I came, I saw, I conquered-Priapism

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." ~Albert Einstein

From time to time I heard patients say I am a talented doctor. But I'd rather say I am always a very curious and hard-working person. I had no idea if acupuncture could be helpful to this patient's condition. But I was curious enough to give it a chance because there was nothing to lose in a case like this. Now my patient and I are so happy that we did it:) 

"Dr. Frank is a miracle worker who makes hospital calls!

I went to ER and received emergency surgery for a severe urological condition.  The procedure provided temporary relief but didn't alleviate the underlying problem.  A second, more invasive surgery was scheduled for two days hence.    

The surgeons were exceptional and refreshingly honest in admitting they really didn't know what caused my condition or whether the planned operation - with potentially life-changing, if not life-threatening, consequences - would be completely effective.

As I laid in my hospital bed awaiting, with great trepidation, the coming procedure a family member suggested I give acupuncture a try and provided Dr. Frank's phone number, which he'd gotten from a friend-of-a-friend.

At 6:30pm I made the call, expecting to get an answering machine.  I was pleased when a real person answered and shocked when she forwarded a call from a complete stranger to Dr. Frank.  

Hearing of my predicament, Dr. Frank offered to come to the hospital and arrived about an hour later.  He provided an extensive treatment lasting nearly 60 minutes.  To my great surprise (this was my first acupuncture) I didn't feel any discomfort when the needles were applied.

Dr. Frank's skill and demeanor instilled much confidence and I very much liked his thoughtful questions and consideration of my situation.  I slept very well that night.

Early the next morning the nurses arrived to prep me for surgery and noticed a significant improvement.  They summoned the surgeons who were amazed at my condition - a 30% decrease in the severity.

When I shared the acupuncture treatment and plans to continue seeing Dr. Frank, they decided to postpone the surgery, release me from the hospital and monitor results.  

It's been a couple of weeks and I've had 5 sessions with Dr. Frank.  The progress has been remarkable!  During a follow-up exam last week, the surgeons observed I've regained about 80% functionality and am out of danger.  They want to know more about Dr. Frank's treatments.

Dr. Frank saved the life I knew and enjoyed.  Without his ministrations, I would have seen permanent changes to my health and lifestyle and been miserable.

In retrospect, while I appreciate the traditional, urgent care I received, I can't help but wonder how things would have gone if my first call had been to Dr. Frank rather than heading to the hospital.  The time from my arrival at ER to Dr. Frank's treatment marked the worst 48 hours of my life, filled with excruciating pain and soul-jarring anxiety.

For me, it begs the question of why acupuncture isn't part of the mainstream medical repertoire."

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