Most of the articles on wellness that come out in this section give advice to readers on how to take good care of their body. And that’s fine, because it has helped a lot of people.

But I have not seen a feature story that focuses on the effects of doctor’s advice on patients. Some of these advice can have negative or deleterious effects.

In his book “Quantum Healing,” well-known endocrinologist turned holistic practitioner Dr. Deepak Chopra related the following story:

“I saw a lung cancer patient who had lived comfortably with a coin-sized lesion in his lungs for five years. He did not suspect that it was cancerous, and since he was in his 60s, the lesion was growing quite slowly. However, as soon as I told him that the lesion was consistent with a diagnosis of having cancer, he became terribly agitated. Within a month he started to cough up blood; within three months he was dead. This patient could live with his tumor, but he couldn’t live with the diagnosis.”

I know another story about a neurologist who diagnosed a patient to be suffering from Asymmetric Cortical Generative Syndrome following a stroke. He said her ailment was progressive and that medical intervention could not help her.

The diagnosis plunged the woman and her husband into a deep depression. Then the husband decided to consult another neurologist for a second opinion, and this doctor did not think her case was a hopeless one. He prescribed some new medicines for her, and her condition has stabilized and has not gotten worse, as predicted by the first doctor.

Six doctors out of seven

I remember a case of a woman named Agnes many years ago. Six doctors out of seven diagnosed her to be suffering from a cancer which needed to be operated on immediately. Only one doctor did not think she had cancer, but the other doctors ignored his opinion because he was not a cancer specialist, but an obstetrician.

A friend from a newly established government agency asked my help to bring his employee to a very famous faith healer and psychic surgeon in Baguio, and decided right away to get her out of the hospital and bring her to the healer.

Although it was a stormy night, we went by van to the healer in Baguio, and after examining her, he said she did not have any cancer. I was surprised, and told the healer that six medical doctors had confirmed her to have cancer and were ready to operate on her.

The faith healer insisted she did not have cancer, but was merely suffering from severe stress that has affected her physical condition. He did psychic surgery on her twice, removing what he termed calcifications in her body and some blood clots. After two days, we brought her back to the hospital.

When the doctors examined Agnes for cancer prior to the operation, they discovered she had no more signs of cancer and the planned operation was canceled.

Many years later, I met this patient in a social gathering and she was very healthy.

About two years ago I went to the clinic of Dr. Alfonso Lagaya for consultation. There was a female patient who was also being treated by him. She recognized me and said we used to be neighbors in the condominium where I was holding office. Frankly, I could not remember her, to my embarrassment.

She said she could not forget me because when she told me at that time that she was due for an operation for cancer, I supposedly told her not to undergo the surgery because she did not need it.

She said that due to what I told her, she consulted another cancer specialist, who told her I was right. She did not need an operation. And she recovered fast.

At the moment I cannot remember her name and cannot understand why I told her she did not need an operation. I don’t normally interfere with a person’s medical problem, but she probably asked my opinion, and I gave it to her.

It really pays to seek a second opinion, not only in matters of health and sickness. Take, for example, the case of a housewife named Carol who was told by her husband that she was “lousy in bed.”

So, she went to have sex with her neighbor. When her husband learned what she did, he became angry and asked why she did it. And Carol answered, “Well, I wanted to get a second opinion.”

The next Inner Mind Development seminar will be on April 18-19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza I Condominium, Legaspi St., Greenbelt, Makati City. Tel. 8107245 or mobile no. 0998-9886292. E-mail [email protected].