Vitamin D, Ozempic ladies, EMpowerment!

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Good evening, 66.1ers.

So, last week was meant as a “here’s what I’m learning through my own doctor’s appointments and cardiology stuff and reading.” Got a couple replies that made me think I missed the mark and came off as either a) sad and scared and feeling sorry for myself or b) overly fixated on the problem and no longer enjoying my life. So, let’s do this?

If you’ve got a heart thing going on (or know someone who does), go ahead and click through to this Google Doc if you want to hear what I learned this week. If that’s not you, and you don’t think it’s fun when Marcus gets too “heady”, don’t click! I’ve got some other stuff for you this week.

A few interesting conversations, the first from a doctor at a major US hospital. We were in a meeting and this doctor said something that people ought to hear: “In allopathic medicine, we systematically disempower the patient.” (can you tell that this person went to school for a long time?! I see 4 SAT words in an 8-word sentence!). Made me wonder what the opposite might look like? Systematic EMpowerment? Words are still pretty big, but is it possible? How about, “Helping people help themselves”? 

BTW, “allopathic medicine”, according to Gemini:

Then there was a text from a 66.1 reader that read, in part, “I dream of the day when Eastern and Western medicine can be “married”. Not sure exactly what that means, but I think it’s related to the empowerment conversation? Trying less-aggressive stuff before “drugs, radiation, or surgery”? Reminds me of this stat I heard the other day after Vitamin D supplementation came up in conversation (note that a high level Vitamin D supplement contains 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D): 

Does “outside time” count as a marriage of Eastern and Western medicine???

Last one. This exchange with a 66.1 reader: 

GLP-1s have been all the rage lately. Patients want them, insurance doesn’t want to pay for them. One patient the other day got his GLP-1 “covered” by insurance for $542/month. Wow! 

Busy week! Fun week.

Have fun out there.

Marcus