I remember when I was a kid, I was being taught how to change the oil in my car and my step dad (the teacher) saw that I was anxiously trying to come up with a short-cut to get it done faster so that I could go about my business.  Perhaps to no one's surprise but my own, my shortcut method turned into a mess and I had to start all over again, in addition to cleaning up the mess I'd just made by trying to take a shortcut.  It was that day that I was given a healthy reminder that trying to take a shortcut often leads to it taking longer than it should have to accomplish something if you were to just do it the right way the first time. 

Amazing how such a simple lesson can be applied so many years later...

The concept of time seems to go right over most people's heads when it comes to health.  We've been taught that health is just a pill away or a shot away or a lotion or cream away.  Unfortunately, it is not true.  Just as we learned when we were younger - and I'm sure all of you remember that moment when you were taught to take the extra time and do it right on the first attempt - health and healing takes time.  I think that we do sometimes get that.  If you break your arm, you understand that once that cast goes on, it'll be six weeks or so before you get it off and then it still probably won't be quite right for a little while after that.  We get bone breaking.  Something breaks and it has to take time to heal. 

If you apply the same rules to breaking a bone with all other aspects of your health, then you'll get the big picture.  Things don't have to break to not work right.  My car doesn't have to breakdown for my check engine light to come on, warning me that something's gone awry.  Better to deal with the reason for the check light than wait until the car breaks down.  Unfortunately, most of us treat our cars better than our bodies/health, so there's years of breakdown (and plenty of warning lights that we ignore as we consume meds) before we actually deal with it. 

What must be understood to grasp the concept of healing is that you cannot expect it to be quick.  There is no magic bullet, just like there is no army of giant pandas gathering to take over the world.  It is ludicrous to think otherwise.  You cannot heal by taking something outside of the body and putting it into the body.  If the problem developed within the body, then healing can only come from within the body.  No different than the cast not being what heals the broken arm - the body heals the broken arm - the medication or shot or lotion or surgery do not heal the body.  Your body heals itself.  Get out of its way...

When you cut your finger, there's an obvious wound.  When you clean it and bandage it to stop the bleeding, you know that it will probably take a week or so to heal.  What happens if you don't clean it?  What if you do nothing?  It will take a little longer to heal.  Not all wounds are that obvious.  If you fall off a horse or have a car accident, you may be lucky to walk away without any superficial issues.  Do not make the mistake of thinking that a "cut" (so to speak) was not made to a part of the body you cannot see.  The longer that wound goes unaddressed, the longer it will take to heal. 

So, take the time to take care of yourself.  You only get one body.  Treat it well.  Yet, be mindful of the FACT that the longer you wait to deal with your health, the longer it will take you to heal...

Thinking good things for you,

-Dr. Chad