Sometimes blogging is better than a conversation. When someone asks you how you're feeling, you have to go through a zillion mental gyrations at lightning speed, so you can answer appropriately:
Are they sincerely concerned? How much do they really want to know?
Are they just being polite, and are expecting a quick "I'm okay today -- how about you?"
I see them looking past me toward someone else. Am I giving more detail than they wanted?
Am I just the topic of their next gossip-fest?
And then the worst: "My grandpa had Parkinson's and he did real well after he got on some medicine" (inference: if you aren't doing well, it's because you're doing something wrong).
With a blog, all my well-wishers can read as much or as little as they want... and I can just be authentic and real about everything and get it all out of my system. I think this is going to work out great!
So, I'm hopeful today, and here's why (I'm putting it in a blog, so you can read as little or as much as you want!)
I went to The Climb exercise class today and one of the instructors was helping me through some exercises. A couple of minutes later, she whispered in my ear and asked me if I had lymphadema. I showed her my swollen feet, legs, arms, neck, and hands and told her I certainly do. She asked if I had ever been to a lymph-draining specialist. Until earlier this week, I had never even heard of such a thing. I only saw the term in someone's blog I happened onto a few days ago, and had no idea if it was legit or not.
Not only did the instructor today tell me about the specialist, but she also gave me a name and contact number for them. I called them just now, and got such interesting and encouraging information. The lady at the Life Wellness Center spent almost an hour on the phone explaining what they do and how it can help me.
In very simplistic terms, it seems that the specialist will first consult with you, put you on an initial detox program, map the obstructions in your body, then begin therapy, which consists of diet, nutritional supplements, and physical therapy of sorts. I think that therapy is when she kneads and massages your lymph nodes until the blockages break loose, causing the lymph fluid to flow freely. As I understand it, in my non-medical mind, the lymphatic fluid is like soap for your immune system. It cleans out disease-causing elements in your system. The implications for that are obvious, I think. They also work on detoxing the liver and spleen, which are also key in cleaning your body's systems. I am encouraged that this wellness clinic employs lymphadema draining specialists, as well as a chiropractor, an internist, and a host of other professionals from "both sides" of the medical/complementary medicine dividing line.
The specialist I spoke to thought they could probably improve my lymphadema by about 70%, which sounds awesome to me! She thought 100% was probably not realistic, given the long history I have with this issue. I appreciated her candor.
Another wonderful piece of information is that she feels absolutely sure my stomach swelling is due to the lymphadema worsening. I forget the exact number she told me, but a huge majority of your lymph nodes are in and around your abdomen, as I understand it. This is more information than anyone in the medical field has given me; I have asked 3 doctors about it, and every one of them has declined to even look at my stomach.
Again, this is going to be an expensive venture, but both Mike and I agree that we cannot put a price on rescuing my health to the degree that we can. We're both willing to sacrifice almost anything to increase the number of productive years I have left. Encouraging to know, however, that the clinic expects this course of treatment to take about 90 days, so it's not forever. From what they told me, I expect treatment for 90 days to run about $1500 in total. Of course, insurance won't touch this kind of treatment. I feel like this was a divine appointment, so I am confident the Lord will provide the necessary resources.
The specialist thought she could help everything except the Parkinson's and the mitral valve prolapse. And... you never know if the Parkinson's symptoms would also improve if my body's systems were cleaned up and not sick anymore.
My situation may be too complex and severe for the specialist, I don't know. But I am positive it's worth a shot!
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