The Doctor – Part 11

The Aussie Doctor

We recently spent a relaxing and therapeutic month back home, during which time I made the most of the chance to access free and/or affordable health care – a luxury which is unknown in the USA.

Thus, I visited my old doctor and let him know about all the crazy and costly things I had been subjected to over the last six months. His advice, in a nutshell, was: ‘Forget that. Don’t waste your money on a bucketload of supplements that probably don’t work or a whole raft of treatments that have only made you feel worse.’ He suggested I simplify my approach, cut back on pretty much everything and try a different anti-viral medication, which he duly prescribed.

I gave the suggested approach a go, then went back to see him a few weeks later, at which point he remarked that I was looking better – a point he put down to the new meds, but which I suggested was more to do with a beach holiday.

After that I headed back to America with a newfound commitment to take just multi-vitamins, probiotics and the new anti-viral tablets I had purchased at home [which, by the way, would have cost me thousands of dollars here].

And then I made the mistake of going back to the doctor in NC. I intended it to be more of a courtesy visit, but I ended up being prescribed more tests, more medicine and, of course, all for more money. In fact, we’ve now spent over  $800 USD more than we raised [that doesn't include any medical costs in Australia, which were either free or paid for using kangaroo skins]. I feel tired just thinking about it.

Apparently doctors don’t like second opinions.

Snow

In the space of a week we have endured about a 25ºC/77ºF temperature drop as we flew back from Sydney to Raleigh. Last week it was early summer and we were lying on the beach soaking in the sun’s rays; this week it’s wintry and pretty close to freezing – quite a shock to the system!

Now if it’s going to be that cold, in my humble opinion, it has just got to snow to make it worthwhile but, sadly, that’s not how this part of North Carolina tends to work. But when it does snow here, like it did for about 14 minutes on Friday, everyone seems to go a little crazy.

People in the diner I was having lunch in started cheering. The news channels didn’t talk about anything else for the next 8 hours but ‘the coming storm’ – the same thing happens in tornado season [another weather phenomenon that doesn't really affect us here]. And you get a lot of emails and announcements from organizations telling you whether or not they will be operational the next morning – like the one from our own church [the weather will not stop us!].

But my favourite reaction is that of drivers, as they appear to lose the plot in one of two ways. Some slow down to a crawl, terrified of an accident despite the fact that the snow barely even settled on the ground. While others are so desperate to get home before the ‘blizzard’ hits, that they speed about and cut in and generally drive like maniacs.

The folks in Raleigh that came here from up north – from places like Pittsburgh and Chicago, where the snow on the ground can be a couple of feet deep and people still act pretty normal – tend to have a chuckle at these poor, panicked Southerners. I couldn’t help but do the same on Friday, but then again I was just happy to see a bit of snow coz it doesn’t happen where we’re from.

Here’s hoping it’s not the only snowfall of the season. In fact, some this coming Friday would be just about perfect.

Australianism

The Aussies celebrate another famous victory.

So it appears that overnight the Australian cricket team – or what’s left of it – won one of those games that will be talked about for some time. Amidst the various reports, I noticed the following quote from the late English journalist, John Arlott. It was written after Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ ended their victorious tour of England in 1949, but still rings true today:

“Australianism means single-minded determination to win – to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the ‘impossible’ is within the realm of what the human body can do, there are Australians who believe that they can do it – and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match – particularly a Test match – until the last run is scored or their last wicket down.”

What a shame the Wallabies are no longer capable of showing that same fighting spirit.

The Doctor – Part 10

"We have eliminated all other possibilities …"

After the false start that was my previous visit to the doctor, I went back last week to try again.

This was only my third consultation because, despite being there 2-3 times a week for the last few months, most of my time has been spent having tests and treatments. So, understandably, I was glad to be able to actually talk to the doctor this time to see where we are it – and this is what he said.

The underlying cause of my chronic fatigue appears to be unrelated to any bacterial or digestive problems – which is what we have spent the last few months attacking. It might be – but most probably isn’t – related to metal toxicity either, although I will have a test tomorrow morning to confirm that.

So, it appears that we have spent the last three months – and around $4,000 USD – eliminating options, and have now come to a point where the doctor believes that it is most probably viral. Oddly enough, that is the diagnosis I brought with me from my Australian doctor – “mild infective chronic fatigue” – and what I have said all along.

Additionally, if you’ve read the news recently you might have noticed multiple reports suggesting that chronic fatigue may be related to a retrovirus already linked to prostate cancer, known as XMRV. The difficulty with this diagnosis is that the test costs around $400 [unless I can get it done at home for less] and, even if they do confirm it’s presence, they do not know for certain that it causes chronic fatigue, and they haven’t figured out a way to treat it yet. It is, however, expected that there will be a lot of research done on the virus in the very near future, although there is no point getting carried away about the possibility of a cure [read a call for perspective here].

In the meantime, I have – once again – begun a low dose of anti-viral medication, which is eerily similar to what I did last year.

On another note, one of the positive outcomes of my consultation was that I have been given the green light to discontinue my colon hydrotherapy treatment given that (a) it was only dealing with a secondary issue and (b) we have run out of money for medical bills – which leads me nicely to my final point.

So far, we have raised $4,310 USD and, after the latest consultation and round of medication, are now down to our last $308.54. About $270 of that will go towards tests this week, and whatever is left will go towards a follow-up with the health coach next week, at which point I will try to find a healthy way of pointing some weight back on.

Then, in two weeks, we go home for just under a month and when we return in mid-December we will have no money left to pay for medical bills. I envisage we will need at least $1,000 more – and possibly more – depending on which way the treatments go. If we can’t find the cash, I will put the treatments on hold at a time when it seems that we are finally beginning to deal with the real cause.

If you are able to help, please consider doing so. Y’all know where to find me.

The Doctor & The Lawyer

"I advise you to get a lawyer."

Last week marked three months since my medical journey began.

The kind folks at the doctor’s office celebrated the milestone by failing to actually book in my latest consultation, and then threw a party during my colon hydrotherapy session, to which practically everyone was invited.

Here’s how it went down.

Following my MSA on Tuesday morning, I was politely informed that the appointment we had scheduled in six weeks earlier was actually not scheduled in at all, and I would have to wait three more weeks for medical advice.

I returned later that day for appointment No. 8 with the colon hydrotherapist only to find that both nurses decided to sit in on the action: one to administer the lethal injection, the other to do some paperwork and scheduling of her own about three feet away, thus lowering my dignity to a level not previously thought possible. [Now, please let me take this opportunity to say that both ladies are absolutely delightful, however, the party atmosphere was not what I was looking for on this occasion.]

Against this joyous backdrop we have since hit further and unexpected barriers in another area of life: our visas.

In case I haven’t mentioned it publicly, we are seeking to stay here a little while longer.

For that to happen, though, our visas – which expire in February of next year – either need to be extended or changed. However, because the US government assumes that everyone not born here is either Mexican or a terrorist, that is far easier said than done [many of you may remember the saga that was getting here – this is worse].

And with no visible improvements in my health, the grueling medical schedule weighing me down [the previous six weeks have involved as many as three or four trips to the doctor each week], and too much to carry in other areas of life – most notably the visa debacle – I am considering putting all things medical on hold till early next year [or, if we are unable to extend our stay, just leave it till March when we are home].

I’m pretty sure my colon will thank me.

We only have around $700 left for medical expenses, anyway, and that money may be best put towards an immigration lawyer – possibly the only profession I currently feel more animosity towards than colon hydrotherapists.

The Doctor – Part 9

"There will be side effects."

So there hasn’t been a lot of ‘new’ news from the doctor recently.

Instead, I’ve simply been plugging away with the list of treatments prescribed to me at my last consultation: IV therapy once a week, colon hydrotherapy 1-2 times per week, and about 60 pills a day for good measure.

The irony is that the very symptoms these treatments are supposed to alleviate, are the very same as the side effects they cause – so the last month has been a real treat.

Aside from the nausea, dizziness, abdominal pains and digestive maladies, there has been no real change to report other than some improved mental clarity [which I believe is mostly due my change in diet], and the unexpected loss of over 20lb/10kg [also due to change of diet].

If there have been any other positive changes they have been overridden by the mountain of side effects and, therefore, impossible to notice.

So for now the battle continues, with two obvious challenges ahead:

First, we have raised $4260 USD to cover our medical bills and have now spent just over $3160 USD of that. With the therapies continuing and the next round of consultations a week away, I expect that the remaining $1100 USD will get us through until about the end of October, when we will have no more money to pay the bills. If you are able to give, you can do so here, or by check [y'all know how to find me].

Second, and of equal concern, is the fact that I am running out of appropriate doctor images. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Colon Hydrotherapy 101

THIS POST COMES WITH A PARENTAL ADVISORY WARNING

As part of the doctor’s treatment plan he prescribed “an intensive course of colon hydrotherapy” – a statement I did not ever want to hear.

So with my heart in my mouth and cheeks clenched tightly I fronted up to the Carolina Center last Friday for the big moment. When it comes to matters such as this, some things are best left unsaid – or at least that is what you will be saying after you read this post.

As this was my first appointment we spent a considerable amount of time talking about the process as well as discussing it’s potential benefits [the whole consultation took about two hours which was twice as long as normal]. It turns out that the colon hydrotherapist, if that is her official title, was a registered nurse who had worked in mainstream medicine for many years before having her own battle with chronic illness. It was colon hydrotherapy, she said, that made the biggest difference for her and since then she has become an advocate for colon health.

And then we begun.

For the benefit of the reader who has always wanted to know what colon hydrotherapy involves, I have compiled the following step-by-step:

1. EMPTY BLADDER
   In order to avoid catastrophes during the procedure.
2. PUT ON GOWN
   I was informed I could leave my shirt on, but “everything from the waist down has to go.” You don’t hear that every day.
3. ASSUME THE FOETAL POSITION
   On your side with your knees up. Funnily enough I was in that position before she even asked.
4. CHECK FOR HEMORRHOIDS
   I took this opportunity to point out to her that we spell them haemorrhoids down under [pun intended and highlighted for the benefit of the American reader].
5. APPLY LUBRICANT
   OK, this is where you start suppressing memories.
6. INSERT SPECULUM
   Not painful, but about as uncomfortable as you might imagine, as well as being further proof to me that the human body was very clearly not designed for homosexuality.
7. LIE BACK AND RELAX
   Which is quite a task with a speculum up your rear end.
8. BEGIN HYDROTHERAPY
   At this point the nurse fills your colon with warm liquid [water, I guess but I never asked] then drains it, then repeats multiple times, which removes fecal material. If you so desire, you can watch the results live as they come rushing down the tubes and in to the machine like a water slide.
9. REMOVE SPECULUM
   Yes, please.
10. DRAIN EXCESS WATER
    This was my job. The machine removes most of the water that it introduces in to the colon, but not all of it. So at this point you are directed to go to the bathroom [quickly] and sit on the ‘commode’, as the nurse described it. Gravity does the rest. It was much like sitting at the top of a waterfall.
11. APPLY MORE LUBRICANT
    Just when you thought it was over.
12. INSERT TUBE
    What? Again? At least this one was much smaller than the speculum.
13. INJECT PROBIOTICS
    You see when you flush a colon like this all the bacteria – good and bad – comes with it. So the good bacteria – 24 billion, to be precise – must be re-introduced by way of a syringe and long, flexible tube.
14. REPEAT STEP 10
    Hurry.
15. GET DRESSED
    No invitation necessary.
16. RECLAIM DIGNITY
    At this point, I went home and sat under a hot shower.

And the good news is I only have to do it 15 more times.

The Doctor – Part 8

Always read the label ...

So the week before last the doctor prescribed a mountain of meds for me to take over a two week period in order to attack and kill parasites in my gut. I took notes furiously during the consultation as it was clear that I would have to stick to a strict timetable and not mix certain meds with others. It was also evident that there would be some unpleasant side effects involved so, as I just wanted to get that over and done with, I started pretty much right away.

As with my first consultation, the doctor promised to email me some notes along with a revised cost estimate. Two weeks later – and a week in to my course of antibiotics – I still didn’t have it. So I made some calls and sent some emails and eventually it landed in my inbox this afternoon.

And here’s the problem: the course outlined in the notes is significantly different to the course outlined during the consultation.

So, despite spending literally hours sorting out a timetable for these medicines, being a week in to the course, and having already ingested a few hundred dollars worth of antibiotics, it appears I have done it incorrectly.

So you will have to excuse me for feeling ever so slightly annoyed.

IV Therapy

Jumbo also got IV therapy

Yesterday I had my first session of IV therapy.

The appointment started off well when I came across an old man in the waiting room lamenting his poor health:

I am a sick man. I hurt all the time. I’m just hanging on.

Me too, buddy.

After that minor disturbance, and a brief lesson in Australian English [a.k.a Austranglish] for the receptionist, I made my way to the IV room. To make sure they weren’t administering IV therapy to a corpse, the nurse checked my vitals and I was given a clean bill of health: my blood pressure was 125/75, pulse 78, oxygen 98% and weight down another 2.5 pounds to 174.2. That’s 11 pounds [5kg] that I’ve lost since giving up ‘the Western diet’ – and I haven’t done any exercise in that time. The only problem with that is that my pants keep falling down.

With my vitals checked, the nurse administered the IV needle and then withdrew it, leaving just a small plastic tube through which she would deliver the formula. As this was my first session, I was given just the half dose, which consisted of:

• Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% – 4cc
• Calcium Gluconate 10% – 5cc
• Folic Acid – 0.5cc
• Magnesium Sulfate 50% – 5cc
• Molybdenum – 0.5cc
• Selenium – 2.5cc
• Ascorbic Acid – 25cc
• B-Complex – 0.5cc
• Hydroxycobalamin – 0.5cc
• Manganese – 0.5cc
• Taurine – 0.5cc
• Zinc – 5cc

It took 90 minutes all up [the full dose, which I will get in the future, will take three hours] during which time I wrote a note on The City regarding the generosity we’ve received from the fine folk at Vintage21, and listened to more ramblings from the old guy:

I’ve seen too much. I’ve lived too long. I should have been dead ten times. I was in World War II. I have flashbacks.

If it wasn’t so sad it would have been funny.

Following the therapy I would say that physically I could feel a notable difference – my bones weren’t aching to the same extent they usually do – but that was balanced out by the nausea and other side effects that go with my current course of antibiotics, along with the short term flu like symptoms that come with IV therapy. So I will be interested to see how it all goes in two weeks, when the antibiotics are done and the nausea is gone, but I would say that I’m feeling quite positive.

More positive than I am about next week’s first session of colon hydrotherapy, at least.

The Doctor – Part 7

"My intention is to hit you with everything we've got."

I went back to the doctor today for my first follow up visit.

It had been six weeks since my initial consultation, in which time I had seen the nutritional counsellor, had bloodwork done and undergone an MSA assessment; started taking a mountain of supplements; and radically changed my diet.

In that period I lost nine pounds without even trying, but not much else has changed.

Going in to today’s consultation, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it turned out to be pretty overwhelming. Let me explain why.

TESTS & TREATMENTS

Unsurprisingly, my tests didn’t show a great deal. They never do. Some of the results were on the low end of normal, but everything, as usual, fell within the recommended parameters. Thus, I can only guess that the treatment suggestions that followed were born from a mix of intuition, experience and the ‘results’ from the MSA.

The doctor noted a few areas worth looking into: thryoid, gluten, testosterone; bacteria, parasites and viruses.

The course of treatment he has suggested consists of two new groups of supplements, a course of antibiotics, a trial gluten free diet, IV therapy and colon hydrotherapy – all to take place in the next six weeks [and beyond].

SUPPLEMENTS

The first group of supplements, to be commenced immediately, include Natto Serrazime, EDTA, Curcumin, VER and Nature-Throid, and will join my already lengthy list of supplements. In two weeks I will add more: Trace Minerals, Krebs Mag, Glutamine and Saw Palmetto.

What will these all do? I have no idea. As the doctor talked about them it seemed to make sense – something to do with parasites and infections – but it was just too much information to take in at once.

ANTIBIOTICS

In about a week I will also begin an intensive course of antibiotics. These will include Cypro & Flagil [for two weeks]; Diflucan [for four weeks, then one week off, then another four weeks]; plus two others I can’t remember. These are all aimed at sorting out problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

The trouble with all these supplements and antibiotics is that some won’t work together, so there needs to be a delicate balancing act – the worst of which which may involve setting an alarm in the middle of the night to take one supplement, which needs to be ingested apart from minerals and vitamins.

THERAPIES

Now, if the 75 tablets a day I will need to take isn’t enough, next week I will begin IV therapy and colon hydrotherapy.

The IV therapy will involve one session per week for six weeks [at this stage]. Each session will last three hours. Colon hydrotherapy will involve one session a week for 14 weeks. Each session will last one hour.

But wait – there’s more!

GLUTEN FREE DIET

The doctor has also asked that, somewhere in the middle of all this, I go on a gluten free diet for two weeks, then follow that with a one day ‘gluten binge’ and monitor the effects.

This all needs to be done between now and my next consultation – just over six weeks from now.

So, it would not be overstating the matter to say it was a confusing and overwhelming afternoon.

Thankfully, the doctor was more than happy to provide a variety of one liners to keep me interested, such as:

• “She found all sorts of worms.”
• “The pituitary gland is talking to the testicles pretty well.”
• “My intention is to hit you with everything we’ve got.”
• “I do not like to give it orally.”

And y’all know how I replied to that last one.

GOOD NEWS

Amidst all this information, there are a couple of positives that need to be mentioned:

• The doctor has suggested that his original estimate [both cost and timeframe] may be reduced.
• We have been able to raise $3,430 USD so far [towards the original target of approx. $5,000 USD].

Further donations can be made by PayPal or check.