For months I've had a really serious phlemy cough that would not go away. For the last month or so I've developed a rash on my back and shoulders, spreading to my cleft area. The cough has gotten better. Without describing it too much, I've tried some creams and lotions for the rash and it subsides for a day or two but it hasn't gone away. Every so often it really flares up and gets itchy and uncomfortable. About a week ago I realized this is a great opportunity to learn more about my body and my lifestyle, with something I know I can heal fairly easily. So I've made appointments with different practitioners around different healing modalities. I also need to take care of this before I leave for my trip because I don't want to be in the sun, eat foods that make it worse or aggravate it. I want to leave for my trip feeling healthy, strong, relaxed and excited. I see this as an opportunity to learn.
First, I went to a Reiki healer (whom I trust for many things) and her opinion was that it had to do with my colon, she suggested I do a colon cleanse. She also said I'm obviously inflamed and I need to stay away from refined sugar & alcohol because that produces heat in the body. My body right now has so much heat inside that it's looking for a way to get out, so it is showing up in skin, trying to get released from inside and tell me something. I'm listening to what she's saying and trying to listen to my body, I also realize at this stage, I don't really understand.
Then, I went to an acupuncturist whom I also really trust. She took a look and said, I'm inflamed and need to eat cooling foods to help heal it. She also said that I have so much heat in my body it's looking for a way to get out and the last stage is trying to release through the skin. In Chinese medicine the lungs and the skin are connected. Definitely stay away from refined sugar, alcohol & caffeine. (I only drink green tea regularly) Then, she handed me a list of foods that in Chinese medicine are considered either, cool, cold, neutral, warm or hot. She talked me through what to stay away from while trying to heal the rash and what to become more aware as I change my diet to respond to this for the long term. From the point of view of Chinese medicine, I'm going to take herbs, do regular acupuncture and change my diet. All of these things make sense to me so I'm on board with that. My question is, are the creams I'm using helping or not? Her opinion is hydrocortozone doesn't help because it pushes the heat back in the body. So the rash goes away for a little while but doesn't get at the root cause. Interesting.
Friday, I went to Kaiser and saw a dermatologist and my doctor. That was a short appointment. They both said, yep, I'm inflamed, but their opinion was that I need to use a topical steroid cream, to make it go away. I asked her if in her opinion this could be related to my diet, or even to the cough I've had. In her opinion, the lungs and the skin are not connected at all. They are two separate organs & thier relationship to each other would not have this effect. In her opinion diet has nothing to do with this either, it's definitely not an allergic reaction to food. Her advice is to use the steroid cream she's going to prescribe and it will go away. I left there being clear with her & myself that I was not going to use a steroid cream. I use a steroid inhaler for asthma and I'm thinking about giving that up. So I thanked her for her time and left without picking anything up from the pharmacy.
Next I have an appointment with someone in Berkeley (of course) about Ayurveda Therapy. I'm interested to see what she has to say...
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