Who Am I?

I’m a freelance writer with a fascination for medical issues and alternative treatment options. I’m also a bipolar fibromite who is always experimenting with new herbs and essential oil blends to see how they affect my symptoms, and whether I want to add them to my arsenal.

I was diagnosed with PTSD in 1990, fibromyalgia and a rheumatoid type arthritis in 1996, and with bipolar disorder in 2000. In addition, I’m either diabetic or hypoglycemic (I’ve been given both diagnoses at different times,) have multiple allergies and chemical sensitivities, migraines, myofascial pain syndrome, anxiety, Reynaud’s Syndrome, and asthma/COPD (the docs can’t seem to decide.) I rode the medical merry-go-round for many years; adding and removing prescriptions, changing dosages,and being referred to various specialists who never talked to each other or to my primary physician; until I got too sick to work and lost my insurance. Suddenly, I had no access to doctors or medications and had to find some other way to manage my symptoms.

I’d been interested in aromatherapy for several years, and had used some essential oil combinations to complement/supplement my treatment in the past, so I dug out my books and started researching alternatives in earnest. I had also picked up various books about herbs and herbal medicine in better days, and run across information about nutritional supplementation being helpful for various symptoms, so I added those to my research as well.

I am NOT a doctor, and am not qualified to give medical advice; however, in my research and experimentation I have found things that work for me. I do not advocate discontinuing treatment as I had to, and I strongly recommend that if you wish to try alternative therapies in addition to, or instead of, accepted medical protocols; you do so under the care of a practitioner that has training in the area.

I’m very opinionated, but I try not to be rude about it, and I fully expect that some of my opinions will cause major disagreement. It’s great if you want to start a dialog, you might even convince me I’m wrong, but keep it civil if you expect an answer.

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