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

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 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 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 14, 2009

Luckily, the wounds I acquired in my hands and knees in my less than graceful swan dive, off the steps of the great Library of Celsus in Ephesus, mainly abrasions and shallow lacerations, did NOT become infected. Good thing, too. I had no idea what the state of the medical arts was in Turkey and I had no desire to find out, first hand. 
 
We finally docked at the end of the cruise in Istanbul, known in ancient times as Constantinople, after the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine. We stayed in a magnificent place, now a Kempinski hotel, The Ciran (pronounced Sheer-on’) Palace, which was located right on the Bosphorus River. The city is unique in that it is the meeting place of East and West, Europe and Asia.
 
As beautiful and ornate as any Western palace, Ciran was fabulously opulent, with certain touches that you’d never see in the West, like spiral glass ballusters of pastel shades, supporting massive marble bannisters on the main staircases. There was a certain pallet of colors that was definitely oriental, that let you know you were somewhere…different. Our room was very nice, with a small balcony overlooking the great river.
 
Once we were settled in, we decided to see the town. First thing we always did in any new place was take a tour. Best way to get a lay of the land and see what and where the local sights are. Then, having identified what we’d like to see in greater depth, we can always go back and explore on our own.
 
Istanbul is one of the most fascinating cities you’ll ever see. The people looked very European, but were 99% muslim. They were very friendly with Americans at that time and were fiercely proud of their very secular government, and many civil liberties, as set up by their great leader, Attaturk. Of course, this was in the nineties, and things may have changed since then, in that regard. I don’t know, ’cause it’s been a while….
 
The architecture is fantastic, from the Haja (pronounced Hi-ya) Sophia, once the largest domed church in Christendom, now a converted mosque, to the famed Blue Mosque and the Suleyman Mosque (my personal favorite–elegant, sleek, graceful and sophisticated). In addition, they have the Topkapi Palace, a huge complex, once the domain of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
 
The Topkapi is immense, with unbelieveable exhibits, including a footprint of the Prophet Mohammed, a few of his teeth and beard hairs, the purported forearm bones of John the Baptist, a solid gold throne, a Damascened scimitar with an emerald pommel, carved  from a single giant emerald. So much, in fact, I can’t even recall it all. But a display that would make any history buff salivate. 
 
But then, we decided to take a walk in the famed Turkish Bazaar, which was walking distance from the hotel. No sooner had we entered than we were beset by hordes of children and teenagers, all looking for handouts from the rich Americans. We stood out like sore thumbs. And they were very insistent.
 
Fortunately, before the Bazaar could become a Turkish Bizarre event, a policeman came by and, though he was carrying a nightstick, he didn’t brandish it. He just looked at the kids. Just looked. And woooosh! They vanished, just like that. Apparently, their cops don’t fool around and the kids didn’t want him to do more than look. They took the hint. 
 
He was very kind and escorted us around. He advised us not to weaken and give anyone anything, or there would be no stopping them. We walked around a bit more, sampling some sweets and apple tea, as we shopped and looked at the wild profusion of every kind of object, device, apparel, food stuff, sculpture, rug, art, hookahs, swords, pottery, jewelry, you name it, that was on display in this huge number of stalls, crammed one atop the next. You kind of felt like you had been magically transported right into the market of the Arabian Nights.
 
The merchants could not have been friendlier. One guy, a jeweler, actually put a pave diamond ring on my wife’s hand and suggested she take it home(!) to the US, and send him the money, if she liked it. Can you believe that? The ring was worth over 20 grand in the early nineties, so given inflation, do the math…that’s a lot of trust. I guess they develop a sense of who they can trust to do the right thing. But, I said no. The merchant and my wife were disappointed, but c’mon, that WAS a bit much!
 
We finally wended our way back to the hotel, exhausted but dazzled by all we had seen. They had a small gym, where I did the maintenance knee pain exercises I now teach, in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
while my wife rested and bathed. Then, after I showered, we had dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, while we watched the boats go up and down the Bosphorus and saw a wedding taking place on the grounds, before us. The menu was so alien to my experience, except for some kebabs, that I can’t even remember what I had–only that I really loved it.
 
This was in the days, well before I knew about the many health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in pharmaceutical grade fish oil, like my Powerhouse Omega Formula  http://www.favoriteformulas.html  or I would have taken some, just before bed. As it was, it was just a spectularly memorable day. Almost too much jammed into one 24 hour period to recall. If you’re ever up for a different vacation, you might want to give Turkey a try. 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 11, 2009

To pick up where we left off yesterday, the Windstar sailed North, along the coast of Turkey to the excavated city, believed to be the site of the ancient Troy. Yeah, THAT Troy. As in Hector and Achilles and Odysseus, in the Iliad. 
 
Though land locked now, the intact stone battlements, now believed to be the walls of Troy, were once close upon the sea. With time, however, the sea receded and a vast green plain now sits where once a beach overlooked Agamemnon’s ships. Pretty cool, really.
 
We then sailed further and came upon the ancient city of Ephesus. This was an important coastal city for trade and the site of the Romans’ landing when they came to conquer Asia Minor. Originally, it was the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, built in 550 B.C. Sadly, it was reportedly burned by some loser named Herostratus in 356 B.C., in a misguided attempt at fame, supposedly on the same day as Alexander the Great was born. (I know it makes no sense–how would any one know he was going to be “The Great” at his birth? But that’s the story.)
 
The city was also important in the early history of the Christian Church, as the Apostle, St. Paul came there to preach and convert the population to Christianity. His Letter to the Ephesians was written here. Legend has it that Mary, Mother of Jesus, was brought here by St. John, after the Crucifixion, and lived here in a small brick house (still on display) until her death. 
 
Was it true? Don’t know. I wasn’t there. But that’s what they say and you can still see the little brick house.
 
Today, Ephesus is one of the most complete archeological excavations in the world, with complete streets laid out, paving stones and all, public baths, public toilets, whore houses, market stalls, the Great Gate of Hadrian and a great library, which once housed an estimated 12,000-15,000 scrolls. This was the great Library of Celsus. And thereby hangs my tale….
 
While we were looking around and taking in everything on the guided tour we had joined, I naturally went inside the great Library. I always like to see what can’t be seen from the outside, just to see if I’m missing anything. 
 
Unfortunately, I have this very bad habit of walking in one direction, while my eyes are looking in another direction, lest I miss something. It’ll be the death of me, one day, if I don’t mend my ways. Almost was this time…
 
I was coming down the front steps of the great Library, just to the right of the center, as you face it. As usual, I was looking off to my left, as I walked down the stairs, when upon hitting the third step from the bottom, my ankle turned suddenly and I pitched forward, out into space. 
 
Might have been an irregularity in the weathered stone steps, or perhaps a stone in my path. Whatever. Down I went, in full view of the entire busload of tourists. WHAM! I landed on both hands and both knees, on the parched and dusty ground. Lucky for me, it was only a 3 or 4 foot fall. 
 
Even so, I cut both knees, as I had landed full on my kneecaps, and skinned both palms, enough to draw blood. Crap. All I could think of was “When was my last tetanus shot?” 
 
You get an infection overseas, you’ve got a serious problem. Whatever you may think of the service at your local Emergency Room, you start appreciating the good ol’ US of A real fast, in these circumstances, believe me.
 
Also luckily, I didn’t break anything. The way I landed, I could very easily have broken my wrists, or worse, the scaphoid bones in my hands, at the base of my thumbs. This is EXACTLY the kind of fall that results in those fractures. I also missed fracturing my patellae, though I deserved to, for being stupid.
 
Better lucky than smart….
 
Well, a little water on my lacerated palms was the extent of the First Aid. I kept thinking of all the foreign bacteria and bizarre mold spores, out in that desert environment. But they say God protects fools and madmen and so it was with me. I healed, without even residual knee pain and without scars on my hands.
 
I was back doing my regular knee pain exercises, like those in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, as soon as the skin had healed. 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
Good thing, too. I had a very limited Emergency Kit with me. And that was in the days before there was my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA   http://www.favoriteformulas.com  an ultra pure, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, with natural anti-inflammatory properties. Needless to say, I carry that with me these days, at all times.
 
Well, at least I have an indelible memory: every time I see a photo of the great Library of Celsus, I look right at the spot where I tripped and remember my fall in Ephesus.
 
Next week, I’ll tell you about my adventures in Istanbul. Meanwhile, have a great weekend, get your Christmas shopping done early and be well, my friend.
 
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 4, 2009

The week doesn’t go by that I don’t get someone who writes me a tale of woe about their knee. Often, the email is one gigantic, dense paragraph of a confusion of clinical history, x-ray and scan results, their interpretation of what their doctor said was wrong, what their neighbor said was wrong, what medication they have been on, and then a litany of their fears and apprehensions. This often goes on and on and on for a full page.
 
Let me tell you something: it is very, very hard to read an interminable email that is one solid block of type. Especially if your story is a long one, for my sake, break it up! Throw a few paragraphs in there, one every time you change to a new idea, or new topic. I’m happy to help if I can, but just seeing a solid block of writing makes me want to ignore it. So, a word to the wise….
 
A common topic, repeated over and over, is the painful knee, often with recurrent swelling and fluid (water on the knee), with limited motion and most often, the diagnosis of arthritis. And it’s often a knee that has been evaluated by an orthopaedist and the patient has been told that a total knee replacement will be needed.
 
Invariably, the very next thing the patient says to me is, “But I don’t want any surgery!” 
 
Well, sure. Who does? But somehow, they think that I can tell them something different, despite my never having examined them, having no idea of their medical history, or other factors about them that would impact on that decision. It IS true that my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get here at:
 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
CAN reduce or relieve pain, even in cases of advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. Using the conservative, non-operative treatments from across the entire medical spectrum, including alternative, as well as mainstream conventional methods, symptoms can be diminished and surgery delayed or entirely avoided, until a truly mechanical issue, like a locked knee, or a collapsed joint surface, or intractable pain makes it inevitable.
 
The ideal solution is to use the techniques revealed EARLY in the course of the disease, when they’re far more likely to be effective. For example, it should be no surprise that losing 10% of your weight can make a HUGE difference in knee pain, sometimes eliminating it. Likewise, taking some POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA http://www.favoriteformula.com  an ultra pure, highly concentrated, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, is an excellent long term way to reduce inflammation, that may result in more severe knee pain. And of course, besides reducing body weight and reducing inflammation, knee pain exercises, like those I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  are another great way to reduce or eliminate knee pain, restore function, currently limited by swelling and pain, and delay or avoid surgical treatment. 

Remember, no one can MAKE you have surgery. When it’s indicated and nothing else will do, surgery can be life-altering and restore your comfort and function. I spent nearly a quarter century doing just that, for thousands of patients. And very successfully, too.
 
But, you want to be sure it’s a NECESSARY surgery, that nothing else, no lesser, non-operative treatment will do and that there are very good reasons that you can’t put it off any longer. And the best way to do that is to try these conservative methods and see if they work for you, preferably BEFORE you reach the end stage of the disease. 
 
The best thing about them is that they burn no bridges. If and when they no longer help, and it’s otherwise indicated, you can still have knee surgery, without penalty. So remember, the take home message is “early intervention.” The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll feel better. 
 
Til next time, my friend, be well. Get your Christmas Shopping done early. And have a great weekend.
 
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 2, 2009

If you are one of my subscribers who thinks I speak too critically, too often, about President Obama, especially if you’re one of my European fans (who is used to socialism and doesn’t understand why some of us make such a big deal about it), or if you find my remarks about politics annoying, please delete this, right now. This will spare us both a lot of unnecessary angst. Then, come back tomorrow, when I’ll be back on strictly orthopaedic and medical topics.
 
If you’re still here, you have been warned. 
 
Actually, I’m not going on a rant here, but I couldn’t let Obama’s West Point speech on Afghanistan pass, without some comment. And this does have some bearing on the pending Heath Care legislation, which IS part of our focus, here.
 
This speech had a number of points that deserve examination, the good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s take the good, first. 
 
The President has determined that the War in Afghanistan is crucial to our national security. He once called it a “War of Necessity.” And it is. He has therefore decided to take the fight to the Taliban. He laid out clear goals: to degrade, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda and their Taliban allies. To that end, he has decided to send 30,000 more troops, in a “surge,” if you will. In so doing, he has stood up to his rabid left wing, mindlessly anti-war base, who want us out of there immediately, for the benefit of the country as a whole. That is an act of political courage, rare in this hyper political Administration, so it should be applauded.
 
He seems to have finally recognized that these guys are, in fact, terrorists (not laughably and euphemistically named “man-made disasters”) and that’s good, too. He drew a clear distinction between the violent, radical, repressive islamists of the Taliban and the rest of the Islamic World. He made it clear that “the days of writing a blank check” for the corrupt Karzai government were over. And he encouraged our NATO allies and the rest of the world to step up (good luck with that). 
 
He correctly cited Pakistan as the linch pin in the fight against the Taliban and recognized the vital importance of our alliance and strategic partnership with the Pakistani government. That’s where the Al Qaeda biggies are hiding out. And it’s an islamic country, which already HAS nuclear weapons, which cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of terrorists. Overall, I think his policy was right. All of this was good. 
 
Now, for the bad. He took three months to review all the facts, when his own general had asked for 40,000 troops, or risk failure, and meanwhile, our boys are dying over there, with inadequate support. And the new troops won’t be deployed until early 2010. He also said that troops would begin drawing down in 18 months. Well, if I were the Taliban, I’d just lie low, until he pulled out the troops, before making my move. In war, or even playing poker, you NEVER let your opponent know what your end game is. NEVER.

So we have a limited commitment of troops, for a limited period of time. In other words, a tepid, bloodless, passionless,  cerebral, split-the-difference response, when what was called for was red meat. One of the analysts called the speech “aspirational, not inspirational.” I wish I’d thought of that.
 
I can’t forget that this same guy said last July (7/23/09), “I’m always worried about using the word victory….” Really?Look, just as I predicted, whatever this guy’s gifts, he’s just NOT a warrior. And this speech will not convince anyone, friend or foe alike, of anything different. That’s not good. Nothing like weakness, real or perceived, to invite aggression.
 
Now the ugly was again with, “we’ve made mistakes.” (No $hit. I can think of one, only 316 days ago.) But we all make mistakes. Stop with the apologies, already!  And yet another side swipe at the Bush Administration (“after eight years, I’ve decided to finish the job.”). Enough, already. You knew the job when you signed on. And worse, you can fairly see the political calculation behind every utterance. The guy clearly resents the money being spent on this, which he’d much rather redistribute, in gigantic social programs, like Health Care. 
 
So, that’s my take on The One’s latest address. His audience was polite, but I didn’t see, or hear any cheering. But then, it WAS West Point. And his back drop WAS our finest young officers in training. And they get jazzed when they hear their Commander-in-Chief exhort them to VICTORY, not “a responsible end to the War in Afghanistan.” Our elected leader, but not a leader of men….
 
Well, the decision is made. Let’s hope for the best. And pray for our troops.
 
I will say that all the folks in this Administration would benefit greatly from the brain boosting properties of the omega-3 fatty acids in my ultra pure, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
and the President might get a little more ”heart” with my pharmaceutical grade, crystal-free CoQ10
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com/CoQ10formula 
 
Now, I’m off to do my knee pain exercises, to keep my thigh muscles strong and arthritis pain at bay, with my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM:   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
Best way I know to start the day! That’s it for today. Back to medical stuff tomorrow, as promised. 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

November 30, 2009

Back in the late sixties, I was living with my folks in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I was in high school at Fort Hamilton High, which by a happy coincidence, was literally one short block away from our home.
 
Though I was born downtown, around Pacific Street, just up from Atlantic Avenue, at around age three, my parents moved me to Bay Ridge, on 88th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues. When my maternal grandmother died, my grandfather offered to give his house to my Mom and Dad, provided they would let him live out his days there, with us.
 
It was a nicer house, in a nicer area, just four houses up from Narrows Avenue, within sight of the Narrows (which the Verrazano Bridge now spans) and Shore Road. And, it was a stone’s throw from Fort Hamilton High School, the former site of the Crescent Polo Club (waaay before my time, but my father remembered it).
 
The major advantage of this fact was that I could quite literally fall out of bed in the morning, bolt my breakfast and then, run to school in about one minute flat. So, I was never late, never needed to take the bus; all in all, pretty convenient.
 
It also had a quarter mile circular cinder track, for the track team, which was open to the neighborhood. I often used that track and a strict diet of hard boiled eggs and water to drop as much as 20 pounds in 1-2 weeks. (Of course, in those days, I actually had a metabolic rate that would permit that, unlike today….)
 
At that time, certain TV shows were all the rage. Three that were favorites of high school kids, at that time, were “Batman” (with Adam West and Burt Ward, played strictly for laughs, often with famous guest stars as “villains”), the “Soupy Sales Show” (slapstick comedy skits by veteran comic Soupy Sales, often with another level for the more adult viewer…and us, too). 
 
Soupy got in trouble and got thrown off the air for “off color” jokes that were considered indecent for his audience (mainly kids…and us), at the time, to wit: “My wife can’t make a cherry pie, but she sure can make my banana cream.” 
 
This, of course, was thought uproarious and made him a hero to us… but he still got thrown off the air. Sic transit gloria.
 
The other was “The Green Hornet,” a show about a masked adventurer, Brit Reid, a millionaire newspaper publisher, with a wicked armored car, the Black Beauty, all tricked out with rockets, green headlamps and other great gadgets, to fight crime. 
 
But the real draw of the show was his Chinese driver and butler, Kato, played by the inimitable Bruce Lee. This show was his “big break,” with first American, then international exposure, that eventually made him an immortal martial arts superstar.
 
Unlike “Batman,” which was done as “camp” (ie., stupid and funny and satiric), this show was played as straight drama. Reports are that this was because Bruce Lee refused to play the typical “cooley” Chinese stereotype, prevalent at that time, and because he was the real deal. He was, in fact, a master of Wing Chun Gung Fu, having studied under Master Yip Man. (He later went on to form his own style, JKD, or Jeet Kun Do, the Way of the Stopping Fist.)
 
His high-pitched cat-like cries, high crescent kicks, explosive speed and deceptive power (especially in such a relatively small man–5 foot seven, 135 pounds) were like nothing an American audience had ever seen before. In fact, he had to slow down his kicks and punches, so they could be seen (and believed) by the TV cameras. Even today, his penultimate film, “Enter The Dragon,” is one of the best genre films ever made. 
 
So great was his popularity that ”Kung Fu,” the TV series with David Carradine, soon followed. (BTW, if you’re not into these arts, “Gung Fu” is Cantonese dialect, “Kung Fu” is Mandarin, but the real term is “Wu Shu.” All refer to the Chinese boxing arts.) And after that, an endless host of “chop socky” films, of variable quality, from Hong Kong. But HE created the market.
 
It was seeing Bruce Lee explode across the little screen that first seduced me into the karate dojo. At that time, white boys from Brooklyn simply were NOT taught the Chinese arts. So I went for Goju Ryu, a Japanese school of karate, derived from Okinawa Te, which incorporated many of the circular moves and soft “internal” concepts of the Chinese forms.
 
Even today, when I do the Horse Stance, one of the great fundamental exercises of Kung Fu and Karate, which I teach you how to use as a great knee pain exercise, in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  I can’t help but think of the great “Little Dragon,” even as I remember my own teachers, Sensei Joe Lopez and my good friend and mentor, Mike Daly, of the New York Goju Kai. It was the indelible performance of Bruce Lee that entranced a generation of teenage boys, like me, into a lifelong interest in the martial arts. 
 
Today, the martial arts film has come of age, with hauntingly beautiful and highly choreographed works of art like Crouching Tiger–Hidden Dragon, Hero and The House of Flying Daggers, which have won artistic and critical acclaim. But it all started way back then, with Bruce Lee’s Kato.
 
Well, time for breakfast and my first dose of the best ultra pure, highly concentrated, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade, fish oil available, my very own POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
Try some yourself and see how much better you feel.  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

February 20, 2009

BRRRRIIINNNGGG! The phone next to my bed rang me out of a deep sleep this morning, and, as is usual for me, I caught it before the first ring had faded and before the second could begin. That’s one of the lasting effects of a surgical internship–I awaken instantly, on the first ring of the phone. That doesn’t mean that I’m happy about it, though. I was sleepin’ real good, too….

Turned out, it was my videographer, Jonah. You may recall that last December, I had shot a brand new video production of my very popular PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   starring me and the lovely Jennifer, a local personal trainer, who was the model for the exercises in the program.

Well, a few weeks ago, we had met in his studio to review and edit the raw footage we shot in December. That was a very good, intense session, where we roughed out the basic look and organization of what will be the DVD of the program. I was amazed at all the cool features that a pro like Jonah could inject into the production.

And, newbie at this that I am, I had thought that that was it. Finished! Well…no. Turns out that he needs me to do some “voice overs” for segments of the video that were marred by some guy who just HAD to come into the fitness studio, where we were actually in the process of shooting, and start his own workout on the treadmill. So, there’s a rumbling background noise, that mars the soundtrack, in some areas.

You know, I still can’t get over how rude that guy was. I mean, we had signs up, indicating that we were shooting a private video, with the permission of the owner and developer of the golf and country club, where I live. Made no difference to this guy. He just barged into the middle of things, right in the middle of the shoot, jumped on the treadmil and started pounding away, apparently oblivious to all of us, who just stood in open-mouthed awe at the sheer brass of this guy.

THEN, he turned on the TV. You had to grudgingly admire the outstanding demonstration of the chutzpah of this guy. Unbelievable! And, as a guest and visitor myself, there really wasn’t anything I could do or say, without making an ugly scene. And the guy WAS a resident member of the club.

But really! I’m not known for being a shrinking violet, when asserting myself, but it would never even have occurred to me to calmly walk into an obvious video set, lights on, cameras and mikes everywhere, “actors” speaking, and just start disrupting the proceedings. I was just stunned.

The great author Travanian (The Eiger Sanction, Shibumi) once wrote that obtuseness is its own protection, as it prevents both realization and correction, or words to that effect. This guy so obviously didn’t give a crap about anyone, but himself, that it was breathtaking.

Anyway, we continued to shoot, but now, I have to go back and redo those sections that he ruined, with voice overs. I probably could get away without them–it IS a gym, after all and these ARE gym sounds. But my man, Jonah, is a real pro and he wouldn’t let me take the easy way out. He wants this production to be the best. And so do I.

And it will be. I promise. I was really pretty impressed and pleased by how good it looked at the first editing session. It’s really remarkably good. And we shot still photos of each of the exercises, as well, which I will use to redo the entire exercise manual of the PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, in a brand new, expanded and updated second edition, eventually.

Naturally, after all this effort and time and expense, it’s going to cost more. And since it will replace the current edition, that will become a collector’s item. So if you want to get a hold of the original PAIN-FREE PROGRAM,  or need these proven exercises, to relieve your knee pain, right NOW, then click here:   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html

Meanwhile, the DVD remains a work in progress. It’s my first one, so I had no idea what was involved, before the fact. But, anything worth doing… right? So I’m resigned to at least one more editing session, before I can get a completed master copy and release it. But I think you’ll like it, when you finally get to see it. It REALLY looks good….

Meanwhile, the new website for the very best pharmaceutical grade fish oil and other complementary supplements, dedicated to your optimal health, DR. BILL’S FAVORITE FORMULAS, is up and running and taking the supplement world by storm. We’re already on page 2 of Google for pharmaceutical grade fish oil. After only about a week! How about that? If you want to join in and get on board, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/favorite_formulas.html

And, to help us get going, please forward this email to two or three of your friends, who you think might benefit from my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA. Well, that’s the latest and greatest, my friend. Have a great weekend. 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