Integrative medicine

[For all of Josh's fans out there, Josh told me today he'd blog tonight or early tomorrow morning - he's on the road to Houston to greet his older brother and kids who are here from the Seattle area. Stay tuned for his update as he's come of the fog...]

With Josh's noma, I'm reading articles that previously wouldn't have piqued my interest. As we explored going to MD Anderson back in March, one of the first things that Josh's brother brought to our attention and was further solidified when we met the team that would be focused on Josh's care (which, by the way, we haven't seen at all after the first visit, which is somewhat disappointing that they're more reactive than proactive, but understandable given the volume of patients they're working with) was the concept of integrative medicine.

In a recent article in CNN health, we learn that health care is slowly moving away from the "break-fix" mentality and more into whole-person solutions that go beyond traditional Western medicine. Certainly, the advances in diagnostics, medicines, techniques, etc., have significantly contributed to more lives saved, extended or made otherwise more comfortable. But an increase in the acceptance and offering of Eastern modalities purports to serve the whole being, not just the physical maladies.

MD Anderson has staff dedicated to integrative medicine, entire areas in both cancer center complexes for classes, acupuncture, relaxation massage and the like. Yet another reason we're terrifically happy and blessed to have Josh being treated at MD Anderson. He's under the care of an incredibly smart and passionate doctor (who is interestingly wary of the "alternative therapies" aforementioned, warning against "going off the reservation"), but Josh has the desire and guts to try all kinds of other methods that might have significant impact.

Maybe it's coincidence, but...
Up until this morning, Josh hasn't been himself thanks to chemo-head (or chemo-brain or cobwebs or fog or whatever you want to call the strange lack of focus and lack of positive emotion that results from chemo treatment for a lot of people). Last night the kids and I used Qi Gong techniques (which Josh and I learned at an MD Anderson class before his second round) on Josh. Picture him standing in the middle of the three of us as we each imagine we have 18-inch fingernails that we rake slowly through this body from top to bottom and then shake out the bad stuff into the ground, over and over for a few minutes. And this morning he's like a ray of sunshine - cheerily greeting me and talkative as we drive to and from the gym, all psyched up for the trip to Houston and then Galveston.

I, for one, believe in the power of whole-body solutions.