Thankyou for sharing your personal research journey. Your optimism and self-determination to be part of the solution in communicating as precisely as possible with your drs. is reflective of a self-trust culminating in a trust in the drs. Also, your path of integrating holistic medicine and studying it shows your awareness of yourself throughout your fear and pain. It seems your pain has caused you to grow in research and understanding. You are aware that your condition has stabilized and do everything within your power to keep it there. Standing back from your suffering and asking the question, what attitude will I choose towards my physical reality..... and there are only 2 answers: the first is to feel helpless and hopeless and angry at yourself and everyone who attempts to help, as a result, you share this anger not with them but at them and the second answer, which you’ve chosen, is to operate from your permanent joyous self that may get shrouded by pain, physical and emotional from time to time but is always there. Only courage (belief in the real self, born of wisdom) can summon it up, in the darkest hours. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Confucius, Buddha, etc...all the highly so-named enlightened ones condensed all knowledge to “know thyself and to thine own self be true”. You are a beacon of courage (laying aside self-doubt about your own painful experience and forging ahead inspite of your condition for the best possible outcome). Acceptance helps us wake the next day and our attitude in difficult, trying, painful circumstances allows us to rise above it and be proactive in whatever way we feel we can. You have remained stable and, it would appear, very independent. You have been responsible in expanding your conscious world and it would seem, continue to do so. You have acknowledged good drs. and professionals along the way with gratitude. Furthermore, you chose to share your coping strategies with this group with the goal of helping others. Yes, you’ve voiced the odd complaint (discernment can be a gift) but you don’t allow it to weaken or dominate your positive attitude, as a matter of fact, it fueled you; you became more driven to define your symptoms and better understand what was happening and communicate as transparently as possible your own physical experience with your healthcare professionals so as to enhance diagnosis and treatment. You bring a positive message to encourage others to believe in themselves. You have highlighted that healing in this field of sensations requires teamwork. The patient is on one team, as she’s the source of changing effects within her body and the translator of such symptoms. The healthcare professionals (many drs. work together with naturopaths) are on the same team. If you and the others on your healing team work against each other, it’s sabotage and healing takes a backseat in lieu of ego. Co-operation with each member, mutual respect, listening with 2 ears, explaining so as to be heard, results in the strongest team. When all members of the team stay on the same course of intention, i.e., reducing pain and optimizing a desired quality of life through proper diagnosis and careful well-examined follow-up treatment, this combines all relevant research and knowledge for this particular patient (and she is ever so mindful that she is part of her healing team) and thus, treatments and/or procedures are custom-made to fit the cause and effects of her condition(s). I know hospitals and doctors’ offices are very busy and patients can feel like they are just a number but you didn’t forget your name and the team you carefully chose to be on hasn’t forgotten your name. You have coordinated your health resources and connected them to serve you satisfactorily. Thx again for being a light in promoting the importance of a patient’s belief in the crucial role of proactive honest input and authentic communication with healthcare professionals in seeking cure/healing when, unfortunately, afflicted. Suffering, whether emotional and/or physical is global and how to deal with it, at either level, is key to optimum recovery and the same, finding calm within the storm.