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May 22, 2012, 10:49:20 AM
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Many diagnoses but more questions than answers  (Read 802 times)
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Posts: 13


I'm 34 years old and I wish I could pinpoint exactly when my problems started but it's hard to say. Plus one of my symptoms is memory problems so things are fuzzier the further back I go. But, I was getting by and able to lead a fairly normal life up until about 2007.

I've been a vegetarian since I was 10 so my weight was never an issue. Prior to age 10, when I ate meat I felt extremely sick. I stopped eating it and my tendency to get colds/flu multiple times per year went away. I had some vague issues in my teenage years but most of my 20s passed without major issues.

At about age 30 I moved from northern California to Arizona. Shortly after I started having various problems--dizziness, vertigo, weight gain without changes in diet and exercise, racing pulse. I had a history if migraines but I started having them practically every day. I also started having menstrual cycles that included longer periods and shorter times between bleeding.

Saliva tests showed that my reproductive hormones (estrogens, progesterone and testosterone) were all low. I also had other menstrual symptoms such as cramps, hormonal migraines and low back pain. I was put on bio-identical progesterone and the bleeding became worse, so it was stopped, but the bleeding continued. I was then put on Depo-Provera shots, which eventually stopped my periods and relieved most of the menstrual symptoms.

I saw a neurologist for the migraines and dizziness and was diagnosed with vertigo due to an inner ear imbalance. I was put on a prophylactic daily migraine medication which did not help with the migraines and caused excessive bruising, so it was discontinued. As for the dizziness (non-vertigo), it went undiagnosed.

One day I got on my bicycle and couldn't make it to the end of the block. I was out of breath, dizzy and nearly blacked out.  Just the week prior I had been able to ride my bike for a couple of hours without a problem. I started feeling like that at other times too, just walking down a hallway and sometimes just sitting down. EKG was normal, doctor decided it was asthma and put me on an inhaler. It didn't help. Later on I went to an allergist who said my lungs were fine and I had no signs of asthma. I also tested negative for Valley Fever, a lung infection common to this area that can cause breathing problems.

Weight gain continued, and I also experienced joint pain. The weight gain was brushed off because I had been thin to start out with so I was still in the normal range--regardless of the fact that I still hadn't done anything that would cause weight gain. As for the joint pain, I was told various things. One was that I was depressed, and another was that I had arthritis (although no tests were run) and I was told to take aspiring. When I explained that I was allergic to aspirin I was told nothing could be done for me.

Then, the digestive issues started. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and swelling in the abdomen. Severe abdominal pain and loss of appetite. For a few weeks I lost weight, but then I gained it back and gained more--even though I was barely eating anything. I also noticed mild swelling in my limbs that progressively got worse, to where I had to get my wedding ring re-sized. I also was getting extremely fatigued, had an intolerance to both heat and cold, had problems with memory and concentration, and chronic low-grade fevers. The abdominal pain was mostly around my navel and sometimes I would get pins-and-needles type feelings in my upper abdomen as well. I also started getting hives. I took Zyrtec for the hives but I'd still get them sometimes so I would have to take Benadryl as well.

At this point I had changed doctors 2 or 3 times and was on a new person. Poor guy hung in there with me and tried everything he could think of. He found I possibly had an infection (high white cell count) and put me on antibiotics. He felt my adrenal glands might be underfunctioning and tried low-dose steroids. He did discover that I was hypothyroid. First he tried Armour Thyroid--it's made from porcine materials and it made me sick, so he switched me to Levoxyl. My TSH stabilized but I didn't feel any better. He tried me on many, many prescription and alternative treatments to help my symptoms and nothing helped. Eventually, I felt that I needed a fresh set of eyes so I went searching for a different doctor.

I actually worked in an oncology office so I went over some of my blood tests and symptoms with a physician. She suggested I see a gastroenterologist. At the GI office I was tested for celiac, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis with blood tests--all negative. I got an abdominal ultrasound--no findings. An upper endoscopy and colonoscopy showed redness and irritation in my esophagus and high eosinophil count and inflammation in my colon. I was put on acid reflux medication, which did not make a difference. The GI doc also thought that I would eventually get Crohn's disease because my brother had it and my father had died from colon cancer, so he gave me an anti-inflammatory for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's. It had aspirin-like properties to it, so I had to stop it due to adverse reactions. At that point he decided that I probably had food allergies and suggested I see an allergist again.

The allergist tested me for food and environmental allergies by blood and two different types of skin tests. I was found to be mildly allergic to a few things but they were mostly things I never ate. Regardless I tried the challenge diet several times and never discovered anything conclusive. The allergist felt I had eosinophilic colitis but didn't have any suggestions about how to deal with it.

I switched doctors again to my current primary care doctor. She ran blood tests and found me to be anemic and my DHEA was low, so I was put on a DHEA cream. She also felt the Depo-Provera could account for at least some of the weight gain and suggested I stop taking it. My period came back, worse than ever. She tried me on progesterone cream and the bleeding was increased again, so that was discontinued.

At this point I had been having diarrhea nearly every day for almost two years. I was put on liquid iron for the anemia and buffered vitamin C powder for the eosinophilic colitis. Diarrhea got better for a little while. My hormone tests again showed me to be menopausal. She tried several herbal supplements to level out my hormones without improvement. A gynecological ultrasound was performed, and small ovarian cysts were found. A follow-up showed larger cysts, one of them being hemorrhagic. I was referred to a gynecologist, who gave me one of the most painful physical exams I have ever had--I was in tears! And she was being very gentle. She decided to give me Lupron to further shut down my hormones and see if the bleeding, cysts and pain could be put under control. My periods stopped again but I still had a lot of pain. I also had been having hot flashes, which increased with the Lupron as well as my migraines. I was prescribed the Vivelle estrogen patch, which helped tremendously. I also had low vitamin D levels, so I was given high-dose vitamin D and am now on daily calcium plus D. I should've been on it when I started the Depo shot, but nobody ever told me.

My next gynecological visit was with Mayo Clinic. I asked the doctor for a hysterectomy as well as a removal of my ovaries. He wanted me to keep my ovaries (unless they looked bad once he cut me open), but agreed to the hysterectomy. While removing my uterus and cervix he found adhesions behind my uterus and also attaching my appendix to my abdominal wall. His best guess what that I had previously had an infection, probably appendicitis, and my body had somehow overcome it on its own. He removed the adhesions. There was no sign of endometriosis, the ovaries looked normal and my uterus was normal as well.

After recovering from surgery, the lower abdominal pain was gone, and of course I no longer had periods. Unfortunately all the other symptoms remained. I went back on progesterone cream to balance out the estrogen I was taking. My doctor also switched me from Levoxyl for my thyroid to a T3/T4 combination because I still didn't think my thyroid was functioning well. The anemia persisted but seemed to be stabilizing, so I still have to take iron for now. The fevers were also gone, as well as hot flashes and hormonal migraines. However, the diarrhea resumed.

I am now able to get some exercise. I am on a reduced-calorie, reduced-fat, sodium and cholesterol diet. Sadly that is not much different from how I was eating before, and I often have trouble meeting my calorie goals due to my upset stomach. But my weight remains the same. I also tried increasing calories, and my weight didn't change then either. My abdomen continues to be swollen but the amount of swelling changes for no discernible reason.

The memory problems are slightly better but I am missing large chunks of my past. I have been unable to work for about a year because of the abdominal pain, but now I am looking for part-time work. I am not sure if I can handle it but I'm going to give it a try because we've had a hard time surviving on just my husband's salary.

Last hormone tests still showed me to be menopausal despite hormone replacement therapy, but my doc says that's ok as long as I'm not having menopausal symptoms. DHEA levels were better so I was given the option to stop using the cream for now.

The latest round of blood tests was to check, for maybe the fifth time, for autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. They came back negative, as usual. However, my CRP was slightly elevated, which is an indicator of inflammation but it doesn't tell you where the inflammation comes from or why it is happening. My diet already consists of mostly anti-inflammatory foods, low-glycemic and very little processing so I take ginger to help with inflammation. I am also waiting on a homeopathic remedy called lymphomycosot (sp?) to arrive. My doctor recommended it to attempt to control the inflammation as well.

So my current problems are: inflammation, unknown cause, manifesting (possibly) as joint pain, abdominal swelling, mild swelling in extremities, and digestive disorders. Weight gain despite healthy diet and exercise. Hypothyroid symptoms: fatigue, dry skin, sensitivity to cold, despite stable lab tests. Memory and concentration issues. Lack of appetite. Early menopause. Abnormal eosinophil count in colon. Hives. Occasional dizziness, shortness of breath, racing pulse. Heat intolerance. Iron-deficiency anemia, slowly resolving. Oh, and one last thing not previously mentioned--high cholesterol despite my diet and exercise. Whew! I think I got it all.

As for medications and supplements, here's what I take:

Thyroid: T3/T4 compound
Digestion: DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), digestive enzymes, probiotics, L-Glutamine, buffered vitamin C
Hormones: Vivelle dot, progesterone cream, DIM (indoles), Ova-Blend
Fatigue: Co-enzyme Q10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribose
Headaches: Feverfew, magnesium, butterbur
Pain/Inflammation: Infla-Profen (herbal anti-inflammatory), ginger root, Arnica Montana, flax seed
Allergies: Zyrtec, Benadryl

I just want my life back and to be able to get through it without having to choke down handfuls of pills that may or may not be helping. I wish everybody else the best of luck and if I see a post that I might have some advice about, I will certainly try to help. Thanks for reading!


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Posts: 32


Hi MayaNyssa,
The symptoms and disorders you described are similar to Samantha's symptoms (from the system point of view). Must be the diagnostics for you will be almost the same as I did for Samantha, probably just with a little difference taking into account the offset in your birthday date. I can see very similar health problems that I described in Samantha's diagnostics. As I remember, my prognosis was not bad for most part of disorders and pathologies.
Best regards,
Al


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Posts: 13


Al,

It looks like you have given a lot of people helpful information. Coming from working in the Western medicine field where nobody does anything for free, I really appreciate how you are willing to donate your time to all these people in need.

I saw an acupuncturist for a short period of time before she relocated her practice. This was before things got worse. She did a technique, not sure what it was called, but she said it was like a "computer reboot" to improve my appetite in the mornings so I would eat more breakfast. It did the complete opposite--I lost my appetite altogether for a time and had an aversion to eating for several hours after waking up. She was quite surprised by this result and was able to correct it but didn't get much further. That being said, I'd be very interested to hear what you have to say about my condition! I will send you a private message with my date of birth. Thanks again for the assistance.  Smile

Maya

Hi MayaNyssa,
The symptoms and disorders you described are similar to Samantha's symptoms (from the system point of view). Must be the diagnostics for you will be almost the same as I did for Samantha, probably just with a little difference taking into account the offset in your birthday date. I can see very similar health problems that I described in Samantha's diagnostics. As I remember, my prognosis was not bad for most part of disorders and pathologies.
Best regards,
Al



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Posts: 32


Hi Maya,
Of course, I will be glad to help you, but unfortunately now I'm very busy with my "face-to-face" patients, so you have to wait until I'll be able to take the time for analysis of your case and for diagnostics of all your pathologies. Additionally I'll try to classify all symptoms you described with reflection to specific TCM diagnosis.
Regarding your experience with acupuncture treatment:
Please, be careful, unqualified intervention by acupuncture needles for people with serious pathologies may lead to worse health state.
I met hundreds of acupuncturists, and among these huge amount of practitioners I found only a few (three people) who have a real knowledge of true acupuncture treatment (so-called ancient Zhen-Jiu therapy). Most of usual acupuncturists have no idea what's going on inside the patient's body because they are following a western-like model of the treatment, simplyfied and fitted to TCM theory, and believe me, in most cases they don't know what they are doing trying to treat people because they don't have a real system thinking at all. They are blind, and this is very sad. It's not their fault, they have been taught like this (to insert acupuncture needles properly, but not to treat people properly), as was written: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
I can see this because I try to analyze pathologies from the system point of view. I learn old acupuncture methods which have very high efficiency for serious chronic diseases and I can find out the real causes of diseases (but unfortunately, not for every case). Besides, I constantly experiment on myself, trying different acupuncture recipes in order to find more effective decision and to feel various disorders/pathologies in my body by my own. I mostly treat very complex cases which modern western medicine claims as "uncurable", but I can help only in the definite cases under definite conditions. Anyway, I'm trying to do all my best helping people, but success in treatment depends on many factors.
Best regards & wishes,
Al


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Al,
Of course I am happy to wait. That's quite scary about acupuncturists. How would I go about finding a properly-trained TCM practitioner then if I need to see one?
Maya


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Hi Maya,
I have to say that for people who suffer from serious "heavy" pathologies (especially accompanied with strong pain) it is easy to do harm inserting needles in the wrong acupuncture points, especially if needles are inserted in the forbidden points individually selected for each person. It's enough several procedures in order to achieve a health state worsening, while for normal people it will require significant amount of procedures (up to several weeks and even months of everyday acupuncture procedures) to feel some aggravation/deterioration or disorders. For example, my sensibility is developed so much that I can reproduce on my own body many diseases and disorders during one-two weeks (or less) by acupuncture needles. I can also produce/provoke any symptom of my body within definite range, e.g. increase or decrease heartbeat rate, temperature, muscle tonus, pain reaction, etc.
That is why the usual treatment course given by western-trained acupuncturist usually is not exceeded approximately 10-20 procedures - they can not control consequences of the wrong acupuncture recipe using it for a long time. There are exclusions of course, for example, one-needle acupuncture technique, but it requires extremely high mastery/craftsmanship/workmanship (unfortunately I never met such kind of acupuncturists).

There are some indicators which can give a general idea how to find an appropriate acupuncture doctor and allow to estimate an acupuncturist's qualifications. Here I give a short list of criteria for a competent acupuncturist (there are also some additional specific details and conditions but I suppose it's enough for you, use a common sense additionally):

1) Take note of how many patients an acupuncturist has. If there are a lot of people and a permanent line-up in the waiting room, this may be an indication that the acupuncturist is competent and uses proven methods of treatment.

2) Talk to patients in the waiting room and find out how they feel about the effectiveness of their treatment and what the result of their treatment by this acupuncturist has been.

3) Do not take into consideration diplomas, certificates, degrees, etc. All this is not so important and does not deliver a real assessment of an acupuncture doctor's proficiency, level of qualification, professional skills, or success in practical treatment.

4) It's not necessary for an acupuncturist to be Asian. As a rule, most of the ethnic Chinese doctors coming to Western countries have poor medical training and unsatisfactory job performance. Only a few of them have strong backgrounds for good medical practice.

5) If you face a native Chinese acupuncturist, you should inquire about his or her education (i.e. where and how the doctor acquired his or her knowledge and practical skills). If the acupuncturist only graduated from the state university in China and was a trainee at the state hospital, it is most likely that his/her professional competence in acupuncture is insufficient. You should give preference to an experienced practitioner who was educated in a private manner by an old master of the classical and ancient traditional school which possesses the secrets of real "Zhen jiu" therapy. Most of the modern universities in China teach medicine like Western universities do (i.e., education is based on a Western approach to treatment that is ineffective against chronic and serious diseases).

6) It is advisable to inquire about the methods being applied by the acupuncturist. If he or she uses only those methods that are described in common textbooks (for example, using standard prescriptions for a certain disease for ALL patients suffering from that disease), it indicates that the doctor's qualification is very weak. In reality, the prescription (or acupuncture recipe) for each patient should be selected individually because the same disease may have different causes.

7) If the acupuncturist mainly uses the points of "Five Elements" (also known as "WuShu" points) located on the arms and legs, and the points on the so-called Extraordinary Meridiands, it means he or she has strong qualification as an acupuncturist. In most cases, it is not necessary to use other meridional corporal points. Also, if the acupuncturist uses complicated methods associated with various calculations based on time conditions, calendar formulas, the characteristics of the individual patient, and so on (e.g., methods based on the so-called "Open point", "Chronopuncture", etc.), this is an indication of advanced craftsmanship.

8) Usually it's enough for a good doctor to practice only acupuncture methods. Herbal supplements should not be a central part of treatment. Herbals must be auxiliary, additional and supporting therapy to needles or should not be used at all.


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Posts: 32


I got your birthdate and took quick preview of your individual "picture" of main pathologies. I'm sorry, my first supposition about the causes of your disorders was wrong. You have similar symptoms but actually the reasons of them are not the same exactly. This means also that your case is much better than Samantha's case - I want to say that although your case is very complicated/serious too, but as I can see, my preliminary prognosis about success of your treatment is really good. At first look, it seems to me that most of disorders listed by you could be cured easily (the chances are good) except several specific disorders, but I need more time to think and to analyze your case more deeply, so please wait. I will deliver my final prognosis after my full detailed diagnostics of your case.
Best regards and wishes,
Al


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Posts: 13


Thank you very much for the great information! I will definitely keep that in mind when looking for an acupuncturist. And I will wait patiently for you to finish your analysis, no problem at all!


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Posts: 32


Hi Maya,
I almost finished my diagnostics and analysis for your case.
I would like to ask your permission to publish this enhanced/advanced diagnostics&analysis here at forum in the thread. I think it will be interesting and useful for other forum users and guests. Of course, I will keep your personal info (like birthdate) in secret.
Best regards & wishes,
Al


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Posts: 13


Absolutely, go ahead and post it. If it can help other people that's great.

Thanks,
Maya


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Jr. Member
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Posts: 32


Hi Maya,
Here is my detailed diagnostics and analysis personally for you.
Sorry for my bad English, I hope you'll understand my explanation. If you really want to understand what's going on inside your body in fact, then, please, study it very carefully - it is very important! If you have any questions or something is not clear for you, don't hesitate to ask, I'll do my best to give you additional explanations or clarification, you're welcome.

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I. Preface
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- First of all, I want to say that you should _always_ consider all your diseases and pathologies/conditions only from the system point of view. Modern science (and modern medicine, of course) claims that a system analysis and system approach is the only way they use for their "scientific" "modus operandi", but in fact it is not so, because most of modern scientists do not possess a real system thinking at all. They can not see the similar phenomena, they can not classify various things united by common principle, they only can see differences and nothing else, they use "applied statistics" and do not use their own brains - this is not a system approach. The human body should be considered as a single whole, entire system, but not as a set of organs and different body parts. Specialization in the medical profession, I mean such absurd designations and nonsense titles like cardiologist, neurologist, pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, and many other "...ists" - all this is a huge nonsense from the point of view of a common sense, not to mention the real system point of view, because if the patient is divided into separated parts (heart, nerves, lungs, stomach, liver, and so on), the patient ceases to live.

- So please keep in your mind that all things I describe here you should perceive from the system point of view, assuming that postulated abnormalities could/may happen in _any_ body's part (organ, tissue), but always _only_ in the frame of the definite system (subsystem). For example, let's take the case from the "Undiagnosed Illness Forum": one of the lastest posts, where young woman describes her symptoms/problems: (quote) "cyst ", "sore throat", "enlarged lymph nodes", "lumps", "lipomas", "gaining weight", "stomach had become VERY distended and hurts ALL THE TIME", "multiple cysts inside my right ovary", "I also have excess fluid", " sweat so much at night that I wake up soaked". As you can see, ALL listed problems were caused by stomach functional system's (i.e. meridian's) abnormality/fault. This system controls all immune system functions, all lymphatic system functions, all nutrition (digestive) functions, all liquids in the body, fat tissue in the whole body, lymphoid tissue in the whole body - at all levels of human body's system hierarchy - from cell's level up to organ's level (immunity, nutrition, fat & liquids/fluids). It has influence on the any other system and organ, for example, intestine organ possesses lymphoid tissue, blood contains liquid component, brain uses glucose as the primary nutrition supply (source of energy), and so on. I hope you understand what I mean. That is why we should see specific manifestation/indication/phenomenon as particular symptom/disorder and classify it as energetic disbalance (pathology) in appropriate meridian (system), i.e. what pathology cause concrete symptom/disorder.

- The official "conventional" diagnosis often do not reflect the real causes of diseases, it only indicates some accompanied consequences and secondary processes concerning some structural and functional changes. For example, a usual diagnosis for painful joints is "arthritis" or "arthrosis"/"osteoarthritis", and in most cases it is caused by pathology of fibrous connective tissue, but there are cases when the pain is caused by pathology in the other system associated with fluids (synovial fluid). Another example - pain in the lower back often defined as "radiculitis", "sciatica", etc. can be produced by pathology in the different systems associated with: fibrous connective tissue and bones (disc herniation or protrusion); fat tissue (spinal epidural lipomatosis); nervous tissue (peripheral nerves damage). Thus, the pain location is the same, but the reasons may be different, i.e. the same symptoms/indications/disorders may have different causes, and _vice versa_ (!!!), the different diseases/disorders may have the same causes (e.g., weight gain, fat tissue overgrowth, pancreatitis and hypo/hyperglycemia may have only _one_ cause!).

- I can give you completed diagnosis in terms of TCM (it's very specific description), but I'm afraid you never get the conventional diagnosis because modern "western" "scientific" medicine can not diagnose such complicated pathologies at all. This is reality.
I'm very skeptical about (cap)abilities of modern science/medicine, because I was a scientist and I can see all its limitations from within.

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II. Main Definitions
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1) Terminology.

A little bit of basic terms that I use:

- Pathology = usually in the oriental medicine the "energy" term is used which designates a specific pathologic process inside the person. I suppose it is more convenient for western people to operate with "pathology" term rather than "energy".

- Meridian = a part of the human energetic system, there are 12 main meridians which control together all body's functions. The particular disposition of specific energies in the concrete meridian produces a certain disease or disorder accompanied by certain symptoms.

- System = Each functional system includes two paired meridians, there are 6 systems and 6 types of energy respectively associated with appropriate system. Each system represents several organs, controls several functions and develops several types of tissue in the human body. Each system controls/manages its own energy ("pathology") in the frame of the whole body (remember a system point of view!).
For example, the "C" system involves the Large Intestine & Lung meridians, and if there is a pathology at least in the one of these meridians, besides the bowels disease there may be also problem with scar/fibrous tissue (adhesions) across all body, in any organ ((see detailed description below in the section 2)). Similarly, if there is a pathology in the "B" system composed of Stomach & Pancreas-spleen meridians, this means not only diseases like gastritis/pancreatitis/diabetes/etc., but also the possible problems with fat tissue/lymphoid tissue/fluids in any part of the body (lipomas, cysts, etc.).
More sophisticated examples: If there is a "B"-associated pathology inside the "C" system (e.g. in the Large Intestine meridian), then taking into account the features/behaviour of the "B" pathology, this pathology produces dilation and inflammation of the bowels;
Or if there is a "C"-associated pathology inside "B" system (e.g. in the Pancreas-spleen meridian), then taking into account the features/behaviour of the "C" pathology, this pathology shrinks the pancreas, produces a dystrophy/fibrous degeneration/narrowing and desiccation of the pancreas causing hyperglycemia ((see detailed description below in the section 3)).
Important note: the two meridians beloning to one system are directly interconnected each other in such way that if there is any pathology in the one meridian, there is a pathology in the other (paired) meridian too.
Note: for the eastern (and the old western) tradition it is common the usage of the "element" term instead of the "system".

2) Systems.

Here is the short description of the systems and their functions/properties/features which is used as the pathologic disease model for analysis and diagnostics.

("B")
- Meridians: Stomach & Pancreas-spleen.
- Main organs: stomach, pancreas, spleen.
- Main functions: immunity, digestion, nutrition.
- Associated subsystems: lymphoid system, immune system, digestive system.
- Associated tissues: fatty tissue (adipose tissue), some glandular tissue, adenoid tissue, lymphoid tissue including gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), etc.
- Associated substances: fat, any fluid/liquid in the body: sweat, saliva, tears, ascites, mucus/phlegm, etc.
- Associated parts: lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, tonsils, salivary glands, sweat glands, mammary glands, lachrymal glands, mucosa as part of mucosal immune system, etc.
- Also controls: a whole bowels (large intestine+small intestine/duodenum) as GI tract (digestive functions); carbohydrate metabolism; sugar in the blood; digestive enzymes.
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: fat overgrowth, cysts, polyps, allergy/allergic reactions, weakened immunity, glucose/insulin level abnormalities, indigestion, nausea, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: gastritis, erosive gastritis, stomach ulcer, pancreatitis, hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia/diabetes, etc.
-  Associated pathologies: the system represents the pathologic energy which means dilation, expansion (enlargement, widening, broadening, swelling, increasing), edema, hyperplasia, excess of fat, inflammation.
- ?ommentary: like any other systems, this system does not have a local limited correspondence, the system has influence on any organ and any body part but always within its area of responsibility/authority. Thus, digestive function is inherent to human being, any body organ, every cell = this is the area of influence of the ("B") system.

("C")
- Meridians: Large Intestine & Lung.
- Main organs: large intestine, lungs.
- Main functions: evacuation, detoxication.
- Associated subsystems: final part of gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system.
- Associated tissues: fibrous connective tissue, scar tissue.
- Associated substances: adhesions (pathological fibrous bands, internal scar tissue).
- Associated parts: skin, nails, hair, fascia, fibrous bands, sinews/tendons, joint capsules, cartilages/gristles, myelin sheath of peripheral nerves, etc.
- Also controls: water evacuation (via large intestine & lungs).
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: adhesions formation, skin conditions/diseases, obstructions, fragility, sclerosis, fibrosis, pains, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: colitis, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, IBS, symptoms of constipation/diarrhea, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, (breath difficulties/problems), etc.
-  Associated pathologies: the system represents the pathologic energy which means dystrophy process, diffuse atrophy, stenosis, sclerosis, fibrosis, fibrous degeneration, scar/adhesion formation, narrowing and desiccation, dryness.

("X")
- Meridians: Bladder & Kidney.
- Main organs: urinary bladder, kidneys; urethra, vagina, uterus (peripheral functions), ovaries, epoophorons, fallopian tubes, cervix, testicles.
- Main functions: reproduction/procreation, sexual functions.
- Associated subsystems: urogenital system, reproductive system, skeletal system.
- Associated tissues: bone tissue.
- Associated substances: minerals.
- Associated parts: bones, bone marrow, etc.
- Also controls: inorganic salts & minerals metabolism/balance, water excretion of waste products of metabolism from an organism, etc.
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: urinary tract infections, various gynecological disorders, bulged/herniated disc or disc protrusion in the spinal column, kidney/bladder stones, osteoporosis, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: nephritis, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, erosive cystitis, (urination difficulties/problems), oophoritis, salpingitis, etc.
-  Associated pathologies: the system represents the pathologic energy which means lack of blood circulation, dystrophy process, atrophy process, diffuse atrophy, ischemia, calcification, petrification, necrosis, hardenings, stricture, constriction, stenosis, spasms, pains, numbness, feeling of coldness.
- ?ommentary: the reproduction function can be revealed both at the local level (cell division) and also at the global level (human reproduction).
- Additional notes: Bladder meridian controls the hollow sex organs: vagina, uterus,  fallopian tubes, cervix, urethra. Kidney meridian controls the dense sex organs: ovaries, epoophorons, testicles. The ("X") system has also significant influence on the vertebral column, especially lumbar area (lower back).

("T")
- Meridians: Heart & Small Intestine.
- Main organs: heart, small intestine/duodenum, thyroid
- Main functions: blood circulation, regulation of blood flow.
- Associated subsystems: cardiovascular system.
- Associated tissues: blood plasma/tissue.
- Associated substances: blood.
- Associated parts: blood vessels (arteries/capillaries and veins).
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: blood pressure abnormalities (hypo- or hypertension), palpitations, atherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, bleedings/hemorrhage, ischemia, infarction, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: myocarditis, pericarditis, cardiac arrhythmia = tachycardia, bradycardia; duodenitis, duodenal ulcer, etc.
-  Associated pathologies: the system represents the pathologic energy which means excess of blood circulation, hyperemia, bleeding, inflammation process, feeling of warm/heat (fever, high temperature), expansion.

("TT")
- Meridians: Brain & Spinal Cord.
- Main organs: brain, spinal cord, uterus.
- Main functions: innervation, total body control by nerves, "orchestrating" all functional subsystems, higher nervous activity.
- Associated subsystems: central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS).
- Associated tissues: nervous tissue.
- Associated parts: nerves, neurons.
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: any neurological problems and symptoms: loss of sensation/muscle control, pain syndrome, numbness, peripheral nerves inflammation, damage of the nerves, neuropathy, headache, dizziness, fainting, seizures, vision & audibility & speech defects, memory & thinking & sleeping problems, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: encephalitis, meningitis, arachnoiditis, cerebral ischemia; endometritis, endometriosis, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, etc.

("v")
- Meridians: Liver & Gallbladder.
- Main organs: liver, gallbladder.
- Main functions: any form of move/movement/motion/transportation in the body at all levels (body/organs/cells), tonus control (together with nervous system).
- Associated subsystems: hepatobiliary system, muscular system.
- Associated tissues: muscular (muscle) tissue.
- Associated parts: muscles (striated muscles/smooth muscles).
- Pathologic manifestations/symptoms: dyskinesia, hypotonia/hypertonia, muscle cramps/spasms, muscular dystrophy, myopathy, myalgia, spasticity, paresis/paralysis, etc.
- Possible diseases of the main organs: hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease (steatosis), jaundice, cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia (tonus disorder of the sphincter of Oddi), gallbladder stones, etc.

3) Pathologies associated with Systems/Elements (short summary).

("T") = excess of blood circulation, inflammation process, hemorrhage, heat/fever
("B") = inflammation process, dilation, expansion, distension, edema,
excess of fat or fluid

The opposite (contradictory) pathologies:

("X") = lack of blood circulation, dystrophy process, atrophy, cold/coldness,
hardenings, stricture, constriction, spasms, pains
("C") = dystrophy process, fibrous degeneration, sclerosis, scar formation, adhesions,
narrowing and desiccation

**************************

III. Diagnostics
------------------
(Map of Disorders/Pathologies)

Although your case is really complicated/serious, nevertheless your case is relatively simple for analysis. So, let's start to describe your main pathologies.

The main your problem is in the "C"-system, it requires much attention and efforts to get rid of. Other problems are not so serious in comparison with your main problem and can be treated well unless the problem in the "C"-system will hinder/impede/hamper/interfere with the treatment process significantly.

__________
___("C")___
- You have very serious pathologies in your "C" functional system. It's difficult to describe precisely what's the results of the energetic configuration in this system, but it can be defined roughly as the following: complex bowels problems (usually defined by conventional medicine as IBS), intra-abdominal adhesions, some other abdominal problems, partially contributed abdominal pain symptoms, etc. As it was described before, this pathology may appear in any organ or anatomical structure in the form of excess of fibrous/scar tissue, adhesions, fibrous dystrophy, etc.
The treatment of these pathologies requires much efforts.
1) Large Intestine.
- The rough estimation in this meridian can be defined as chronic inflammation (colitis), accompanied by such dysfunctions as diarrhea, bowels dilation, lack of muscle tonus, excess of mucus, hyperplasia of mucosal tissue (mucosa) in the intestine, polyps.
- Important comment: the pathology associated with "B" system is presented in this meridian (direct influence) and the amount of this energy is four times higher than usual, that is why you have abdominal enlargement symptom - "swelling in the abdomen" (see the previous description regarding the "B"-type of pathology/energy).
2) Lungs.
- Here is the opposite situation. It could be described as dystrophy process in your bronchi - lack of blood circulation and spasms & connective tissue degeneration (fibrosis) which cause bronchial asthma/astma attacks - "out of breath", but any other dysfunction is possible too (e.g., inflammation/bronchitis, hyperventilation, pulmonary tuberculosis, cough, pain in your chest, other breathing problems).
- Important note: you may feel the symptoms connected with lung pathologies softly (not so sharp) due to a specificity of low sensibility/sensitivity of some lung conditions (see my remarks at the end of the symptoms' classification).

__________
___("B")___
- You have problems in your "B" functional system which cause such systemic symptoms/disorders as: cysts, swelling, weight problems, etc.
The pathologic status is simple here, it's not difficult to treat all these issues.
3) Stomach.
Erosive gastritis, stomach ulcer. Lack of blood circulation, gastric mucosal atrophy/dystrophy, low gastric acid. Stomach spasms/cramps, pain (- "pins-and-needles type feelings in my upper abdomen").
((Can be cured *))
4) Pancreas/Spleen.
Inflammation process (chronic pancreatitis) = excess of blood in pancreas, spleen inflammation it is possible too, soft pain in the upper part of the belly under the ribs on the left side, spleen swelling, abdominal swelling. Excess of fatty tissue and fluids across all your body (for example, lipomas, swelling, cysts, overweight), lymphatic edemas, lymphadenitis. Besides, allergies are highly possible too.
The developing hypoglycemia/hyperinsulinemia due to pancreas inflammation is also possible.
((Can be cured *))

__________
___("X")___
- You have problems with your urogenital system.
All the following urinary conditions cause the problems in your vertebral column (usually lower back/lumbar area). Very high probability that you have already (or will have in the future) bulged/herniated disc or at least disc's protrusions, or similar pathologies.
5) Urinary Bladder.
Urinary tract pain, difficulties with urination, lack of blood circulation, "cold" effects. Possible conventional diagnosis is "erosive cystitis"or "pyelocystitis". Bladder spasms/pain, urinary bladder stones. Sharp pain in spinal column (spine) caused by blocked/jammed/inflammed nerves, additionally you may feel muscle spasms and "coldness" feeling in your legs (see on the standard TCM chart/picture where the Bladder meridian runs on the human body). Any kind of UTI are also possible.
((Can be cured *))
6) Kidneys.
Chronic inflammation (nephritis), excess of blood circulation, dull ache in the kidneys.
Gynecological conditions:chronic inflammation of the ovaries, ovarian cysts; inflammation process may be inaccurately defined at clinic as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries with associated scar formation and adhesions to nearby tissues and organs.
((Can be cured *))

__________
___("T")___

7) Small Intestine & duodenum.
Chronic inflammation (duodenitis), excess of blood circulation.
((Can be cured *))
8) Heart & cardiovascular system.
Lack of blood circulation, vessels constriction/stenosis, pain in the heart (angina pectoris = chest pain due to ischemia of the heart muscle, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary arteries), fibrous connective tissue overgrowth inside the heart (myocardial fibrosis). Possible cardiac ischemia (ischemic heart disease) can lead to myocardial infarction. Possibly something may be wrong with your heartbeat rate (arrhythmia).
((Can be cured *))

__________
___("TT")___
- You have serious problems with your nervous system.
9) Brain & Central Nervous System.
Cerebral vasoconstriction, spasms & narrowing & fragility of the brain's blood vessels due to atherosclerosis, lack of blood circulation, dystrophy (atrophy, degeneration) process in the nervous tissue of the brain. Hypo or hypertension, pain syndrome - migraines/headache. Possible fibrosis & scarring process in the brain, abnormal development of the fibrous connective tissue in the brain (inaccurate "conventional" diagnosis = adhesive arachnoiditis).
((Can be cured, but under certain conditions *))
10) Spinal Cord & Peripheral Nervous System.
Inflammation process in the spinal cord and in any peripheral nerves.
Additional gynecological conditions: endometritis (chronic inflammation of the uterus) = too much blood, excess/heavy bleedings and problems with periods (metrorrhagia).
((Can be cured *))

__________
___("V")___
- You have serious problems with your hepatobiliary system which may contribute to any other body's system (disorders) noticeably and may be the real causes of some diseases in any other organs, predominantly muscular-tonus-dysfunction associated (like spasms, cramps, pain generated by cramps (including abdominal pain partially - for example, when adhesions are ripped up by cramps), possible paresis, hypertonus or lack of muscles tonus - vascular/in bowels/in GI tract/and so on).
11) Liver.
Lack of blood circulation, fibrous dystrophy/degeneration (hepatosis), poor blood filtering functions.
((Can be cured, but under certain conditions *))
12) Gallbladder.
Chronic or acute cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation, excess of blood), pain under right ribs. It is also possible a biliary dyskinesia (dysfunction of the Sphincter of Oddi) of the hyperactivity-type and gallbladder stones.
((Can be cured *))

*****

Notes:
-------

The real health state may differs because:

- In reality the processes are much complicated than it was described here, I give only simple description.

- It is impossible for the TCM diagnosis to be compared to conventional diagnosis exactly & entirely. I tried to give conventional diagnosis when it was possible.

- Additionally you may also have other diseases, but the real causes of any disease are only those pathologies that have been mentioned above. It's easy to check - when you start to treat these pathologies by means of acupuncture needles, you will feel how the main disorders and accompanied disorders that was not described - all of them will be cured.

- Part of the described disorders may be latent or didn't appear yet. Some of them may be over (already gone). Thus, the diagnostics describes the past, present and future disorders/condtions for the whole life.

- Only the system description is used (specific pathologies in the frame of the definite systems), therefore it is difficult to say how exactly the pathology will manifest, what the symptoms will be displayed exactly, when and what part of body/organ will be affected, what will be the consequences. It is also possible that some of disorders never appear during life. All this depends on many factors: lifestyle, traumas, accidents, bad habits, genetics, heredity, etc. For some people the serious pathologies never appear until their old age, some people may be very sick/ill in the young age. All what described in the diagnostics is only the map of possible disorders or, rather, causes of all diseases. It is not necessarily that all listed pathologies will come true (will be realized).

- So, it's hard to predict what the manifestation's selector is for every particular case, but each pathology/condition/symptom will always be system-defined. That is why there are many (a scope) possible conventional diagnoses which could be corresponded to accurate and quite definite TCM diagnosis. This is not my fantasies, this is an objective fact which was confirmed by practice, because if you get the treatment by means of inserting the acupuncture needles in the points associated with pathologies stated in the TCM diagnosis, the symptoms are disappeared and diseases are cured anyway.

- It is very important to comprehend/perceive that the real truth is:
Thus, the cause of the various diseases during a whole human life remains the same (i.e. only one cause/reason from the system point of view), but manifestations or consequences (diseases/disorders/syndromes/conditions/symptoms = in other words, "conventional" diagnosises) may seem different and changing along lifetime.
As I mentioned before, multiple various manifestations/phenomena (diseases) are united by single source (cause).
But it is difficult to understand such thing for "normal" people who do not possess a real system thinking. And they prefer to keep their suffering (or their patients' sufferings) instead of educate themselves properly.

- Important remark: all described pathologic processes have influence simultaneously (in parallel), some of them have strong influence, others have weak influence or even can not be noticed (i.e. don't have the obvious manifestations) but they are present in the body anyway. This is not my assumption, this is reality because it has been checked and approved by practice.

- ((Can be cured *)) = provided that your body's individual reaction will allow a long-term acupuncture treatment.

**************************

IV. Classified Symptoms
----------------------------

("#") - displays what is the real cause of particular symptom/condition/disorder (i.e. what kind of system has pathology related to this symptom). Also see my additional comments and remarks below.

*

- "one of my symptoms is memory problems so things are fuzzier"

-- "memory problems"
("TT")

= note: "TT" means pathology in the central nervous system (brain), also it is mostly likely that pathology from the pancreas ("B"-system) has a great influence because the lack of glucose in the blood feeding brain may cause similar symptoms (memory, fuzzy, concentration, dizziness, black out, other brain issues) too.

*

- "dizziness, vertigo"
("TT")

*

- "weight gain without changes in diet and exercise"
("B")

*

- "racing pulse"
("T")

*

- "I had a history if migraines but I started having them practically every day"

-- "migraines"
("TT")

*

- "I also started having menstrual cycles that included longer periods and shorter times between bleeding."
("TT")

*

- "Saliva tests showed that my reproductive hormones (estrogens, progesterone and testosterone) were all low"
("X")

= the "X" system is responsible for peripheral management of reproductive hormones, you have very strong pathology in your "X" system ("X"-energy inside "X"-system, four times higher than usual pathology level)

*

- "I also had other menstrual symptoms such as cramps, hormonal migraines and low back pain."

= actually it's not "menstrual symptoms" exactly, but all in the body is interconnected and mutual interrelated.

-- "cramps"
("V", "X")

-- "migraines"
("TT")

-- "low back pain"
("X")

*

- "I was put on bio-identical progesterone and the bleeding became worse, so it was stopped, but the bleeding continued. I was then put on Depo-Provera shots, which eventually stopped my periods and relieved most of the menstrual symptoms."
("TT")

*

- "I saw a neurologist for the migraines and dizziness and was diagnosed with vertigo due to an inner ear imbalance"

-- "vertigo due to an inner ear imbalance"

= yes, it is possible, there are multiple projections of each system into internal organs

*

- "As for the dizziness (non-vertigo), it went undiagnosed"

-- "dizziness (non-vertigo)"
("TT")

*

- "I was out of breath, dizzy and nearly blacked out"

-- "out of breath"
("C")

-- "dizzy and nearly blacked out"
("TT")

*

- "doctor decided it was asthma and put me on an inhaler"

-- "asthma"
("C")

*

- "Later on I went to an allergist who said my lungs were fine and I had no signs of asthma. I also tested negative for Valley Fever, a lung infection common to this area that can cause breathing problems."

= your lungs are not fine, you definitely may have asthma (of "C"-nature). Allergic component causing your breathing problems ("B") can not be excluded too, but if it would be so, the influence of allergy would be negligible. The breathing problems can be caused also by your pathologies in your heart ("T") but probability of this is also low.

*

- "Weight gain continued"
("B")

*

- "I also experienced joint pain"

= I'm not sure, there may be three different possible causes (sources) of this disorder: from "V"-system, "C"-system, or "B"-system (in descending probability order). Usually it is checked by practical treatment - when starting the treatment from definite meridians (system), the reaction is tracked in order to find out the exact source of this disorder/condition.

*

- "I had arthritis (although no tests were run)"

= see my remark above, usually "arthritis" diagnosis is associated with pathology in the "C"-system, but for your case it may be significant influence from the "V"-system where you have complicated energy configuration.

*

- "the digestive issues started"
("B","C")

= multiple problems with the whole digestive system (GI tract), including stomach and bowels dysfunction

*

- "Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and swelling in the abdomen"

-- "Diarrhea"
("C")

-- "nausea, vomiting"
("B")

-- "swelling in the abdomen"
("B") = "B"-pathology inside "B"-system

*

- "Severe abdominal pain and loss of appetite"
("B", "C")

*

- "For a few weeks I lost weight, but then I gained it back and gained more--even though I was barely eating anything"
("B")

= "B"-pathology inside "B"-system

*

- "I also noticed mild swelling in my limbs that progressively got worse"

-- "swelling in my limbs"
("B")

*

- "I also was getting extremely fatigued"
("B")

= apparently, the cause of your fatigue is in the problem with your pancreas which cause hypoglycemic state (incorrect glycose regulation by pancreas). But there is a little probability that pathologies in your "C" system also contribute into your fatigue feeling.

*

- "had an intolerance to both heat and cold"

= ? not sure, the problem may consists in the disorders coming from "X"-system or "TT"-system (peripheral nervous system)

*

- "had problems with memory and concentration"
("TT", "B")

= your brain is affected by strong pathology causing permanent degenerative (dystrophic) process which has negative influence on your memory and other brain activities; additionally you have problems with glucose (sugar) regulation.

*

- "and chronic low-grade fevers"

= your subfebrile temperature may be caused by any inflammation process developed in the "T", "B", "X" or "C" systems.

*

- "abdominal pain was mostly around my navel"
("C")

= must be due to the problem with your large intestine and abdominal adhesions issues

*

- "and sometimes I would get pins-and-needles type feelings in my upper abdomen as well"
("B")

*

- "I also started getting hives"

-- "hives"

= the possible source of this condition: "B"-system (allergy, edema) or "C"-system (skin disorder)

*

- "He did discover that I was hypothyroid"

-- "hypothyroid"
("T")

*

- "An upper endoscopy and colonoscopy showed redness and irritation in my esophagus and high eosinophil count"
("B")

*

- "and inflammation in my colon"
("C")

*

- "I was found to be mildly allergic to a few things"
("B")

*

- "My period came back, worse than ever. She tried me on progesterone cream and the bleeding was increased again, so that was discontinued"
("TT")

*

- "I had been having diarrhea nearly every day for almost two years"

-- "diarrhea"
("C")

*

- "A gynecological ultrasound was performed, and small ovarian cysts were found. A follow-up showed larger cysts, one of them being hemorrhagic"

-- "ovarian cysts"
("B")

= "B"-pathology inside "X"-system

*

- "My periods stopped again but I still had a lot of pain. I also had been having hot flashes, which increased with the Lupron as well as my migraines"

-- "periods, migraines"
("TT")

*

- "While removing my uterus and cervix he found adhesions behind my uterus and also attaching my appendix to my abdominal wall
He removed the adhesions"

-- "adhesions"
("C")

*

- "There was no sign of endometriosis"

= of course, you don't have endometriosis, you have endometritis (the opposite disorder!)

*

- "the ovaries looked normal and my uterus was normal as well"

= inflammation process is inside

*

- "After recovering from surgery, the lower abdominal pain was gone"

= obviously after adhesions was removed, part of your abdominal pain symptoms was gone

*

- "The fevers were also gone, as well as hot flashes and hormonal migraines"

= must be the main source of your inflammation was in "C" and "TT" systems

*

- "However, the diarrhea resumed"

-- "diarrhea"
("C")

*

- "upset stomach"
("B")

*

- "But my weight remains the same. I also tried increasing calories, and my weight didn't change then either"
("B")

*

- "My abdomen continues to be swollen but the amount of swelling changes for no discernible reason."

-- "abdomen continues to be swollen"
("B")

*

- "The memory problems are slightly better but I am missing large chunks of my past"
("TT", "B")

*

- "Last hormone tests still showed me to be menopausal despite hormone replacement therapy"
("TT")

*

- "I am also waiting on a homeopathic remedy called lymphomycosot (sp?) to arrive. My doctor recommended it to attempt to control the inflammation as well"

= please, be careful with "homeopathic" and any other remedies! The real homeopathy is vastly different than people usually have idea of it. I'm not expert in homeopathy, but the real homeopathic remedy is mixed individually for each person, like herbal mixture (it's the main principle). So if you see "homeopathic remedy" which is prescribed for everybody who has a certain disease, it is not homeopathy at all.

*

- "inflammation, unknown cause"

= see my comments above

*

- "manifesting (possibly) as joint pain"
("V", "C")

*

- "abdominal swelling"
("B")

*

- "mild swelling in extremities"
("B")

*

- "and digestive disorders"
("B")

*

- "Weight gain despite healthy diet and exercise"
("B")

*

- "Hypothyroid symptoms: fatigue,..."

= actually these symptoms may be caused not only by hypothyroid disorder, see my remark above about fatigue

*

- "dry skin"
("C")

*

- "sensitivity to cold"
("X")

*

- "Memory and concentration issues"
("TT", "B")

*

- "Lack of appetite"
("B")

*

- "Early menopause"
("TT")

*

- "Abnormal eosinophil count in colon"
("B", "C")

*

- "Hives"
("B", "C")

*

- "Occasional dizziness"
("TT")

*

- "shortness of breath"
("C")

*

- "racing pulse"
("T")

*

- "Heat intolerance"

= ?

*

- "Iron-deficiency anemia, slowly resolving"
("X")

*

- "Oh, and one last thing not previously mentioned--high cholesterol despite my diet and exercise"

-- "high cholesterol"
("V", "C")

= cholesterol is mainly associated with "V"-system (liver, gall, bile -related biosynthesis) and "C"-system (inflexibility/rigidity/hardness/stability of the cell's membrane) and such disorder is conditioned by the serious pathologies presented in your "V" & "C" systems (remember about atherosclerosis of blood vessels?). The "B" system may also have influence as antagonist agent.

***
Some important notes from other diagnostics For Your Information:


- "Doctor also sent me for an ultrasound just to be sure my ovaries were all ok, and again everything came back normal."

= Usually the inflammation process in many organs can not be noticed by ultrasound or MRI/CT scanning, only "strong"/serious pathologies like tumor, last stages of dystrophy, etc. and some specific pathologies like cyst, etc. can be displayed.
You should not always rely on the results of device diagnostics & various medical tests - in complicated cases often the results are normal, weantime there is a pathology and patient is suffering. It is suited only for simple cases and for heavy pathologies like tumor, infarction, etc. (i.e. when diagnosing is too late)

*

= I have to say, that it is common for complicated cases when the pathologies are contradictory, the signs and indications of pathologies may occasionally appear and disappear, it's difficult to notice such kind of disorders by regular MRI/CT/Xrays/Ultrasound examinations.

*

- "I've already had an MRI of the chest and lung X-Ray which came back normal"

= usually in most cases it is impossible to find any dysfunction in lungs by means of modern device diagnostics wide-available for everybody (ordinary MRI/CT/Xrays/fluorography) - this is specifics of lungs organization. Also people often can not feel various pathologies in lungs because of specifics of innervation in this anatomical area.

*

- "It's NOT ALL IN YOUR HEAD! It Is Real"

= Of Course!

*

P.S.
Sorry, I'm not Dr. House  :)  but I hope that I have classified almost all of these symptoms correctly. My practical experience, intuition and system approach help me doing this right way.
As you can see, I was able to predict the most part of your disorders before you started describing them.

**************************

V. Prognosis
---------------

My prognosis about success of the treatment is good.
Although your lungs/bowels/adhesions problems (those connected with "C"-system pathologies) will be difficult to treat. Unfortunately I'm not sure about results of the treatment of such your disorders as IBS, asthma, arthritis and maybe some disorders in your brain connected with scar/adhesions pathology (it will be good for the treatment if the scar tissue/atherosclerosis is not developed significantly in your brain yet). - I hope your body will allow to achieve some improvement here or to relieve these symptoms at least, but beneficial effect of acupuncture treatment for these disorders may be insufficient (it's individually). Maybe additional herbals will help to improve the particular state in your "C" system.
Anyway, I suppose all other your disorders could be treated well.
Taking into account your heavy conditions caused by your complicated case, it will be necessary at least several month-term acupuncture treatment courses to get your health much better. But I think first results (noticeable improvement) should be expected after first two or three weeks of the treatment; significant improvement should follow after one or two months break after first course of treatment.

**************************

If you want, I can provide the diagnosis in terms of TCM (Traditional Chenese Medicine), containing detailed description of the pathologic energies in each meridian of your energetic system. This diagnosis can be used (with some limitations) as acupuncture recipe (list of acupuncture points) for the treatment.

Wish you good health and good luck!
Best regards & wishes,
Al


-------------------------
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 13


Al,

Wow. Thank you very much for all your hard work. I think I will need to read this several times to help me absorb it before I could even think to ask questions. However, so far it makes a lot of sense. You even got it right with things that I forgot to mention, such as a back injury from several years ago where an MRI found I have herniated discs in my lumbar spine. Amazing! I wish very much that I knew how to do what you do, because I think if more people had your training the world might be a healthier place, and I would certainly like to be able to help people in that way.
I am going to show this to my doctor, who is a naturopath and therefore has some acupuncture training. We have not looked at my illness from that viewpoint because she does not practice acupuncture in the office I go to, only her other office which is not covered by my insurance. But I think she will at least have enough of a grasp of acupuncture to be able to look at your diagnosis and tell me if she knows of someone I can go to who would be able to properly treat me.
Again, many thanks!

Maya


-------------------------
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 32


Don't hurry. Read carefully, scrutinize closely & try to assimilate a general idea and the essence/gist of the real system approach, and you will see it's not so difficult to understand all these things as it may seems at first glance. I think if you clear your mind of all your current knowledge about medicine and diseases, it will be easier for you to perceive such kind of unusual and new information.
Best regards & wishes,
Al


-------------------------
   
Newbie
*

Posts: 6


hi there, I have sent you a personal message on the subject of your illness. I do hope you are online again and read what I have to say about your illness.

I think there is certainly a similarity in the illness you describe and the illness Samantha is suffering from. I think they are both vascular illnesses and would require you to see a specialist who understands how to diagnose and treat these very complex disorders.

If you have a high eosonophil count then you need to be asking about Churg Strauss Syndrome. The symptoms are widely these......

 What are symptoms of Churg-Strauss syndrome?

Churg-Strauss syndrome causes fever, weight loss, and sinus or nasal passage inflammation in the patient with asthma. Fatigue is common. Sometimes the asthma actually improves somewhat as the disease intensifies elsewhere. Cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain can occur as the lungs are affected by vasculitis.

Skin lumps, called nodules, can appear on the extremities. Diarrhea and pain in the belly occur due to blood vessel inflammation within the abdomen. The bladder and prostate gland can become inflamed.

Numbness or weakness of the extremities is the result of nerve injury from the vasculitis. If the brain is affected, seizures or confusion can occur.

Please be very very careful before embarking on any kind of alternative therapies. I'm not a sceptic about these things believe me, I believe they have a place in modern medicine. BUT until you have a diagnosis please don't do anything along those lines as it could be harmful.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. Before I was diagnosed with Behcet's everyone told me.....try some echinecea it's good for your immune system. I tried it and it made me feel so ill. What I didn't realise is that my immune system was a ready over stimulated because I have Behcet's syndrome which is auto-immune. Please get a consultation with a doctor who understands vascular disorders and try to get the right treatment. Margaret


-------------------------
   
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