In the blood
I’m not sure if I’ve written a post about the fact that I have a Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). Learn more about it here if you’re interested. I could tell a long story about it, but the abridged version is that I may be heading toward a diagnosis of a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.
The average survival rate for people with this condition is five years, but some people live for twenty-five years after being diagnosed. The treatment is a three-drug therapy: bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone. There’s information about a study of that therapy here.
My husband, Ernie, is quite worried that I might one day be diagnosed with this cancer. I am not so concerned because I’m convinced that there is life after death. I’ll write about my interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) another time.
I do owe it to my husband to try and stick around as long as I can. This is where the non-traditional medicine comes in.
There was an Amish healer in Indiana named Solomon Wickey. He is said to have cured people who have cancer and other ailments with herbs, and diet. Ernie knew a few people whose lives were extended after being treated by Wickey, so he believes he was for real. So, Ernie did a Google search for any Wickey protégées that might be practicing. He found a blog post listing a few of them and insisted that I contact one of them. I was resistant to the idea, mostly because I do not currently have Multiple Myeloma. What would I ask the person to cure me of?
Ernie decided he liked one of these people and kept pestering me to call her. I agreed to see her if he would call and make the appointment for me. He made the call, and a week or two later we made the hour and a half drive for a consultation.
I won’t reveal the practitioner’s name unless the next round of blood tests shows a lessening or reversal of the MGUS. I will tell you that her methods could be considered kind of “out there on the fringe.” She put touched my right leg with one hand and then seemed to be sensing things about my health. When something came up, her free hand would twitch. I was willing to accept that what she was doing could be legitimate because I believe in a lot of things that haven’t been proven by science.
The consultation ended with her prescriptions me some supplements to take for weeks and instructions to come back for a follow-up appointment.
The supplements cost over $400, so you have to wonder if it’s all just a scam. I don’t know if my doctors would approve of me taking all of this stuff. I did some research and didn’t find any known dangerous drug interactions. I have had no adverse side effects so far. One of the things she prescribed is CBD oil, and I do think it’s helping me to sleep through the night. It might also be helping with MS-related spasticity. It might all be a result of the placebo effect.
That’s the story so far.
And here’s the art.
