THE TRANSITION BEGAN

Sometime between 2009 and 2012, I made a transition away from pain management. I researched alternative treatments for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain. I found a clinic in Marietta, Ga call Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Inc. The protocol they used was not just the traditional approach but a combination of that and holistic treatments.

The clinic wasn't covered by insurance in the U.S. and it was very expensive. Mark and I made the decision that my health was a priority. Thus we made big changes in our financial responsibilities to have the funds needed. The cost ran between $900 to $1,200 a month to cover my office visits, weekly holistic IV treatments, appropriately 22 different herbal supplements, hormones, and prescriptions.

When I began the therapy at the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center I was not even able to drive myself to my weekly appointments. The first six months a dear friend, Dawn drove me and occasionally Leila, my mother-n-law. I was so weak from years of pain management, poor diet, and constantly being bedridden. I remember the first visit when they took an extreme number of vials of blood for viral, hormonal, and additional testing. I want to say it was close to 30. I was nervous but yet hopeful.

The clinic had two main physicians, Dr. Karen Bullington and Dr Satish Cuddapah. After my results were in I was placed on five different hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and a thyroid medication). These hormones were biodentical not traditional prescription. I had so many different supplements added over a period of time. These had to be done in a process to watch for negative reactions. I also had several regular prescriptions too. Like I said previously I ended up with approximately 22 different medications/supplements in the process.

During the weekly appointment I had blood drawn and received a concoction of vitamins that could not be taken orally but had to be administered intravenously. I to this day don't know why they didn't put in a mediport for the IV's. It was a weekly occurrence of getting stuck. My veins were bad to roll. At times there were temporary nurses and I could end up being stuck up to three times before a good vein was found.

Gradually week by week I got stronger and around the six month mark I was able to drive myself. I even began picking up a lady in Cedartown who had started treatment at the center and couldn't drive herself. I no longer was under pain management care and I was so much better. This was the first transition that began my path to healing.