Part II: The Body Can Change – Despite a Diagnosis

For Part I of this story (describing Eastern and Western medical philosophies on a diagnosis) please click here.

I recently treated a patient who had been diagnosed with Wegner’s granulomatosis (inflammation of the blood vessels affecting the kidneys, lungs and other organs).  He was on immunosuppressants, steroids and in horrifying joint pain. Everything was inflamed, from his knees to his arms to his wrists to his ankles. He had been told that he’d be dealing with this forever, and this person who you could tell had once been bursting with energy and zest for life was now a shell of himself. He loved to travel and felt that part of his life was over. He loved an active lifestyle and thought that part of his life was over. All this, based on the idea that he’ll never change. I would argue that there is change from day to day, hour to hour, albeit subtle and small. There is always change.

He only ended up in my office because his daughter had been coming for acupuncture and persuaded him to give it a try when he lost hope. After weekly visits for a month, he began to notice little changes. He was sleeping better and some body functions were normalizing. By two months, he was riding his bike again (a favorite activity). By the time we finished the critical phase of his treatment, he was flying internationally again. This person thought his life was over. In just a few months of acupuncture and complementary nutrition, he had his life back.

A body is not a car. It will get worse if left untreated and will improve when healing is stimulated. Nothing in the body stays the same forever. Anytime someone tells you or someone you love that “no change is possible,” they may honestly believe that … but you don’t have to.