My Un-scientific Experiment

If I had any remaining doubt that health really is the most important thing in life, the past few weeks have certainly eliminated that residual doubt. I was starting to feel lucky that Winston was disease free for over a month and did not catch the hand foot and mouth disease that apparently found its way to his daycare center, when he started having a pink eye followed by a lingering cold. Soon afterwards, he ran into the desk in the office and got a huge laceration on his forehead. Just when I thought that it was time for his cold to go away, he came down with a high fever and was diagnosed with a bacterial infection. A week into his antibiotics regimen, he came down with another cold with a racking cough. Needless to say, I have been rendered almost schizophrenic. 

As a scientist by training, I started looking for answers to his getting sick more often than others.  And precisely because I have been a scientist by training, I know all too well how insufficient science has been to answer questions about disease, health and immunity. What works for some people may not work for others, and of course strictly controlled experiments can never be carried out. Even if they could, they become meaningless precisely because they are too controlled and don't reflect the real life situation. Suffice to say that I have decided to carry on some experiments with an effort to improve Winston's health.  For now I am going to switch Winston to a diary free diet – I will not be military about it but he will not be drinking 20 ounce of milk plus 2 or 3 yogurt cups any more. Also, I gave him Manuka honey for the past two days and miraculously his cold is improving at a much faster pace than usual. Of course I could be hallucinating due to wishful thinking. Still, I feel that I have some actions to take for the next month or so to see if my little boy will benefit from this latest uncontrolled experiment. 

What I have noticed about scientists in general is their near religious belief in science. The fact that science cannot answer many questions does not seem to instill doubt in their minds when they don't see a proof that a certain regimen could lead to health benefits for certain people. Now isn't that unscientific? If we don't understand something, it does not mean that it is not true. It simply means that it MAY not be true. Somehow many scientists forget about it, and forget about the fact that there are always exceptions to the rule as well. 

Traditional Chinese medicine is perhaps the closest thing to personalized medicine, and surely the field is messy. Have there been miracles? Yes. Has  there been disappointment? Yes. In the case of miracles, it is personalized medicine done at its best without the practitioner understanding the scientific basis. In the case of disappointment, it is the practitioner trying to over-apply something that has only worked for a few people. 

In the case of Winston, I don't care to find out any scientific basis. I just want to find out whatever that works for him.