$#^% and Great Oriental Doc Visit

This is going to be a bit of a disjointed post, as I just got back from Ken's (my Oriental medicine doc) and some pretty serious treatment. Last night Ken and I were chatting about a woman I am trying to help who had to cancel her appointment today (see So Much Generosity, Community and Gratitude!). I said "Hey, maybe Ryan should see you, as he purposefully ate some pasta, it quickly sent him running for the bathroom (a first), and he had to work from home the rest of the day." My doc asked Ryan how he was feeling overall, and Ryan said great. Ken went on to say that as people heal more, their sensitivities to some foods, like wheat, increase to the point that 1/1000 of a serving or less can cause a reaction. Ryan is really reactive. Ken said he didn't need to see Ryan given that he is feeling fine except when he eats wheat. 

I then asked about me, who is not sleeping because Ryan began snoring around the holidays - in my opinion that is thanks to some holiday treats with wheat. Ken jokingly scolded me about sending the one who is fine and ignoring myself, so in I went.

Well, holy $%@$. What an appointment. I am 45 and experiencing some premenopausal symptoms thanks to my greatly reduced sleep (3 - 4 hours a night). The symptoms are much less than past visits to Ken, but this time, he put on the super serious face (a first with me) and said that because Ryan is snoring, we need to sleep separately. Sleep is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME. If Ryan wants to eat the occasional wheat and keep snoring, so be it, but I can't let the snoring cut into my sleep. Because I am sleep deficient and the premenopausal symptoms have reared up again, they are also now keeping me from sleeping. He said that I have some decent inflammation and my immune system is working overtime. That was disheartening given how I eat, but with lack of sleep and cortisol kicking, I guess that happens. 

A few other facts I learned (and may slightly word wrong so correct me):

1. Ken thinks that wheat calls to Ryan so strongly because it can act as an opiate and Ryan has the opiate receptors. I need to have some compassion around that, but Ryan also needs to stay away from it and stop snoring.
2. People who are autoimmune to wheat (Ken thinks that Ryan is) experience inflammation in their nervous systems and kill loads of brain cells. He emphasized that THEY NEVER COME BACK. The nervous system is the only part of the body that can't shut off an inflammatory reaction, so Ryan will be inflamed for six, eight or more weeks. Ken is all about testing and diagnosis, but he said in Ryan's case, there is no reason to test for autoimmunity - he is that certain. Some day, when money is no object and we want to understand exactly why he is autoimmune, we can test, but he knows we have other financial priorities and doesn't recommend it. Just stay away from the damn wheat! (Ok, I threw in the damn.)

Back to my treatment today. I told Ken that I was experiencing insomnia, some premenopausal symptoms and my lower back hurt. I thought the lower backache was due to my old fracture combined with a new exercise and wanted his opinion. He said that my explanation was incorrect - the pain was from my immune system working overtime. A little acupuncture and the pain was gone.

Ken said that given my age and what he is seeing right now, that he wants to squash this menopausal flare-up. I was surprised by his strong reaction because:

1. I am still getting some quality sleep during those three or four hours
2. I have come to him feeling much worse
3. I have never experienced him being that strong/concerned/expectant of compliance.

Ken asked me if I had been hungry lately. I said no, especially since being on the Whole 30. Let me tell you what - after some acupuncture, my stomach started roaring (it did that in 2010 - see GAPS Update and Insomnia). When Ken came back in to do some more acupuncture, I said my stomach was roaring and I was getting really hungry. He gave me some Goji berries to tide me over (they are really good!). 

I mentioned that it was a good thing I didn't fast today (Fridays are my usual fast day - search my blog for fasting and why we are doing it), and he said that fasting was out for two reasons. First, I am depleted and need to nourish my body, not withhold. I was surprised by that given that the fasting is easy. Second, it is winter and fasting during the winter is not healthy from an Oriental medicine perspective. I didn't ask why - I didn't have much brain power left and was hungry.

Things get kind of funny at this point. Now I am really hungry, really sleepy and a little off. I leave with a four supplements (that never happens!) because we are dousing the inflammation my body is experiencing and hopefully banishing the menopausal symptoms. Oh, and we are pushing more blood to my extremities, which are always cold, and too my brain. 

I pass by Whole Foods on the way home, it is the big salmon sale today so I load up, and I get really hungry smelling the food in the store. I start to get sweaty and shaky and nauseous. I check out, drive 25 minutes to pick Colson up, and get hungrier all the time. I am feeling like I could start gnawing on my left arm at any moment (I am a righty, so at least I am thinking clearly). By the time I am home, I am a nauseous, ravenous mess who pounds some food and gets stomach cramps. Amazing. 

A few other outcomes are that I have headaches that come and go, I am a bit emotional, and I can't believe that I was that hungry! 

I asked Ken a few other things while I was there. Regarding exercise, he said that I should keep my heart rate below anaerobic levels, which is 180 - your age. That may preclude me from doing my chin-ups (I can do five now, but I think if I slept well I could eke out another), my one-legged lunges and pushups. Dang! I am so strong even though my body is in a bit of a tailspin in other ways. 

Regarding my recurring plantar wart, he said to treat it with calcium bentonite clay, and when it hollows out hit it with some moxabustion, which is basically heating the roots with incense. I also have two moxa points on my feet that will aid in getting me back on track with sleep. 

And the really fun part - at night before bed Ryan is supposed to rub AdrenaCalm cream into my feet. Yay! I love foot massages. The cream will help me sleep. Something about helping to calm the hippocampus, I believe, in addition to helping in other ways. Don't worry - I had to look up hippocampus too. I am not hyperlinking it because I am not on my usual computer and this Mac is a pain. 

Regarding men, I asked why they get up at night to pee as they get older. Ken said it is a sign of kidney strength. Someone whose mother ate well while they were in the womb and then fed her child well, and the child continued to eat well, will have strong kidney function and not need to go to the bathroom. Basically, the night waking is due to weakened kidneys that aren't getting all their work done during the day. Once a night is fine, twice a night is pushing it, and three times is a problem as it affects sleep too much.

And that is all that I can remember for now. I am tired and going to vegetate, which is tough because there is so much I am supposed to be doing. Oh well - clearly I need to adapt my expectations for myself and make fewer commitments. As I learned the hard way when I fractured my back, life is cycles and there are times to be robust and times to be quiet. Now is a quiet time and with Ryan's gentle, firm and loving reminders, I may just be quieter. Life really is a trip.

P.S. Ryan will not commit to being through with wheat forever, but he says he is really is done. It is a mental/control game he is playing with himself, but he sees it really is a problem. 

 

Comments

[Alyssa]

I LOVE Dr. Morehead. Thanks again for referring me!!

[Laura Combs]

Yay! I am glad he is helping!!