Ken, I know we all have to find our own journey to health, and I have learned that I cannot simply rely on doctors to guide mine. Almost four years ago, I had a minor heart attack, bloodwork, and an angiogram. I saw four cardiologists and a nephrologist, and things looked bad. My experiences with the cardiologists were so discouraging that by the time the last one told me point blank that he would crack my chest open for heart surgery, I walked out and never looked back. I did learn that my body had created its own bypass, and I was very grateful for that. More than three years later, severe angina finally pushed me to find another cardiologist. I was fortunate to find one who is extremely skilled at treating full blockages with stents. He was shocked that I was still alive based on my test results from three and a half years earlier. He wants me on cholesterol lowering medication, specifically the two injections a year, and even got Medicare approval for it. That is not going to happen. I trust his skill when it comes to placing stents, but I personally do not want to take additional drugs. For now, I am taking prasugrel and aspirin, but beyond that, even over the counter pain medication is not worth it to me because of the documented effects these drugs can have on the brain. I trusted my body to take care of me, and it has. Now I am taking care of my body. I pay attention to how I feel and use that as my guide. I am also done stressing over every test result. For me, constantly worrying about what the next test might show is not healthy either. When my time comes, it comes. Until then, I am going to live my life and take care of my body the way I believe is right for me. I wish everyone here the very best in finding their own path to better health. We may not all make the same choices, but I hope we can keep learning, listening to our bodies, and supporting one another along the way.
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My Life with the Eskimo - Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Who are the Eskimo peoples?
And how do they survive in the freezing conditions of the far north?
Vilhjálmur Stefánsson left New York in April 1908 to begin his journey northwards and into the Arctic Circle. For the next two years he made his way northwards to Victoria Island to study an isolated group of Inuit who still used primitive tools and had strong Caucasian features, and whom some believed were descended from Vikings. The journey into these remote areas was incredibly tough and being delayed by blizzards, Stefánsson, along with his companions, were forced to eat the tongue of a beached whale that had been dead for at least four years. Stefánsson, who learnt how to communicate with the Inuit, provides fascinating insight into the beliefs and everyday life of these people.
“The book is full of psychologic and human interest, and of clear-cut observation of many different kinds.” The North American Review
“This book contains a wealth of ethnological and biological information … this is a valuable contribution to the scientific study of the Eskimos, by one who knows them thoroughly.” The Literary Digest
“It is impossible to analyze with certainty the amalgam of motives underlying the ceaseless movement of northern exploration, but the lure of the difficult and the dangerous can hardly be less active than the desire to enlarge bounds of human knowledge.” The Nation
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in this remarkable expedition and for people who want to find out more about life of people in the far north prior to the advent of modern technology.
Vilhjálmur Stefánsson was a Canadian Artic explorer and ethnologist. Under the auspices of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, he and Dr. R. M. Anderson undertook the ethnological survey of the Central Arctic coasts of the shores of North America from 1908 to 1912. The results of this expedition were My Life with the Eskimo first published in 1913. Stefánsson passed away in 1962.