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A vial of vile…

39 Comments

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As many of you know, I blew out my right knee 5 years ago (deep root radial meniscal tear and ACL damage) and have been dealing with constant pain ever since.

I’ve seen three orthopedists, had multiple cortisone shots and done weeks of physical therapy with little to no effect. The only treatment that did give me some relief? Acupuncture, which my insurance refuses to cover.

Considered “alternative”, though it’s been practiced for over 2,500 years, I did it for a four month period back in 2022 and saw a dramatic reduction in swelling and stiffness. But at $125 per session and 2-3 sessions a week…. I also saw a dramatic reduction to my bank account and reluctantly gave it up.

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Until last week when some seriously debilitating pain drove me (and my checkbook) back to the office.

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Looking like a porcupine again…

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I’m hoping for a similar level of pain reduction this time around.

Part of being treated with acupuncture involves a total body holistic approach. And since menopause has wreaked so many parts of my life, my practitioner recommended an all natural herbal remedy for my hot flashes.

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She warned me the liquid was pungent, and quite bitter…. but I was willing to give it a try.

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Good thing we don’t have any crow steaks in the freezer this month.

😳

The bottle came with a small dropper and I was instructed to take 3 full ones, three times a day.

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Oh. My. Freaking God.

I’ve swigged some awful stuff in my life and lived to tell the tale, but this?

Nope. Uh uh.

I couldn’t do it.

The smell was bad enough, but the minute it hit my tongue? Instant gag. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how absolutely horrendous this vile black liquid is.

Repulsive. Abhorrent. Ghastly. Foul, and revolting barely touch the surface.

Stick me with a hundred needles from head to toe, I won’t flinch. But that little black bottle?

Reduced me to a quivering mass of jelly.

The tiny bottle tested my resolve… and won.

🤢

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39 thoughts on “A vial of vile…”

  1. I am so deeply sorry! The knee is freaking the center of your life when it’s bad, I know. All I have is a sad example story. My cadaver ACL tendon is still going strong, but I have to keep the leg muscles well exercised or it swells like a b*tch. I even went for x-rays recently and was told mild arthritis throughout the knee and prescribed more muscle-building. Kinda wish I hadn’t had the surgery, actually. I own two bags of braces, sleeves, wraps, creams, meds, PT bands, ankle weights, crutches, a cane. Shoot, this comment was supposed to be about you, not me. I hear ya.

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    1. I hear you. My closet is stuffed with useless knee aids that don’t help as well. The muscle building exercises are fine but they don’t solve the underlying problem. Acupuncture can’t cure my damage, but it’s non invasive pain relief and at this point any relief is better than none.
      And yes, I’ve got arthritis setting up in mine too.
      😟

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      1. I think I’m finally coming around to accepting, for my situation, that strong muscles support the damaged joint and help more than anything. I hope your pain relief helps, for any length at all.

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  2. I respond to acupuncture as well and have managed my pain in conjunction with chiropractic as you know. So glad it’s working for you.

    I am like you when it comes to vile tasting liquids… I’d rather take a pill. And, knowing what I know about holistic and alternative health, there is always an alternative to a liquid… Maybe look into it online? I couldn’t even take the cough syrup as a kid if it tasted gross…My mom was at her wit’s end.

    Good luck! I hope you feel better soon.

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    1. I’ve never tried chiropractic, maybe I should.
      But as for the liquid… she gave me that because I have a hard time swallowing large pills and the alternative was a huge capsule I couldn’t chew.
      😉

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  6. LOL, Chinese medicine is SO FOUL, according to my western palate. Andy once made me special foo cha tea when I was sick and it was AWFUL. I did a “Bitter Tea” post about it on my blog (but don’t dare link to it here or I’ll be in WP Prison again).

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  7. Decades ago I had an intestinal ailment (parasitic, likely, from bad water). A round of antibiotics in Mexico cleared it up for a couple of weeks and it was back. Two more rounds of a different antibiotic back in the US with the same result. I finally saw an acupuncturist. He rubbed his hands together with glee and said “Oh, boy! My first tropical disease!” (He was a friend so he could say things like that.) An hour later I left his office free of cramps. He said he wasn’t finished yet. That took care of the symptoms but the underlying cause would take a few more treatments. A total of 4 treatments over two weeks and I was cured. Quoth the raven (in my freezer) “Nevermore!”

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      1. Some insurance policies cover acupuncture to some extent in Australia. You can even get a degree at leading universities to study it. Might be our population diversity. I have a needle phobia – accupuncture might help me get over it haha.
        And wow, what was in the bottle? Was it herbs, or extract of the liver of a dung beetle or something??

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  8. Oh no! I’ve used acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to treat chronic pain and health issues as well. The acupuncture works for me, the herbal remedies, not so much. $125 a session though is kind of high. I live in a neighborhood that has a lot of Chinese clinics, so that probably keeps the costs down, but still, I wouldn’t go very often if my acupuncturist charged that much. The herbal medicine you’re taking is supposed to “cool the chi in the body by increasing your yin energy” ( this is what I was told, anyway). Try diluting the stuff in a little warm water—not hot, because you’re trying to cool down 😅—and drink it fast, like you’re downing a shot. It is vile stuff and I wonder if it’s really that good for a person, but I have older friends who swear by it. Hope the acupuncture helped your knee.

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    1. Yes, I tried diluting the liquid… but to be honest it didn’t help. Just made more of it. And I tried to shoot it in a little cup on the second attempt. Can’t say that made any difference taste wise. It’s just too horrible for me. But alleviating my knee pain is more important and acupuncture has been wonderful fur that. Sadly there are two offices in my area so prices are indeed high.

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  9. I emphasize with your knee issues. I tore my meniscus and blew out my ACL completely skiing in 2018. I had the ACL replaced and the meniscus sewn up. Have you considered that? It’s not pain free, but the knee works and isn’t that bad.

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    1. Unfortunately that’s not an option for me. The tear is too severe and in a bad spot… basically not repairable. At this point I’ll consider it a win if my pain goes from an 8 to a 5. I can live with 5.
      🥴

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      1. I hope you get your pain down to a three! My orthopedic surgeon told me that meniscus normally can’t be repaired. I guess I was lucky. The ACL no longer existed so that was needed to replace.

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  10. Oh golly – I don’t blame you. Some cures are just not worth it. I was diagnosed with osteopenia after my accident and they gave me this pill that gave me severe migraines for a couple of days and I said, I can live with my moldy old bones but I cannot live with migraines. Can you wear a knee brace?

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    1. It’s not really a matter of stability so they never recommended that. I used to wear a compression sleeve when I mowed the lawn, now that he’s retired I just let the husband do it.
      😉

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    1. It’s herbal, but dense and extremely bitter. It’s literally the most awful thing I’ve ever tasted so I can’t really compare it to anything.

      Core ingredients: Contains ingredients like Anemarrhena bark (Zhi), Phellodendron bark (Bai), and Prepared Rehmannia root (Di Huang).
      Other ingredients: Other herbs include Asiatic Dogwood fruit (Shan Zhu Yu), Chinese Yam (Shan Yao), Asian Water Plantain rhizome (Ze Xie), Tree Peony root bark (Mu Dan Pi), and Poria (Fu Ling).

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  14. I’m so sorry that your knee is causing you so much pain and discomfort. Is the possibility of a replacement an option?

    The insurance not accepting acupuncture is ridiculous, but I suppose they can’t ‘control’ that area of medicine, so it doesn’t benefit them. 😤

    Maybe I mentioned this before to you, but have you not thought about taking any HRT for your menopause symptoms? It’s life-changing!

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    1. I was on HRT for the first few years after my hysterectomy and it was wonderful, but the doctor kept lowering my dose until I hot flashed right through it and then refused to refill it. They wouldn’t let me stay on it. 😡
      And yes, I suppose I’ll have to have the knee replaced eventually. Would like to put it off if I can though.

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