@parrot53 @tom1970 I agree- don’t be ashamed at all, seriously. I’m the same way and I’ll reply a bit later as I can relate to a lot of your situation… the shame part I’m actually trying to find some low cost or free mental health therapy because chronic illness changes our lives completely and the isolation and struggle that often others don’t understand can take a mental toll on anyone. Before my medical issues onset at age 28, I had a great social life and had many hobbies and things I loved to get out and do/partake in, I had a successful career and was making pretty decent money with health insurance benefits etc, I was obsessed with long distance running (8+ miles a day everyday), yoga, I was very in shape and thin (and proud of it bc I worked really hard in athletics and athletics was a huge part of my life), I was also a high-level, competitive rider (in equestrian, I did jumpers), natural energy, and the list goes on. Before my issues started randomly, I was in perfect health and had no idea what was about to come. I’ve lost almost everything I loved and had in my life before, and part of that for me was also be being in a very different financial situation, had to stop working for the most part, shame around my reality and ALSO gained a significant amount of weight (as a former athlete and long distance runner, I was always thin and had a lot of confidence around that, so gaining weight hit me hard)… depending on your situation, I highly suggest talking to a free healthcare insurance broker who can find you a Marketplace plan and get the plan even more discounted based on various factors in your life. I love and have great coverage at a VERY low monthly payment through health insurance marketplace. Sadly, for various reasons, I may be about to lose my marketplace insurance and have to apply for Medicaid, if I qualify, so I understand the stress of affording medical issues and treatments, but I encourage you try give yourself some grace and not judge yourself as much 🙂 here are some things I suggest, and bear in mind, some of these suggestions are on the more “holistic” side, but that should be in combo to regular modern medical treatment 🙂
-apply for Medicaid or a marketplace insurance plan through a broker (many are free)
-if qualified, apply for financial assistance from the gov whether through SSDI or disability payments, etc
-many hospitals and clinics have surprisingly good resources for free or discounted medical care AND Mayo Clinic is one of them.. I highly recommend calling up and talking to someone at Mayo. Under my marketplace plan, they actually didn’t work in network with Mayo, but I live in Jacksonville basically right next to the campus so I’ve had to be taken to their ER many times, and financial assistance from Mayo covered ALL of my expenses during my stay!
-find medical treatment studies relevant to your issues that speak to you and apply to be a part of the study
For pain relief:
-radio frequency ablations has helped in some capacity, but my pain is still very high and limiting
Holistic Therapy Suggestions:
-Red light therapy with NIR has been a game changer for my adrenal and autoimmune issues as well as balancing my cortisol and helping my adrenals a bit. You can get panels, mats to lay on, etc. I’m literally laying on mine while writing this lol. You’re welcome to contact me for more info and places you can find them fairly cheap and still legit. I also have quite a few red light products I don’t use, so perhaps I can ship you a product or help find you a great product at a low cost. Red light is seriously my favorite thing ever now
-at home devices like a portable TENS unit. I find them relaxing in general, but also useful for pain relief. Again, happy to suggest some good and affordable ones for you! I’m also hooked up to mine while doing red light and typing this.
-heating pad using infrared heat vs traditional heating pads
-PEMF mat- you can Google this and how it works- these pads are on the more pricey side, but work very well with regular use
-breathwork, guided meditations, and yoga or stretching. I’d suggest going on YouTube and searching for videos or guided meditations, specific to regulating cortisol and adrenal fatigue, etc. Also somatic release techniques
-Massages on a regular basis are so so helpful, although expensive so here are some potential ways to find them for lower cost: -Google and see if there are any massage schools near you. They often offer inexpensive massages given my students who are competing their clinical hours needed to become a licensed therapist, and many students are actually really great. Groupon also has discounts on massages.
-Something called Frequency Specific MicroCurrent is not as widely known among the general public, but due to my former professional athletic career where you often have access to more “elite” and specialized medical equipment and treatments, I learned about this modality as it can help with a huge range of both psychological/ortho and pain to actual general body/organ issues along with faster sports recovery. A practitioner will apply electrodes or wet towels to certain areas of your body and select a custom set of “protocols” to cycle through your body during your treatment. You can Google FSM practitioners in your area. If you explain your complex health issues and how much it’s affecting your life, they may give a discount. I myself am actually a FSM practitioner, so I can definitely help you find one in your area. I’m happy to contact whoever is close to you and give them a call myself explaining your situation and seeing if I can help you get a large discount. All FSM professionals have this strange connection haha and also it’s a kind of small world of us, so it wouldn’t be weird. Your protocols can treat everything from pain issues, cortisol and other hormone regulation issues, there are tons of protocols for adrenal-related diseases and issues, and others relevant to other things you’re going through. I love this modality because you can target such a wide range of medical problems in one session (a series of sessions is recommended)… i use my FSM unit on myself almost everyday and it’s really helpful.
-also expensive but I think it would be a gamechanger for you are NAD drips, shots, or supplements… also look into anything that is good for mitochondria health.
-Take a METHYLATED multi/B vitamin complex. Also a huge change seen from this. I can also share the product I use and I may be able to get it discounted. Other supplements that come to mind would be C0Q10, fulvic and/or humic acid with trace minerals, tumeric, and I’ll think of more later