All the RAve - the RAnts of RA

Over the past few days I've been reading the many responses to my last blog post Just Another Lost Freedom? that continues to stir strong emotions in those who read about young Abraham Cherrix.

I can't help but wonder how many more Abraham's are out there? In 2003, we covered the story of the Jensen family's struggle to care for their young son. Their story had a happy ending as least as far as their fight against the state of Utah goes.

I am personally aware of a couple of other cases where the state got involved. One family in my own area had their children removed because the children were slow to gain weight. The mother took her children in for their "well-baby checkup," only to have the doctor report her for child neglect. Nevermind that the mother was very tiny in stature and it would stand to reason the children would be small as well. The facts of the case were, in my opinion, that the doctor over-stepped his bounds.

The state of course stepped in and removed the children from her home. I am unaware if the mother ever regained custody of her children or if she lost her rights to them.

It's getting close to my own ten-year anniversary, almost ten-years since I had back surgery. I had spent over a year confined to bed, unable to work, unable to function, being shuffled from doctor to doctor, who were more than happy to keep me well supplied with pain medications.

Of course pain meds don't cure the problem, pain meds don't equate to quality of life and mine was in the toilet. It finally reached a point where every doctor I saw was prescribing anti-depressants for me. They didn't seem to care that I was only depressed because my active life style that I had taken for granted had vanished and I was left unable to function on any level.

I made up my mind that I was taking my life back and began to read everything I could find on pain management, health, alternative medicine. I stopped taking the pain meds, started using medical marijuana to manage the pain. I used Sea Silver to feed my body the necessary nutrients and saw my Chiropractor three times weekly. Though thinking back now, my exercise routine was pitiful, it was a start in the right direction.

Most importantly, I gave up on the medical community. I stopped seeing doctors and started taking back control of my life. While I will never be 100% again, today I have my life back. I can take long walks, without a walker. I hardly ever have to use my cane. In fact, two weeks ago we went hiking in the mountains. I admit I'll never run the 100 yard dash again, but hey, I can live with that.

I consider myself lucky. I could have believed the lies of the medical community. I could have given up and let the drugs take over my life as I've seen countless times. I chose to fight.

If you are in that position or if you know someone else who is, please don't give up. There is help available! You don't have to live in pain, you don't have to be a slave to the doctors. The power is in your hands but you have to make that decision. It's a long hard struggle back to the land of the living but it's not hopeless. I'm living proof.

I haven't been to a doctor in over five years and I haven't felt this good in ten. I will never again trust my life and my health or that of my family to these drug pushing quacks. If they end up with their way, we will all be drug addicts, unable to function in society.

Are you a medical drop out? Has your own family given up on the medical community? I wanna hear about it.