January 7, 2010

Pity the global warming advocates. Here we are, freezing our butts off and they’re still pushing this bogus “man-made global warming” scam. I have yet to have anyone explain to me how they account for melting of the ice caps…on MARS, if Man is responsible. Ah well, I guess they figure if they say it often enough, there will be enough of the brain-dead among us to make it fly–despite the facts.
 
The sun shining today, brightly, but without much warmth, brings up the subject of what to do during the winter months, for our vitamin D requirements.
 
As you may know, Vitamin D is an extremely important substance, which takes part in many biological processes, including the absorption of dietary calcium from the gut (and therefore, in preventing osteoporosis) and, more recently, enhancing the immune system and preventing cancer. In many ways,  Vitamin D acts more like a hormone than a normal vitamin.
 
It’s one of those vitamins that our bodies can synthesize, in addition to its uptake in certain of our foods, like fish liver oil, green leafy vegetables and, of course, supplements. When skin is exposed to sunlight, the vitamin’s precursor, naturally present in the deeper layers of the skin, is converted by the ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation into a compound that is eventually converted into the biologically active form of Vitamin D, called cholecalciferol, or Vitamin D-3.
 
Supplements or dietary sources, unless they specify that they’re D-3, are instead a slightly different chemical form, called ergocalciferol, or Vitamin D-2.  Though it used to be thought that D-2 was inferior to D-3 as a supplement, more recent research shows that they both will lead to the active form the body needs.
 
One common mistake is to think that what is commonly called fish oil is a good source of Vitamin D. This arises because it’s been known for years that taking cod liver oil, for example, is a good way to increase vitamin D intake. But fish oil, unless otherwise specified, refers to fish BODY oils, which are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, but NOT Vitamin D.
 
Conversely, people think that because they take cod liver oil, they’re covered for their omega-3 needs. Not so. In fact, that could be dangerous, because fish LIVER oil contains the FAT soluble vitamins D and A. So if they were taken every day, as frequently as fish BODY oil, you might easily become toxic, with overdoses of both D and A.
 
It’s best to remember that omega-3 fatty acids and the fat soluble vitamins (A & D) are two seperate types of nutrients, that are best taken from two seperate sources. 
 
Though sunlight is the best source of D-3 (you can’t overdose on Vitamin D derived from the sun), cod liver oil, or supplements derived from that, are acceptable substitutes. Fish oil, like my own POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
is best as an ultra purified, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade source of omega-3′s with many health benefits, including heart, brain and joint properties that are proven to be very beneficial, in many ways, with virtually NO significant side effects.
 
These contaminant-free, ultra pure fish oil capsules can and should be taken every day, two to three times throughout the day, to balance the overwhelming amounts of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, so common in the Western diet, today.
 
Though a daily dose of 400-1000 IU of Vitamin D is commonly recommended, many people actually need MORE. How can you tell what’s right for you?
 
Ask your doctor to check your blood levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, perhaps 3-4 times a year. Most investigators agree that this chemical is the best measure of your personal stores of this important vitamin. I personally take 2000 IU a day, as my tested 25-OH-vitamin D levels were only borderline, on 1000 IU a day. Remember, that was over twice the RDA. 
 
The key thing to take home from this is that everyone is an individual. Everyone is different. And everyone has different needs.
 
So measuring the actual stores you have, a few times a year, is the only way to really determine your personal needs. The RDA (recommended daily allowances) are almost a joke. Because they are average, designed to harm no one and “fit” everyone, they don’t address any single person’s actual needs. And even more aggressive recommendations, even mine, cannot be applied across the board, for all individuals.
 
So invest in the test. 
 
It’s easy, it’s relatively cheap and it is THE best way to be sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D. And enough Vitamin D is critical, not just for your bones, but even more important for this time of year, your immune system and resistance to disease, like the flu.
 
And do your exercises. Exercise has so many benefits, on virtually every physiological parameter, including your immune system, that it can’t be over emphasized. Try to do SOMETHING, every day. If you have knee pain (and, let’s face it, many of us do) these exercises in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM and DVD are good for relieving knee pain, and will serve as general exercise, as well. 
 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
That’s it for today, my friend. Stay warm. Keep smilin’. Talk to you tomorrow. Til then, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
 
DR. BILL
 
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
 
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, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 5, 2010

Once released from the hospital’s RIO unit, my wife drove me home. I was set up in a spare bedroom, with a lower mattress than my usual, to make it easier to get in and out of bed.
 
Luckily, the local anesthesia was in full force, so I remained comfortable and pain-free. I checked out the dressing, but it was clean and dry, with no sign of bleeding. So far, so good. Then, I got a cold seltzer to drink. Remember, I had been NPO (nothing by mouth) since 10PM the night before surgery, and only had ice chips in recovery, so I was pretty thirsty. Hungry, too. 
 
Then, I noticed I was tired. No surprise there. Surgery is a trauma to your body, so it induces a lot of stress. After drifting in and out of sleep, I had to go to the bathroom. That’s when things started to get interesting.
 
Turns out that when you try to get out of bed, especially without any leverage, you put a lot of stress on those new sutures, just placed in the surgical repair. YEOW! Only a momentary thing, but despite the local anesthetic, I felt that! I had to figure out how I was going to do this.
 
So, I decided to try using a cane, which I had handy, left over from my last surgery, an arthroscopy of my left knee in 2005. I discovered that of I pressed down with the cane in my left hand, I was able to get up with only minimal discomfort. How about that?

Further experimentation revealed that if the came was used in my left hand while walking, it relaxed my right abdominal muscles, by reflex. Now, I’ve known for years that the use of a cane reduces the joint reaction forces across the opposite hip and knee. In fact, I make a great point of that technique, as a way to minimize joint pain, in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
But I never heard that it also relaxes the abdominal muscles on the opposite side from the cane. I don’t believe my surgeon even knows about this (but you can be sure that I’ll let him know, for his future patients). Keep this trick in mind, if you ever need to get abdominal surgery–it makes quite a difference.
 
The other thing that made a big difference in my comfort was the use of a rectangular cooler pack, stored in our freezer against emergencies, instead of a simple ice pack. The surgeon had recommended intermittent use of ice to reduce swelling, but this solid, cold cooler pack not only chilled the tissues, reducing local pain and swelling, but also acted as a buttress against any intra-abdominal pressure. When I pressed it against my surgical site, it kept the repair under pressure, so it reduced any tension on the internal sutures.
 
Between the cane and the cooler pack, I managed very well, indeed. I was completely comfortable, when at rest in bed. I only had some momentary pain, when attempting to get in and out of bed. Even walking was not bad, so long as I went slowly, using the cane in my left hand and holding the cooler pack against my lower abdomen, on my right.
 
In bed, I found by trial and error that a slightly bent fetal position, on my left side, with a pillow between my legs, made me very comfortable. Virtually no pain, at all. I still had taken no pain medication. In that position, I slipped off to sleep and slept all night long.
 
Next day, I found the same thing. Using the cane and the ice pack, I was comfortable enough that I was not in need of any analgesics, even though the local had surely worn off by then. I just took it easy, watched TV, read a bit and periodically took a nap.
 
Long and short of it is that, despite having filled a prescription for Percocet, just in case, I have not needed a single pill. Not one, to date. Just took off the dressing and the incision is healing fine. Of course, the real issue is the internal healing. And that’s the reason that I can’t take my twice daily dose of POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA   http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
A hernia is a defect in the tough fibrous sheath across the groin, which is pierced by the spermatic cord, on its way to the testes. The descent of the testes leaves a potential weakness there, which in some people, under some conditions, leads to a tear, or rupture in that sheath. This tear allows loops of bowel (small intestines) to protrude, causing a bulge under the skin. In some cases, that loop of bowel can twist, cutting off circulation and literally dying. This is called strangulation and it’s a surgical emergency. That’s why I wanted this fixed, pronto.
 
In the old days (when I was an intern), the only repairs sutured the edges of the tear back together and to the big oblique inguinal ligament, that runs between the “point” of the hip (anterior superior iliac spine) to the pubic bone. But that repair is under a lot of tension and ruptures can recur at a rate of around 30-40%. With a new, tension-free technique, the surgeon covers the defect with a fine mesh of polypropylene and sews that to the edges and the ligament. 
 
Eventually, fibrous tissues grow into that mesh, which acts like a scaffold, and upon maturity reconstitutes the abdominal wall, obliterating the defect and restoring integrity to the wall. The recurrence rate for this technique is only 1%. The downside is that it needs inflammation to provoke the ingrowth of the fibrous tissues. So, since fish oil is so effective at reducing inflammation, I can’t use it yet. And the rest of my joints KNOW it, too.
 
Anyway, that’s what happened next. So far, so good. I walked a bit more today and went out for the first time. So, little by little, day by day…it’s getting better. Til next time, my friend, be well. 
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
 
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, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 4, 2010

Finally, the Holidays are over. The confetti and tinsel are over for another year. And here we are in the beginning of a new year, of a new decade. Here’s hoping it’s a good one….
 
As for me, I’m recovering from my recent herniorrhaphy (inguinal hernia repair), which I had done last Thursday morning, New Year’s Eve Day. The idea was to get this problem fixed, while in the old year, so I could begin the New Year with the surgery behind me and start a new chapter of my life, with healing. 
 
Now, my wife has a dim view of all things Floridian and would have preferred that I have my surgery in New York, with one of my old compadres. But my attitude was that, if I’m living down here, I’d better learn who’s good, on an elective basis, before any emergency occurs.
 
I was referred to Dr. Possada, a general surgeon recommended by my cardiologist, of whom I think very highly. I asked the correct question of him: “Who would YOU use, for this procedure, for YOU or YOUR FAMILY?” 
 
Very important point and the best teaching, with which to start the New Year: Never just ask for a referral. Depending on the doctor (or nurse) and the relationship they have with the specialist, you may get lucky, or you may get referred because of business reasons. I saw this many times in my years in private practice.
 
I got many a back-handed compliment: these guys would send all their referrals to other docs, for business reasons, but when it was someone from their own family, why then, they wanted them to come to me.
 
It’s considered “unethical” for nurses or docs in the ER, for example, to refer to the docs who they KNOW are the best. Instead, if asked for a referral, they are required to refer to the person on the ER call roster, who may or may NOT be the best choice for you.
 
The case for this is that they can otherwise “steer” referrals to their favorites and away from those not so favored. However, what they are NOT doing is looking out for YOU. They don’t know you. They have to live with all these guys, long after you’re gone and forgotten.
 
So, be smart. Ask instead who THEY use, personally. Different question. And not unethical to answer. Repeat this a few times, with different health professionals and the same two or three names are going to keep coming up. THAT’S who you pick from.
 
In Medicine, as in Life, “birds of a feather DO flock together.” The best hang around with the best. Always did. Always will.
 
Anyway, I met this guy and was immediately impressed with his manner, his confidence, his over 20 years of experience in doing this procedure. I trust my gut. And I like and trust my cardiologist. So that’s how I made my choice. I didn’t look up his credentials, or whether he had any malpractice suits, or any of that other crap that people think matters. It doesn’t. I know a good man when I meet him.
 
So we scheduled the surgery, in accordance with my wishes that it be done in 2009. And he accomodated me, despite a solidly booked schedule (another indicator that he has a good reputation and a busy practice–which he wouldn’t, if he was leaving dead bodies all over).
 
So, Tuesday, I went to the Florida Hospital, Orlando, for presurgical testing–simple blood work, interviews and collection of my medical history. Early…and I mean EARLY…Thursday morning, I got up at a little after 4AM, showered, dressed and drove with my wife to the FLORIDA HOSPITAL outpatient surgery unit, what they call their RIO, an acronym for Rapid In and Out. 
 
When you think about it, that’s a sort of unfortunate name they’ve chosen, with echoes of “A Clockwork Orange.”
 
Contrary to my usual tardiness, we were precisely on time, at 5:30AM. A nurse picked me up and took me, with my wife, to a patient station in the preop staging area. I undressed, put on thigh-high TED (thromboembolic disease) stockings, a prophylactic measure to minimize the risk of blood clots, during the immobility of surgery, a pair of socks with rubber treads, to provide non-slip surfaces, and a johnnie (those ridiculous patient gowns that tie up in the back, leaving your naked butt exposed).
 
Then, I was visited in turn by the preop nurse, who started an IV, gave me some preop antibiotics and worked through her checklist, then the OR circulator nurse, the nurse anesthetist and the anesthesiologist. The plan was for LMA anesthesia–laryngeal mask airway.  This is used for light general anesthesia, which my surgeon prefers, as it provides maximal muscle relaxation, a must for a good hernia repair.
 
I advised the anesthesiologist to forget that I was a surgeon, myself, treat me like any other guy off the street and do whatever he thought was necessary, at any time, even if that meant full intubation, with an endotracheal tube. That’s always the best way to survive. It’s when they think they’re doing you a “favor” and treat you different from the standard of care that you get into trouble.
 
Then, they slipped a little Versed (a very short acting hypnotic agent and relaxant, that causes retrograde amnesia, as one of its little benefits) into my IV, started wheeling me out to the OR and….
 
When they roused me, a little later, I thought I had just dozed off and was now in the OR, ready to begin. But the procedure had already been done. I felt no pain, at all. My surgeon had infiltrated the repair and all the tissues with a long acting local anesthetic, with epinephrine (adrenaline, which constricts blood vessels, minimizing bleeding and allowing the local anesthetic to stay much longer in the tissues, keeping them stone numb).
 
Thanks to the short acting anesthetic agents, like Propofol (Deprivan, the same stuff that killed Michael Jackson, used incorrectly, but a great drug, when used by pros and monitored correctly), I was wide awake in a very short time. Very chatty, according to my wife, but hopefully, not too obnoxious to the nurses, who I’m sure are used to this. 
 
Hey, it’s like the old movie title–”Blame it on RIO.”  The residual anesthesia inhibits your inhibitions, like you were a little high. Well, that was my “drink” for the night….
 
A few hours later, once I was able to walk, urinate on my own and appeared to be stable, I was ready to leave. And so we did. All in all, everyone involved, start to finish, in the RIO did a simply an exemplary job. I was very favorably impressed. And comfortable, the entire time.
 
And that’s how I spent my New Year’s Eve, this year.
 
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the early recovery process and the new things I learned from this experience, that I didn’t know before. I still can’t start my fish oil, which I really do miss,   http://www.favoriteformulas.com   but for reasons I’ll explain, I can’t suppress my inflammatory response, just yet. Neither can I start my isometric exercises, as yet, for fear of stirring up bleeding. But soon, I’ll begin with these fundamentals from my newly expanded, completely redone PAIN-FREE PROGRAM & brand new DVD:
 http://www.drbillsclinic.com/execise_eliminate.html 
 
2010: This will be a different year, a new chance to get healthy, get fit and leave your bad habits and health care problems behind. And despite the wretched economy and the forces arrayed against us, from ignorant & arrogant fools in our own government, who would dare to use your life, your health and that of your family, as a political means to power, to Big Pharma plots to make statin drugs “preventive care” for everyone, to internationalist efforts to interfere in our personal rights, to use supplements as we see fit (Codex Alimentarius), against all these and more, we will join together and fight back, with the truth and with actions. 
 
This year, we will explore, together, the best ways to relieve pain, restore function, prevent disease and disability, lose weight; to be better, stronger, leaner, fitter, happier, healthier; to live as we ought to live, in optimal health, for as long as we may….plus many new surprises, new products, new features and more emails, to educate, entertain and amuse you.
 
And if you will stick with me, this year, continue to be part of our extended family of friends, one of “Dr. Bill’s Wellness Warriors,”TM and DO what I teach you to do, together we can all enjoy a brighter, happier, healthier future. So stick around and I’ll promise to do my very best to make you glad you did. Til next time, my friend, be well….
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow, with optimal health & wellness,
 
DR. BILL
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
 
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 30, 2009

Today I’m in the final countdown before my surgery tomorrow morning. I’m trying to anticipate all the things that will need doing prior to my recovery period, when I expect to be incapacitated by abdominal postop pain. 
 
Though a number of people think I’m crazy getting surgery on New Year’s Eve Day, my wife among them, my attitude is that if you recognize a problem, it’s best taken care of ASAP. Were I to wait, the damn hernia would likely just get bigger and more painful. And there’s always the chance of strangulating a loop of bowel, entrapped in the abdominal wall defect. Now, that would be a problem.
 
No, better to get it behind me, face the issue head-on and fix the damn thing. Compared to what I used to do, this is pretty straightforward stuff. But of course, no surgery is minor surgery when you’re the patient. All in all, I like being the operator better than being the operatee, if you know what I mean.
 
However, this episode gives me a chance to teach you something that I normally wouldn’t think about much. And that is ISOMETRIC EXERCISES.
 
Now, after a surgery like this, any contraction of my core muscles is going to hurt like Hell, at least for the first few days. So after the immediate period of rest, to allow postop bleeding to stop and postop swelling to recede, I have to be able to maintain and then rebuild my leg strength. 
 
This is especially true since I’m not going to be able to restart my fish oil for a while. And I feel it in every joint. There are a couple of reasons for this.
 
First, fish oil’s omega 3 fatty acids act to reduce platelet adhesiveness, or stickiness. That’s great when you want to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke, by reducing clot formation. Not so great, when you WANT clot formation during and after surgery.
 
Then, there are the known anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil. Well, normally that’s exactly what you want. But in this surgery, inflammation is a part of the initial healing process. So, if I want a good repair, I have to suffer the lack of my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  for a few weeks. But the other parts of my body, like my back and my joints can definitely feel the difference when I don’t take it. And that’s why YOU should.
 
The kind of hernia repair I’m getting is called a “tension-free” (Lichtenstein) repair, which uses a polypropylene mesh, to cover the abdominal wall defect. This mesh acts like a scaffold, to allow fibroblasts (fiber producing cells) to infiltrate it and rebuild a fibrous layer over the defect. Inflammation plays a role in initiating this process. So, I just have to grin ‘n’ bear it.
 
In the aftermath, when the abdominal wall is sore, active exercise for my knees simply wouldn’t be possible. Nor would it be wise, as it might compromise the repair, before it was strong enough to bear extra tension or intrabdominal pressure. So, what I plan to do is to use the isometric exercises that I teach in my newest edition of my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM & DVD http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
Isometric exercise generate muscular contraction, without shortening of the muscle. That’s how they’re defined. The advantage is that I can strengthen my knee with these static postures, without putting any pressure on my sure to be sore belly and groin. 
 
The Wall Chair and the Horse Stance, derived from the martial arts, like karate and kung fu, are ideal for this purpose. And they’re safe. They’re ideal for the person just starting out, or the morbidly obese, who want to eliminate their knee pain, but lack any strength, at present. These are a great way to build a foundation of strength, for more aggressive exercises, later on. Just strike the position, and hold it for time. It’s as simple as that. 
 
So that’s what I’ll be doing, after surgery. And what YOU should be doing, if you’d like to start on the road to pain-free knees, safely and effectively. Well, my friend, that’s about it for today. This was my last lesson on eliminating knee pain for 2009. 
 
My wish for you, as we enter a new year and a new decade, is one of peace, happiness, health and prosperity. Have a Happy and Healthy New Year, my friend. All the best, as always. Talk to you again in 2010.
 
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 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

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 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
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