My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes.

.......Ford Prefect in "Life, the Universe, and Everything"

Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

It must be my warped sense of humor, but I love this quote. An acknowledgement that our innate predispositions pose hindrances to us in saving (or running) our own personal universe is a healthy thing.

Knowing where we are deficient (be that in our public-duty gland function, moral fibre, hormones, nutrients, etc.) is the first step in correcting these deficiencies to regain the health that facilitates our fulfilling our life's purpose.

I love hormones. While that may seem an odd comment, it is because I get my kicks out of helping people feel better. There are few patients more appreciative, or more joyful than those men and women who “wake up” and feel great again after starting a wellness program that includes bio-identical (natural) hormone replacement therapy. It is often a rush for both doctor and patient.

Hormones (Estradiol, Testosterone, Progesterone, Cortisol, etc.) exist in a delicate balance with each other, and neurotransmitters (serotonin, epinephrine, dopamine, etc.), and our chemicals of inflammation and immunity and blood-clotting and detoxification and digestion and sleep and emotion and activity and + and + and + and, etc.

You get the picture. Occasionally correcting one hormone level (Thyroid, Estrogen, Testosterone, Cortisol, etc.) can do wonders, but more often the issue is more complex.   What we are really addressing when we treat a patient is not just hormones but the "Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Thyroid-Ovarian/Testicular-Neurotranmission-Neuroendocrine-Gastrointestinal-Immune System"

Let’s give an example filled with gross simplifications to make a point of how this interconnection works... A girl is fed processed nutrient-depleted food throughout her childhood -> Insulin levels rise -> Cortisol levels adjust to balance Insulin -> Insulin resistance develops -> Abdominal fat stores increase-> Fat secretes more estrogen-> High Cortisol increases Testosterone to Estogen ratio -> unwanted hair growth & fat storage -> Cultural prejudice increases her body shame -> more Stress Response ->Cortisol decreases estrogen’s effects on the estrogen receptor-> more hormonal disruption & dysfunctional periods ->lack of ovulation -> lack of progesterone secretion -> more symptoms of irritability, bloating, headaches, breast pain-> Thyroid hormone (T3) and serotonin depressed from cortisol dysfunction -> depression -> eats starch & comfort foods to momentarily raise serotonin -> increasing Insulin further ->more fat ->fatigue -> more inactivity -> more fat -> crash diet which sends ‘alarm’ message to her metabolism -> further slowing of metabolism -> more fat, depression, fatigue, pain,  - >development of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease, etc. etc. etc.

The body is a beautifully dynamic holographic symphony of body, mind, spirit, chemicals, electromagnetic impulses, relationships, thoughts, emotions…. This is why we must always respect this complexity as we choose ways to supplement hormones, neurotransmitter precursors, or nutrients in general.

To simplify this complexity in the context of an individual patient it is most important to LISTEN first. This is the art of medicine. Human to Human. So many of the symptoms of hormone imbalance are vague and attributed to personality and character flaws that often the person affected will only reveal their symptoms with a significant amount of coaxing. Unfortunately, it is usual for them to have been told and to have started to believe that they are a hypochondriac or at least a pain-in-the-neck and are fearful of having one more doctor say the same thing.

A word about breast cancer - at the MaxWell Clinic we are striving to improve breast health and breast cancer detection using Breast Thermography.  As much as I love bio-identical hormone replacement therapy I believe we must be careful to not throw “fuel” on a “fire” of already at-risk breast tissue. Breast Thermography is an effective tool to identify those persons at high risk for the development of breast cancer.  I feel we must change the paradigm from a 'early-detection only' to a combined program that includes improving breast health proactively are we going to see a decrease in the incidence of breast cancer

Each person is a uniquely created and purposeful being, and it is our purpose at the MaxWell Clinic to help them find the pieces to the puzzle of their health and to guide them to the tools to put it back together.

Now, if only we had more effective options for compensating for public-duty gland failure and those all too ubiquitous deficiencies in moral fibre….

Be Well.

David H. Haase, MD

copyright 2010, David H. Haase