In the end, it's all the same.

Yesterday I was invited to an integrative medicine meeting of minds, otherwise known as "patient conference."  Patient conference has always been a feature of the integrative medicine fellowship; a time to share a consultation case with a panel of providers specializing in various modalities to offer a wider variety of treatments.  I was in the office in the morning, and arrived at the meeting late.  When I walked in the room, I saw a group of people who have been my teachers for the past four years--what an honor to be invited to give *my* input to the current fellow!  I did have to laugh as Rubin was giving his advice regarding the patient's insomnia--he has obviously trained me well as my own treatment plans are directly informed with his advice:
--Sleep hygiene, with a big emphasis on limiting screen time of any kind
--Melatonin if sleep onset is an issue (though I think he starts lower than the 3 mg I advise)
--Retraining the body/mind associate bed with sleep rather than wakefulness (i.e. reserving the bed for only sleep and sex)
--Early morning sun (to help mood and reset circadian rhythms)
--Exercise early in the day
--Some sort of mind/body therapy if there is an anxiety/overactive mind component (is it a surprise that I always feel people out to see if they'd be up for journaling?)

Anyway--getting off track.  Two of the practitioners were from Traditional Chinese Medicine (Tucsonans--click the link to get info--their school has really cheap, but amazing, clinics for the public!) and Ayurveda.  The day before, the residency integrative medicine conference included a western-trained gastroenterologist turned energy healer.  In listening to these three practitioners make their recommendations for abdominal symptoms, I was struck with the similarity of the rationale for each practitioner's recommendations.  I just find it interesting that different traditions of healing arose simultaneously in different places, but yet are so similar.  Kind of like us, as humans.  Please excuse me as I tend to my crying baby--something moms everywhere can relate to!

P.S.   And to follow up on the Bean--Nina is now taking bottles at daycare.  It took a full 5 weeks, but she finally caught on!