12 Dec Live From Dialysis, Post #1
By Ben Fleisher, LAc, CZB
Yesterday, I gave an Acupuncture session to one of my favorite local chiropractors who is facing some serious medical issues, as I am. We spoke from the heart about many of the dynamics we are both facing, being “complementary” health providers, suddenly both plunged into the world of Western Medicine.
I realized just how much I have to say about what I am learning through this process:
- How do I interface with our medical system, given that my own life is literally on the line?
- At what point do I surrender to the expertise of my doctors and when do I fight like hell to organize all of the different medical opinions and advocate for myself with all I’ve got?
- How do I interface with a huge host of medical providers and allied health providers, many of which have less training than I do, especially when they are “doing what they are told”?
- Does it do any good to be the patient with 1,000 questions, who wants to know the why behind every medical decision?
- How holistically are End Stage Renal Disease patients cared for? What is working and what isn’t?
- How can ESRD patients and anyone with Kidney concerns support their own well-being before (or while) drugs, surgeries, and dialysis are the only options?
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, my kidneys have pretty much gone belly-up. I am in Dialysis in Kingston, NY, three times per week for four to four and a half hours per visit. About 13 plus hours per week. More than 50 hours per month. Yes, that’s a lot of time to think…
I am 39 years old, a father of two, an Acupuncturist, Zero Balancer, Co-Founder of Woodstock Healing Arts, and the guy who never thought Dialysis would be part of his life. About five months ago, I made my story public, and now I have a lot to say…