At the end of my last blog, I talked about how many of our patients come to see us as sort of a last resort. I said it then, and I’ll reiterate it now: I am glad you’re here, and we’ll work together toward the best solution possible for you.

However, I would also urge anyone who experiences pain and discomfort from any kind of injury or illness to come see us first, rather than looking upon alternative medicine as something to try once every other medical methodology has been exhausted.

I am not saying that there isn’t a time and place for conventional medicine. I am merely pointing out that alternative medicine physicians have the ability to access treatments regular doctors are not privy to.

Also, because of my own experience a former pharmacist and emergency room doctor, I have a unique perspective from which to treat my patients.

That’s why I can often diagnose a problem long before a conventional doctor is able to. Then, once diagnosed, we offer unique treatments that have had positive impacts upon the lives of many people.

By doing these things, patients are often saved from a great deal of unnecessary pain, discomfort and expense.

Don’t think of alternative as a last resort. Instead, think of it as something that could very well be your best opportunity to get the help you need.

If I took a poll and asked my patients how they came to me for treatment and/or relief of their medical issues, I’d probably get a wide variety of answers.

Quite a few would probably say it’s because they have a friend or loved one who experienced improvement after discovering all that alternative medicine has to offer. Others might say they were either dissatisfied with their primary care physician’s treatments or, worse yet, they suffered some kind of adverse reaction or side effect to what was prescribed to them.

Then there are those who would say they’d gotten a not-so-positive prognosis from their regular physician and simply aren’t ready to accept such negativity as the gospel truth until they have exhausted all options. As such, they’ve come to me with an open mind and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get better.

Whatever your reasons are, I’m glad you’re here – and you have my word that I will do my very best to put my knowledge and experience to work for you, to the best of my abilities.

A native of Portland, OR, Kathy has also lived in Alaska and Indiana before making her way to Florida six years ago. She came to us in October 2006 and says she loves her work.

It’s the overall atmosphere at Heathrow Anti-Aging & Wellness Center that she enjoys most. “Because we take the time to get to know our patients, it doesn’t take long before they become our friends, too,” she said. “It is exciting to see them be able to improve their quality of life. I also really enjoy being able to learn something new about alternative medicine almost every day.”

Look no further than Kathy for a ringing testimonial, because she’s not only the Office Manager, she’s also a patient who has received incredible results. “I’d had a weight problem all my life and still did when I started here,” said Kathy. “We (Dr. King and I) found out about a weight-loss treatment, and both of us had amazing success with it. First, Dr. King lost 18 pounds in three weeks, then I lost 25 pounds in less than 60 days. Later, I lost another 15 - and I’ve been able to keep it off!”

You’ll be able to see the “before and after” photos of Kathy in a future blog, when the subject of how to lose weight is discussed in more detail.

I would like to use this forum as one more way to thank Kathy for her hard work and dedication. Our patients love her, and I cannot say enough good things about her, too.