Michael Jackson, Chronic Illness, The Medical Vortex, and You

This morning I listened to Michael Jackson's dermatologist of over 25 years on "Good Morning America" discussing MJ's various treatments and refuting allegations that he prescribed him powerful painkillers.

"I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Dr. Arnold Klein said during the interview. "In fact, I was the one who limited everything, who stopped everything."

Klein had seen MJ in his office on the Monday before his death, and said he didn't notice anything to cause him concern (he didn't "notice" MJ's anorexic body?). "He was not in terrible pain when I saw him," Klein said. "He danced in my office. He danced for my patients." He also said that he was always concerned that other doctors would prescribe him potentially harmful medications. "No matter what he wanted, someone would give it to him," Klein said.

Klein talked about diagnosing Jackson with Lupus and treating him for acne scars, and that he had sedated the singer for painful procedures but never used powerful sedatives.

"How am I going to prescribe Diprivan when I don't know how to use it?" he said, declining to list the medications he did use to sedate Jackson.

During the final meeting with MJ, Klein, who is a professor of medicine and dermatology at UCLA Medical School, said he noticed no signs of addiction or dangerous weight loss, but added that his expertise is in aesthetics, not addiction.

I shouldn't be astonished but I really am. First off take a look at this picture of Klein as he appeared on GMA this morning. Does he look like a picture of health to you? He's OBESE and obesity is rat poison to your health. Is that aesthetically pleasing? Secondly take a look at the above picture of MJ closely, notice how his rib cage is showing, that also is very obviously not a picture of health. Aesthetically I'd say Klein did a pretty poor job as MJ looked visibly very ill. I'm frustrated with the denial and the finger pointing away from themselves that is going on with doctors of MJ. I guess you have to be a nutritionist or wellness coach to actually see obvious visible signs of declining and or poor health.

COME ON does it take an autopsy to realize that someone is deathly thin, emaciated, with track marks on the arms? Aside from weight (both emaciation and obesity are obvious visible signs of ill health) another very obvious health indicator is your skin and hair and as Klein is a dermatologist my guess is that he knew that Michael Jackson was completely bald his scalp only covered in a sort of peach fuzz.

Had MJ's medical care really been geared toward aesthetics as is Klein's stated expertise he would have had a full head of glowing hair, his skin would have been radiant, his weight would have been normal for his height and level of activity, he would have been able to sleep like a baby because being able to sleep normally is NECESSARY in order to look and feel healthy. I understand that MJ had chronic health problems but it's possible to look and feel pretty healthy even WITH a medical diagnosis (Montel Williams for example he looks amazing) .

Let's get real. Health is not the absence of a medical condition that needs prescription medication. If you LOOK unhealthy you are most likely unhealthy. Is medicine so compartmentalized that a dermatologist cannot diagnose dangerously low weight?

What we need in health care today is a coming together of all disciplines to help people understand the concept of such basic things as proper nourishment to feed and heal cells. Balance, stress reduction, getting enough sleep every single night, decreasing or eliminating exposure to toxins (chemicals, chemicals, chemicals!!!!!!), enough exercise every day, having fun, resting, and enjoying good food are all on the list of "must haves" for health.

Being healthy and staying healthy takes a lot of work and discipline. And you don't have to have a medical degree to look at some of the pictures of MJ's last years to determine that his health was very poor. SHAME on the doctors that allowed him to go down the vortex of bad medical care so deeply that he died.

I'm really sad about what happened to MJ and what's happening to way too many people today.