Systemic Lupus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Bipolar Disorder, Asthma, Chronic pain, Hypertension, Seizures, Eczema, Glaucoma, Endometriosis, Insomnia, Hair loss, Stroke, Heart Attacks 

(Follow Darlene’s story, see Radio Show #243 – 06/07/2008)

Darlene is Dr. Elain Tong’s patient during her Residency in Family Medicine; Dr. Yee-Wing Tong was not involved in her care.  Darlene is a 51 year-old black lady with a history in her early teens of juvenile arthritis, for which she was treated with liquid Phenobarbital. In her 20’s, she developed asthma, generalized skin rashes, eczema, hair loss, and poor eyesight. Ten years later in the mid 1980’s, she was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus SLE. She suffered from severe joint pain and swelling, making it difficult for her to walk, frequently rendering her bedridden. She was in-and-out of hospitals. She had two strokes and three heart attacks in her 40’s, the last one in 1995. She was then declared permanently disabled.

Her current diagnoses include SLE, chronic pain, hypertension, bipolar disorder, asthma, seizure disorder, glaucoma, endometriosis, and insomnia. Her medications included lithium, risperdal, neurontin, NSAID’s, Tegretol, Kadian, Lexapro, Methrotrexate, Benadryl, Benazapril, Travatan, Duragesic patches, Albuterol and repeated use of steroids, which caused weight gain and other side effects. In spite of these drugs, in 2007 she visited the ER on the average every two weeks for pain shots and required several hospitalizations as well. She began receiving osteopathic manipulation therapy and acupuncture in 1995, both of which made her pain more tolerable, but 13 years of such AT failed to reduce her medication requirement, frequency of ER visits and hospitalizations. They also failed to improve her ability to perform daily living functions.

She was referred to Dr. Elain Tong in February of 2008, and within 5-6 NBE treatments, most of her symptoms were alleviated and she was able to discontinue nearly all her medications!  Moreover, since Dr. Elain’s intervention, Darlene has not been admitted to the ER or hospital for pain, and was hospitalized only one time for anemia due to heavy menstrual periods.  Her activities of daily living were also greatly increased.

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