East meets West documented in treatment #10 December 1st

Round #10 with just two more treatments to go and we are in the throws of the holidays....visitors, cooking, and chemotherapy.  Yikes....Michael is my knight in shinning armor and accompanied me to treatment this time and took care of me for my three days. Did I remember to say "Thank you"...

So as I had described in previous posts my dear friend David Greenhouse with Greenhouse

Holistic has been a guiding light for my alternative treatments including acupuncture.  My acupuncturist Myung-Jin threw no false punches when first interviewing me back in July. Acupuncture would not cure my cancer.  What acupuncture would do and has done for me throughout my treatment - was to aid me in managing pain as the chemotherapy drugs caused tremendous nerve pain in my ears and chest when breathing, manage nerve issues in my hands and feet and aid me in keeping my menstrual cycle regular. Often during chemotherapy neuropathy is quite common - a numbing sensation in the hands and feet as well as a complete loss of menstrual cycles.   My experience of neuropathy has been up and down - but I did retain my menstrual cycle throughout my course of treatment which my doctors found to be a bit mysterious. I attribute these successes to my acupuncture and a diet high in raw fresh juices, fruit and vegetables.  

The plastic tube in the pictures is the chemotherapy pump that I come home with for two days and then we disconnect from the port - so every other week my acupuncture treatments took place while I was having my chemo treatment.  At first I wondered if I would implode!

In addition to the physical health benefits the calming effects of the acupuncture aided in keeping a mental balance and a place where I went once a week that my practitioner not only new but expected me to have a very layered experience at this time in my life.  

My daughter's lovely boyfriend is building his portfolio and I needed a good photographer to record my treatments...photographs by Joe Cruz.

Three things to be grateful for:

1) Friends who are so giving - David and Michelle Greenhouse I can never thank you enough!

2) Mynug-Jin Chung my highly skilled acupuncturist

3) Joe Cruz...thank you for loving my daughter so sweetly and sharing yourself with us

Peace

Jen