lHallo and questions.

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post.

 

Victoria, the article you posted I had already read and it is

excellent. I couldnt find a way of contacting the author except by

snail mail - they dont seem to have a web site. I very much agree

with your point that some people use food when they get tired to keep

going. After over 20 years as a hospital based nurse and midwife,

unfortunately that way of eating is essential, at least it was for

me. Now I feel I am suffering the effects of that.

 

It is not possible for me to find another herbalist. He is the only

one for hundreds of miles. There are a couple of others that do

accupuncture, mainly for injuries and aches and pains, but no-one

else that supplies herbs. Perhaps I can elaborate a little. When I

first went to see the herbalist, I was extremely tired, I almost

couldnt keep my eyes open. I had found a mass in my abdomen, later

found to be very large fibroids, and I was suffering constipation,

permanently cold hands and feet, felt the cold terribly ( have all my

life). He gave me herbs and I did improve a good deal. The fibroids

also grew and this was increasing the constipation. His advice was

that I needed surgery of some sort (he wanted the surgeons to just

remove the lumps and leave my uterus - not possible) as TCM classed

them as stagnant blood and until removed my condition could not

improve. Throughout all this my periods were normal. I utterly

refused the hysterctomy for 2 years until I had no choice but to

proceed. The fibroids were now so large they were putting too much

pressure on my bowel and had also caused a hernia. I looked about 6

months pregnant. So had the hysterectomy, plus ovaries gone, felt

good, up and around, commenced on premarin at 3 days post-op and back

to my life. Or so I thought.

 

Then, about 3 months later, came hot flashes, weight gain etc etc.

My theory is that my body had by this time used up all available

progesterone and testosterone stored in my body ( this my be rubbish

but what else can I think ) and was now in deficit. I understand

that surgery and anaesthesia can weaken the body but this doesnt fit

in , to my thinking, with the 3 months that I felt good before

developing these symptoms. This was 2 years ago. It is in these 2

years that my herbalist has been struggling to help me. And it is

how I feel now that made me write that in 4 years of TCM that I dont

feel any better. But its now a whole different set of symptoms.

 

I agree its not an either/or situation. But I am absolutely

convinced that I would not be suffering so much if they had not

removed my ovaries, or at least left one of them.

 

I think I have suffered from kidney yang deficiency all my life.

Until I started taking herbs I had suffered from the cold, and had

cold hands and feet all my life. I no longer feel the cold in that

way anymore. I recall working night shift one time in a hospital

with air conditioning. As well as my uniform I wore 2 t-shirts and 2

jumpers and still shivered. Now its the heat I cant cope with. When

the hot flashes began and continued to get worse, I had to buy air-

conditioning for my bedroom. I have always detested air-con and now

cant live without it in the summer.

 

Unfortunately, I now feel so sick, my body wont tolerate any western

medicine medications. The western doctor I see, said my thyroxine

levels were low and I started thyroxine and he also gave me DHEA but

after 2 weeks I felt so bad that I couldnt take them any more.

 

In the last week I have started to ache and have a very sore lower

back. To stand up after sitting I am like a stiff old person. I

went to my herbalist and got some herbs and requested that I have no

yin herbs. I am retaining more fluid. I am alternately very hot or

deeply cold. I am drinking soups with ginger and beef bones in and

still I ache. This is worrying. I feel as if I am deteriorating.

 

I have tried to change my diet several times but its confusing,

sometimes cold so eat this, sometimes hot so eat that. The article

you include says low carbohydrate. Would this be a good idea.

Frankly, I really feel emotionally and intellectually chaotic. I

have been cooking for others since I was 17 years and am so fed up

with food, and preparing it etc. I wish I didnt have to bother to

eat at all.

 

Would ginseng help me? Do you know why I have started to ache so

much? My herbalist gives me formulas to drain dampness but I dont

seem to lose any fluid.

 

I have been doing qigong for the last 7 months, 40 minutes every

morning. Do I need to do more? Would I be better off to do another

form of exercise such as light weight training. I walk every morning.

 

And finally, is there an end to this or is this something I have to

accept and live with. Perhaps that is the hardest, just accepting it

and not chasing around for cures etc. After 2 years of chaos, is

there light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Thanks for listening

 

Susan