[Acupuncture-students] Survived religious rituals as a child

[Pete Theisen]

Hi Everybody!

This lady presents with knee pain, wishes to lose weight and suffers from 
acid reflux. She also had terrifying experiences as a child being forced to 
undergo bizarre religious ordeals. Your comments are invited.

Patient: Female, age 61                 Record Date: 4 - 6- 4

Patient number: 0405041780            Date of birth: Dec 3, 1942

What is your major complaint? Right knee swollen with pain.
How long have you had this condition? 3 months
What treatments or remedies have you tried for this condition? Echinacea, 
acupuncture.


Have you seen a Western Doctor for this condition? Yes.
Have you seen a Chiropractor for this condition? Yes
Have you ever had jaundice? Yes, hepatitis attack years ago.
Have you ever had a tumor, growth, cyst or cancer? Yes. Fibroids in uterus.
Have you ever had to wear eyeglasses? Yes, for reading

(female only section)
Have you ever had a pregnancy? Yes, 8 miscarriages.
Have you ever had a vaginal discharge? Yes, yeast.
Have you ever had treatment for female disorder? Yes.
Have you ever had painful menstruation? Yes.
Have you ever had irregular menstruation? Yes.
How old were you when you had your first menstrual period? 10
How long do your menstrual periods last? 3 - 7 days.
When was your last period? 19 years ago.
What is the quantity of your menstrual discharge? Normal.
Have you ever had or do you now have loss of sexual desire? Frequent.
(end of female only section)

Have you ever had or do you now have swollen ankles? Frequent.
Have you ever had or do you now have a cough? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have indigestion? Frequent, GIRD acid reflux.
Have you ever had or do you now have abdominal pain or cramps? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have diarrhea? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have increased appetite? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have decreased appetite? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have back pain? Seldom.

Have you ever had or do you now have arthritis? Seldom, in toes
Have you ever had or do you now have lameness? Seldom, toe and knee.
Have you ever had or do you now have backaches? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have weakness? Seldom
Have you ever had or do you now have nervousness? Frequent.
Have you ever had or do you now have morning tiredness? Seldom.
Have you ever had or do you now have easy fatigability? Seldom.
Do you have or have you had weight gain recently? Yes.
How much have you lost or gained? 3 dress sizes.

Do you have or have you had a memory defect recently? Yes, a little
Do you have or have you had lymph node enlargement recently? Yes, sometimes 
at the base of the neck.

Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Yes.
Who had diabetes in your family? Mother.

Is there a history of cancer in your family? Yes.
Who had cancer in your family? Aunt, cousin and sister died of breast cancer.

Is there a history of high blood pressure in your family? Yes.
Who had high blood pressure in your family? Mother.


Is there a history of asthma, hay fever or hives in your family? Yes.
Who had asthma? Paternal Grandfather.

Please list all operations you may have had, and your age when you had 
them. 1982, age 40, two fibroid tumors removed from my uterus.

Observe:

Mind is unclear. Yes. (no spirit) Feels she can't make connections.
Clear moist color (indicates intact Stomach-Qi).
Green face color (indicates a Liver pattern, interior Cold, pain or 
interior Wind) Yes.
Red color (may indicate Inflammation, fever or infection) around nose, 
cheeks. Micro-circulation close to the surface, in my opinion.
Broad, square shoulders, a "Metal Type" characteristic
Fat body. Yes. Central obesity
crack at the front of the earlobe is heart.
Loose teeth, kidney essence deficient. All teeth have been replaced with 
dentures.
Observe the gums. Has had gum repair surgery.
Non-pitting edema of the lower limbs. Yes
Tongue color. Red.
Tongue shape.
Tongue coating. Thin white.
Tongue moisture. Dry.
Inquire:

Pain that is diminished by cold. Yes. (heat)
Pain that is relieved by touch or pressure. Yes. (deficient)
Pain with bloating or a sense of fullness. Yes. (excess)
Sharp stabbing pain usually in a fixed location. Yes. (blood stasis) When 
rising from a long period of sitting.
Sensation of heaviness. Yes. (damp cold, damp heat, qi deficiency or bi 
syndrome)
Infrequent stool. Yes. Every other day.
Stool dry at first, then wet. Yes.
Thirst, appetite and tastes. Chicken, turkey and fish, no red meat. No 
potato, carrot or corn. Alternates between Atkins and Suzanne Sommers diets.
Wake up early and not able to fall asleep again. Yes.
Heavy menstrual flow. Yes. Especially toward menopause.
Dark red or bright red menstrual blood. Yes. First day bright, then dark.
Freshred color menstrual blood. Yes, first day.
Congealed menses with clots. Yes, late in the period.
Pain during periods. Yes.
Taking contraceptive pills. Yes, three months in effort to conceive.
Have had two or more births. Eight miscarriages, no births.
White leucorrhea. Yes, yeast.
Throws off the blanket at night. Yes. (excess heat maybe liver or heart)

Listen & smell:

Clears her throat all day long, no expectorate - it goes down instead.
Crying. (Metal, lung deficiency) Used to cry a lot, therapist helped. 
Depressed over childhood trauma from forced participation in bizarre 
religious rituals where she was carried high into the air on a wire sling 
by an eagle, thrown into a river with an anaconda, buried alive for four 
hours (in a coffin), put in a box with several snakes, had to wear feathers 
and smoke a peace pipe, hang upside down, handle a flaming hoop. This was 
Native American ritual on her mother's side and Wicca on her father's side. 
When she matured she converted to Jehovah's Witness, an improvement from 
her perspective. She has panic attacks when she sees a feather.

Palpate:

Systolic blood pressure (Optimal <120; Normal <130; High Normal 133
Diastolic blood pressure (Optimal <80; 80
Heart rate. 64
Hidden pulse is an extreme form of the sinking pulse. Yes. (Deficient Yang 
if weak. If strong, Deficient Cold obstructing the meridians)

Impressions: no spirit, intact Stomach-Qi, Liver pattern, interior Cold, 
pain or interior Wind, crack at the front of the earlobe is heart, kidney 
essence deficient, heat, deficient, excess, blood stasis, damp cold, damp 
heat, qi deficiency or bi syndrome, excess heat maybe liver or heart, lung 
deficiency.
Points that could be used, among others: Liver wind: Du 14, 16, 20, 26; Lv 
3, 8 Ren 4; Sp 6; St 36; UB 17, 18, 20. Kidney Qi: Du 4; Ki 3, 12; Ren 3, 
4, 6; Sp 6; UB 22, 23, 28, 39. Lung deficiency: Lu 7, 9;  Ren 6, 17; St 36; 
UB 13, 43.

Commented that she wants to do a fast, which I said I did not recommend, 
and she thinks she needs a liver detox. She is taking a lot of homeopathic 
stuff and some natural hormones in topical cream form, which I examined and 
deemed harmless if perhaps ineffective.

Regards,

Pete