More Health, Less Care: How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care and Write Your Own Personal Prescription for Lifelong Health

191 Pages·2010·5.15 MB·English

by  Peter J. Weiss MD

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Praise for More Health, Less Care
We all need help to reach our health goals, but individual re-
sponsibility is the key. Dr. Weiss has described a way for all of us
to take responsibility for our own health while living and work-
ing in contemporary society. The Personal Prescription can work
to get you healthier, keep you healthier and prepare you to deal
more effectively with health issues that we all will face at some
time in our lives.
THOMAS EBERT, MD
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
HEALTH NEW ENGLAND, INC., SPRINGFIELD, MA
Peter Weiss provides an effective and motivating way to think
about how everyone can playa much more direct role in their
own health and wellness care. The lessons found in this book
will make a positive difference in the life of anyone who reads it.
PATRICIA KaHN
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
MANAGED CARE AND HEALTH PLAN
GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN HEALTH SYSTEM, LA CROSSE, WI
Finally, a physician engages us in a real discussion about our re-
sponsibility for our own health and then provides a clear road
map to help find our way.
ALLAN EINBODEN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SCOTT & WHITE HEALTH PLAN, TEMPLE, TX
Dr. Weiss inspires us to take charge of our health and reap the
benefits of our life-changing efforts. Experience the powerful ef-
fects of managing your own healthcare!
TONY FERRETTI, PHD, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Written with clarity and insight, Peter Weiss' message is that
good health depends on making simple and practical changes in
our lives. By following a down-to-earth, practical approach to
staying healthy, More Health, Less Care instills the courage and
commitment needed to change bad habits that can impact one's
lifelong health and wellness.
JAMES V. PALERMO, MD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SPACE COAST MEDICINE & HEALTHY LIVING
While the politicians debate, here's all you need to start your
own personal health care reform. In More Health, Less Care,
Dr. Peter Weiss shares an insider's view of the limits of modern
medicine and helps you move closer towards total health in
body, mind and spirit. No silver bullets, but complete, concise,
'start tonight' recommendations for achieving and maintaining
maximal personal health.
ROSEMARY D. LAIRD, MD, MHSA
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
HEALTH FIRST AGING INSTITUTE
More Health,
Less Care
More Health,
Less Care
HOW TO TAKE CHARGE OF
YOUR MEDICAL CARE
AND WRITE YOUR OWN
PERSONAL PRESCRIPTION
FOR LIFELONG HEALTH
Peter J. Weiss, MD, FACP
LACHANCE PUBLISHING • NEW YORK
www.lachancepublishing.com
Copyright © 2010 by Peter J. Weiss, MD
ISBN 978-1-934184-24-0
Edited by Victor Starsia and Richard Day Gore
Cover design by Stewart A. Williams
Illustrations by Brian Silvernail
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America
No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted-mechani-
cally, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system - without
the express written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who
may quote brief passages in a review.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939810
Published by LaChance Publishing LLC
120 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
www.lachancepublishing.com
This book is available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales pro-
motions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers,
excerpts of existing books, and corporate imprints, can be created in large
quantities for special needs. For more information, write to LaChance
Publishing or email
Contents
Foreword Xl
Introduction Xill
Acknowledgments XXI
1. The Shortfalls of Traditional Healthcare 1
Bob's Untimely Demise 1
Why Did Bob Die Early? 5
2. Now What? 9
An Open Mind and an Action Attitude 9
Get Right by Being Wrong 10
Thoughts Are Not Facts 12
Tame Your Ego 13
3. Be Your Own Doctor: Preparing to Write
Your Personal Prescription 19
Be a Student of Health and Medicine 20
..
Vll
Contents
Accept Responsibility and Make a Commitment 20
Be Honest and Courageous 21
4. Be a Great Patient: Four Must-Have Attributes 25
Responsibility 25
Willingness to Learn 28
Honesty 29
Commitment to Health 30
Summary 33
5. Make a Diagnosis: What's Wrong with Your Health? 37
Diagnosis: A Fancy Word for "Illness" 37
Unmask Denial 40
Identify Your Problems 42
Peel the Onion to Find the Cause 44
Explanations Are Not Excuses 46
6. Assemble Your Medical Team 49
Bob's Heart Surgery 49
"Successful" Surgery = Failure of Personal Health 52
Teamwork: Essential for Success 52
Build a Winning Team 54
Find Health Professionals That Fit 55
Consider a Coach 57
Seek a Support Group 59
God As a Team Member 60
Accept All the Help You Can Get 62
7. More On Thinking: Our Deadly Culture 65
Don't Be Brainwashed 66
VIll
Contents
8. Write Your Personal Prescription 71
You're Unique: Personalize Your Prescription 71
Take an Organized Approach to Learning 73
Making Sense of the Information 78
Complementary and Alternative Medicine 82
New Ideas for Success 83
Be Counter-Cultural 85
Willpower Is Not the Answer 89
Structuring Success 92
Focus on Where You Want to Go 96
Write the Plan to Win 98
9. Follow Up Care: Stay on Track 103
Adjust and Keep At It for Success 104
Build On Your Success: Upgrade the Plan 106
My Prescription 108
Stay a Student of Health 110
10. Case Study: The Personal Prescription in Action 115
Bob's Daughter Debbie: A Different Story 115
Small Start, Big Results 124
11. Total Health: Body, Mind and Spirit 129
Physical Health: Simple but Not Easy 130
Beyond Physical Health 131
My Emotional Health Prescription 144
Spiritual Health: Often Ignored but Vital 145
Afterword 149
Looking Ahead to a Healthier You 149
.
IX