December 29, 2009

Nothing like listening and watching the news to get your mind off your own, more immediate troubles. Since this most recent terrorist attack, the news services have been buzzing with new developments and the reactions of the pundits and politicians on this subject.
 
I refer, of course, to NWA flight 253, from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Detroit, Michigan, where one Umar Farouk Abdulmutollab set off an incendiary device, in an effort to kill everyone on board, over American soil, using specially prepared underware, laced with powdered explosives. 
 
The terrorist is a 23 year old Nigerian man, whose own father, a prominent businessman, warned our embassy that his son was a radicalized muslim, bent on jihad. Hmmmm…young muslim man attempts to blow up a plane arriving on U.S. soil, on Christmas Day (second holiest day of the year for Christians, not the first, as erroneously reported by some–that would be Easter). Nice. Think that might indicate a religious motive, ie., an act of jihad inspired terrorism and a direct affront to Christians? Naaah! 
 
According to our eminent Secretary for Homeland Security, this past Sunday, “the system worked.” Really? (Where DOES he get these idiots to serve in his cabinet?) Next day, a 180 degree about face, with words to the effect that the system DIDN’T work, after all. Dammit Janet! (inside joke–Rocky Horror reference)
 
The TSA response? Now, no one can go to the bathroom for the last hour of the flight (good luck if you’re pregnant, diabetic, on diuretics, have prostate enlargement, etc.) AND you can’t have a paperback book, or blanket on your lap. You just have to be bored for an hour. Then, after the outcry at this stupidity, they modified the policy, so now the captain of the plane can decide. 
 
Idiocy. All of it. This does NOTHING to insure our safety. Where are the trained dogs, to sniff out explosives? Where is the rational profiling of potential terrorists? Are we all to die, for fear of offending our enemies?
 
This guy should have been on terror watch lists. He paid for a one-way ticket, with cash and no luggage. He lacked a passport, yet was allowed to get on board the plane. WHAT “system?” 
 
Then, the President, after delaying 72 hours, y’know, just to be sure he’s got all the info correct, came in off the golf course in Hawaii, long enough to mention the pro forma phrases expected about the “alleged” “suspect.” 
 
Alleged? Suspect? Legalistic terms, which reveal Obama’s legalistic frame of reference. It is KNOWN that this guy actually detonated his igniter. Luckily, he’s not too swift and his bomb assembly in the bathroom of the plane was faulty. Otherwise, we’d have had a real massacre in the air, with nearly 300 dead.
 
Thanks to a Dutch guy, with some balls, who grabbed this moron, subdued him and said moron’s own ineptitude in bomb assembly, he wasn’t successful. But he DID set off his device–we were just lucky that it failed to detonate. This was NOT a crime, like holding up a liquor store, or mugging an old lady. This WAS a terrorist attack. Not attempted either–completed, but fortunately unsuccessful. This was a real Christmas miracle.
 
This was also an ACT OF WAR by people who hate us and want to KILL US. Somebody clue-in the Commander-in-Chief.
 
Then he said something that should send chills down your spine: He said that this was “an isolated incident.” 
 
Waitaminnit!
 
We know this guy was radicalized, per his own father. We know he was trained by Al Qaeda in Yemen. Al Quaeda has taken credit for the attack, publically. “Isolated incident?” Are you friggin’ kidding me?
 
Our President STILL can’t bring himself to realize or admit that we’re in a WAR with maniacs, religious fanatics, who think that killing innocent civilians is doing Allah’s will.  (As if an all powerful, omniscient, transcendant Deity, who created all the world and all of us, believers and infidels alike, needs the likes of these unwashed mongrels to do His will. Well, one cannot expect logic from a fundamentally non-rational construct. But I digress…)
 
Look, I hope I’m wrong, but I think these guys, all of them, in this Administration, are rank amateurs, if not complete fools. And I think they will continue to do incredibly stupid things, and keep their collective head in the sand, until one day, there are 10,000 dead Americans in the streets (or in the air). Then, there’ll be hand wringing aplenty. And commentators will ask, in great seriousness, “What went wrong?” and “Were there warning signs?”
 
I don’t expect genius, especially from this crowd. But I do expect common sense. And there seems to be a real dearth of that commodity in Washington, these days. 
 
As more and more details of this case come out, one’s incredulity grows apace. But now, with the “suspect” having lawyered up, he cannot now be questioned by the CIA or FBI. His “rights” would be violated. WHAT rights? So now, we can’t learn about future planned attacks. That’s the legacy of a “criminal” approach.
 
The terrorist (which is what he is) has reportedly gotten third degree burns from his little stunt, according to his lawyer. Are we supposed to feel bad for this guy? Screw waterboarding. I’m for tying this guy on an ant hill.
 
AAAARRRGGHH! I can’t stand it any more! There are still people out there who support this Administration, despite all this massive incompetence, the spineless supination, despite the clear and present danger they represent for our republic and our safety. What will it take to convince them they were WRONG about this guy and his minions. I wish I were wrong… but I know I’m not.
 
Ah well, I just had to vent my spleen, one more time, for the end of the old year. I’ve got other things to worry about–like my own surgery coming up this Thursday morning. I wanted to get it done this year (before you know who screws up the health care system, for good) and start the New Year with healing, with the procedure behind me. So, since I can’t do it for a while, immediately after, I’m going to do my knee pain exercises now, while I can.
 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
And if you have any knee pain, or just want to avoid it, I’d recommend that you do the same. The healthier you are, the more problems you fix, the less likely you are to need to be in the health care system.
 
I’d also like to recommend my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com   an enteric coated, highly concentrated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, packed with omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to reduce heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, help to stabilize lipid levels and drop triglycerides and, my favorite, reduce inflammation and arthritis pain. Best of all, it’s completely natural. 
 
Well, up and at ‘em. Talk to you soon, my friend. Til next time, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 28, 2009

Christmas is past for another year. And I hope you had a merry one, full of the joy that being with loved ones always brings. As for me, I’m glad we had our Christmas family celebration early this year. Not only because it gave us a chance to be together, as a family, but, as it turned out, because the Day itself was tinged with sadness, for my wife and me.
 
When I last wrote to you, I reported that Misty, our oldest Persian, who had been acting funny, had been taken to the vet. Shortly after I told you that she seemed to be doing better and that the vet was only able to find some high blood pressure, the trouble started. 
 
Some time after I gave her the prescribed medication, she started coughing fitfully. And we saw a bit of bright red blood in her mouth–not a lot, though. I thought she may have popped a small vessel, from coughing, but she otherwise seemed OK. So, we observed her for a while and initially she looked alright.
 
Now, my wife, who, like all pessimists, calls herself a realist, was convinced that she was at the end of her trail, at the very start of all this. She WAS nearly nineteen, just a few months shy, which is well over 80, in human years. As the optimist of the two of us, I was convinced that this was nothing to worry about. She otherwise appeared to be fine.
 
But about two hours later, now Christmas Eve morning, she began to pant very rapidly. I picked her up and she sounded like she was having difficulty breathing, making “wet,” bubbly sounds with every breath. I was alarmed and thought she was likely in congestive heart failure. 
 
We wrapped her in a towel and ran out with her to the car. I headed to the local emergency vet (open all night) at top speed, while my wife tried to comfort and hold the poor little girl, who was sounding worse and worse. She then grew very agitated, trying to get away from my wife. Finally, she bit her hard on her right shoulder, still trying to get away, so my wife put her down on the floorboards, where she lay, panting. 
 
And, as I tried to get to the vet in time, my wife suddenly said, “I think she’s dead.” “What?” I said. “I think she’s dead,” she repeated. “She’s not breathing.” And so it was. She just…stopped breathing. Nothing to be done, then, but get to the vet, ASAP. It was 12:55AM.
 
About five minutes later, we arrived. Poor little Misty had given up the ghost in the car. For her, the sands of time had run out. I picked up her little limp body in her towel and carried her in. Her eyes were already fixed and dilated, though her body was still warm and soft. We brought her into the vet, where a nurse confirmed what we already knew. 
 
I’ve said before, I can handle just about any malady that can befall a person. And as a physician and surgeon, I have. But when it comes to animals, especially MY animals, well, it just breaks my heart. 
 
And my wife, well…You’d think that with so many that it would get easier, whenever we lose one, but it just never does. Each one is a unique personality. Each one a part of our lives, that leaves a void, when she departs. And Misty was the very last of our Persians, the last of a line that was part of and reminded us of our early days, so full of hope and triumph. 
 
I remembered the very day that we brought her home…a fuzzy, tiny white ball of fur, so prissy and delicate and beautiful, with the very tip of her little pink tongue peeking out, just beyond her teeth, a mannerism that was hers alone, that she kept til the very end. 
 
We stayed with her a while, petting her little head, missing her already, saying our goodbyes, using up tissues and making arrangements. Then, there was nothing left to do. We said our final farewells, then left her there, with the nurse, and drove home slowly in the dark, in silent remembrance. 
 
So, that was how our Christmas Eve began. It was pretty sad and disheartening, to say the least. I trust you will forgive me for not letting you know at the time, but I didn’t want to bring you down, on what should be a happy occasion, or ruin your revelries with the with sadness of our misfortune. 
 
After a night of fitful sleep, things were pretty sad and grim around the Stillwell house, for most of Christmas Day. It was pouring rain outside. My wife wouldn’t put on the Christmas lights, or the tree, or any Christmas music. She wouldn’t eat. Didn’t want to exchange gifts, nothing. It all seemed somehow indecent, inappropriate, given the circumstances.
 
Finally, though, she began to feel a bit better by that evening, after I coaxed her to eat a morsel of something. Finally, I brought out one of my more whimsical gifts for her and got her to smile, a little. And that led to another…and then, another. So, by the end of the day, she was much better. Still sad, but better….
 
We were then able to make our Christmas calls, to family and friends, share with them what had happened and wish them well for the Holiday. And the other cats, well, they have a way of KNOWING when something is up. And they will NOT be ignored. They came round, purring and rubbing on us, more than usual, as if to say, “Don’t dwell on what you’ve lost. Life goes on. Be grateful for what you still have. And you still have US!”  And it was a good, and loving, if unspoken message. And they CAN make you smile….
 
So we were grateful when Christmas was past at last. This emotional stuff just drains me, more than any physical efforts. So we had breakfast, took our supplements, including my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA   http://www.favoriteformulas.com  my enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil (well, my wife took hers. I’m off it for now, pending my surgery later this week, lest it cause excessive intraoperative bleeding). Then, a little exercise, to get the blood moving again and restore some muscle tone, to keep my arthritic knee pain under control:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
And little by little, the sadness is receding and things are returning to normal. Having so many others to care for is a welcome burden and a comfort.
 
And Misty did have a good, long run and a good life. She lived an active, happy existence, right up until her last day. And, when you think about it, that’s not a bad way to go–pretty sudden and relatively fast. We should all be so lucky. 
 
Hopefully, after all that, things will settle down for a while, before the New Year. Guess we’ll see. Til next time, my friend, be well. Talk to you soon.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

Whatever your beliefs, whatever your creed, or lack thereof, surely

we can all agree on the Spirit of Christmas, which is HOPE & LOVE.

“…And on Earth, Peace, Good Will Among Men…”

   Merry Christmas, my friend!

With my very best wishes for Peace & Joy

to you & yours this Holiday Season,

Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html

P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to

http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html

P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html

P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to

http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html

FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION

Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

The early Christmas party went well, last night. Everyone ate their fill (and that’s one real advantage to an early celebration–if you run out if anything, the stores are still open, so you can just go out and buy whatever you want). We did our presents (except for the bride and myself–we like to do our own gift exchanges in private… we always did). And everyone seemed to have a really good time.
 
Slept in late today. That last minute push before an event at the house always knocks me out, so I indulged myself with lying abed this morning and allowed myself to recharge.
 
Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I recently discovered that I have developed an inguinal hernia–just came out of the blue. Don’t recall any trauma, or any sensation of straining, or tearing. But a few days after Thanksgiving, I noticed it for the first time–it just WAS. The surgeon says that’s how these things normally present in us middle aged guys. Another step on the road to decreptitude.
 
This is one of those “mechanical problems” I’m always talking about, as a differentiation between “necessary” and “unnecessary” surgeries, a point I make repeatedly in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY: http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  
 
Anyway, it seems I need some surgery soon, to fix it, so I have to stop all dietary items that could cause excessive bleeding, during the procedure.
 
That would include any low dose aspirin, or garlic, or fish oil, that are normally taken precisely because they “thin the blood” and reduce the incidence of abnormal clotting. The problem is that they all have additional effects, like the proven, potent anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids, found in pharmaceutical grade fish oil, like my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA   http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
That means that if I stop the fish oil and the other items for any single reason, I give up ALL their benefits. And having done so now, for a few days, I can TELL it’s missing, when my back and joints start aching again.
 
There’s no question that those anti-inflammatory properties really exist. Same thing can be said for its anti-platelet aggregation properties, that make the blood platelets less “sticky” and therefore, less likely to form clots. 
 
That’s why the doctors tell you to quit them a week, or ten days, before surgery. That’s tacit admission from the medical establishment that omega-3′s WORK.
 
Then, earlier today, my oldest cat, Misty, started falling around. Poor thing is over 18 1/2, which makes her over 80, in human years. We were very upset, fearing that she had had a stroke. We’ve lost a few of our older cats to sudden strokes. And there’s no coming back from that, if it’s a big one.
 
So, I was moping around all day, until I could get her to the vet. My wife was convinced she’d come to the end of the road and that we’d have to put her down. Some timing! I hate that. And I was dreading hearing that I would have to do that, today. 
 
I know she’s old, but she’s really sweet and I tend to fight for my pets, every step of the way, whatever is needed, so they get every minute of quality life that’s coming to them. Funny, but I apply the “Medical Ethic” to my cats, while Congress is getting ready to apply the “Veterinary Ethic” to us (ie., those who pay the bill determine the level of care), with their Christmas Eve vote on their alleged Health Care bill. November can’t come soon enough, for me….
 
But when the vet finally looked at her, blood work was great, x-rays were OK and he only found some high blood pressure, ie., a treatable condition. Thank God! You know, I can handle anything involving my health, or that of my family, but I still get all choked up about our cats.
 
So Misty got a reprieve–she came home and promptly went to sleep, none the worse for wear. And you know what? As far as I was concerned, it was the best gift of all!
 
Well, nothing left now, but some last minute shopping for my bride and then, the peaceful interlude of Christmas Day. I wish you every joy for this Holiday Season, and hope you enjoy a very Merry Christmas, you and your loved ones, and a Happy, Healthy New Year! Til the next time we speak, enjoy the peace and the hope of this special time of year…and be well, my friend.
 
With seasonal greetings and my warmest wishes for your optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html

FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 22, 2009

Today is three days before Christmas, but for me, it’s already arrived. My brother-in-law has a job that requires him to be on duty for Christmas Day, so we decided to have our Holiday get together today, when he and his lady could come, rather than the official day, this Friday.
 
Of course, what this means is that I’ve been frantically running around, just trying to get everything done in time. And, per Stillwell’s Law of Relativity, as the time approaches Christmas, it flies faster and faster, til now, there’s virtually none left.
 
I’m running out of time before they arrive and I still have items on the Honey Do List that I haven’t yet done. Hence, the late hour of arrival of this email. Sorry about that, but it was this, or just recycle an old one.
 
As usual, at the very last minute, we tried our fireplaces (which in Florida, as you might imagine, are strictly for show, and are gas driven, not true wood burning–termites, you know…). And of course, they didn’t work. Might have something to do with all the cat hair that’s probably worked its way into the ignition mechanism.
 
So, first thing this morning, the repair guy comes to fix them, just hours before company arrives. Nothing like a photo finish.
 
He knelt down on the hard marble hearth, as he peered into the inner mechanism and I held the flashlight for him. Sure enough, plenty of cat fur, that’s been sucked in by the draft of the chimney. But the real reason it wouldn’t work is that the wire to the ignition mechanism was broken. Wouldn’t you know?
 
Well, he got that fixed and FOOOM! it started right up. Looks nice, but doesn’t throw any heat. He moved on to the next and discovered that the pilot light was out. More tinkering and then, that one started, as well.
 
Thinking we were done, as he realized that I was a doctor, and an orthopaedist, especially, the guy happened to mention that his knees were giving him some trouble. No real surprise, there.
 
Guy has spent years kneeling on hard surfaces, like my marble hearth, which isn’t the best thing for your kneecaps, believe me. Whenever I’d see a working man in my office, lo those many years ago, it was a sure bet that if he made his living on his knees, he had arthritis of the kneecap (patellofemoral arthritis), or at a minimum, the forerunner of that disease, chondromalacia patellae.
 
To learn about these and other reasons for knee pain, you might want to check out my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN (it’s even color coded for the Christmas Season), right here at:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
In this little book, I show you what’s causing your pain and, more important, HOW to get rid of it, once and for all, using treatments from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complementary. 
 
For example, in this case, he should be using knee pads, or failing that, have a soft pad or pillow, on which he can kneel. These disperse the compression forces, by spreading out the forces of kneeling over a larger surface area. Makes a big, big difference.
 
This book doesn’t contain the knee pain exercises, though. There are simply too many of them. Those are available in a companion healing program, manual and full length DVD, DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
The two were designed to go together, as companion pieces, and I recommend that if you want to get serious about your knee pain and rid yourself of that pain FAST, then consider getting both.
 
One of the best things you can do for yourself, whether you have knee pain or not, is take some of my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA,  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  an ultra pure, highly concentrated, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, chock full of long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA), which have proven heart healthy and natural anti-inflammatory properties, comparable to NSAID medications, but without the adverse side effects. Generally, I don’t like to brag, but I believe it’s the best you can get! 
 
When you combine this fish oil with the non-operative measures in my Little Green Book, and the exercises and stretches in my Pain-Free Program, you have an excellent chance of being just that–pain-free, or at least a helluvalot better. Hopefully, my repairman friend will listen to me, before it’s too late, and he has irreparable damage.
 
So, one mission accomplished, a few more to go…then, have to finish wrapping presents, signing cards… Oy! Well, at least I’ll really be ready for Christmas Day itself, when it gets finally here. Hope your shopping is going well. Only a couple more days to go…
 
Signing off for now, my friend. Too much to do, too little time–kind of a metaphor for all of life, isn’t it? Til next time, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 21, 2009

After our recent soujourn in the City, where we enjoyed New York, in all its Christmas finery, it was time to head back to Florida. We’re having the family over for Christmas, so we have a bunch of work to do, before the homestead is fit for company. And besides, the bride was missing her “babies” and needed a fur fix, bad.
 
So, after setting the Southampton thermostats down to subsistence levels, we headed out to the airport. As a matter of convenience, we use Southwest Airlines, out of Macarthur Airport in Islip, because it’s the closest to Southampton. It’s two hours (depending on traffic) to the closest City Airports, LaGuardia or JFK, so Macarthur, it is.
 
We arrived there in plenty of time, to discover that the flight to Orlando was packed. Not a spare seat on the plane. And we were reportedly heading out just ahead of a massive Winter snow storm (even though it isn’t officially Winter, yet). “Global Warming,” right?
 
Fortunately, I had the foresight to buy “Earlybird” seating, which is Southwest’s idea for giving you early boarding for open seating. They claim that this saves them money, though I have never understood how. Anyway, this gives you a better choice of seats, as you get on the plane sooner. With the flight so packed and no empty seats, it usually let’s us pick our seats, get our stuff stashed sooner, with less hassle. 
 
If Jetblue could ever get into that airport, we’d be on that airline, all the time. They have more comfortable seats, they have those cute little TV screens, on the back of the seat in front of you, and the planes are always clean. They also have assigned seating, none of this “lining up” crap.
 
Normally, we head right for the mid-plane exit row. There are several reasons why we like that: 1. The seats have considerably more legroom, 2. If, God forbid, there IS an emergency evacuation of the plane, I want the limiting factor to a quick exit to be cool, fast, competent hands, ie., MINE, not those of some panicky, bumbling moron, and 3. When the plane is NOT packed tight, we can often have an empty seat between us, the closest you can get to “First Class” seating on these “cattlecar” flights.
 
This time, however, someone had beaten us to our favorite row, a big burly guy. And there he was, all spread out in the window seat, with his knees open and his shoulders and arms spreading over the armrest. Great.
 
Now, you need to undetstand that the bride does NOT sit next to strangers, anywhere, if she can help it. No. That’s MY job. So I settled in, as best I could, between my wife on my right and King Kong on my left. Great.
 
Guy never budged. No tendency for accomodation, at all. And he was a big guy. He was pretty broad. He actually took up that space, and then some. It’s not like I could ask him to move over. There WAS no “over.” So, I twisted slightly in the seat, insinuating my left shoulder behind his right.  And so I sat… the entire. miserable. flight.
 
This would have been bad enough, but that slight twist was enough to set my warped, previously fractured spine off, causing some cramping and aches and pains, that I normally don’t have. Part of it was that my wife didn’t have enough of my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  with her on this trip (I thought she packed them, she thought I’d packed them…), so I lent her some of mine.  And now, I could FEEL the difference of the lower daily dose.
 
If you ever doubted that pharmaceutical grade fish oil really DOES have natural anti-inflammatory properties, just try being without your accustomed dose for a few days and then talk to me. They’re real, alright.
 
So, to take my mind off the discomfort of my contortions, I started doing some of the isometrics that I teach in my all new, expanded PAIN-FREE PROGRAM exercises and stretches, like quad setting and seated calf raises, http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   which have the added benefit of moving the blood through the lower legs, reducing the risk of a DVT (deep vein thrombosis, clots that can form in the veins of the legs, from long sitting in one position). 
 
Between these little leg exercise sessions and a few chest compressions (where you press one hand against the other and tense your pectoral muscles, while breathing deeply) and even a few head rolls, side to side and round and round, to loosen up my neck and spine, and a few cat naps, I finally made it. Hallelujah!
 
Talk about “flying the friendly skies…” this was one of the worst flights it has been my experience to suffer through, in quite some time. Thank God it was over. The bride, of course, was just fine. Just as well, though.  Don’t want her turning nasty…I’d still be suffering
 
Well, we picked up the luggage, retrieved the car and got back to the homestead, without incident. Luckily, it was fairly cool for Orlando, about 68-70 degrees, with a nice breeze, so I didn’t have to hear about the insufferable heat and humidity. But a helluva lot better than the 30′s we left in New York and the snow storm we had just missed, by my reckoning. I hate the cold. She hates the heat. How did we stay married for over 35 years? Just lucky, I guess….
 
Well, time for the big push, this week. Christmas is nearly upon us, so lots to do before the big guy in the red suit squeezes down our chimney, once more. Hope you’re getting your shopping done early. Talk to you soon. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 18, 2009

Watching the goingson in the Senate, recently, I reflected on the fact that the majority clearly doen’t give a $hit about what the American people think. I am, of course, referring to the Senate version of the Health Care Bill. The numbers of people OPPOSED to this monstrosity are now over 60% and climbing. Those strongly in favor number about 19% (about the same number who designate themselves as “progressive”). The rest have no idea–which should make them eligible to be senators.
 
This would be a comedy, if it wasn’t so sad. These guys are determined to ram something, anything, through and pass it, so Obama can sign it and claim “victory.” (I wish he felt that way about Afghanistan, but I digress…) Even if you are a stark raving lib and think that “single payer” is a great idea, you should be very distressed about the behavior exhibited by our distinguished senators.
 
All the so-called “moderates,” who had reservations about this bill (many of them very insightful) saw the light after cutting lucrative deals, designed to bring home the bacon, in pork, to their home districts. Sen. Mary Landrieu was very up front about her payoff–not 100 million, as initially advertised, but 300 million!
 
This reminds me of the old joke:  “Will you sleep with me for a million bucks?” he asked. “Sure,” she replied. “Well, how about for five bucks?”  “What kind of a girl do you think I am?” she replied, indignantly, slapping the guy’s face. “We’ve already established that,” he said. “We’re just dickering over price!”
 
However, to suggest that these people are like prostitutes is to do grave injustice to working girls (who, at least, give fair value and honest work for their money).
 
Every one of them, Nelson, Leiberman, et al have cut deals for supporting this horror, the welfare of the American people be damned. And I strongly suggest that we all remember this, come November, 2010.
 
Here’s the thing: it simply is not possible to cut 500 billion from Medicare, on the backs of the elderly, and add 30 million more to the system and still save money. Those who say that they’re not cutting services to the elderly are being more than a little disingenuous. 
 
All that talk about “forcing the cost curve downward” is code for cutting fees to doctors and hospitals, beyond the already reduced fees they now have. The result is absolutely predictable–more doctors will retire early, those who can’t will refuse to see, or limit how many Medicare patients they will see. This will result in FEWER choices, LIMITED ACCESS, LONGER WAITS. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
 
Look, would YOU work for a fraction of your salary? Especially if every job you did came with a virtually unlimited liability? No, I didn’t think so.
 
And the items really needed, to truly reform Health Care in this country, insurance sales across state lines, tort reform, medical savings accounts, all MIA in this boondoggle. OK, there IS coverage for pre-existing conditions, but that is a poison pill, designed to eventually destroy the private insurance system, which cannot do business like that, without the larger pool of insured across state lines.
 
Remember, all the people who want this thing, including (maybe especially) the President, really want “Single Payer” ala Brittain, Canada, and the EU, complete with rationing, “best practices,” drug limitations, and crippling inter-generational taxes, with severe dampening effects on the economy, for decades to come. I will tell you this–once you drive out the best and brightest from Medicine, by destroying all incentive, they ain’t comin’ back, pal. You’ll simply be S.O.L.
 
I always used to say to my friends that my greatest fear in getting older was that there wouldn’t be anyone as good as I was, to take care of me, when I needed care. But I was kidding–I just never figured that this would ever happen.
 
Here’s another thing I thought would never happen–I actually agree with Dr. Howard Dean, who believes that this bill is so deeply flawed that it should be killed and start over. True, we believe that for diametrically opposed reasons, since he is an avowed far leftist and he doesn’t think this bill goes far enough), while I’m somewhat to the right of Atilla the Hun, as the saying goes, but still…. Strange bedfellows, indeed.
 
Well, at this point, what will be will be. Don’t worry. Be happy. Only the massive tax hikes kick in this year and for another five years. The “benefits” don’t come on-line, until the year AFTER the President’s re-election, in 2012. That’s the plan, anyway.
 
I suggest you continue to let your senator know how you feel…and what you will DO, and how you will VOTE, if he/she votes FOR this Health Care Horror. Let ‘em know where you stand. They may well ignore you, but you can only do what you can do. Then…make them pay.
 
Meanwhile, keep your options open. The best way to avoid the major problems with this bill, or any like it, is to get and stay in such good health that you won’t need to access whatever sytem is left. You still have choices. Make the right ones.
 
This is a great time of year to resolve to stop smoking, or stop using drugs, or stop drinking to excess. It’s a great time to start watching what you eat, what you drink, what you do. It’s time to start walking, every day, and exercising, at least a few times a week, with resistance exercises, like those in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, now available in a new, expanded (almost doubled) manual AND a full length DVD, demonstrating the exercises and stretches:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
There are so many benefits to exercise, it’s hard to find its limits. But among the key ones, it helps you drop FAT (much more important than weight), it controls your insulin levels, reduces inflammation, reduces the risk for a host of diseases and boosts the immune system.
 
To enhance that even more, get started on my own brand, DR. BILL’S POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA http://www.favoriteformulas.com   an ultra pure, highly concentrated, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, with 780mg of omega 3  fatty acids PER CAPSULE. Even prescription strength fish oil doesn’t offer this combination of benefits. I take two, twice a day, every day, for its heart and brain healthy properties (it reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes) and its proven, potent anti-inflammatory effects, which relieve the pain of arthritis. It just doesn’t get better than this.
 
So, stay aware, get fit, be happy and healthy. Don’t be at the mercy of soulless politicians. Take care of yourself and those you love, for now and for the future, whatever it holds. Have a great weekend, my friend. Finish up that Christmas Shopping, so you can relax and enjoy the Holidays. Til next time, be well.
 
Yours for optimal health and a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html

P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 17, 2009

Recently, I was part of a marketing seminar, where I go periodically, to learn to present my information and products to the widest possible audience. As part of that training, we all participate in an early exercise session. I mean EARLY, as in 5:30 AM. 
 
The instructor put us through a series of gentle exercises, which are designed to generate internal power and flexibility. Then, we moved to a series of stretches, designed to promote greater range of joint motion and flexibility.
 
Oh my…I realized as I struggled to straighten my knee, while holding my foot, that my strength is still pretty good, but my flexibility needs some work.
 
And I’m not alone.
 
You know, in Nature, anything you don’t use on a regular basis, is lost. This is always true, but you see it on an accelerated basis after surgery.
 
I saw this phenomenon many times in my patients, after surgeries that I had done to replace their arthritic joints. I noticed that it was easier to regain motion, after a hip replacement, than it was after a knee replacement. Same thing, if I had done an extensive open knee surgery, to realign the kneecap, or reconstruct ruptured ligaments.
 
Why is that? Well, if you think about it, you eventually HAVE to go to the bathroom, and sit on a toilet, to answer Nature’s call, man or woman. This is even truer for women, who sit to urinate, as well. And every time you sit, you’re stretching your hip joint into flexion.
 
But you can sit without deeply flexing your knees, especially if the surgery only involved one knee. So, it’s not uncommon for patients with a relatively low pain threshhold (those who are more sensitive to pain) to resist bending the operative knee. In a very short time, adhesions form, which subsequently tighten and make motion even more restricted and painful.
 
Then, there’s the opposite problem–knee extension, or stretching straight out. This results in the inability to full straighten the knee joint, what we call a fixed flexion contracture, or deformity. This is even worse than lacking full flexion. Why?
 
Well, you can walk with a fully straight, but stiff knee. But a knee fixed in flexion functions shorter and lacks the strength and stability of a fully extended knee.
 
Here’s a very simple, but very effective way to achieve full extension. You simply have to sit on the floor, or some other firm surface, with a pillow under your heel. Then press down on your thigh, above the knee. You’ll feel the tightness in the back of the joint. Deep breathing, with consistent pressure, will gradually stretch out the capsule of the knee and all the hamstring tendons, until it is fully straight.
 
Naturally, there are many other, more sophisticated stretches that you can do, to achieve this end. For that matter, there are a number of gentle, but effective stretches for knee flexion, as well. I teach them all in detail in my new, completely revamped and expanded PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can order here:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Stretching is as important as strengthening for relieving knee pain, realigning the kneecap, and restoring full function. I can see I have to start doing more stretching myself, if I want to keep up with the youngsters in the group.
 
One way to help is to increase my intake of omega 3 fatty acids, like those in my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA http://www.favoriteformulas.com   The natural anti-inflammatory properties of this ultra pure, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil are proven to reduce or eliminate joint pain of arthritis, or other inflammatory conditions, in addition to a long list of proven heart and brain healthy benefits, including reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes, cardiac arrhythmias, blood pressure, some cancers, and platelet adhesiveness, resulting in a lower risk of clots. It’s the best, simplest thing you can do for your health.
 
The combination of fish oil and the stretching and strengthening exercises I teach is a good way to resolve that nagging knee pain, once and for all. Try it yourself and see. 
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 16, 2009

This past weekend, the bride and I took our annual trip to the Big Apple, to see the lights and the big tree at Rockefeller Center. Although New York is always a spectacular place to visit, like the song says, when “…it’s Christmas Time in the City,” it’s a tough experience to beat.
 
The City had on its Holiday finest, with spangly, twinkling lights everywhere. There was the giant glowing snowflake, suspended over the crossroads of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, Trump Tower in all its golden Christmas finery, Tiffany’s, Cartier’s, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, with its panorama of animated electric snowflakes on a blue field, above the entrance, just opposite the white stylized, trumpeting angels that line the pavillion, leading to the Rockefeller Center Tree, standing in all its stately glory, above the Golden statue of Prometheus and the famous skating rink.
 
On 50th and Sixth Avenue, there was the giant display of enormous red Christmas ball ornaments, piled one on top of the other, each of which must be about ten feet in diameter. And sparkling white lights which festooned the surrounding trees, everywhere.
 
The weather was crisp, but not frigid and, though it rained one day, the following day was beautiful and clear. This year, I noticed a number of scaffolds around some of the buildings, perhaps renovating, or cleaning the facades.
 
You can see a lot when you’re on your feet, instead of driving. I made note of the passersby on the street. Hardly anyone was especially heavy and most were fit. Why would that be?
 
Well, when you look around, most people are walking briskly along, with purpose and speed, to wherever they’re going. I can tell you, from having lived at several different times in the City, that when you’re there, you walk everywhere. And health clubs are everywhere, too. So people in the City do stay pretty fit (at least the ones on the street, in Midtown Manhattan). 
 
There are a few teaching points to be had, here. Walking is an exercise that everyone can do. And it apparently results in people who are fit and apparently healthy. And even those who don’t walk briskly have access to exercise. Food for thought.
 
Well, Friday night, we had tickets to see “MAMMA MIA!,” at the Wintergarden Theater. This is a play, based on the music of the 80′s Rock Group, ABBA. It’s been made into a film (which I haven’t seen, yet–I wanted to see the play, first), starring Merryl Streep. But, as a special treat, we had a pre-theater dinner in the Russian Tea Room, a New York landmark restaurant, which, in all my years in New York, I had never been to. The occasion just never came up, though I kept meaning to go. So this was the night. Finally.
 
The decor was striking, the service, excellent and the food, scrumptious. Also, not cheap, but then, this IS the City, so that’s expected. But the quality was outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel. Apparently, I’ve been missing out on a good thing, all these years. No use crying over the proverbial spilt milk, though. I finally got there and it was wonderful. That’s what’s important. Needless to say, now that I know how good it is, we’ll be back….
 
Then, it was time for the show. And in keeping with the New Yorkers’ examples, we walked, despite the cold, from 57th to the Wintergarden, on Broadway. We had good seats in the orchestra, with a good view of the stage. Once we were settled, I thought it a good idea to get in a quick pit stop, before the show started.
 
As is often the case in these theaters, access to the facilities was up (or down) a steep flight of stairs. I watched, with more than a little sympathy, as some vastly large women winced with pain, as they attempted the climb to comfort. Based on what I saw, many of them have arthritis of the knee. Besides losing some gross tonnage, the conservative non-surgical treatments I reveal in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  could really help them to eliminate that knee pain and restore their function. One simple thing they could do, even if they were disinclined to do the knee pain exercises I teach, is to start taking an ultra pure, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, like my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA   http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
Like NSAID medications, but without their bad side effects, fish oil has omega 3 fatty acids, with proven, natural anti-inflammatory properties, that will reduce knee pain and swelling, improve motion and slow the progress of arthritis. 
 
I swear, one of these days, I’m going to just give out cards, with the website printed on them, to likely candidates, when I see them. 
 
After we were reseated, the show came on. I was curious to see how they would string together a bunch of ABBA songs into a coherent story. Having now seen it, I can say it was pretty ingenious. And it was a lot of fun.
 
We enjoyed it, though we both still like JERSEY BOYS, better. While I’m glad I saw this, I wouldn’t run right back to see it again. With JERSEY BOYS, I would. But all in all, it was a full and pleasure-filled day.
 
The next morning, after breakfast, we got a car and drove out to visit the Southampton house. Just a little restorative peace and quiet, before we head back to Florida, the family and all the cats, for Christmas. I still can’t believe how fast this month has flown…
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 15, 2009

After our adventures in the Turkish Bazaar and after exploring the Sultan’s Topkapi Palace, the next day, we wandered the streets of Istanbul outside the bazaar.  As if we didn’t have enough of them, we wandered into yet another rug shop.
 
My wife spied a particularly vivid red carpet, not too big, but very beautiful, with a very ornate golden border. The merchant was very impressed with our choice, as it turns out that this was a true antique, woven by hand nearly a century ago. That deep red color, a blood shade of crimson, was made with natural dyes, derived from the heads of insects (ugh!).
 
Well, we had the obligatory apple tea and hung out there for a while, casually bargaining. You need to understand that in this part of the world, there is no fixed price for anything. Everything is negotiable. And bargaining is both expected and respected, almost a social form.
 
Well we finally struck a deal, after a few hours (nothing is rushed, here) though the owner was crying that I was robbing him. That actually means that he wasn’t robbing ME as badly as would have liked to. But, it was all in good humor. And we got along with the merchant and his sons very well. 
 
We stopped by to say hello a few more times that week. Turns out that the sons were well connected with the Ministry of Antiquities. So, since we were coming due to return home, I asked their advice about a purchase I’d made in the Bazaar, one day.
 
I have always had a weakness for bladed weapons, swords, knives, of all kinds. Guess it has something to do with being a surgeon (or a frustrated warrior). And I had seen this magnificent oriental dagger, deeply chased and burnished silver, pommel, guard and scabbard, with the odor and patina of great age. It had a long, straight, pointed blade with a central blood groove, perhaps 12 inches long. It was striking.
 
Now, I rarely get things for myself, other than a few T-shirts, in most places we visit. I usually enjoy buying a few nice things for my wife. But this was an exception. So, I bought it as a souvenir and was thrilled with the purchase. 
 
But then, I found out, belatedly, that the Turkish Ministry of Antiquities did not permit the exportation of any culturally significant Turkish artifacts from the country. Uh oh. Visions of “Midnight Express” and spending hard time in a Turkish hell hole flew through my mind.
 
We decided to ask our pals at the rug shop. So I brought the knife, to show them. Well, they were very impressed. They also assured me that it was quite genuine, not a fake antique, for the tourist trade. The merchant who swore to me that it was real was telling the truth. Well, that was a relief. But now what?
 
Well, it turns out that it was not, strictly speaking, a Turkish antiquity. Rather, it was made on the northern border shared with Russia, with a distinctly Caucasian design. So, a case could be made that it did not violate the ban on taking Turkish antiquities out of the country. But still, they advised me to bury it deep in my suitcase and hope for the best. Great.
 
Well, I thanked them and said our goodbyes. Then, I did exactly what they advised. Came the morning of our departure, we arrived at the airport at 4 AM. All these military guards, with fully loaded and poised submachine guns, were everywhere, looking over everyone (and this was well before any of today’s terrorist attacks). Great. 
 
I watched, as our bags were sent through the x-ray machines, holding my breath. Amazingly, everything was cleared. Had my friends from the rug shop spoken to their friends at the airport? I guess I’ll never know. Because that dagger showed quite clearly on the     x-ray image. I saw it. I’m sure they did, too. However, or whyever, they ignored it and let it pass, thank God for small favors.
 
I was very grateful to get on that plane, without incident, I can tell you. And I slept nearly all the way home. So that was the end of our first trip to Turkey. All in all, quite an experience, rich with good memories and wonderful times.
 
And I still have that antique rug, today. And the Caucasian blade.
 
We arrived home, safe, tired, but happy. Then it was back to work for me, slicin’ and dicin’ those hips and knees. And if you’d like to treat YOUR knee pain with some proven conservative treatments and bypass the operating room yourself, then try my newest healing program: HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY    http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved