East vs. West

I am truly blessed to have so many capable friends that are willing to do whatever they can for me. And I am grateful for all the input regarding suggested approaches for the management of this situation . . . it is all useful information and most welcomed.

I am fascinated, however, at the polarity of opinion regarding treatment approach. Some of you stand squarely in the corner of Western medicine, while others are adamant about the advantages of Eastern / holistic approaches. A smaller segment straddle the fence, one foot dangling on each side.

Ah, Western medicine. The quintessential high-testosterone solution. Strap on the six guns and ride into town, guns-a-blazin’. It can be effective, and certainly gets the attention of whoever/whatever it is that needs shootin’ up. But oh my, the collateral damage to innocent bystanders can be substantial.

Eastern medicine, on the other hand, takes a softer approach. Instead of cranking up the artillery, it’s seems to be more like sending in the negotiating team to convince the offending parties to leave. Or cutting off their supply lines, forcing them to retreat. Sometime it works.

Some bullies only respond to a bullet between the eyes. Some are too sneaky to ever be caught. Some can be reasoned with. Others respond to pressure. Like most things in life, the key lies in understanding yourself and knowing what kind of bully you’re dealing with:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle . . .” Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The doctors should be able to help me understand what kind of bully I’m dealing with. The rest will be up to me . . .