Editors’ Note: After a long fight to obtain affordable, accessible treatment for anyone wanting to give acupuncture a try, we are thrilled to have connected with Mats Sexton, LA.c, a seasoned eye acupuncturist based in Minneapolis who shares our fervent belief that acupuncturists everywhere should have access to this vital information and training so they […]
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How Do You Define Yourself?
Seeing a blurry bald head looking back at me in the mirror has done a number on my psyche these past couple of weeks. Between the RP and chemo-induced blurriness and hair loss (topped off by a black eye from hitting my face in the shower), I’ve hit the kind of emotional lows I’ve not […]
Read the rest of this entry »Changing Course with my Acupuncture Treatment
I had a sobering kick in the pants last week when I underwent a visual field test at an eye doctor’s office and saw on paper what I’ve been sensing for the past month or so: that the little amount of central core vision I have remaining—the small window that enables me to see parts […]
Read the rest of this entry »Staying the Course
I saw Patrick Kennedy on 60 Minutes Sunday night and listened to him talk about his ongoing battle with alcoholism and mental illness. He pointed out that while he has been sober for five years, he realizes that this is a battle he’ll have to fight every day for the rest of his life—that when […]
Read the rest of this entry »Ask the Expert – Acupuncture & Retinitis Pigmentosa
I’m starting a new Ask the Expert feature on this blog where practitioners who use naturopathy, acupuncture and other integrated health therapies to treat RP will answer your questions. My first Guest Expert is Dr. Andy Rosenfarb, who specializes in treating RP and other degenerative eye conditions with acupuncture and naturopathy. Question: If people suffering from RP start acupuncture […]
Read the rest of this entry »Falling Down and Standing Back Up
So after making it the entire month of September on a fairly strict anti-inflammatory diet (no dairy, no gluten, no corn, no beef…and only an occasional glass of red wine), I fell off the wagon in a big way this past week. The culprit? Travel. I seem to be fine when I’m at home, but […]
Read the rest of this entry »Taking Charge of Our Eye Health
When I first started on this eyesight healing quest in early February 2013, I was at the lowest point in my life. After waiting for six months to see a retinal specialist because I’d heard she was starting stem cell clinical trials, I was told that RP was an orphan disease and was too low […]
Read the rest of this entry »Doubling Down on an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
I’ve got to admit, this whole diet shift is a hard one for me. I love all the foods I’m supposed to avoid – with cheese topping the list. But I’ve learned way too much about the role inflammation plays in degenerative disease to keep dabbling on the sidelines. So, starting Now, I’m taking the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Emotional Trauma and Retinitis Pigmentosa
Six years ago I traveled to the Bay area to meet with Dr. Damon Miller, undergo detox and get started on his Better Eye Health home treatment program. I knew from my initial phone consultation with him that his treatment approach emphasized both physical and emotional health. But I was still surprised when he asked […]
Read the rest of this entry »Are Patent Laws Making You Legally Blind?
Natalie Watkins has become one of my favorite people in this solving-RP quest. She’s tried virtually everything to save her eyesight — from acupuncture in Canada, to a stem cell implant in Mexico, to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in San Antonio. She’s got the kind of fight and determination we all need to beat this disease […]
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