Seminar to probe alternative health care

Ken Goewey is the driving force behind Wellness Journey '05, which will offer insights into new ways of dealing with illness.

"Driving force" is an appropriate term, since his name has long been associated with cars through the advertising slogan, "Ken Goewey, What A Guy!"

Wellness Journey '05, Oct. 15 at Siena College in Loudonville, will examine new ways that medical practitioners, caregivers and individuals can reduce the effects of chronic disease.

Family matters

Mr. Goewey's interest in health therapies and alternative medicine started when his brother Stephen was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1989.

"My brother was a medical doctor," he explained. "When he was diagnosed, he began to take advantage of some alternative treatments. We believe they helped him in his illness. They couldn't save him, but they did improve the quality of his life."

Mr. Goewey's wife, Jerrie, was later diagnosed with emphysema, airways disease and diabetes. As a result, he further investigated options for her, searching for ways to improve her quality of life.

"Her doctors have been able to control [her ailments] for the most part" with medication and traditional treatment, he said, "but there are certain medications she can't take, that she has adverse reactions to."

Helpful book

As he and his wife dealt with her health issues, a friend gave Mr. Goewey a copy of "Doctor Yourself: Natural Healing That Works," by Andrew Saul, Ph.D.

Reading the book, Mr. Goewey became very interested in alternative, natural and homeopathic ways to treat certain illnesses and improve patients' lives.

"I realized that this was pretty interesting and effective information that many people could benefit from," he said. "I found out where the author lived and decided to go to his home and introduce myself. I wanted to discuss the possibility of having a seminar.

"I knew he was a new author and needed to sell his book. I was someone who wanted to educate a large number of people in his theories. A seminar on alternative medicine seemed like the perfect solution. I figured if people were as interested in this as I was, it had to work. I was willing to give it a try."

Goals

Mr. Goewey hopes that the forum will "draw individuals interested in health and doing the right things to stay as healthy as they can. Modern medical practice may have a lot to offer, but it's not always the right answer in every single case for every single person. In fact, some studies I've come across suggest the conventional approach may have plenty of pitfalls of its own."

He said that the forum has a three-fold purpose: "to educate the chronically ill to all available options; educate and support the caregivers of the chronically ill; and educate medical practitioners and the general public on workable options, which go beyond traditional medicine."

(Ken and Jerrie Goewey are parishioners of St. Henry's Church in Averill Park. The couple has served as regional directors on the National Board of Marriage Encounter for many years and as directors of the Albany diocesan Family Life Office. Ken Goewey now owns Alternative Cars and Trucks in Wynantskill. He is an event coordinator for automobile racetracks in New York State and is developing an online business selling health books. He is the former owner of Ken Goewey Dodge.)

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What forum will include

Andrew Saul will deliver the keynote address at the Oct. 15 forum. He has been a natural therapeutics consultant since 1976 and has a private practice in Rochester.

Discussion panels will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Other speakers include physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and family therapists.

Discussions will be led on pain and sleep, hormonal and adrenal fatigue, stress and spirituality, cultural medicine, nutrition, economics in the medical system, family systems and health, and wellness.

To register, visit www.wellnessjourney.org or call 283-5325. (PP)

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