Your Health, Your Choice: Exploring Healing Beyond Borders | Ep 291

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[00:02:43] call podcast. My name is Melissa Deally and I am your host and today we are talking about something I haven't really explored on the show before called medical tourism and this episode was inspired by my recent trip to Split, Croatia. While I was there I learned that people travel to Croatia specifically for health care, dental treatments, medical procedures and other services because they can

[00:03:13] access high quality care at a fraction of what they might pay in their home country. And that got me thinking because isn't this exactly what I love to talk about on this podcast? One of the reasons I created this show was to bring you different resources, different perspectives and different possibilities when it comes to your health and your healing journey. That's why I often have on other

[00:03:39] practitioners that have all sorts of holistic model modalities on offer because if you don't know they exist you don't even know that they could be an option for you in your healing journey. And that's because I don't believe there is just one way to heal. I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter approach to our health. We are all different people. We have different bodies, different health histories,

[00:04:06] different life histories, different beliefs, different resources, different diagnoses, different goals, different nutrition, different gut makeup. And so why would we assume that everyone's healing journey should look exactly the same? And so what if something that could help you isn't available where you live? What if it is available somewhere else in the world?

[00:04:31] That question led me down the rabbit hole of medical tourism and there's a lot to talk about. So what is medical tourism? Medical tourism is essentially traveling outside your home country specifically to receive health care. And this is far more common than I realized. The CDC website says millions of Americans travel internationally for health care every year.

[00:04:56] People are traveling for dental work, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, cancer treatments, treatments, transplants, and many other medical procedures. And people do this for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it's because of cost. Sometimes it's because there is a long waiting list for the procedure they need in their home country. Sometimes it's because a particular specialist is available somewhere else.

[00:05:21] Sometimes it's because a treatment isn't available or isn't approved in their own country. And sometimes people are looking for a completely different philosophy of health care. For instance, one of my mentors traveled to both India and Sri Lanka and checked himself into Punta Karma centers in order to detox,

[00:05:45] using their cultural detox methodologies to experience it for himself. And rather than figuring out how to do it at home. And when he checked into these Punta Karma centers, the treatments, he mentioned some of them were actually really quite vile and disgusting tasting. And so when he came back to North America, he created detox processes,

[00:06:15] using those herbs and plant-based treatments in the form of a capsule so that other North Americans didn't have to taste the disgusting flavors of what he was given when he was there. He knew that it was helping his body, so he went along with it and it helped him in his healing journey. And now he's made this available to many more through a more palatable approach.

[00:06:44] And that last one really interests me, just, you know, looking for completely different philosophies of health care. Because if you've listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know that I believe healing can involve so much more than simply treating systems. We want to get to the root cause. We need to look at the physical body. We need to look at nutrition, at movement. We need to look at our emotional health and emotional body.

[00:07:11] We need to look at the effect of trauma on our emotional body and release that from the body. We need to look at our environment that we live in. We need to look at the beliefs that we have developed over the course of our lifetime about our body's ability to heal. We need to look at our mental body, our mental health. Do we believe we can heal? Because guess what? If we don't believe we can heal, we shut down all our healing channels, right?

[00:07:38] It's that old saying, whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're right. We have our unconscious mind, the home of our emotional body. That, and we know that our body is innately built to heal when we create the environment for it to do so. When we bring the body into balance, when it has all the resources available such that it can heal. However, when we're in a constantly stressed out state running in our fight or flight system, the body can't heal.

[00:08:07] It only heals in our parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest system. If we're deplete, nutritionally deplete, the body doesn't have enough resources to heal. If our body is in toxic overload, the body cannot heal because of that overload. If we're sleep deprived, the body doesn't have the resources to heal. And how many of us in today's world are toxic, are nutritionally deplete, are sleep deprived, are stressed out?

[00:08:36] Is it any wonder that our bodies are struggling to heal? Well, they can only do what they can do with the resources we give them. And if they're depleted in so many areas, there's just not enough resources for it to do everything we're demanding of it. And aside from all of that, there's our spiritual health that we have to take into account. And so there's all of these factors.

[00:09:00] In addition, there's our conventional, our complementary, and our integrative medical approaches. So the idea that someone might look beyond their own geographic border for answers doesn't really seem that strange to me at all. Because there's already so many factors that we can look at it when it comes to our healing journey. And my experience in Split was really had this hit home for me.

[00:09:26] Because I started learning that people weren't necessarily going to Croatia only for the beautiful beaches, the coastline, the history. And oh my goodness, the history is incredible. And the beautiful scenery. They weren't only going there for business reasons, as I did. On my one day off, I chose to do a hop-on, hop-off bus and learn about the area. And during that bus ride, I learned that some people go to Split for healthcare reasons. Dental work is a great example.

[00:09:56] A procedure that may be incredibly expensive in Canada or the U.S. or any other country may cost considerably less in Europe. So someone can potentially travel, receive their treatment, recover, and still spend less than they would spend at home. And that made me wonder. Where else are people going? And what are they going there for? And suddenly this became a much bigger conversation.

[00:10:26] Mexico, for example, has a major destination for people from the U.S. and Canada seeking dental and medical care. Some people also travel there looking for cancer treatments or integrative and alternative approaches that may not be available at home. I knew about this already as I am familiar with the work of Dr. Antonio Jimenez, who wrote the book Hope for Cancer and has two clinics in Mexico.

[00:10:51] I met him at a health conference in October 2023 and love his philosophy of seven principles to remove fear and empower your healing journey. It perfectly aligns with what I teach about healing more than just the physical body, needing to heal all four bodies, and also getting out of that fear state, again, the stress state, fight or flight response, and into our parasympathetic nervous system so the body can actually heal.

[00:11:17] And of course, people are traveling to Mexico for their beautiful vacations and their all-inclusive retreats. However, that's not all that Mexico has to offer. Across the world, people are traveling for fertility treatments, dental procedures, cosmetic surgery, orthopedic procedures, regenerative medicine, cancer care, and access to specialists not available at home.

[00:11:40] And this is where medical tourism becomes much more than simply, where can I get this procedure cheaper? Sometimes the question is, where can I access something I cannot access at home? And that leads me to the RigVir story. About 10 years ago, I heard about something called RigVir in Latvia, and I thought it was a bacteria that attacked melanoma cells while keeping healthy cells intact.

[00:12:09] And it's actually much more interesting than that as I continued my research. It's actually an oncolytic virus. And if you've never heard that term before, welcome to another rabbit hole. Oncolytic, I can't say oncolytic, colitic, virotherapy is an area of cancer research that uses viruses in an attempt to target cancer cells and potentially stimulate the immune system against the cancer. Think about that for a moment.

[00:12:36] We normally think of viruses as something we need to avoid or that we don't want. And yet, in this research, they're using the virus to help alleviate the cancer cells. Scientists have also been studying ways of harnessing certain viruses as potential weapons against cancer, which is extraordinary.

[00:12:55] RigVir was used in Latvia for melanoma and published studies and case reports generated interest around it, including reports involving advanced cancers, i.e. stage 3 and 4. However, the story gets more complicated. Latvia suspended RigVir's marketing authorization in 2019 after quality control and regulatory issues were identified.

[00:13:17] And I think that part of the story is just as important as the exciting part, because something can sound revolutionary and still require more investigation. Natural doesn't automatically mean it's the right solution for you. Alternative doesn't automatically mean ineffective. And conventional doesn't automatically mean right for every individual either. This is where self-responsibility becomes incredibly important.

[00:13:46] Expanding your options doesn't mean abandoning medicine. I want to make something really clear here. When I talk about exploring your options, I am not telling anyone with cancer or any serious illness to abandon their medical treatment and jump on an airplane. That is not the message. There are complementary approaches that can be incorporated alongside conventional medicine. And there are alternative approaches that people use instead of conventional treatment.

[00:14:16] And those are very different decisions. So it's important to ask questions. Look at the research. Talk with qualified practitioners. Understand the risks. Understand the potential benefits. And if you're considering combining approaches, make sure the people treating you know what else you are taking or doing. Give them the whole picture. Self-advocacy isn't rejecting medical advice.

[00:14:45] Self-advocacy is participating in the conversation. There is a huge difference. You are part of the healthcare team. This connects directly with something I've talked about many times on this podcast and shared in my own personal cancer journey in episode 171. Your doctor is an expert in medicine and what they've studied and been taught. A specialist may be an expert in a particular disease. A surgeon may be an expert in a particular procedure.

[00:15:14] And you are the expert on living in your body. You have lived there every single day of your life. So your voice belongs in the conversation. If someone gives you one option, you can ask, What are my other options? What happens if I do this? What happens if I don't do this? Are there other treatments available? Are there clinical trials? Are there complementary approaches that could support me? Is there another specialist I could speak with?

[00:15:43] Is the treatment available somewhere else? What does the research actually say? These are powerful questions. You need to make sure that you get answers to these questions and aren't simply being shut down for daring to ask them. If you are being shut down, find other medical professionals and practitioners that welcome your voice in the conversation. It is your body and your health journey after all.

[00:16:10] And if you are looking internationally, there are even more questions you need to ask before you get on the plane. If you are considering medical tourism, please do your homework. Research the doctor. Research the clinic. Look at their credentials. Look at accreditation. Ask how many times they have performed the procedure you are considering. Ask about outcomes and complications.

[00:16:39] If they are offering a treatment for cancer or other serious disease, ask for the actual published research. Not testimonials. Not Instagram videos. Not a beautiful clinic website. Research. Ask what type of studies have been conducted. How many people participated? Were the results published in peer-reviewed medical journals? Or in a book that you can access easily? Was there a control group?

[00:17:07] Has the research been replicated independently? What are the known risks? And here's another question people may not think about. What happens when you come home after the procedure? Who is responsible for your follow-up care? What happens if you develop an infection? What happens if there is a complication? Will your doctor at home have access to your records?

[00:17:31] Will your insurance cover complications resulting from a procedure performed internationally? These are not reasons to not explore medical tourism. They are reasons to explore it intelligently. There are real risks with any procedure. There are some very real considerations with medical tourism. Standards aren't identical everywhere. Licensing requirements vary. Infection control standards vary.

[00:18:01] Medication and medical device regulations vary. And traveling itself can create additional risks following certain procedures. For example, long flights after surgery can increase the risk of blood clots. So this is not simply, hey, I found a procedure for half the price. Let's book a flight. No, this is your health. Do your due diligence. And I think there's a really important lesson here.

[00:18:27] Taking responsibility for your health does not mean doing everything yourself. It means gathering information and assembling the right team around you. Sometimes your team might include your family doctor, an oncologist, a naturopathic doctor, a nutrition professional, a therapist, a specialist, a practitioner working with the unconscious mind, and perhaps even a physician or clinic in another country. Perhaps even family members helping you do your research.

[00:18:56] The question isn't which system is right. The better question may be what combination of qualified resources makes sense for me. Your beliefs and your goals matter. And this is another piece I don't think we talk about enough. Your health care decisions should reflect your goals. Two people with exactly the same diagnosis may make very different decisions. One person may want every conventional intervention available.

[00:19:24] Another may want conventional medicine alongside complementary approaches. Another may prioritize quality of life differently. People have different risk tolerances. Different values. Different beliefs. Different financial resources. Different responsibilities. Different definitions of quality of life. And that's why informed consent and personal agency matter so much. You deserve to understand what you're saying yes to.

[00:19:53] You deserve to understand what you're saying no to. And you deserve to know what other reasonable options exist. And remember, cheaper doesn't always mean less expensive. There is another side to medical tourism we need to talk about. Price. Because yes, something may initially look significantly cheaper overseas. Let's say a procedure costs $30,000 at home and only $8,000 somewhere else. That difference is enormous.

[00:20:22] Now ask, does the $8,000 include follow-up care? What happens if you have to stay an extra two weeks? What happens if you develop an infection? What if you need another procedure? What about flights? Hotels? Medication? Someone else traveling with you? Lost income while you're away? What happens if you need medical care when you return home? Suddenly the equation can change.

[00:20:47] So compare the total cost of care, not simply the advertised price of procedure. I want you to become curious. And really, that's what I hope this episode creates. Curiosity. I don't want you to walk away thinking, medical tourism is amazing. And I also don't want you to walk away thinking, medical tourism is dangerous. I want you thinking, wow, I didn't realize how many healthcare options exist outside the system I'm familiar with.

[00:21:16] Because that's the bigger conversation. Where you live determines which healthcare system you have access to. It determines which treatments are approved in your area. It influences what your doctors were trained in. It influences what your insurance or public healthcare system pays for. And none of those things automatically represent the entire universe of healthcare knowledge. There is research happening all over the world. There are specialists all over the world.

[00:21:44] There are different healthcare systems all over the world. There are different philosophies of healing all over the world. Some approaches will have excellent evidence. Some will have emerging evidence. Some will have little evidence at this time. Some will turn out not to work. Your job isn't to believe everything. And your job isn't to reject everything either. Your job is to ask better questions. Self-advocacy and self-responsibility.

[00:22:14] This brings me back to the two themes that came up again or come up again and again on this podcast. Self-advocacy and self-responsibility. They go together. Self-advocacy says, I have a voice in my healthcare. Self-responsibility says, I am going to educate myself enough to use that voice wisely. Because taking control of your health doesn't mean believing the first alternative practitioner you find

[00:22:41] any more than it means blindly accepting the first medical opinion you're given. Ask questions on both sides. Question conventional treatments. Question alternative treatments. Question complementary treatments. Question anyone promising you certainty. Ask what evidence supports this. What are the risks? What are the alternatives? What don't we know yet? What happens if this doesn't work?

[00:23:07] And perhaps most importantly, does this decision align with my values, my goals, and the life I want to live? So my trip to Split opened my eyes to a subject I hadn't previously explored on this show and I thought that it would be fun to address. And I think we're going to talk about it again because the more I learn about medical tourism, the more I realize that this isn't simply a conversation about traveling somewhere for cheaper dental implants or cosmetic surgery. It's a conversation about access.

[00:23:37] It's a conversation about choice. It's a conversation about innovation. And it's a conversation about evidence. And ultimately, it's a conversation about personal agency. There is more than one way to support healing. There is no single path that is going to be right for every person. And sometimes discovering your path requires looking beyond what you've always known. Maybe that means asking your doctor another question. Maybe it means getting a second opinion. Maybe it means finding a different specialist.

[00:24:08] Maybe it means exploring integrative care. Maybe it means looking at a clinical trial. And yes, perhaps one day it means getting on an airplane and traveling somewhere else in the world for care. Whatever your path looks like, stay curious. Do your research. Ask questions. Listen to your intuition. Seek qualified guidance. Understand both the potential benefits and the risks. And remain actively involved in your decisions.

[00:24:36] Because this is your body. This is your life. And you deserve to know what options are available to you. So until next time, keep asking questions. Keep expanding your awareness. And remember, there is more than one way to heal and more than one body to heal. You have your spiritual body. You have your spiritual body. Your mental body. Your emotional body. And your physical body.

[00:25:02] And if you want to learn more about healing any of those four bodies, reach out to me. Email me through the show notes. Because I offer training sessions in educating you on all four bodies and steps you can take to ensure your health in all four bodies. And helping you live the quality of life that you want to live.

[00:25:29] And have the longevity that you want to have. Thank you for tuning in each and every week to learn more about your health. Gain access to health resources. And thank you too for sharing this episode with someone that you know needs to hear it. Thank you for investing this time with me on the Don't Wait for Your Wake Up Call podcast. I'm so glad you joined in.

[00:25:53] If you can take two minutes to share this episode with someone you think can benefit and have a positive impact on their life, that would be wonderful. Please leave a review by going to your favorite podcast listening app. And let me know what you enjoy or would like to hear more of. It will support me in my effort to bring the possibility of natural healing to a wider audience. And help disrupt the sick care system we have today and make human health a global priority.

[00:26:21] Health is your true wealth.