Dr. Weil Lecture at U of A Duval Auditorium - 4-4-2012

Went to listen to Dr. Weil speak to a group of mostly over 60-year olds about debunked medical treatments. I think Dr. Weil is such a sensible guy and a facinating speaker.  I have been trying to get Jim to make an appointment at his renouned Integrative Medicine Center here in Tucson.  It was back in 1996 when I was developing business opportunities for AT&T's newly launched Internet consumer service, WorldNet, that I first discovered Dr. Weil and his online site. I would never have imagined that some day I would be living in Tucson where Dr. Weil has his headquarters.  Very cool.  This was my first time hearing him speak, in person.  Dr. Weil gave a number of examples of medical treatments from the past that were thought to be therapeutic at the time and later discovered to be useless or in other cases, dangerous.  He listed using uranium stones pressed against your kidneys to improve kidney function, X-rays for everything,including shrinking the thalmus gland in young children, overuse of antibiotics, as well as removal of tonsils.   Most recently, acid reflux drugs and antidepressants have been found to cause more long term harm than good.  Whatever happened to the medical mantra of "Do no harm?"

It was a very interesting hour.  However, it was spoiled by a fiasco in the U of A Medical Center parking garage by an "uninformed" parking attendant.  About 50 of us who attended the lecture parked in the garage and then spent about 40 minutes each weaving our way out all because we were made to pay for parking once we reached the gate and the parking attendant.  Dr. Weil's lecture was free as was the parking for all attendees.  However, free parking was only afforded to those who parked in a designated lot, according to the attendee; no exceptions.  I ask you, if 50 people did not see any signs directing them to the special parking lot, where was that sign, and how early prior to the lecture was it put up?  I had arrived an hour early anticpating a large crowd.  I followed the signs to visitors parking that instructed you to get your parking ticket validated in the department you were visiting.  However, when I presented by stamped parking ticket to the attendant, and explained I had attended the Dr. Weil lecture, she explained that I was not supposed to get my ticket validated if I was at the lecture and I had to pay her $5.25 before she would open the gate to let me exit.  EXTORTION! I should add this was obviously her retaliation for my telling her that the parking garage had a 40 minute back-up for the exit because she was erroneously charging all those who had come for the special lecture.  I am still outraged by this outcome 2 days later!

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