And One Pill Makes You Small

Americans are using more medical services every year, but as many as half of those services do nothing to improve their health. For many, the alarming rise in health care costs is stretching family budgets to the breaking point. This book challenges the notion that more medical care is always better. A clearer understanding of the health benefits--and the risks--of the most widely prescribed drugs and the most commonly performed procedures will enable you to evaluate your doctors' recommendations in a new light. For example, before you go to see your doctor, you can learn the answers to questions like: What is the exact probability that taking a statin drug will protect me from a heart attack? Does spinal surgery relieve back pain better than rehabilitation programs? Using examples from real patients, you will learn how to steer the conversation with your doctors to be sure your questions are answered and your preferences respected. Finally, if you read this book you will be reminded of the Bible's message about life on earth and life after death--and you will see a clear contrast between that message and what the world is saying. ""Randy Crenshaw's book could be a bitter pill to swallow, at least for the government and pharmaceuticals industry! But it's a relief to everyday people--a pearl of great price. The author de-mythologizes spinal surgery, Fosamax, Lipitor, and anti-depressants. Do any of them work? What does work? And One Pill Makes You Small has thinned out my medicine chest and caused me to turn off the TV. Maybe now I can start to get better."" --Paul F. M. Zahl, Theologian and Pastor ""This book is a challenge for Americans to wake up, trade in their notion that more medical care is always better, and live a healthy, positive, faith-filled life. Dr. Crenshaw exposes the fallacies of American medicine with startling facts, genuine patient stories, and a heartfelt faith. There aren't too many people in this world that could have written a book like this."" --James A. Avery, Chief Executive Officer, Hospice of the Piedmont, Visiting Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia ""And One Pill Makes You Small is an important and inspiring book. In it, Dr. Randy Crenshaw looks to the Scriptures to better understand the problems people encounter in a broken world, and he weighs God's word against the claims of modern drug makers. Crenshaw exposes the specious statistics of ""disease mongering"" pharmaceutical companies, but with the bedside manner of a trusted caretaker, he shows us the true path to physical and spiritual salvation."" --Proal Heartwell, author of Goronwy and Me: A Narrative of Two Lives ""Dr. Crenshaw, as a physician and lay minister, has over thirty years' experience in both the hard science of medicine and the comfort Christian faith brings to the afflicted. He brings a deep understanding of the limits and realities of modern medicine while providing a Christian perspective on the human condition. His work is a must-read for anyone wishing to gain a more profound understanding of the relationship between Christian faith and the medical problems that afflict humanity."" --Roger Strube, Retired Physician Executive Randy Crenshaw is a retired emergency room surgeon living in Charlottesville, VA. He had a second career as a physician executive, serving as a health plan medical director for several academic medical centers and for WebMD. He has authored articles for Tabletalk and World magazines, among others. He created a software program that allows insurance companies and employers to identify the most economically efficient doctors in their networks. He also holds a master's degree in Biblical Studies from the Birmingham Theological Seminary.