"I have no idea what's wrong with you sir. Your x-rays are all normal. Your pain is not explained by any objective findings. You have had everything done that can be done. I don't know what else to offer you. The results of your bone marrow biopsy will be back in a few days. Until then you can go home with some pain medicine."
Through the life saving two way phone conference with a Vietnamese interpreter I was able to alleviate many fears, concerns, questions. But one question I wasn't expecting:
"Am I OK to travel to Vietnam to see an acupuncturist?"
"Well, yes you are", I said. It certainly can't be any worse than all the pricks, pokes, prods, leeching, blood letting, bending, injecting, and hormone stimulating procedures that we do in Western medicine. Who am I to say that 1000's of years of Chinese yin this or yan that has nothing to offer my patient, I certainly had little to offer in my arsenal.
I told him we have an acupuncturist right here in town. He carries an American name, so I doubt he looks or sounds like Dr Chen. I say, who cares. He was very grateful. If the guy wants to go spend his money on acupuncture, he can do what ever he wants. I don't know if he'll get benefit, any more than half the crap we do to patients that carries marginal, if any, benefit in Western medicine. At least he believes he's getting a benefit, and sometimes, that's worth more than anything.
My wife is going to see one tomorrow. There is some suggestion that this woo-py may increase the success of all that fertility stuff. Although, if she comes out of there bleeding or pregnant, I'm going to whoop some ass.
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