Today was my first visit with the new dr.
I went after much doubt and sleepless nights to the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center here in Portland. Why the doubt? Well in the CFS/ME message boards and mailing lists they do not get good reviews and people do not think highly of physicians who promise to cure you within 4 months or that you will see a 85% improvement in those 4 months. They were called charlatans, out to make a quick buck and a lot of other not so flattering names. Granted some of the complaints were legit, they do want you to use their supplements but I see that no different than modern western physicians who are being pushed my pharmaceutical companies to promote their medications. Lyrica anyone?
I decided to go anyway, my insurance will cover out-of-network charges I hope and the rest will be up to me. I will buy my own supplements.
I will take away from it what will be useful to me and ignore the rest. Main reason for changing my mind about the FFC clinic was also that they hired a new physician, a naturopath dr. V. I wanted to see him as they always have a better view of what goes on in a human body than ‘regular’ physician I think who only look at a symptom and how to get rid of it.
Dr.V was all I hoped him to be an more. We had an excellent conversation, he wasn’t put off by my long list of symptoms and he is from South Africa, which gives us a bond, we’re both immigrants and we actually can understand but not speak each others language. ;-)
We only talked about my history and how to start with the very basics and to creat a good foundation, pending my blood tests results.
I will go for an ‘nutritional and gluthatione’ IV coming Thursday. I had a little twinkle of hope when I left his office after a visit of 1 and a half hour.
I did have my blood test right away and I warned them for my low blood volume and ‘sticky blood’ which always results in 1 or 2 vials of very slow dropping in blood. After trying 4 times he finally hit a artery that was willing to give some blood and instead of the 10 vials dr. V ordered(they normally do 37) he even took 21. he was happy he managed to get so much and I was caught up in the moment. I should have protested at 10 but I ‘forgot’ how I feel after only giving 1 or 2 vials.
I barely made it home and have been so ill for the past 24 hours as I have never been. My whole body hurts and I can barely crawl to the bathroom to get a drink or pee. I’m angry with myself for letting my guards down, I should have stood up for myself and told them to stop because I was going to be ill. My body can take only so much abuse. Having low blood volume means your heart has to work even harder to pump the little blood available around and it can’t reach my brain in time and the results are fainting again.
I will tell them coming Thursday and it will NOT happen again. We’ll see how the IV goes on Thursday, will I feel miraculously energetic and happy again?
I went after much doubt and sleepless nights to the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center here in Portland. Why the doubt? Well in the CFS/ME message boards and mailing lists they do not get good reviews and people do not think highly of physicians who promise to cure you within 4 months or that you will see a 85% improvement in those 4 months. They were called charlatans, out to make a quick buck and a lot of other not so flattering names. Granted some of the complaints were legit, they do want you to use their supplements but I see that no different than modern western physicians who are being pushed my pharmaceutical companies to promote their medications. Lyrica anyone?
I decided to go anyway, my insurance will cover out-of-network charges I hope and the rest will be up to me. I will buy my own supplements.
I will take away from it what will be useful to me and ignore the rest. Main reason for changing my mind about the FFC clinic was also that they hired a new physician, a naturopath dr. V. I wanted to see him as they always have a better view of what goes on in a human body than ‘regular’ physician I think who only look at a symptom and how to get rid of it.
Dr.V was all I hoped him to be an more. We had an excellent conversation, he wasn’t put off by my long list of symptoms and he is from South Africa, which gives us a bond, we’re both immigrants and we actually can understand but not speak each others language. ;-)
We only talked about my history and how to start with the very basics and to creat a good foundation, pending my blood tests results.
I will go for an ‘nutritional and gluthatione’ IV coming Thursday. I had a little twinkle of hope when I left his office after a visit of 1 and a half hour.
I did have my blood test right away and I warned them for my low blood volume and ‘sticky blood’ which always results in 1 or 2 vials of very slow dropping in blood. After trying 4 times he finally hit a artery that was willing to give some blood and instead of the 10 vials dr. V ordered(they normally do 37) he even took 21. he was happy he managed to get so much and I was caught up in the moment. I should have protested at 10 but I ‘forgot’ how I feel after only giving 1 or 2 vials.
I barely made it home and have been so ill for the past 24 hours as I have never been. My whole body hurts and I can barely crawl to the bathroom to get a drink or pee. I’m angry with myself for letting my guards down, I should have stood up for myself and told them to stop because I was going to be ill. My body can take only so much abuse. Having low blood volume means your heart has to work even harder to pump the little blood available around and it can’t reach my brain in time and the results are fainting again.
I will tell them coming Thursday and it will NOT happen again. We’ll see how the IV goes on Thursday, will I feel miraculously energetic and happy again?
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