[Dani Cullimore]

Thanks Tank, I appreciate your comment and will consider that!

@Yvonne I was wondering if you had an thoughts on cupping (over a lot of small, acne scars that are like Keloid scarring). I’m going to see my client again in a couple hours so I thought I’d ping just in case you’re able to answer before I see him at 12:15pm PST.

Thank you! Dani

[Dani Cullimore]

Hi Yvonne and Colleagues – I’d love your input on this client case. This is my first case of treating extreme pain due to malignant cancerous tumors and metastasis. WWYD? This is quite a general sharing of case so perhaps out of scope of our mentorship directly, but I’m sharing here before putting it out to a larger group in hope of filling in some gaps on what I’m missing. Thank you.

Client, M, early 50s. dx Stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. Diagnosed summer 2022 after having to advocate for himself/being brushed off.

CC: severe lower spine + sacral pain due to malignant KD tumor(s) + metastasis (in spine and sacrum).

One large tumor on L kd, left adrenal gland totally surrounded by tumor, small cyst starting to form on Right.

Pain is affecting QOL, including mobility. Worse at night, worse when shifting slightly from side to side. Worse after prolonged standing/walking. Worse when lying on back/cannot lie flat on back. Sometimes stabbing pain, sometimes heavy ache that travels down legs in the front.

Emotions: Identifies with worry/overthinking, I can sense anger/frustration, certainly there is fear (he was very jumpy the last time I went to his home for treatment). He is also overly apologetic and appreciative.

He has tried radiation, immunotherapy, oral chemo. Has monthly oncology appointments + weekly hydration IV + medications, including blood thinner (low dose aspirin). I can mention more as needed.

Some pitting edema in right ankle comes and goes. Bowels currently fine, used to have alternating d/c. Some night sweating. Reduced hunger, weight loss 35lbs. (was initally recommended that he lose 25) Previously dx with HBP, Diabetes 2. He doesn’t want to take a lot of medication and just came off his pain pump (but replaced with oral hydromorphone) as he’s gearing up for a bucket list trip for earlier next year. He is going to start seeing a spiritual counsellor. There has been no talk of timelines for life/death, at least not with me.

Pulse/Tongue: thready/fine, rapid, some slipperiness in Lv/Gb/KdYin; Tongue: variable -sometimes thick white coating, sometimes swollen, last time little coating and a bright pinky/red (almost fuschia), vertical striations, forked tip. Less blood stasis on underside than I would expect but still present.

Patterns: KD def; Qi & Blood Stagnation. Qi & Blood def.

Treatment: Home visits 1-2x/week, cannot be treated prone. I have been applying battlefield acupuncture in one ear + variations of KD3+LV3+ST36+LI4+SP10 w/ e-stim ~ 2-4hz on a max. of 4 needles, discontinuous, gradually working way up to 20min (based on dx, and adapted from published clinical research).

Results: Seeing improvements in mood and some reduction in pain, however difficult to determine due to client also taking hydromorphone. I know the treatments are helping but can I do more/differently? I’m curious about but not trained in Balance acupuncture, and have minimal training in scalp acu. What modules should I be returning to, if applicable? WWYD? TIA.

[Dani Cullimore]

(see below – thanks – edited due to challenges w formatting)

[Dani Cullimore]

Thank you, appreciated!

[Dani Cullimore]

Thank you Yvonne, much appreciate your quick and insightful reply!

[Dani Cullimore]

.

[Dani Cullimore]

Hi Yvonne.

Thank you for all of this.

I’m not sure how I will proceed and hope to have greater insight after seeing the KD trauma treatment results.

I do think that he does not want to be giving his head to god, so to speak, but wants to re-establish his mind/body connection, (knowing that he is ‘good with god’ but ready to return to embodied humanness). And he is more connected than he was previously.

I did think about the Dai Mai also and believe that if I used that vessel, consolidating would be the way to go. He is somewhat robust however I’m not sure he has the full mental capacity or support to have a draining of Dai Mai as I understand it. I had thought of the Yang Wei as well, and/but do see how the Yin wei could be helpful too. I’ll have to review.

Presuming that he is ready to let go of the feelings related to his spiritual experience, to integrate and learn from it, I still will only see him a handful more times and I wonder if it is ok to work with EV given this short amount of time?

Can you elaborate on how 8EV treatment could potentially do more harm than good in this context?

Again, very appreciative of your insights and thoughts. Thank you,

Dani

[Dani Cullimore]

Hi Andrew,

Also.. many of us Canadian acu’s work with labour preparation as well as post-due date/pre-medical induction cases – if you need a referral, lmk!

edit: to add to the discussion, I often use GB34 for tendons/ligaments to relax, shen points b/c stress of being overdue, sacral points. KD9 – time for the guest to leave the house. ST36 supporting energy. Chong mai. I have used e-stim in some cases, SP6 particularly. Varying depending on pattern and constitution. With certainty baby is in head down positioning and ready to go (midwife or OBGYN confirmed). Proceeding with these treatments only when the medical induction is seemingly inevitable/scheduled within the next 36 hrs (is what I’ve been advised/learned).

— Dani

[Dani Cullimore]

Hi everyone – for those who requested I’ve sent out info regarding rewatching modules, starting with Sinews tomorrow 9am PST — Email me directly if you didn’t recieve and or wish to join.

Warm regards, Dani

dani.cullimore@gmail.com

[Dani Cullimore]

Thank you for your replies, Yvonne.
Appreciated!
At what point in the series of treating sinew channels is it appropriate to bridge in divergent treatments, or would I be interspersing them amidst sinew channel treatments? I am needing to revisit study of divergents, tbh.

Warmly,
Dani

[Dani Cullimore]

Thanks Yvonne!
🙂

[Dani Cullimore]

Thank you – I appreciate this and it makes sense to me. Im now seeing that I have a mental gap where I dont think of 8X unless it’s for very clearly trauma related (ancestral or birth trauma, specifically), emotional/anxiety or lineage-based issues. And that I tend to favour the RN channel. Acknowledging this here, now, so that I can stop gapping on 8X when it comes to pain and open up more to Chong, Du and other channels/patterns.

[Dani Cullimore]

Thanks Yvonne. His cc is pain management/reduction. He wishes to have pain reduction that would lead to less discomfort, increased mobility and a decreased reliance on opioid medication. Though he has not mentioned it as a desired outcome, he has commented on how his “mood has improved” with treatments. To me in this instance, improved quality of life means reduction of pain, more mobility, more peace of mind.

[Dani Cullimore]

Hi Andrew — I’ve added a bit more to my response above. I’m in southwestern Ontario (in a city called Guelph) but can give you names of other practitioners across the country if needed. Best wishes to all! Dani

[Dani Cullimore]

makes so much sense when ‘talked out’ like this – thank you both