Quality of life is a multidimensional experience of satisfaction with your life and overall wellbeing based on how you make meaning of your experiences.
This does not mean that we experience an idealized version of ‘perfect health’ or a ‘perfect life.’ We have human experiences and change thanks to them. We change when the seasons change. We change when we go through the cycles of life. Developing, maturing, and aging seem like they should be easy, natural processes, but modern life makes these cycles harder than they need to be.
I support restoring some grace to these natural movements of human experience by bolstering the basics:
Pain is a pivot point, because it is difficult to ignore. I believe that pain can be a locus of inquiry and a portal into human consciousness. If one is willing, it offers an opportunity to heal on many levels. It can lead to personal growth and new habits that improve overall wellness. My treatments for pain include acute and chronic conditions.
After I was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, I was able to ignore it for a decade or so before I reached a crisis point when I was finally forced to address the symptoms. I began seeing an urologist/surgeon trained in all of the standard treatments of Western medicine and started a pharmacological regimen, which left me feeling ill and sexually impotent. When I told the doctor I could not continue with the drugs, he told me that my only remaining option was surgical, which would of course have its own risks and unintended consequences, not to mention be quite expensive.
I needed to find something else, so I asked Dr. Gregg-Flax if she could help. I will stop well short of calling it miraculous. It has taken some months, but a program of acupuncture, herbal therapy, careful dietary choices and a healthy lifestyle has reduced my symptoms greatly. I am now confidently looking forward to being completely healed and well.
