Mutual Respect among different medical systems

In a global city where rich multi-cultural practices are being cherished and people coming from multi-racial environment co-exist happily, where knowledge from different parts of the world come together to interact freely; A place where mutual respect is the key behaviour for different value systems and sciences of different origins amalgamated into a systems that make us so unique to many different countries in the world. One would believe that this is the place where ancient wisdoms from different parts of the world that have survived the test of time will continue to flourish and respected in their own merit instead of be questioned using different value systems, which in the first place have no apple-to-apple comparison.

While there exist differences in the approaches in treatment and the result of the treatment may be differing for different individuals going through different medical systems, one should always understand that the fundamental principle of all treatment are for the good of mankind and should be respected in their own merit. The TCM practice of acupuncture which traces its origin to more than 5000 years of ancient oriental wisdom has been endorsed WHO, since 1979, for treatment of more than 60 symptoms, among them those of the respiratory tract, alimentary canal, nervous, muscular and skeletal systems and of the eye. The conclusion to be drawn on whether a particular treatment is effective or useful is a personal experiential journey which should not be questioned and challenged upon by any other who may not even try the system but basing their opinion based on pure secondary research.

I am glad to have the opportunity to live in an environment that allow multiple systems of health management to the co-located and complementing each other as in the event if one of the particular system failed, there is another alternative systems available. While it may not be “scientific” under the analysis on the science of our era, but what is science, actually! Our understanding of “science” continues to change from generations to generations. Let history be the judge

成为中医师了！

六年的寒窗，一年的苦背书，一周的闯关，终于成为一名合格的中医师。能悬壶济世了！
现在真正的学习才刚开始，许多在理论上的大道理得在临床上实际地加以应用及融会贯通。

Finally, the 6 years course on TCM is almost coming to an end, after collecting the diploma... now just need to prepared for the licensing exam with the Singapore TCM board before become an registered TCM physician in Singapore ....



6 years... a very long time to many ppl and many have along the way dissuaded me from embarking on this fulfilling journey.... and its over.

千里之行，始于足下；九层之台，起于垒土”，而“不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海.

走了六年了， 还有很长的路要走。。。



This has been a very rewarding learning journey, studying human being from an holistic point of view and exploring the experience and life journeys of many I have the privilege to come into contact with many unique individuals while on clinical practise. They have help shape my view to life one way or another. 三人行必有我师。



One important thing I learnt, life is too short to worry too much, and too long to sit around and do nothing. if there is something need to be done and along the way you can bring about smiles in someone, just go ahead to do it. 凡事闭只眼有时关双眼。。。

中医强调的是养生之道。prevention is better than cure, 没病防病，有病防变。its part of our everyday life, every breath we take, play a part in either nourishing our body and hurting it.....

Very interesting ...

最近感觉到两胁有点痛。 Must be the financial crisis and the uncertainty thats is looming round the horizon that caused it.... sigh...

理想与现实真的是这么难吗？想想，在目前的局势下，一个不开心的较高薪的工作（现实）会比一个较底薪的工作（理想）来的实际。生不逢时。。。 sigh。。。。

四十岁了，time to do something I think I like, but some how need to consider more options before moving on....

now, drinking a herbal tea I made for myself... hopefully will feel better...

菊花，夏枯草，枸杞，炙首乌。

Graceful aging - 知止而后有定

Just completed a short course on graceful aging and somehow was touched by the messages which I had shared with the participants during the course.

While the fundamental of the ability was very much common sense to all of us, that is to lead a discipline lifestyle, taking reasonable diet, maintaining a positive attitude to life and take care of our body through proper exercising.

However, for most of us, going through the struggle of maintaining our personal as well as family livelihood will often ignore such basic fundamental in life and will eventually succumb to the pressure of life and .... may be die young... don't even mention about aging gracefully.

According the Confucius in the book [大学] -“知止而后有定，定而后能静，静而后能安，安而后能虑，虑而后能得" which literary means one's must know when to stop, after which he or she is able to achieve calmness, peacefulness, ability to consider and the ability to achieve what he/she actually want.

Somehow, we just need to tell ourselves to really stop and ponder what we actually want out of life. The recent short break of about 3 months outside the corporate world had given me sometime in accessing what I really want and I have come to a conclusion where its OK to stop and ponder whats next rather than just churn along the passage in life as there are more meaningful things in life to caught with power struggle within a office of few hundred or few thousands people, there are bigger group out there where you can make a different.

As the Confucius saying 四十不惑, I gathered that while I am at the border of this milestone, I really hope that I have come to a understanding of my strength as well as the role I want to play for the next 40 years.... may be :)

Its has been a very long while since I last posted here... sigh.... while wanted to post something meaningful and related to maintenance of health in this blog, somehow I am unable to find the time to do it.

In my 5th years of TCM study and with the many encounters with patients from all walks of life, somehow there is another dimension to life that I would like to pursue rather than just going after all the material gains...

Seeing patients in their late 30s, early 40s striked with cancers, stroke, HBP, HC, etc, and with young children in the family or being brought alone by their aling parents, somehow I feel that all the struggle in life may be very much superficial...

actually life can be very simple, can eat, can sleep and can shit... thats all to it about life...

While I have make up my mind to move from my current pay package to a more simple lifestyle, i am still wondering whether such a move is actually what I want and whether i can continue to supprt my family....

Any way... let nature take its course...

Knowledge in Medicine

Somehow, almost all of us claim that we know something about medicine. When you talk to any one beside you, telling them about certain discomfort you are experiencing, you will definitely able to gather some recommendations to cure your discomfort, and chances are they will tell you that the special formula work perfectly in others and it will definitely work for you!

The question is then, what role should a doctor plays? or the Chinese physician plays?

In clinical practise, i always come across patient checking on some special remedies to find out whether they should continue to use them despite you prescribe the specify medicine for them. I believe doctors also face the same dilemma. Many a times when the illness does subside, which particular medicated formula actually work, no body actually care, however when the illness become worse, the last prescription will always take the blame, not knowing that our body was actually being torture by the amount alien supplements which we are taking and the worsening of the illness was just a symtomic appearance of an last straw on the camel back.

Some how as I learn more about medicinal cure through my study in TCM, i come to agreed with some of my teachers that while knowledge and experience play a significant role in being a good health care worker, luck play a vital role too. You can not stop these "intelligence patients" going around gathering the special formula to cure themselves before they come to see you, you can only hope that while they are gathering those medicine, they have the wisdom to check and be sure that it doesn't make their body worse before they come to see you.

Just a thought.. thinking aloud