It has been a good year since I wrote my last article about my knees and the issues I was having. Since that time, I have talked to a good friend of mine who decided to have stem cell. Doing that is so expensive! It's 3000.00 - 5000/00 per knee, insurance won't pay for it, and there is no guarantee that it will work. Heck with that!
This same friend was shopping one day at Natural Grocers. At this store they had a booth set up called Energetic Health. If you live in the Boise area, I highly recommend seeing them for natural healing.
Anyway, they introduced her to Prolozone injections. She talked to me about it, and I was so skeptical. I shouldn't be with the experience that I have with a plant based diet. Food is healing, why can't ozone be healing, and who came up with this anyway. I will post an article below. Here is the readers digest definition:
Prolozone is a form of non-surgical ligament reconstruction and is a permanent treatment for chronic pain. Prolozone is a connective tissue injection therapy of collagen producing substances and ozone gas which can reconstruct damaged or weakened connective tissue in and around joints.
Still skeptical, but willing to go talk to them I went to the office. Dr. Jeff Hartford talked to me about this process, and the great success they have had with it. You can have as many shots are you need, it lasts a life time. It is inexpensive to say the least compared to a total knee replacement or stem cell. I was all set up to have 2 total knee replacements, but I thought I would try this first and I had time since the surgeon was so busy that I couldn't get in for about a year. (thank heavens!) I decided to give it a try. He prepared my shots. By this time I was sweating. I HATE any type of injections. The first part of the shot is B vitamins, and lidocaine to numb the pain. He then fills 2 syringes with what looks to be air, but it's ozone. So weird. I felt like he was playing make believe because you can't see it! He prepared my knees, and starts the process. The shots hurt a little, not bad, but when he puts the ozone in, it is the weirdest feeling! It's a bit of pressure and you can feel air circulating in and around your joints. After the shots, he placed me on this machine that shakes it all into place. It's a bit hard to walk at first, but with this machine it really helps to stabilize everything.
After it's done he lets you know that you should stay active, so I went grocery shopping. Felt pretty good, and I was on my way to healing. Life went about normally, and I started experiencing pain again, so I went in for another shot. Each time after my injections the movement, and pain got better and better.
I have had a total of 4 shots. Some people have up to 6 and never have to go back. After my 4th, I can now go to the gym and get on the elliptical, and the indoor bicycle without any problems. I'm so thankful to Dr. Hartford. He is so knowledgeable and makes you feel at ease.
What have I learned from all this? I have learned that you have to take your health into your own hands. You have to do the research. Had I had my knees replaced I would have never been the same. Lots of patients continue to experience life long hardships after joint replacement surgery. Just remember that doctors don't know it all. In the long run, they are there to make money. It's a business. This isn't to say that there are no good doctors out there. I have met some wonderful physicians who truly care about a patients well being, but it doesn't hurt to do a little research for yourself.
https://www.georgekramermd.com/prolozone/
Energy Drinks
Have you ever drank an energy drink? RedBull, Monster, Rock*star just to name a few. I have never had any of these because they are scary. They are scary in the fact of what they can do to your body. Not to mention how much sugar they have in them.
Some of the possible side effects associated with these drinks are:
1. Heart attacks, one study showed that in 2009 -2011 there were 4854 calls to poison control regarding energy drinks. Out of those calls 50% were involving children! A new study notes that energy drinks can cause forceful heart contractions which could be harmful for some heart conditions. Why would you let children drink these?
2. Headaches, migraines, anxiety, jittery, insomnia, vomiting to name a few.
3. High blood pressure: because they are so highly caffeinated energy drinks can cause blood pressure to go up risking strokes and heart attacks. If a person doesn't have high blood pressure there shouldn't be a problem, but for those that do beware.
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-energy-drink-dangers
Have you ever had a zipfizz? The company claims that these are safe that they are loaded with B vitamins. I used to drink zipfizz everyday at work. For a bit, they didn't bother me, and then I noticed an increase in heart rate, I was waking up everyday with a headache. I would go to work and just feel horrible. Dizzy when I would stand at my desk, and nauseated just sitting there, and I didn't even put 2 and 2 together until I talked with one of my work buddies who said she could drink zipfizz for the very reasons we just discussed.
Zipfizz states that they are all natural containing no sugar and loaded with vitamins. Here is what Livestrong has to say about it.
The FDA has not approved this drink or rather hasn't reviewed it, but you should talk to your doctor before consuming it. Right there sends up a read flag! The ingredients for zipfizz are vitamins, minerals, ginger, green tea, ginseng, and guarana which is a form of caffeine, but it isn't listed on the ingredient list. Guarana is a plant that grows in the Amazon and is used for energy. It contains many antioxidants and and has been used for centuries. It is used frequently in energy drinks. It has been said that it can help your skin, help you lose weight, and has low toxicity when used in moderation, but it can also cause heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, upset stomach etc.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/486611-zipfizz-side-effects/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/guarana-benefits#section12
So here is the thing, I was moderate in using this product. I would drink it maybe 3 times a week when I would work, but it was not agreeing with me. I had all the side effects from this drink. It tastes wonderful! They have lots of great flavors, and I thought because it contained natural plant products that it was good for me. Now everyone is different, and react differently to things, but when I started not being about to breathe or catch my breath, feeling like garbage every time I went to work then a person really needs to look at what they are consuming. Plants are good for a great many things, they can cure our diseases and help us feel amazing, but they can also hurt us. Be wise with what you consume. Do your research and beware of things that could hurt you. Please don't let children consume products like this. It really isn't worth it. It goes back to the old adage that moderation in all things is wise.
Some of the possible side effects associated with these drinks are:
1. Heart attacks, one study showed that in 2009 -2011 there were 4854 calls to poison control regarding energy drinks. Out of those calls 50% were involving children! A new study notes that energy drinks can cause forceful heart contractions which could be harmful for some heart conditions. Why would you let children drink these?
2. Headaches, migraines, anxiety, jittery, insomnia, vomiting to name a few.
3. High blood pressure: because they are so highly caffeinated energy drinks can cause blood pressure to go up risking strokes and heart attacks. If a person doesn't have high blood pressure there shouldn't be a problem, but for those that do beware.
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-energy-drink-dangers
Have you ever had a zipfizz? The company claims that these are safe that they are loaded with B vitamins. I used to drink zipfizz everyday at work. For a bit, they didn't bother me, and then I noticed an increase in heart rate, I was waking up everyday with a headache. I would go to work and just feel horrible. Dizzy when I would stand at my desk, and nauseated just sitting there, and I didn't even put 2 and 2 together until I talked with one of my work buddies who said she could drink zipfizz for the very reasons we just discussed.
Zipfizz states that they are all natural containing no sugar and loaded with vitamins. Here is what Livestrong has to say about it.
The FDA has not approved this drink or rather hasn't reviewed it, but you should talk to your doctor before consuming it. Right there sends up a read flag! The ingredients for zipfizz are vitamins, minerals, ginger, green tea, ginseng, and guarana which is a form of caffeine, but it isn't listed on the ingredient list. Guarana is a plant that grows in the Amazon and is used for energy. It contains many antioxidants and and has been used for centuries. It is used frequently in energy drinks. It has been said that it can help your skin, help you lose weight, and has low toxicity when used in moderation, but it can also cause heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, upset stomach etc.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/486611-zipfizz-side-effects/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/guarana-benefits#section12
So here is the thing, I was moderate in using this product. I would drink it maybe 3 times a week when I would work, but it was not agreeing with me. I had all the side effects from this drink. It tastes wonderful! They have lots of great flavors, and I thought because it contained natural plant products that it was good for me. Now everyone is different, and react differently to things, but when I started not being about to breathe or catch my breath, feeling like garbage every time I went to work then a person really needs to look at what they are consuming. Plants are good for a great many things, they can cure our diseases and help us feel amazing, but they can also hurt us. Be wise with what you consume. Do your research and beware of things that could hurt you. Please don't let children consume products like this. It really isn't worth it. It goes back to the old adage that moderation in all things is wise.