Monthly Appointment - January 12, 2010

Today, I had my monthly appointment with the naturopath. I had so many questions to ask that I was a little concerned there would not be enough time to ask all of them. Thankfully, we did manage to cover everything. As she examined my most recent bloodwork, she concluded that my digestive system was still showing the need for repair. As a matter of fact, according to her, a good number of the physical symptoms I have been experiencing related directly back to my digestive system. She also thought the chiropractor’s suggestion regarding Epsom salts baths and skin brushing were appropriate forms of detoxing at this point in the protocol. So she gave me instructions regarding how to incorporate them into my present regime. Apparently, Epsom salts baths are especially good for achy joints and/or inflammation.

We also discussed the radiologist’s concern over the 2000 mg. of Vitamin C and the 800 IU. of Vitamin E I am taking per day. The naturopath said she was aware that might pose a problem to him, and why it would, but that she still believed these dosages would be fine for me to take during radiation. Lastly, I told her about the unusual changes in mood I have been experiencing ever since I began radiation. I have been wondering about myself because of how hard this part of the protocol has been on my emotions. It especially concerned me because the radiologist told me his patients regularly reported that his treatment was a “piece of cake” compared to chemo. This has definitely not been the case for me. As far as my emotions are concerned, it has been much more taxing and I have not been able to figure out why. Some days, part of me wants to scream at the people around me, “Do you understand how hard what I am dealing with is? Leave me alone!” I have especially wanted to say this whenever anyone comes to me with a problem he or she expects me to fix. The strange thing is that the other part of me feels that person’s problem is important and really does want to help him or her. Thankfully, the naturopath could empathize with what I was feeling. She reminded me that this diagnosis is probably one of the hardest things I will ever face and that no one could understand what it feels like unless he or she faces it personally. Sometimes I really need this drummed into my head so I stop demanding so much of myself. (Actually, it is a voice from my childhood that tells me I am not allowed to have a problem, but that is for another blog on another day.) So, based on this, she prescribed an herbal combination to assist with these feelings and another formula to help me go through the current detoxing process easier. At that point, I asked her how I was doing in comparison to the rest of her patients. She said, physically-speaking, I was doing much better than most. However, in terms of my emotions, I registered in the middle compared to the rest of her clients. She also said the emotional ups and downs I have been feeling were pretty normal for this situation. That made me feel a little better, but not for long. The last question I had was about how much time the process would take to finish detoxing from the chemo, radiation, etc. Her estimate was the same as my guess – about a year.