Lack of Feeling

In my limited experience as a PA students I've come across many different types of patients presenting with many different problems. These problems have ranged from acute to chronic pain, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, mental disorders, fatigue, ingrown toenails, recent traumas requiring suturing, congestive heart failure, dyspnea, and the list goes on. When facing each problem one must take a systematic approach to it's origin and the best, most cost effective approach to treating it. After going through a thorough history and physical (including labs and tests) I offer each patient a list of options, with my opinion of what would give the most desirable results and the most tolerable methods. I emphasize the need for healthy life habits, including the reduction of certain substances and foods, the need for increased physical activity, and the judicious use of certain medications. With that list the patient has the option to chose which treatment regime they would prefer, and financially able to do. Every patient walks out with the understanding of the risks involved with not following through with proper treatment.
In those cases of actual physical pain I see an increased compliance to therapies that I have recommended. Now don't get me wrong, there are many out there who only want to take medicine until the pain goes away and don't want to do anything else, but they at least take their medicine. The instances where I see the least compliance in following treatment is in those cases of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other similar, chronic disorders that have very little symptoms at the early stages of the disease. If left untreated these diseases can eventually lead to coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy/nephropathy/neuropathy, and other serious problems. Eventually the patient will come in desperately looking for relief.
So with these disease states leading to such catastrophic events why is it that someone wouldn't want to nip them in the bud and prevent the progress into such problems by adhering to professionally recommended therapies? Cost is one of them, but I'm convinced that there are two other very important factors: lack of patient education, and lack of feeling. The prior is the easiest to resolve. With a new diagnosis of certain diseases the provider can easily explain the disease process and steps necessary to prevention of progression. Once the patient is informed the rest is up to them.
The lack of "feeling", I believe, is the number one reason for patient non-compliance for three very common diseases; diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). When asking the patient if he/she is taking their medications as prescribed, following and maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising regularly the provider comes across a myriad of responses. "I'm just too tired after work to exercise," "I've just been forge ting to take my medications," "I don't have time to prepare a healthy meal," "es que no me siento malo (I just don't feel bad)". All of those responses can be stripped away of the justifications and translated into "No, I haven't made the effort." And the number one reason for not making the effort is the last answer, "I don't feel bad (or I don't feel any different if I take or not take my medications)." This lack of feeling gives the patient a false hope of comfort and leads them down a slippery slope to an illness which they won't recover from, regardless of if they become compliant at that point.
In my limited experience in the gospel I've noticed similar conditions; lack of feeling leading to complacency and gospel non-compliance. At the time we will say that we don't feel any different if we obey, or don't obey, certain commandments. We feel at times that they are more restrictive then freeing and that sinning a little will not be that bad in the long run. Nephi said it well when he prophesied of the philosophies of our day, "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die...there is no harm in this...and if we be guilty, God will punish us with but a few stripes..." (2 Nephi 28:7-8). We let little sins (like diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) run free throughout our body without making but a small effort to control and put a stop to them. Sure we might occasionally peruse the scriptures or pray but refuse to make those changes in our lives which will halt our problems in their tracks. Just as occasionally, or only, taking your medication and not making any lifestyle modifications with DM, HTN, or HLD will only partially control those diseases, so will occasionally following God's commandments partially allow you to be truly "healed."
Only when the disease progresses and we are suffering from congestive heart failure, heart attack, blindness, limb amputation, and renal failure do we look to God and ask him to "heal me!" Then we feel the pain of our choices and look to be compliant. By this time, however, it is too late. The disease has run its course, the devil has you bound with his strong cords, and death is inevitable. Unlike these physical illnesses, God's mercy is abounding and salvation is possible but much, much more difficult to attain. Christ's atonement was an infinite one, but as we let time pass without invoking it in our lives the price we must pay increases. That is when we feel the burden of the consequences of our actions, that is when we become gospel compliant.
Oh how much easier it would have been if we would have just listened to that great "Physician" in the first place and followed the recommended therapy program?! How much more cost and time effective would it have been?! How much pain could we have avoided if only we "took our medications and made those lifestyle modifications"?!
Even though we might not feel bad, or any different, at the time let me assure you that there is an underlying problem coursing through each and every one of our bodies that, if not taken care of now, not later, will lead to total system failure and an unpleasant life. Joshua said it well when he commanded Israel "Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed from among you." (Joshua 7:13)
Only through Christ's atonement and strict obedience to his commandments can we take that accursed thing from among us. Let us not wait until we have to lose a foot, or an eye, or even our heart to make that decision. It is far easier now to handle than it will be in the future.