Varicose Vein Oedema Inclined Bed Therapy Study Alternative to Surgery

OldDragon

06/08/2008 17:04:56 »
Happy belated birthday, Alun.

Some stats for you, taken this morning but after a fair bit of activity, plus only two days after the chemo started and with a stack of anti-sickness pills in my system...

BP 132/76
Pluse:82;
Body Fat: 49.8%;
Body Water: 35.0%;
Body Muscle: 47.1%;
Respiration 9 per min.
Calves: Left 39cms; Right: 40cms.

Yesterday I felt fairly queasy following the first dose chemo on Monday, and didn't wish to be too far from the bathroom - especially as the IBS kicked off with a vengance, naturally aggravating the haemorrhoids - BUT nothing like as badly as I might usually expect in similar circumstances! They didn't bleed, as they would usually, which must be a good sign.

Today I feel quite good in the circumstances, and even managed to work the young pony for about half an hour. Which is another good sign.

Only possible negative is that I can't recall leaving my t-shirt around for the old grey-haired dog to lie on, and a friend remarked there were quite a few grey hairs clinging to the back of that! Odd, as they told me it wasn't usual to start losing any hair before the second week after chemo... Must be the old dog's! wink (Unless, of course, the IBT's pushing the chemo through the system faster?)

Whatever, managed to get my post out today and do a fair bit of work, so not complaining. Thanks, Andrew. cheesy

BTW - another potential film script title for consideration... 'Bed-Blockers (Anonymous)' - Suggested by the Pendraig and passed on at his request.

Andrew K Fletcher
09/08/2008 07:36:19 »
Old Dragon
While your stats are impressive considering the toxins in your body from your treatments. In a PM you stated your rectal bleeding has increased considerably since your last post here. This is serious when you are on chemotherapy and radiotherapy and particularly when taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs. You need to contact your doctor ASAP.

Hate to be another pain in your already troubled posterior but we Really do need some pictures of your legs so we can see your progress with veins and oedema for comparison with your earlier photographs, can you knock on a neighbours door and ask if they have a digital camera and fancy doing a photo shoot for us, pretty please with knobs on.

Put your health first please, the film script can wait.

alun006

07/08/2008 15:38:42 »

Hi Old Dragon

Look after yourself, and i hope the side effects of your treatment do not stay with you two long.

I hope the ibt will eleviate some of them.

Look forward to hearing from you again.

alun

OldDragon

07/08/2008 17:54:23 »

Reply with quote
Thanks, Alun. I am sure that the IBT is helping, along with other of Andrew's suggestions, and I'm not feeling too bad at all today, although the IBS doesn't seem to appreciate the anti-sickness pills! roll eyes At least I'm able to keep busy - steadily so! Believe me, when I say that I am the type of person who will hibernate IF I really feel ill, but prefer to carry on as and when able. Hate being idle or moping around, but do pace myself. wink

Andrew K Fletcher
09/08/2008 07:40:11 »

Hi Alun thank you for your feedback, which put a smile on my face for days. It is a breath of fresh air when people like yourself benefit from this discovery and have the decency to return to let us all know how your everyday health problems are relieved. Northerners by nature have to tell it how it is. And I appreciate your integrity and accuracy.
You are not wrong about people not wanting to listen and this accounts for around 95% of the population who place their trust with health matters firmly in the hands of doctors and nurses, and I have no problem with this. My interest is in finding the 5% who want to avoid surgery and it’s inherent failure rates and risks of infection and circulatory failure and who are willing to give this simple free common sense approach to improving their varicose veins and oedema from the comfort of their own home.

5532 views so far. How many people have thought to themselves this is too simple it can’t possibly be of any use?

How many people have thought this is interesting and have not bothered to try it?

How many people are trying it and have not yet provided us with any feedback good or bad?

(If you decide to try this method please don’t become a member of the grab it and scarper brigade and do come back and let us know how you find IBT has worked or not worked for you)

How many people with varicose veins or oedema who are not trying this method have noticed spontaneous recovery from oedema and swollen veins as you, Karen, Old Dragon, Old Biker, Penny and Squirrel have shown us?

Andrew

OldDragon
09/08/2008 16:45:57 »

Reply with quote
Andrew, I'm keeping a close eye on the haemorrhoids/bleeding aspect, and have not actually needed to take my aspirins - nor would, in the circumstances. I've had this problem for years, and often a lot worse, but with the chemo going on, am keeping a very close eye on the situation. It seems that my IBS has been kicked off and is proving difficult to get back under control with diet at present. This is what's aggravating the piles. Normally, I would expect it to be considerably worse than it is in reality. The bleeding is stopping fairly quickly, and I have ointment prescribed to deal with it too. Just using rather a lot of it right now! wink

My neighbours here aren't likely to respond with the desired digi images of my legs, sorry. (Not people I'd ask, tbh.) Bear with me, and when it is meant to be, you'll get your updated pics. I'm in no position right now to go camera chasing, and have even had to get hold of my son to see to the stock tonight.

As for the film script - if that's all I can do whilst sitting on my sore posterior, so be it! When that gets too much, I shall away to my inclined bed and hibernate for a while!

alun006

10/08/2008 11:54:32 »
Hi Andrew

Please find picture below that will show you results from 5th-6th week on ibt, everything is going really well.


I have only needed to take 6 x painkillers in the last 6 weeks normally this would be 3 times in 1 week instead of just one in the same period, as that is not even concidering the fact that hay fever has been upon me for the last few months aswell.

Result: taking painkillers down from 6 in this period from approx 18, and am hoping this will improve as i feel great.


Thanks again alun

10/08/2008 12:26:17 » Hi again Andrew

Forgot to mention that i had a muscle pain that was causing me concern in the 4 - 5 week of this experiment.

I thought this would be a issue in the start, but was suffering in the 4th week and was confused with the way the muscle especially on the thigh was like i had been for a long walk everyday.

However, i thought my posture was very good. but after my wife had bought me a new top with pockets on the front that i put on when this muscle pain was bothering me in this period of ibt.

Without thinking i placed my hands in the pockets (which made me change my posture slightly) when i was looking round a shop that day, and immediate relif was gained by doing this.

My observation is that i was so concerned about the initial pain that was coming from that area, that i changed my posture when walking etc as a protective way of ovoiding using that area as much (really causing more of a problem in that area).

A bit like when you have a bad shoulder, and you pull another because you are compensating for the area that is a problem.

Anyway i rectified this by positioning myself better when walking, and also added the head of my inclined bed to the bottom rather than the top, to stop my leg hanging to much of the end of the bed.

Have you had any reports similar to this one at all ?
alun
Andrew K Fletcher

11/08/2008 08:19:35 »

Its normal to experience some muscle aches. Muscles become denser and stronger on IBT responding to exercise of any kind. My wife and I first noticed this strange phenomenon and realised after a few months that it was muscles firming up, yet we were not making a concerted effort to do this except for tilting our bed.

Your observations reminded me of this and also reminded me of a girl with cerebral palsy in Kent who had not walked until the age of 12 when her parents tilted her bed. This young girl had virtually no normal looking muscle on her legs due to the lack of movement and pressure changes we take for grated when we walk. She used callipers daytime and night time to keep her legs straight. After around 4 months of IBT Her mother confirmed that the girls leg muscles had been growing and becoming very strong, yet she was not exercising at this point. Lots more happened to this girl and one day we will have a separate study for children cerebral palsy to see if everything that happened to this little girl was a spontaneous remission from cerebral palsy or whether IBT was responsible for her getting out of a wheelchair and walking up stairs at school, much to the amazement of teachers, pupils and most of all her parents.

Ok this can be labelled as conjecture and anecdotal but we have to start somewhere and we always start with anecdotal evidence. This is the way that research develops into a full study!

There have been many more reports of muscular aches around the 4 week period. Spinal cord injury being another example where muscles firm up using IBT even though there is little exercise taking place. Another interesting observation is that muscle spasm in Spinal Cord Injury where the muscles are permanently flexed relax and become supple. But again merely anecdotal evidence even though there has been a large number of people reporting the same things.

Your correction to you loading one side of your body makes sense also. IBT helps us maintain a more upright posture, stretching the spine and elongating the body altering our gradual shrinkage over the years. You may find that the aches are something to do with you adjusting your posture also.

RE: using a foot board at the bottom of the bed.

Not advisable Alun as having a constant pressure on the base of the foot can cause circulation in the whole body to become compromised and could lead eventually to tissue breakdown so it may be better to wrap a duvet around your mattress to provide additional padding and friction to eliminate the movement down the bed.

We eventually went for a memory foam mattress that prevents slipping down the bed and provides additional comfort and support using IBT. Not expensive either we got ours a King Size from Makro for £200 a few years back.

Andrew

alun006
Newbie
11/08/2008 15:07:55 »

Andrew

Please can i ask if you use the memory foam matress as a additional matress, or as a replacement.

Thankyou for the advice on the headboard, i will take it of as you have suggested. It was a bit restrictive anyway, was just looking for a solution to the muscle ache but now it has been explained i will know how to deal with it now. happy

Thanks again alun

11/08/2008 17:09:31 »

Alun you can use a mattress cover these are much cheeper. We had a replacement mattress

Andrew K Fletcher
17/08/2008 15:49:27 »

From another post relating to psoriasis recovery using IBT on an American Forum.

Bed styles in ancient Egypt remained very much the same for over 2000 years. They are among the most intriguing of furniture items because of their structure. Many were slanted down at an incline from the headboard. A footboard ensured that the sleeper would not slip off in the middle of the night. Furniture makers also constructed side rails on many beds. Writes Sibal, "….almost all beds featured legs in the form of animal legs, ranging from heavy bull’s legs to gazelle-like forms with hooves, and the feline type with paw and claw, frequently identified as lion’s legs." The mattress was usually made of wooden slats, plaited string, or reeds, which then held woolen cushions or some other soft material. Sheets were made of linen.

Then there is the question of the headrest. Perhaps not everyone used these as pillows, but some physiologists have pointed out the ergonomic benefits on the spine of sleeping with the head resting in this position.
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gro

OldDragon
20/08/2008 12:26:53 »

Well, I finally managed to get a night's RESTORATIVE sleep again and at last, after kicking my back off into spasms again last Wednesday and yet another bout of my long term sleep (or rather lack of it) disorder that those spasms bring on!

That sleep was achieved by sitting up on my sofa bed and with my back against the borrowed heated/vibrating back pad, and with my legs in the lowered, IBT position. (I'd not been to bed/slept properly in a week!)

Anyone doubting the science behind IBT might be interested to learn that I measured my calves prior to sleeping - the left was 43 cms and the right, where I have the phlebitis, was 44.5 cms. By morning, the left measured 40 cms and the right was down to 40.5 cms! The inflammation in the tissues affected by the phlebitis was much reduced and less painful, also normal coloured instead of looking red and angry! There is still some hardness to the touch in the affected vein itself, but the whole area is nothing like as painful as it has been, and that only to the touch. I also FEEL refreshed!

Wow!

20/08/2008 19:40:20 »

Hi Old Dragon

Nice to hear that you have managed to get some sleep, lack of sleep in itself is horrible before even considering the problems you are having to deal with yourself.

I am glad the i.b.t is giving you some relief, i myself have had great results with i.b.t, not comparing my problems with yours, but i am so glad i had a open mind. and listened to whot andrew had to say and give it ago 2 months ago.

My legs feel great, i have had to take pain killers today for a knee pain attack, but considering i have not had a attack in 2 weeks, and in all 2 months has only given me 7 times in all when i have had to use painkillers.

I would normally predict at least 3 times or more a week at this time of year, considering it has been raining and the hay fever season has been here for many weeks. this is unbelievable.

Not to mention the varicose vein improvement. ( i am writing this thread with my shorts on, happy days.)

Hope you get well soon, old dragon.
alun wink