Beginning...with a naturopath

Rob · Test Subject Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

I can’t believe that it has been so long since I posted. It has been a busy time. School has started again for the semester (the last semeseter…yay!). And between that, my work commitments, writing assignments, and appointments and activities for this life makeover, I’ve been very, very busy. Still, there should be no excuses.

But now that school has settled into some sort of regularity, I should be able to make time for the rest of it. For instance, I had to squeeze in an appointment with the naturopathic doctor, Dr. Nigma Sciortino (http://www.healthydoc.com/staff.htm). I have written an article about this visit which will be appearing in the February issue of alive. But why wait until that issue is available? We can start discussions now.

If you have any questions about naturopathic doctors or what happened during my first visit with Dr. Sciortino, please post. There will be at least one more follow up post from me which will reflect my subsequent visit with the good doctor. In that post, I will cover what she found and what I’m supposed to do.

Until then, stay healthy.

Guest · Guest

Hi Rob,

I've been reading about you in the January issue of Alive magazine. I think it's great that you are trying to change your life and be healthier but...

Most of the problems/issues that you described sound like they could be cured by good-old-fashioned common sense - eat less junk, get some exercise and get good rest. What else would a naturopath tell you? I myself am very skeptical about naturopaths and their recommendations.

My experience with naturopaths has been that - like their allopathic counterparts - they like to push pills. They just push expensive vitamins and other concotions that are not even covered by medicare.

What was your experience? Was this your first time visiting a naturopath ever?

Thanks for sharing your journey. I look forward to reading more in the February issue.

Rob · Test Subject Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

I'm sorry that I've taken so long to respond. My days are so busy!

Thank you, anonymous guest, for your encouragment and comments. I'll try to answer your questions.

Yes, this is my first time to a naturopath. I had no idea what to expect, but I was determined to go in with an open mind (even though I am a bit of a skeptic). I was pleasantly that nothing too unusual happened during the diagnostic appointment. Dr. Nigma Sciortino looked me over, took some stats, and sent me for some lab tests.

When I returned, she had mostly good news. You'll see in February's issue what happened and what I'll be doing for the next few months.

Yes, there are supplements involved. To me, that was most expected. I was worried that I would have to do some weird cleansing or iv therapy (that makes me nervous). I'm happy to take the supplements. They are expensive, but I'm willing to try them out to see what happens. I think that I'm already seeing some improvements in my digestion. And just for the record, I don't eat fast food, fried foods, or much dairy. I'm trying to switch from dairy to soy or rice products. It's a slow change.

As far as good old-fashioned common sense goes...I'm sure that you've encountered what I've encountered: not everyone has it. In fact, few people do. So sometimes I think it's okay or necessary for some people to be told the things that may be obvious to other people. We can't all be intuitively brilliant.

Speaking of other people...I'd love to hear from anyone else who is following these discussions. Please let me know what you've experienced with naturopathic doctors: the good, the bad, and the weird. It will be interesting and helpful to everyone.

dea · Guest

Hi Rob

I've just come across your posting in regards to naturopathic doctors and would like to give you my perspective on the topic. I have suffered with chronic pain for almost eight years now. The first two years I spent with regular doctors who pushed the pharmaceauticals like candy. During the two years of ongoing nonsense and useless medications, I had also seen a specialist who labeled me as having fibromyalgia, another name for, "we don't know what is wrong or how to help you". I also had been going to a naturopath who I had more faith in until once he heard what the specialist had said, he jumped on that band wagon, I left his office feeling frustrated, hopeless and helpless. I then quit them all and began my own research into how I could begin to heal.
Because, (I know, you arn't supposed to begin a sentence with because, let alone a paragraph), of the pain that I had in my gut from all the medications I had been taking for those first two years, I decided to do The Master Cleanser to rid my body of all the toxins. This was not the first time I had done the Master Cleanser by the way, I had done this cleanser before having chronic pain and it had been a wonderful asset for just ridding my body of everyday pollutants. After doing the cleanser two to three times in about a three to four month period, the stomach pains were very nearly all gone which improved my condition and my feeling of helplessness somewhat. Then I became my own physician, researching different ways to eliminate pain through the means I find more hopeful and less dangerous, the natural way. I've tried many things from mind over matter techniques, many vitamins and minerals listed as being helpful for chronic pain sufferers (which I found somewhat helpful), exercise which to this day, nearly eight years later, still causes me grief and extreme flare-ups of pain so I just try to walk when I am up to it.

Over these more recent years, under the advice of a very dear friend, I sought help again through a specialized center where they prescribe pharmaceauticals, again. By the way, I have never been fond of medications prior to the chronic pain condition, nor am I fond of them now. After trying all their prescriptions and dealing with numerous and serious side effects, I opted out of the med program once again, kept my label as a difficult patient, and did the cleanser. This time the cleanser has not quite helped, I believe that I should have done the cleanser for a much longer period of time but could not go past the minimum required amount of ten days on and three days to come off, for a total of 13 days. I am seeing a naturopath again, a different gentleman, for whom I am hoping will be able to help me with this condition as well as continueing the battle at the center where they are into more modern methods. I'm hoping between the two, I can have the best of both worlds as well as making them more accepting of the traditional methods so others can have hope.

I guess I could have just told you that I prefer to put my trust in Mother Nature and her medicine rather than the man-made pharmaceauticals that have many side effects instead of writing you this book, but I really wanted you to know how much of a believer in the natural methods I am and that the philosphy of the Natural Physician is one that I strongly believe in.

Good luck to you!

mansfield · Guest

We are very fortunate to live in the northwest and I have moved around a lot during my lifetime. I always look for a ND who has graduated from Bastyr in Seattle, Washington. I have had only one bad incident and that was with an ND who was graduated from "I don't know".

Inspired · Guest

Hi,

I just read the December 2007 issue of alive and I just wanted to say that I am really proud of Rob and Toni for their efforts.

Both seemed to make positive changes in their lives using the power of natural health.

Congratulations!! I hope you maintain and further improve on your health throughout the years to come.

Inspired

tictac · Guest

Dear Readers,

This woman and her website (see all spelling and grammar errors) is ridiculous and pathetic. She claims to be a world-renowned doctor--really? I have travelled half the planet and still have not heard of her except for locally (North Shore) and she claims to be practicing naturopathy for over 10 years? Nigma, can you count? how can you have graduated in 2001 and practiced that long...? perhaps you are counting your years in school under your teachers supervision...? sorry honey that doesn't count!!

I find her personality very fake " Jesse, this and Jesse that, and Jesse" (in the talk show) and her talk "in my medical opinion" (during speeches) rather like fluff.

Constantly, she misses appointments or makes shallow excuses about being late. Her entire clinic treats or rather swats flies as it is empty most of the time.

The "doctor" is so arrogant and pathetic that she acts like she is italian and colors her hair this ugly orange/amber instead of owing up to being esmilie muslim--what's the problem with that? do want to make yourself more "white" in the upper crust of society or better known as west vancouver?

Yours,
TT
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