Charles Davis, Ph.D.

At some point in the eighties, I noticed that somehow Dr. Mike’s brand of medicine worked better. I had no idea why. He had information and points of view that no other doctor seemed to have. Based on seemingly little information, he could construct diagnoses that were surprisingly insightful, (and invariably correct). I broke my foot. From the x-ray he could tell I was a jogger, that I broke it jogging, and how. He said the break would mend in half the time if I didn’t wear a cast, and did I want to try that? Huh? Apparently some limited movement speeds the healing process. This practice is common now, but he knew it 25 years ago. This became a pattern. Where other doctors treated specifics, Dr. Mike connected the dots. The reasons were always clearer and the cures always quicker when Mike was involved.

In 2000, we had a baby girl. I was 55, gaining weight in spite of various diets and exercise. I had back problems, I was aging.  I wondered if I was going to drop dead before that baby girl was in high school. I needed answers, but I didn’t even know the questions. My immediate thought was that if anyone could figure this out, it would be Dr. Mike. Off I went. “Mike, please measure everything. Don’t worry about insurance. I want the full picture and want to know how to rescue myself if possible.”

Scans and blood tests. Several things wrong, but several things right as well. From all these numbers, Mike could tell me what I was doing wrong, and what to change. I was borderline osteoporotic. “Stop jogging and start weight lifting and that will reverse”, he said. “Also your cholesterol is high, but we don’t care. Your cholesterol particles are too big to get stuck in your arteries and you aren’t ever going to get heart disease. You are insulin resistant, that’s causing the weight gain. Cut down on starch and that will go away.”

This was certainly not “standard-practice” in 2000. Any other doctor then would have said take calcium pills for the osteoporosis, statins for the cholesterol, keep jogging, and eat less fat for the weight issue. If I had done all that, I would still have all those problems. By now, I would have been stoop shouldered, overweight, and basically just plain old.

But I listened. Fifteen years later, I have faithfully followed this advise, re-measuring frequently to make sure I was “on track.” The osteoporosis is long gone and will stay gone. No heart problems. Have gained 10 pounds of bone and 10 pounds of muscle, but lost 30 pounds of blubber. I look younger today than photos from 2000. In a health sense, I am indeed younger. I feel younger. Quantitative Medicine certainly has worked well for me.

I am retired now. The baby girl is in high school. I decided that my grand retirement project would be to spread the word, to take the concepts of Quantitative Medicine to all that would be interested. Hence this blog. Much more to come. I am planning to be around for quite a while.

I have a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. However, I’m contributing to this blog, not as an engineer, but as a patient. I do have an engineer’s curiosity though, which brought me here. There is no known cure for curiosity.

  1 comment for “Charles Davis, Ph.D.

  1. Dave Cheffi
    July 28, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    Love your book and the methodology. I will be 70 in 2 months and I’m on blood pressure med. In regard to your High Intensity cardio recommendation, how might that work for someone of my age? Would the intervals of exercise and rest be modified?

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