good news for a change

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all!

(I am cross-posting this on the healing...naturally list too)

I am in such a good mood, because I just came back this afternoon

from an appointment for an ultrasound (including a trans-vaginal

scan), and things are getting smaller! The technician (who is the

same one who has done all of my past scans except for the very first

one back in 2000) compared the measurements from my last visit in

August to what she scanned today, and not only are each of my three

biggest fibroids measuring almost an inch smaller, but my overall

uterus has diminished in size also by a couple of centimeters (so

that's about an inch, right?). I didn't jump for joy right away or

anything, because I was afraid I would jinx things, but she kept

checking and double checking, and said " yep, whatever it is you're

doing, keep doing it, because it seems to be working for you. "

What I have been doing is getting weekly acupuncture treatments for

the past four/five months. My acupuncturist has never ever claimed

that she could SHRINK my fibroids... she did say she has had success

in the past with helping lessen abnormal bleeding, and that a later

part of the tretament would involve stopping the fibroids from

growing. In fact, she was careful to tell me that shrinking the

fibroids was not something that was part of the treatment. Besides

acupuncture, I have gone off all hormones (my acupuncturist does

certain points in my ears for helping to balance my hormones: no

birth control pills,

since last April (2003), no natural progesterone since about October

of 2003. I still take my iron pills every day, and I also take a

supplement called Indole PLus which is supposed to help promote a

healthy " estrogenic balance " or something like that. I have slightly

modified my diet.. cut back on --but not eliminated --beef and lamb

(that last one was hard, I adore lamb), because, according to my

acupunturist, my bleeding problems are influenced by/ come from

having too much " internal heat " ,

and those foods are " hot " foods. Don't ask me to actually explain

any of

this, I am just repeating what she said to me. I still eat meat,

mostly in the form of pork and chicken, and I also eat fish. My

acupuncturist also has been trying to get me to deal with other parts

of my life that could be contributing to poor health, such as my

relations with certain other people, my job, etc. After I had a bit

of a breakdown/crying fit in front of one of my best friends last

week (I hate crying in front of people), I decided it was time for me

to go back into therapy, even though I can't really afford it. I

have felt like there was a huge weight off my back ever since then,

and although I am far far far from being totally okay, I feel more

optimistic now than I have in a long time that I am at the very least

on the right track.

My purpose in writing this is not to tout acupuncture as a " cure " ...

I don't even know how much relief I will be able to get eventually.

But after these past few months that have involved a lot of self-

doubt, and questioning of whether or not my instincts have been

guiding me in the right direction, I feel like I can breathe a tiny

sigh of relief that I am still a reliable source for myself. You

know?

I am still having heavy periods, although this most recent one (which

I am still wrapping up) has been the first one in months where I have

NOT had to change my tampon on my heavy days every 20 minutes. It's

been about every hour... it's like I am back in college. So, yes,

still hrdly a picnic, and still a ways to go there. ;-) I also had

much fewer clots this cycle than in previous ones, although they were

still present. Only one night was a " Depends " night, instead of

two. Things are changing, but I have no idea how far they will go.

I'll just continue to wait and see.

I guess I write this just to say that sometimes, if we give ourselves

enough time, and really are intelligent about our options and our

choices, as well as listen to what our gut is telling us, it turns

out that we really DO know what the hell we're talking about, and

what the hell we're doing. I keep telling people that having

fibroids has forced a patience on me that I never thought I'd be

capable of possessing in my previous life (B.F. --before fibroids).

I am keeping my fingers crossed for continual (and likely, slow)

improvement over the next few months/years, and in the meantime I am

going to allow myself to have my freaking happy moment of

celebration! All I was hoping for was that the tumors wouldn't be

bigger (as they have been with each successive US)... I never dreamed

they might be smaller. Tears of relief instead of those of

frustration and anger? Who knew this would happen today?

Peace,