A Major Milestone

Today, maybe for the first time in...oh about 10-15 years, when I was at my massage therapy appointment, I had to think hard to come up with a second problem to tell her about. The first was tightness in my shoulders. Tightness, not pain. I can't think when I last went into an appointment without a litany of complaints to be worked on. After a work day!!

Yippety, Skippety!

I've been sticking to a regime of acupuncture and massage weekly. It's costing me a bundle, but for now I'm committed to doing it until I stop seeing improvements and can even out and be healthy and hopefully get on a less frequent maintenance schedule.

When my doctor suggested acupuncture, I was at first reticent, for all of the usual reasons. Needle aversion, etc. But after trying it and seeing how much it helped I thought, "Well, I've spent thousands of dollars on drugs and other therapies, I can justify giving this a try to the same extent - and it's probably healthier."

The acupuncturists I used in Ohio told me that acupuncture was the only modality that could actually cure fibromyalgia. This acupuncturist doesn't go that far, doesn't know that much about fibromyalgia - yet.

But she's awesome.

I even consulted her when I got my third and fourth cold sores since I've been here! She does this thing called "Circle the Dragon" and puts three needles in my chin pointing toward the cold sore and leaves them for the thirty minutes while the other needles are in the rest of my body. We caught this last one early and it worked so well I never really got the full cold sore. Whew! They're miserable.

She has also treated my pollen allergies which have really flared up here - the pollen is a phenomenon here - by putting needles on either side of my nostrils - and into the sinus cavity! It sounds horrendous, so I had to tell you for shock value, and so you'll think I'm incredibly brave. But really, it sometimes stings just a bit and makes the eyes water, but usually they go in with just a teeny prick and no other effect. And they work! The sinuses open right up and stop dripping.

I need my break-through pain medication only about once a week, on average, now. During December and January back in Ohio, it was usually daily. That's quite an improvement. I have many days now with little or no pain.

My liver thanks me - and thanks you who helped me get here. Yeah!!!

[My liver is doing the thanking because the drug is hard on that particular organ]