I decided to write another post about RA remission because my previous one was so popular and I have more to say about it.
To recap for those passing by my blog, I've been diagnosed with RA and fibromyalgia.
Rheumatoid Factor: 200
ANA Positive
ANA >=1:640
ANA Pattern: Speckled
I can't remember what my ESR was but it was bad too.
Anyhow, I've been going to acupuncture for just shy of a year and I've been going everyday (M-F) for about 3 and half months.
I'm not taking any drugs or even any of the pills I had posted in my other remission post just basic vitamins and an herb called Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan.
I've made the choice that I will never take any of the meds for these diseases. I don't judge anyone else on their choices because it is a personal choice (AKA none of my business. lol).
With that said, I am doing awesome. I know some people have tried acupuncture and herbs and it didn't work. A lot of the people I have read about who have tried it say that they've had the needles put into their pain sites or other weird things.
I can tell you that I had pain relief the very first day I met my acupuncturist and he only did acupressure that time. I have had successful treatments every single time I go. He has peeled back all the layers (symptoms) and clears them. Most of that is documented here on this blog. I can wake up with a frozen shoulder because I got too cold over night with the a/c on and go see him and move my shoulder without pain within minutes of him putting in the needles.
He says there is no reason why pain relief shouldn't be immediate. He says that everyone should feel some form of relief from the very first visit.
I asked him about his method and I told him what I had read about putting needles in pain sites. His method is different. If I have swelling on my left pointer finger the needles go on my right 2nd toe. If I have pain on my right side the needles go on the opposite side. I can complain about soreness in my shoulder and he will touch a spot on my opposite leg and I will discover that there is an incredible tender area I didn't even know...the needle(s) will go in/around the tender spot and he will ask me to move my shoulder and if I still have pain, he tweaks it until I don't have pain anymore. He says there are (I think) only two other people in the US who do it the way he does.
There's a lady who I have yet to meet, but she posted a google review and on his Facebook page. She gave him 5 stars and said she had been on RA meds for 6 years and now she's not taking a single med and she is totally symptom free.
I'm not there yet but I don't even know where to begin to tell you. If I get stressed or over do it, there are consequences but I bounce back quickly, I wasn't bouncing back at all before. if I forget to take my herbs I feel it and since I started taking my herbs I've found that I have no need for ibuprofen. However, I forgot to take my herbs all day a couple of days ago and I started to feel it. My mornings aren't as stiff or sore. Most of that stuff goes away fairly quickly and I run my hands under warm/hot water in the morning to help loosen them up but for the most part it's just my left hand that is weak and slightly stiff. I also noticed that I have color back in my cheeks and face. I used to be this dull shade of gray and there's also light back in my eyes. I do still have weakness which drives me crazy, especially in my left hand and arm. My swelling in my hands has gone down. I do have two fingers that are a little disfigured but no pain.
I should also mention that I did see a chiropractor three times. That was important too because the first two sessions were incredibly helpful. I had a lot of popping things back in. Oh and I can't tell you how much it hurt but felt so good to have my wrists and fingers put back. The third one didn't yield as many results as the first two but it did relieve the RA part of my pain. At that time my neck needed to be realigned because it was causing me wrist pain. As soon as he cracked my neck and adjusted it back the wrist pain went away. To me, the combination of the two was essential.
I wanted to get this out there, my experience. This last week has been a sad week in the RA world. With the sudden loss of RA SuperBitch and two suicides, the pain hits so much closer to home. If I hadn't met my doctor, I truly don't believe I would be here writing this post right now. There's a thin line and it's so easy to contemplate ending it all when the pain is so f*ing unbearable and you just want to breathe again.
If you have any questions, or want my doctor's info or just want to connect with someone who knows what it's like feel free to e-mail me.
To recap for those passing by my blog, I've been diagnosed with RA and fibromyalgia.
Rheumatoid Factor: 200
ANA Positive
ANA >=1:640
ANA Pattern: Speckled
I can't remember what my ESR was but it was bad too.
Anyhow, I've been going to acupuncture for just shy of a year and I've been going everyday (M-F) for about 3 and half months.
I'm not taking any drugs or even any of the pills I had posted in my other remission post just basic vitamins and an herb called Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan.
I've made the choice that I will never take any of the meds for these diseases. I don't judge anyone else on their choices because it is a personal choice (AKA none of my business. lol).
With that said, I am doing awesome. I know some people have tried acupuncture and herbs and it didn't work. A lot of the people I have read about who have tried it say that they've had the needles put into their pain sites or other weird things.
I can tell you that I had pain relief the very first day I met my acupuncturist and he only did acupressure that time. I have had successful treatments every single time I go. He has peeled back all the layers (symptoms) and clears them. Most of that is documented here on this blog. I can wake up with a frozen shoulder because I got too cold over night with the a/c on and go see him and move my shoulder without pain within minutes of him putting in the needles.
He says there is no reason why pain relief shouldn't be immediate. He says that everyone should feel some form of relief from the very first visit.
I asked him about his method and I told him what I had read about putting needles in pain sites. His method is different. If I have swelling on my left pointer finger the needles go on my right 2nd toe. If I have pain on my right side the needles go on the opposite side. I can complain about soreness in my shoulder and he will touch a spot on my opposite leg and I will discover that there is an incredible tender area I didn't even know...the needle(s) will go in/around the tender spot and he will ask me to move my shoulder and if I still have pain, he tweaks it until I don't have pain anymore. He says there are (I think) only two other people in the US who do it the way he does.
There's a lady who I have yet to meet, but she posted a google review and on his Facebook page. She gave him 5 stars and said she had been on RA meds for 6 years and now she's not taking a single med and she is totally symptom free.
I'm not there yet but I don't even know where to begin to tell you. If I get stressed or over do it, there are consequences but I bounce back quickly, I wasn't bouncing back at all before. if I forget to take my herbs I feel it and since I started taking my herbs I've found that I have no need for ibuprofen. However, I forgot to take my herbs all day a couple of days ago and I started to feel it. My mornings aren't as stiff or sore. Most of that stuff goes away fairly quickly and I run my hands under warm/hot water in the morning to help loosen them up but for the most part it's just my left hand that is weak and slightly stiff. I also noticed that I have color back in my cheeks and face. I used to be this dull shade of gray and there's also light back in my eyes. I do still have weakness which drives me crazy, especially in my left hand and arm. My swelling in my hands has gone down. I do have two fingers that are a little disfigured but no pain.
I should also mention that I did see a chiropractor three times. That was important too because the first two sessions were incredibly helpful. I had a lot of popping things back in. Oh and I can't tell you how much it hurt but felt so good to have my wrists and fingers put back. The third one didn't yield as many results as the first two but it did relieve the RA part of my pain. At that time my neck needed to be realigned because it was causing me wrist pain. As soon as he cracked my neck and adjusted it back the wrist pain went away. To me, the combination of the two was essential.
I wanted to get this out there, my experience. This last week has been a sad week in the RA world. With the sudden loss of RA SuperBitch and two suicides, the pain hits so much closer to home. If I hadn't met my doctor, I truly don't believe I would be here writing this post right now. There's a thin line and it's so easy to contemplate ending it all when the pain is so f*ing unbearable and you just want to breathe again.
If you have any questions, or want my doctor's info or just want to connect with someone who knows what it's like feel free to e-mail me.
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