Organization of the Alternative Therapy Team's Efforts and GOALS

Written by Elizabeth October 13, 2008

(1) Brainstorm types of alternative therapies (Ayurvedic, bio-feedback, reiki, etc),
(2) divide up the therapies so each researcher has a “portfolio,” (e.g. Ali has osteopathy and cranial-sacral therapy, Nancy has accupuncture and chriropracty, etc.).
(3) Each researcher begins her report(s) on each therapy. What I really need is for you to identify well-regarded practioners that I can reach in, say 45 minutes, from either New Brunswick, NJ, or Reston, VA. But if you find someone farther afield, by all means include them; I will do whatever it takes to get better!
Whenever we each come across information that's not in our own portfolio, we send it to the leader for that therapy, who incorporates it into her in-progress report.
(4) Synthesize your findings and recommendations and send to me and each other.
(5) Everyone “reviews” everyone else’s recommendations and the group comes up with the 3 or 4 best practitioners for me to go to.

I’ll reiterate here: I’m overwhelmed by all the possibilities out there. I’m in no condition to make these tough decisions on my own. I really hope that in your collective wisdom you can just tell me who I need to see and what I need to do. I know it’s a big responsibility, but I trust in you and I love you. And if you reach somewhat of a consensus among yourselves, it will provide all the confidence I need. OK, realistically with this many people we won’t get a lot of consensus, so make the strongest case possible for your recommendations and the best ideas will carry the day.

This is an example of what I hope would come out of this group, ideally, in 6 weeks or so: “We recommend Elizabeth see Dr. X, a Nutritionist in New Brunswick, Dr. Y, a shaman in Nebraska and if you get stronger, move to Maryland to see Dr Su regularly.”

Goals:
• Put together a list of recommendations (see example above) that I can consider as I continue to try and get (Ideally, I would like these recommendations to include a few options based on how well I am/if I can move around on own).
• Find healers in the New Brunswick, NJ area and the Reston, VA area. (However, if there is an extraordinary healer further afield I would consider visiting them.)
• Find therapies to focus on the following three things: (1) stop the nerve damage that is occurring, (2) promote nerve regrowth, and (3) negate the negative side effects of my western medicine (including the immunosuppresents and steroids I will be on).
• Keep the number of alternative medicine doctors I see minimal because of simplicity, money, difficulty getting to appointments.