You Drive Doctor Crazy

During one of my appointments with my doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Dr. L said, "You have soooo MANY problems! YOU drive doctor crazy!" We both had a good laugh.

 I said, "Yes, I'm a challenge for a doctor!"

 "Yes! Yes! Ooooh, goodness!"

 How could I laugh when someone, especially a doctor, was telling me that I had so many problems that I was driving them crazy? With Dr. L. it is so wonderful that she knows. She knows I have these problems not because I'm telling her that I have anxiety attacks, bladder issues, tight chest from asthma, spasicity so tight that my muscles feel like a rubber band that is about to snap along with other health issues. With Dr. L. she can tell my current status of health from using her senses during each visit to exam me.

Cane Free

The summer before last, my mother called to tell me that she read about these new flip flops that actors and actresses were wearing. They were being worn by Hollywood because they added a benefit to everyday walking...they provided a workout by replicating the effects of using a wobble board. The shoes my mother wanted me to give a try? FitFlops

She was especially interested in telling me about them because one of the other advantages of wearing them is reduced pain while walking. By the time she had called to tell me this, I needed my cane continously. At first the cane, not only helped me to keep my balance while walking, it also helped me not to be in as much pain. This was no longer the case. The pain had become so intense, that I would be sweating and red in the face after walking or standing within five minutes. On field trips with students, I began using a wheel chair. My trips out to purchase anything had been halted to non-existent. I was depending on my husband more and more, something I didn't want to have to do. He was already doing so much for me.

The year before, I had gone to a podiatrist after a rheumatologist noticed during an exam that I had extremely high arches. I began getting my hopes up when my new specialist went over my test results. I had periphal neuropathy in both feet. He thought a pair of orthotics might make a difference in the pain that radiated from my back down to my feet. He was also hopeful that wearing the prescribed orthotics would bring me relief in my lower body numbness and tingling sensations. Then I asked how much.. $400…four hundred dollars that my insurance would not cover. I hated to see us put so much money to insoles that I wasn't even sure would work for me. Yet, I hated to ignore what a specialist was telling me that I needed. What if the orthotics could relieve some of the pain? Could I afford not to wear them???


My husband, who is always extremely determined when it comes to my health or getting me something, began to investigate. He found a website that carried custom ordered orthotics for $99. Immediately, he ordered the orthotic kit. When the kit arrived, I carefully placed each foot into the molding and returned the moldings in the prepaid box. The moldings were used to make orthotics custom fit to my arches. Once the orthotics were in, I was anxious to put them in my shoes and give them a try. For the past decade I had already tried gel, padded, and magnetic inserts. All gave some relief, but none of them were enough to help the pain that I would now endure while on my feet.


The orthotics brought needed relief. I WAS more comfotable. I was elated...I could buy groceries again, enjoy shopping, walk the streets of Colonial Williamsburg (a favorite that I loved doing at the time, but couldn't). Maybe, I could begin hiking again? Something we hadn't done in over a year. I was still using my cane but walking with less pain. After a few minutes (longer than five minutes or less before), I was having intense pain again. The pain in my back was excruciating.


I continued wearing my orthotics, not wanting to cause anymore damage to the nerves in my feet. I would sleep with high quality magnetic shoe inserts inside my socks at night (still do) to help relieve restless leg (more like restless body) syndrome and pain. I hadn't been able to stop using the cane. I continued to need a wheelchair if I needed to walk much distance.


I had also worked with three different physical therapists by the time I got my mother's call. I usually found myself in more pain from the sessions due to their lack of knowledge about spasicity. A pair of flip flops to relieve back pain after all I had already tried???


I am so thankful that my mother told me about something that sounded too good to be true. A year after purchasing my first pair of FitFlops, I am still cane free and have lost sixty-five pounds and four clothing sizes. Being able to get around more freely has definitely helped with the weight loss but so has the wobble board effect that the FitFlops have engineered in them. Look for an upcoming post discussing more about the benefits I have seen from wearing FitFlops.

I would love to hear your comments on the following: What have you or a loved one found to help ease back and/or leg pain? 

Removing Toxins

At my second visit (which has been a few weeks ago now) to see my doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Dr. L. and I began to see more clearly just how sick I am.

Traditional Chinese doctors can tell the status of your health in ways that fascinate me; by reading radial pulse, looking at the tongue, the eyes, the color and feel of the skin, sensing the way the body reacts to different puncture areas, and feeling changes of temperature across the body. I had learned a little about reading of the tongue, from my previous acupuncturist. A tongue with a thick coating and odd color is a sign of problems in the body. How the tongue looks, its size, and its shape are all important to a TCM doctor. They are also trained to know to look at specific areas of the tongue to know more about where the problem is occuring.


Of recent, my tongue, regardless of how well or how often I brush/gargle has had a thick bright yellowish orangey color. Fortunately, this isn't something noticed unless I decide to do a Jena Bush and stick out my tongue. The bright yellowish orangey color is due to my body trying to detox from being on so many prescription medications as well as having toxins in my body from a diet that was lacking in being healthy. Along with the oddity of the color of my tongue, have been other changes that are a quite odd and somewhat embarrassing. But hoping that others may benefit from reading my blog, I feel that I need to be somewhat open. However, being reared by a very modest mother, I have been taught there are certain things a lady doesn't discuss...forgive me, Mama.


My urine and bowel movements are GREEN! Yes, green! Freaked me out at first, actually a couple weeks later it still does! I make sure to tell my doctor. She says, "No problem! One lady I treated, she pooped white." White??? Did she say white??? How does that happen? As one friend told me when I told her about the color of things coming out of me, she said, "It's pretty scary isn't? To think that we are trying to do what is best for us (referring to me taking the medications I need for MS and other health issues) and then to see something like that coming out!"

My body has also been itching a lot. Unfortunately, I can't take Benedryl to help with the itching...I would be defeating the purpose of trying to eliminate the toxins. It is something I must try to deal with if at all possible. I have found that by taking as hot of a bath or shower that can be tolerated (or not cause pseudo symptoms if you have heat sensitive MS) and scrubbing with as much pressure as you can without tearing the skin helps. I also use an exfoliator to help release the toxins that might be trapped by dead skin cells. During a detox, our bodies will try to release the toxins through different methods including our skin and scalp. Along with my skin itching, my eyes have itched a lot during this process. Flushing my eyes out often with saline solution for contacts (although I'm not wearing my contacts right now...wouldn't be able to stand it during this detox phase) brings relief.

I go back and forth between being hot and cold. I guess the best way to describe this and probably the same principle is involved...it is like being sick and what occurs as our body defends the foreigner. I will break out with a clammy sweat and then, soon I will be freezing from being wet all over (from the sweat). I shower and start the process all over again. Fortunately, these cycles from sweating and freezing are beginning to slow down as I have continued to remove more toxins.

To speed up the release of toxins, I drink lots of warm to hot teas (not all of them being what we think of as traditional tea). One of my favorites my TCM provider told me about...tea made from corn silk (or as she said corn hair).

1. Purchase corn that hasn't been shucked yet.
   
2. Tear off the corn silk (looks like hair).
   
3. Rinse off the corn silk with vinegar (the vinegar will help cleanse the silk without destroying the nutrients).
   
4. Boil two cups of water with desired amount of honey.
   
5. Once water comes to a boil, add corn silk and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
   
6. Allow to cool to comfortable sipping temperature.
   

For best results, with the tea assisting in toxin removal, try to drink two to six cups of tea per day.


If you realize you have toxins that need to be released, make sure that you are under a doctor's care. If you too feel like you are on too many medications be sure to discuss with your doctor your concerns and outline together a safe tapering off level. Even under a doctor's guidance you are likely to experience unwanted side effects. For me, I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it in the end...when I'm no longer damaging my body by so many medications and can hopefully live a more productive life verses being tired all the time because of being so medicated.

With all the symptoms the one that is hardest for me is that of feeling so panicked. My body is going through so much turmoil trying to heal that my anxiety levels are through the roof. I have gained even a stronger sense of admiration for anyone who has ever recovered from being a drug addict or alcholic. I can see why it would be so easy to say, "Forget this!" and turn back to what their body has grown accustomed to and feel that it needs.

So, why exactly am I putting myself through this torture? Because on my second visit, when I discussed with Dr. L what had been occurring in the couple days since I had seen her and she read my body as described above, she said I'm the sickest patient she has ever seen and I was close to dying! Tears came to my eyes when she told me this, for I could tell she was sincere and wasn't saying this to get me to come see her more often. I immediately thanked the Lord for helping me choose Dr. L out of the yellow pages and for her strong knowledge of TCM.

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