Hi Ambareen,
I'm glad your spirits are higher now, and you are right that you do have many friends here. I hope you saw a couple posts from someone (DeMoGoRgOn) looking for you. I know you've helped a lot of people at the thal center and I hope you will feel that you can do that again. Serving others can be thankless and at times quite difficult to continue but every once in awhile, someone says something to you that reminds you just how much good you do, and I am speaking from my own personal experience here. For me, losing friends is the hardest part of doing what I do here and at times I just don't know how I can continue, but the people here always seem to know when I need to hear something positive, and it sets me back on my path. Serving others is a humble path but nothing is more noble. I hope you always will know how much others benefit from your actions. Your smile alone has an incredible effect. Your selfless giving is a truly wonderful thing.
One bit of advice I want to give you, as the more I think about it, the more I realize how serious this issue is. Whatever it takes, you must defeat hepatitis. If herbal medicines can control it, do so. if they are not enough, you may have to use interferon to treat it. I would suggest you talk to Shikha Mitra about her daughter's experience and what she did to fight hepatitis. What happens in your liver affects how all your other meds will work and I suspect the reason your ferritin rose is related to hepatitis. It must be taken very seriously as its effect will aggravate every other condition, If Lisa's hepatitis had been controlled, I have full faith that she would still be with us. Interferon will not work well when the ferritin is high and I am positive this is the reason that interferon therapy failed to control her hepatitis after her early success with the drug. Her inability to take sufficient amounts of desferal led to a ferritin level high enough to interfere with the effect of interferon and also insulin. Please do whatever it takes to control this.
I had never heard of cupping until your post, so I did some searching. From
http://www.japanesehealingarts.com/japanesehealingarts/cupping.htmlCupping
In China, archaeologists have found evidence of cupping dating back to 1,000 B.C. And, the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, describes the systematic use of cupping by the early Egyptians, as far back as 1,550 B.C.
Typically, cups are round vessels, 1" to 3" in diameter, and are applied to the body with vacuum suction. The vacuum is created either by means of heating the air inside the cup or by a mechanical pump. The result is that the cup creates an area of low pressure, causing the blood to gather under the cup near the surface of the body. Through this process, the circulation is dramatically increased around and below the surface of the skin where the cups are applied.
Traditionally, cupping has been used to improve blood circulation in the underlying tissues and to stimulate the internal organs. As a result, cupping is indicated for a wide range of digestive, respiratory or gynecological problems where stagnation of "qi" energy or blood is indicated.
During a cupping treatment, the patient experiences a mild pulling sensation which calms the sympathetic nerves and allows a deep relaxation to move through the whole body. It is not unusual for someone to fall asleep during the treatment, waking up afterwards feeling relaxed and refreshed.
For more information about cupping, read "The Ancient Art of Cupping" in the Articles section.
I would also suggest looking at the article about shiatsu on the same site at
http://www.japanesehealingarts.com/japanesehealingarts/shiatsu.html as shiatsu claims many of the same benefits as cupping.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is the Japanese art of finger pressure. Most people associate shiatsu with massage, but actually it is quite different. Shiatsu consists of rhythmic, single point finger pressure applied along the "qi" energy channels or meridians of the body. Shiatsu is simple, safe, non-invasive and at the same time, very effective in the treatment of many acute and chronic disorders.
Based on research in Japan, it has been documented that shiatsu is very effective in calming the sympathetic nervous system and improving the tone and function of the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymph nodes, endocrine glands and internal organs. In addition, it has been shown that shiatsu assists the body in eliminating toxins and metabolic waste. As a result, shiatsu is effective for a wide range of problems, including hypertension, headaches, dizziness, irritable bowel syndrome, muscular or skeletal pain, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal disorders.
After a shiatsu treatment, one feels lightness in the limbs, renewed energy, and an overall sense of well being. In addition, most people experience improved digestion and deeper sleep. This is why I recommend routine shiatsu treatments as the basis of a health maintenance program.
For more information about shiatsu, read "Shiatsu for Stress and Health Maintenance"in the Articles section.
You can see a video of cupping technique at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCCCq1jJY-wCan this help extend the time between transfusions? I often talk about optimizing the ability of the body to deliver oxygen to the cells. Why does thalassemia damage and eventually kill? It can be explained in very simple terms. Not enough oxygen is delivered to the body's cells for them to survive. Transfusion temporarily increases the amount of oxygen carrying capability of the blood, but can anything else be done to improve the efficiency of oxygen in the body? The answer is yes. We talk a lot about increasing fetal hemoglobin levels with wheatgrass, resveratrol, folic acid, and drugs like hydroxyurea, but there are things you can do to extend the life and improve the efficiency of red blood cells. Vitamin E can help improve circulation and is also a strong antioxidant, which can help extend the life of RBC's. IP6 is also a good antioxidant and has been proven to protect cells from the damage done by iron and is also a natural iron chelator that is also the subject of research into its effect on lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics. L-Carnitine can help extend the life of RBC's. These are things done internally. Cupping, shiatsu, massage and other manipulating techniques can all have a positive effect on circulation and may have some effect on how long you can go between transfusions. They can definitely help your circulation which will help your blood to be more efficient in delivering oxygen to your cells. Cupping may also remove some toxins so there may be an added effect. These methods can all aid relaxation and help clear the head, so there may also be some therapeutic value.