In
2004, I became very ill with stomach problems. I had lost close to 30
lbs. in a matter of only weeks, was having extreme pain, and could not
control my bowels; I was going at least 20 times a day. I went to the
hospital many times for the first six months, and had no luck being
diagnosed. I was on a variety of medications, and constantly was
changing trying to find the right mix that would help me. I was seeing a
GI specialist every month, and was still not feeling any better. I was
finally diagnosed one year into it with an extreme case of Irritable
Bowel Syndrome.
My quality of life
went downhill as fast as it possibly could. At the time I became sick, I
was an outgoing college senior having the time of my life, but that
quickly changed due to this illness. I would not leave my bed because of
the pain, and had constant fear of going out, not sure if I would be
able to make it to a restroom in time. I was doing everything I was told
to do by the doctors, specialists, literature and books. I changed my
diet completely, was exercising properly and continued on the
medications and treatments prescribed by the doctors. However, I was
still not improving with all of this. I was still having attacks that
were debilitating, even made me lose consciousness, I still couldn't get
control of my bowels, and had the fear of doing anything that was not
near a restroom. I went into the hospital at the Cleveland Clinic from
an attack just after two and a half years of having these problems. I
was then diagnosed with having Colitis. The doctors gave me a more
aggressive treatment through medications. I was taking approximately 30
pills a day and also was giving myself three injections a day. Also, I
would have to go to the doctor's office every month to get separate
injections. I was finally starting to feel better, and even tried doing
things I use to do. However, I plateaued with the treatments and was not
feeling any better.
Just over three years of dealing with this, I knew I needed to get
control of the condition. All the conventional medicines and treatments
that I tried were not helping. If I did feel better, it was a temporary
bandaid that was not curing the illness. Luckily, I was given Ed Niams
name through a person who had used him before, with the same symptoms as
I was experiencing. He had nothing but positive things to say about the
acupuncture treatments he received and highly recommended that I try it.
I was skeptical at first after hearing about how this treatment worked,
but at this point, I was willing to try anything that may help me. I had
my initial consultation with Ed and was very impressed with his
professionalism, all the experience and training he has had in the past,
and more-so the knowledge he demonstrated to me about my illness. I
decided to go ahead with my first session of acupuncture treatments and
noticed a change almost immediately. I was having less pain in my
stomach and was going to the bathroom less frequently. Each week, I felt
I was making more progress. Along with the acupuncture treatments, Ed
also shared with me some Qi Gong exercises that are to be done daily,
advice on my diet, and also showed me a variety of acupressure points I
can perform on myself for relief. The exercises compliment the
treatments, and I feel are part of the success I have experienced with
the overall treatment. I continued onto a second session of treatments
and noticed I was feeling better still. I stopped giving myself the
injections and taking certain medications since starting the
acupuncture. For the first time in over three and a half years I feel
confident about going out and living life, and doing it with less pain.
The changes that I have experienced since the acupuncture treatments
have changed my life completely. I will always have symptoms and
flare-ups due to the Colitis for as long as I live, but since having
these treatments, I will able to manage these attacks and experience
them less often. I highly recommend Ed Niam to anyone who is considering
acupuncture.
- Dan, 25
Dan Gross
