Back from vacation! (and re: Heidi's post)

[Guest guest]

Hello again everyone! I just got back from a long vacation yesterday ...

some of it great, some of it (unfortunately) not so great since I had a

pretty bad, very itchy flare-up, but overall it was still a positive

experience. Went to Baja, California (which is part of Mexico), hung

out at beaches and Cabo San Lucas, went swimming in the ocean and... yikes!

Itch, itch, itch! (more on that later) Anyway:

(Heidi wrote):

>I don't think that there is one single person on this list that hasn't

>thought of the dangers of medications. I'm sure that everyone on here

>realizes that medications have side effects and impacts on our bodies.

>Look at any prescription drug bottle and you'll see warnings.

>

>There aren't warnings on food. Does that mean that food has only

>positive effects? Of course not. And what defines " good food " ? Milk

>is full of calcium and vitamin D, Meat is full of protein and Iron...but

>many vegetarians (yourself included) believe these are not good foods.

>People have been talking about the sugar in fruit, yet isn't fruit a

>'good food'?

I agree 100%!!! Even aspirin can have serious side effects for some

people, but most people think it's one of the safest drugs around. Hah.

>Don't think that I don't believe that a healthy diet, vitamins, herbal

>treatments, etc. are a bad thing. In fact, I am a user of echinacea and

>acidophilus and find them very helpful. I have, however, checked with

>my doctors and pharmacists to make sure that there will be no drug

>interactions with the other prescription medications that I *NEED* to

>take in order to live. As a matter of fact, I have found MANY

>physicians that are open to the 'alternative' remedies and to herbal

>treatments.

I'm seeing that, too. I have a question about the echinacea,

though: isn't that a concentrated herb? I've always thought most herbs are

very irritating to the vulvar pain.

> " Consider Weil's strange discussion in this book of sickness and health.

> " Sickness is the manifestation of evil in the body, " he proclaims, " just

>as health is the manifestation of holiness. Sickness and health are not

>simply physical states.... They are rooted in the deepest and most

>mysterious strata of Being. "

Wow. I have a few of his books and I've never seen anything like

this in them!

>So I'm full of evil and that's why I have chronic illness? Um..no I'm

>not buying that. I think that's an extraordinarily dangerous way of

>thinking for anyone who is ill and anyone who treats the ill.

I wouldn't buy it either!!

Anyway, I've been gone for awhile but I did see a post about MSM.

Does anyone know yet if it's helpful OR harmful for our condition? I have a

bottle my chiro " sold " me but I haven't taken it yet... too nervous!

On the issue of supplements: I don't know about the rest of you,

but I've noticed that if I take enough magnesium, I don't have NEARLY the

problems with muscle pain/wrist pain/foot pain/back pain like I used to!

Although I think part of it is just time healing the " injuries " and all the

months of chiropractic/massage/acupuncture as well. I think getting enough

activity has also really helped, although it was very difficult a year or

two ago. Tension and inactivity seem to be terrible enemies to feeling good

and being functional! (for the vulva as well)

I have a follow-up appt with my PA this Wednesday--going over the

results of the DHEA lab test and the Great Smokies intestinal/stool test...

should be interesting! I'm a little nervous about her prescribing a ton of

Diflucan if I show a lot of yeast, though. Like some others on this list,

I'm concerned about what these strong drugs REALLY do to our bodies in the

long run, and I haven't had good luck with any other prescription drugs for

infections!

I also have my first appt with a PT next week for an evaluation on

my pelvic muscle function/health and whether or not I actually need

biofeedback or MR. Looking forward to that one! (though I hope it doesn't

hurt too much)

I don't know why I had such a horrible, itchy flare-up on vacation,

but it's happened before. It was soon after swimming in a warm, salty

ocean, but I probably waited too long to shower off afterward. Maybe the

salt was too abrasive? All I know is, I was itching like MAD and then a

couple days later noticed the familiar red 'spots' in the vulva and near the

vagina. I've seen them before... they look like tiny hemorrhages. Not

blisters or open sores... just little red 'dots.' They hurt and the whole

area itched--inside and out! (which almost acted like a very frustrating

aphrodisiac, believe it or not!) However, something of interest here: I

got very sick one day while in Mexico, but I don't think it was from the

water. I had a horrible headache several hours before vomiting, and right

after that I saw similar pinpoint hemorrhages on my face--around my eyes and

cheeks--that lasted for 2-3 days! It's never happened before on my FACE,

but I very rarely ever vomit either. (sorry to be so gross) Maybe this is

a related thing that has something to do with connective tissue??? Who

knows! Anybody else ever experience these things... on face or vulva??

Also, did I miss anything of a strong, relevatory nature in my

absence? And, hello to all the newbies! I see the list has grown in

the last month... though I'm certainly ambivalent about it. Hello to Dee,

Kathy G., Heidi, , etc. I highly recommend everyone take vacations

periodically, even if you're not feeling 100%. It was nice to be in a

different locale... kinda takes your mind off your troubles for awhile!

Take care everyone.

Gail