools and wanted to see if he had any advice for me. “Yes. I do have advice for you. After reviewing your file, I’ve concluded it would be best for you to let go of the idea of going into medicine.” He said that medicine was not the right career choice for me and that I’d be wasting my … Continue reading
Two miscarriages left Pamela and her husband, Jim, devastated. At thirty-four years of age, Pamela feared that she would never be able to have children. Her ob/gyn doctor checked her for some of the causes of miscarriage. All the tests came back with normal results. Pamela and Jim consulted with me to see if I had any ideas about helping her get pregnant. I explained that she was probably low in progesterone, a hormone that helps to maintain the pregnancy—even though her test results showed that she was within the normal range. Over the years, I have used progesterone suppositories … Continue reading