Liver Flush Recovery: Acupuncture

Has it really been 10 days since I last posted? Man, time flies!

The big news in my liver recovery is that 1) It is a very slow process for my body and I'm having a hard time being patient, and 2) Acupuncture has so far been the best thing I have done to help out the cause.

Seriously.

I had a bit of a meltdown last week as a result of my frustration with the ongoing discomfort in my liver/gallbladder region despite having completed two flushes. My poor husband stayed up until way past his bedtime listening to my cry and rant and rave about how upset I was that I still had pain and nausea and yuckiness as a result of my liver. Well, this conversation (read: verbal vomit session) turned in to my ranting about my frustration with my life and people in it. Woah. Bigtime emotional detox happened.

Two days later I had a massage scheduled again and I couldn't have needed it more. My awesome therapist brought all her healing aromatherapy oils and rubbed my liver region with ginger and grapefruit oil, rested some hot towels on it, and then did a very relaxing full body massage. It was sheer perfection.

Only kicker was that my liver did not stop flaring up after the massage. It still felt distended and hurt quite a bit. I had some time before I had to start working so I put myself on the schedule for acupuncture (did I mention I love having a job perk being able to get both massage and acupuncture while I'm at the office- super fantastic!). I told Doc that my liver was being uncooperative and we needed to get it to stop being so "pissed off." He picked six points for acupuncture- 4 alarm points for my liver and gallbladder on my stomach and two alarm points to coincide with them for my arms. The acupuncture needle he put in directly above my gallbladder was quite tender and I actually gasped a bit when he inserted the needle. Heat radiated from that point for the entire 20 minute session. I was not surprised when the needles were pulled out that I bled at that alarm point. Within ten minutes after the needle was removed I knew I was going to be bruised. The rest of the day any tiny brush over that area was enough to take my breath away from how sensitive it was! A small little knot appeared where the needle had been, almost like a hive. I was laughing at how quickly my body reacted to that acupuncture point being stimulated!

As predicted, I have a pretty fun looking bruise in that area. But I could care less- that acupuncture session made the pain stop. My liver has stopped swelling so severely and slowly but surely I am making more improvement. Relief is a precious commodity in my world, and that acupuncture session was priceless in my recovery. Now that the bruise is starting to heal, I am hoping to do another session this week to stimulate my body's recovery further and aid my liver in rejuvenating itself after a long ordeal.

Despite my continued frustration with how slow my body is to recover, a little voice in my head keeps reminding me to be patient whenever I get really worked up about it. The voice keeps popping in my head, whispering "patience" at just the right moments. I have to listen to it. Even though I am tired of waiting, I have to listen to it. My body is taking it's time to heal and I have to allow it to do it's thing in it's own time. Somewhere deep in my heart I know I need to allow at least six weeks before I make a determination on the success of the flush and have an ultrasound to see what is going on in my insides.

Two and a half weeks down, three and a half left to go.