(Note: Allopathic is the term most often used to describe the kind of treament methodologies used by the majority of Western medical practitioners. It can most succinctly defined as "symptom eradication")

Following her normal routine, Marjorie McKenzie was driving down I-605 on her way to her office in her 1996 Jaguar XJS. About halfway through the 15 mile drive, the "Check Engine" light suddenly lit up on the Jag's dashboard. Knowing there was an import auto specialist repair shop only a mile or so from her office, Marjorie decided to head straight there to get the problem checked out. The Jag was her pride and joy, she certainly didn't want anything serious to happen to it.

Marjorie pulled into Import Specialties Auto Clinic and described to the service manager what she had seen. Without looking at the car himself, he said tests would have to be run, which could begin the following day at the earliest. He advised strongly against driving the car any further until a determination could be made about how to make the light go out. He promised to call her at her office the next day with any preliminary information they might be able to obtain. And no, of course they didn't offer loaner cars; interim transportation was assumed to be the car owner's responsibility. And Ms McKenzie would need to leave her credit card number with the office manager as security for payment.

Marjorie braced for the worst and called a car rental agency which picked her up and took her to her office then left her with the car. Fortunately, the rest of the day went pretty smoothly with no major calamities to add to her stress.

The following day, Marjorie got a call from Import Specialties. The Service Manager in her most apologetic tone of voice informed her that they would be unable to perform the tests that day as they had gotten in an emergency transmission failure job and had had complications arise in a major engine overhaul, so the clinic's best mechanics had not been available to look into her Jag's problem. The service manager admitted she could assign the task to one of their apprentices, but felt that Ms. McKenzie would feel comfortable with only the finest care for her special car. Marjorie quickly agreed that she wanted only the most highly qualified specialists to work on her Jaguar.

The following day, a specialist performed numerous tests on the vehicle's systems including checking tire pressure, exhaust temperature, and oil level. His expert conclusion was that the Jaguar needed a subdash luxectomy. The operation was fairly routine with few complications. Marjorie was also informed that occasionally there were side effects such as engine seizures and burned valves, but these were generally considered within the profession to be normal risks.

Marjorie agreed to the operation as long as it could be done quickly, so she could have her car back again as soon as possible. A service bay was due to be available in an hour, so Marjorie decided to wait while the operation was done and then leave with her car as soon as it was over. This meant losing a whole day of work, but at least her car problems would finally be resolved.

The procedure, once underway didn't take long. The mechanic positioned his specially designed long-necked grappler and firmly but gently removed the offending lamp bulb from its socket. The wire connecting the socket to its sensor was carefully severed also as added security that the light would never come on again. After restarting the car and verifying the "check engine" light was indeed extinguished, the operation was declared a success and the car could be returned to its owner for regular duty.

Pleased at the success, Marjorie paid the $725 bill and drove away. The cost was much higher than she expected, but Marjorie prided herself on being able to be decisive, taking on challenges head-on and moving forward. She had done it again, she applauded herself. Thanks to modern mechanics, she was back on the road again with no obnoxious light glaring at her.

Copyright (c) David Moyle 2003