"The Country Doctor"

Kevin Coolidge

Wrap it up. Walk it off. I don’t have time to bleed and I don’t have time to be sick. I have to go to work tomorrow. People are counting on me. I have bills to pay, and I don’t need another one. Besides, I feel fine and I hate hospitals. They are chock-full of sick people. I reckon the best way to stay healthy is to stay away from illness. Maybe if health care wasn’t a multi-billion industry instead of the service it used to be. Maybe if doctors valued my time as much as their own. Maybe if doctors actually listened to my symptoms to make a diagnosis instead of automatically reaching for the prescription pad. Maybe if they understood a little more, I’d go more often. Ok, probably not, but it would be nice for the few times I actually do go.

After reading The Country Doctor, Alive and Well, I believe that John G. Hipps, M.D., may be such a doctor. Dr. John has a commonsense attitude towards health. Yes, medicine has come a long way, or at least the technology has, but ninety percent of conditions get better by themselves, many by morning with a good night of rest. The old medical model of stop, look, and listen along, with a good dose of common sense and intuition, goes a long way and could save a lot of unnecessary medical tests and healthcare costs.

Do you remember when doctors used to make house calls? I’m too young to recall general practitioners making their country rounds, though I do remember that Doc. Murphy, the vet, often would. It was easier than taking the herd in to see him. Although he did come out to the house to make my dogs passage to the happy hunting grounds comfortable and painless. Dr. John is also a dying breed. He still does house calls.

The Country Doctor is part memoir and part health information and practical suggestions. The book starts with John’s return from the navy after World War 2. He was born in Appalachia, right here in Pennsylvania and understands its people. I hate going to the doctor and very few people look forward to office visits. There’s never enough time, and besides my Mom’s home cures and advice works pretty good most of the time. I don’t need the doc to tell me I have a scratchy throat. Dr. John understands this and takes the practical approach. He realizes that the only way some people are going to see the doctor is if he comes to them.

He has a holistic approach and realizes that not every ill can be cured with a little white pill. Sure, medications can be helpful, and the good doctor tells of some of his trips to the Dark Continent and how beneficial even over-the-counter medications can be to the African natives. He makes sure to espouse good clean eating and exercise and well as the importance of stress reduction, and the Doctor follows his own advice and is an avid jogger. Now, I don’t run anywhere I can walk, but I surely can appreciate Dr. John’s appreciation of a stroll through the countryside.

The Country Doctor definitely brings to mind the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Someone who constantly dodges doctor visits probably isn’t going to know if his cholesterol or blood pressure is too high. These problems don't always have obvious symptoms. So, I’m going to take an evening constitutional, a good night’s sleep, a hearty dose of commonsense, and then maybe I’ll think about getting around to see the doc…

What’s your favorite home remedy? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Miss a column? Check up at www.frommyshelf.blogspot.com Hobo believes in the power of touch. Stop by his book signing, March 8th at 1pm at the Blossburg Library and rub his tummy. You’ll feel much better afterwards. Hobo Promises.