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One
afternoon, after I had already spent more than a month struggling
to regain my health, a young, handsome man in a white coat walked
into my hospital room. He sat on my bed, took my hand and gently
said to me, "Little girl, I'm going to warn you about something
that can be potentially dangerous for you, but if you know what
to do, there will be no problem."
I was
hardly a "little girl", but I then realized that my sunken
eyes in an emaciated body and my long braids did, indeed, make me
look like an 8-year-old. His warm manner (and good looks) were compelling,
and I became very eager to know what he had to tell me. He proceeded
to explain, in simple terms, what happens to the intestine during
the healing phase of typhoid fever.
"Where
you had all those ulcers in your 'fighting intestine,' there are
now scabs. If a scab is sitting on an intestinal blood vessel, you
might bleed to death when it falls off. When you feel the pain,
scream. We'll all be there in a few seconds to save you," he
assured me, smiling.
I spent
the remaining days of my hospitalization waiting for the pain that
never came, hoping to see my "white knight" rushing to
rescue me. In my adolescent fantasies, the handsome, medical resident
was always the first one to reach my bed.
That
young man changed my life forever. Not only was he instrumental
in my recovery, he also inspired me to pursue a different calling.
Motivated by his example, I decided that I was going to be a physician,
and that, like him, I would make the same effort to educate and
support my patients.
I followed
my new calling, attended and completed medical school in Rome, and
subsequently moved to New York. Knowing even then that there was
far more involved in the practice of medicine than simply trying
to eliminate symptoms or fix diseased organs, I decided to pursue
my residency training in psychiatry.
Fully
engaged in my career as a practicing psychiatrist, my life took
another sudden turn in 1972 when a patch of ice propelled the car
I was driving into the path of an oncoming car. Seconds before I
lost consciousness, I heard a terrifying cracking sound in my neck
as my head smashed against the car's ceiling. Eight days later,
with a diagnosis of a broken cervical vertebra, I was finally able
to stand on my feet. But I had a long way to go. My doctors insisted
that surgery was the only option for insuring the healing of my
neck. Intuitively, however, I knew there were other truths. That
intuition led me to a chiropractor and to a local spa where I could
learn yoga.
The
spa became my healing sanctuary. Every Monday morning, before I
began my workweek, I did yoga with a wise and compassionate teacher,
who tailored the exercises to facilitate the healing of my neck.
A sauna and a session with a masseuse followed. The masseuse - a
stunning South African, with a voice that could span four octaves,
and sensitive, energy-emitting hands - was another beacon of light,
pointing me in a direction I had not yet explored. She suggested
that taking some specific nutritional supplements might speed my
recovery. With her recommended list in hand, I went home and dug
into my biochemistry books. The calcium and magnesium she had recommended,
I learned, nourished the bones. The tryptophan would become the
calming neurotransmitter, serotonin. To my great surprise, everything
she said was well documented in my biochemistry books.
A further
turning point was my own menopause, which became yet another teacher
for me. When the conventional approach of an estrogen patch led
to an ominous growth in my breast, I again found myself looking
for other options. This included not only natural supplements but
also a comprehensive change in my lifestyle.
Every
encounter with disease became my teacher, but the first and most
powerful teacher of all was my grandmother, Filippa. She introduced
me to my two major passions - music and medicine. During those dark
years of the Second World War, when all family physicians were ministering
to dying soldiers, my grandmother became a highly respected lay
healer, working in synchrony with the laws of nature to cure all
types of disorders. She inspired me as a young girl and to this
day sustains me in my life and in my work.
My
first entrée into natural medicine, as a physician, occurred
more than 25 years ago, while I was still practicing psychiatry.
One of my patients came into my office with her face twisted into
a horrific grimace, a symptom of what was considered an incurable
neurological disease. In fact, as it soon became apparent, this
frightening condition had been caused by the psychiatric medications
I had unwittingly prescribed for her. And so, she became the first
patient I treated with nutritional supplements to detoxify the effects
of poisonous medications.
My
grandmother's example, my own experiences and those of my patients
have reinforced my faith in and respect for the natural laws of
healing. My primary approach is to restore the body's inborn healing
forces through the use of nutrients, homeopathy, behavioral medicine
and any other natural therapy that facilitates the process. Instead
of treating a disease, I treat the whole person - body, chemistry
and spirit.
During
the course of my practice, I have observed that when a patient's
innate harmony is restored, there is a concomitant increase in vitality
- one of the major landmarks of youthfulness. My patients often
tell me that they never knew they could feel and look so good. Thus,
I have gradually come to realize that what I practice, in essence,
is anti-aging medicine. And, in my opinion, we no longer have an
option. Our society is getting older at a younger and younger age.
The cancer wards are no longer populated only by crippled old people
but by a growing number of young mothers and fathers, and their
offspring. Autoimmune diseases that used to occur only in middle
and late age are now afflicting young children. My youngest patient
is 29-months-old. She has rheumatoid arthritis, which was first
diagnosed when she was 17-months-old. In contrast, I see myself
and my long-term patients getting younger and younger. People often
find it difficult to place me in a specific chronological frame
of reference and have often commented that I am ageless.
The
Ageless Woman is designed to provide you with an understanding of
what aging really is, the multiple insidious forces that age us,
and what you can do yourself to slow the process. Some of the strategies
I will share with you are ancient - a few possibly as old as time
itself. Others are derived from the exciting, new frontiers of physiology,
biochemistry and genetics. Synergistically combined, they offer
an unsurpassed path to wellness and longevity.
Much
of what you will find in The Ageless Woman, with the exception of
some specific hormonal prescriptions, is also applicable to men.
I encourage you to share this book with the men in your life. As
you become younger and more vital, you will want your male companions
to be able to keep up with you! Faust's dream of eternal youth is
within everyone's reach, and you don't need to sell your soul to
the devil. All you need is knowledge and motivation.
This
is not a quick-and-easy-fix book. It is not about simply replacing
pharmaceuticals with natural remedies. It is about making comprehensive
and integrated changes that will, over time, restore your organs
to optimal functionality and your entire body to a youthful vitality.
If you are in poor health currently, remember that it took you some
time to reach that state. You will need time, discipline and faith
to heal and rebuild. If you are basically in good health, this book
will give you the tools to sustain your health and youthfulness.
I bring
to you in The Ageless Woman almost 40 years of experience as a physician,
more than 25 of which have been spent practicing and continually
learning the art and science of holistic medicine. I have treated
thousands of patients with conditions ranging from mild imbalances
to serious, life-threatening diseases. When I see the spark of wellness
infusing my patients' bodies - when I see the light return to the
eyes of depleted and depressed patients - it is celestial music
to my ears and unrepressed joy to my heart.
In
Latin, docere, from which the word "doctor" derives, means
to teach. I am, first and foremost, a teacher. I teach my patients
how to regain and maintain their health. I invite you now to follow
me into my virtual classroom - and to become a member of my therapeutic
extended family. Let me guide you along your personal path to wellness
and longevity. Let me take you to the realm of the ageless woman.
Order
The Ageless Woman
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