Wednesday, April 8, 2009

More Tales of Health (or lack thereof)...

As many of you know, I've had this bizarre rash on my face that cropped up January of this year and has yet to go away, despite trying every treatment under the sun (OK, maybe just every treatment over the counter!). In February, the rash had gotten much worse and so I began to reluctantly call around to get an appointment with a doctor. Apparently one can not get in to see any doctor, whether general practice or specialty, without waiting at least three months. I made an appointment with a dermatologist that was able to book me in May. Seriously?

Eventually the rash became so itchy and painful that I went to an urgent care clinic. The rash was diagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis, which is basically cradle cap for adults. I was given a prescription cream to treat the rash.

Two months later, it's April and I realize I am still using this cream twice a day and the rash is no better. In fact, I stopped using the cream for a week and the rash became so inflamed that it began to burn. Unfortunately, I am still a month away from my appointment with the dermatologist.

Being the loving husband he is, Jim suggested I try the clinic he goes to. I will admit I have been very skeptical their unconventional treatments, but I was desperate enough to give anything a try. And they were able to get me in two days!

I had a good experience for my first visit. Dr. Kenzie was very personable and intelligent, and spent a whole hour with me. She checked out every system and looked at all my health problems together, instead of just focusing on my rash. The clinic uses neuro-emotional muscle testing to diagnose problems. I am not a good muscle-tester, so she had Jim surrogate-test me, which was bizarre to me. But I was amazed at how it worked! She was able to correctly diagnose my health issues and allergies accurately.

I left the clinic with some new medications and new dietary guidelines. I found that I am very allergic to both dairy and wheat products (surprise surprise), so I have been instructed to stay away from dairy and gluten as well as given a probiotic to restore the flora in my digestive tract. My hormones are completely out of whack (Jim nodded his head in agreement with that) so I have a natural remedy to help rebalance my hormone levels. And last, but not least, I have a tonic to restore my skin.

Beyond that, I have a follow-up appointment in two weeks and the whole experience (one hour with a doctor and three medications) cost us less than Jim's appointment to consult with Dr. Trotta before his surgery. And I still will not have seen the dermatologist before I follow-up with the clinic!

I am excited to try out the regime Dr. Kenzie has prescribed me and curious to see how it works for me. Beyond the skin rash, I have been unusually tired for the past few months and my allergies and hormones are a continual problem. I am hoping the clinic will be able to get me back on track so I can be healthier and perform better in every area of my life.

If all else fails, these gluten-free almonds I am currently snacking on are good!

1 comment:

jimbrown1124 said...

I love you! :) You're giving into her "regime"??