Mr. Woolfgang was born in the Boston area. He joined the army after World War II when he was 17 years old. His job was to drive visiting Japanese scientists just after the United States of America occupied Japan. He was so brave that he didn’t even carry a weapon. He served for a year just after World War II, then returned to Boston College to finish his engineering degree for free. After graduating from Boston College, he joined the United States Air Force and flew jets and commercial aircraft for more than 15 years. He never had depression, anxiety or a panic attack. He drank two cups of coffee during the day and was able to remain calm even when he had to jump out of a plane in Rhode Island once after the plane’s engine had some trouble. When he first got out of the plane, his parachute didn’t open. He remained very calm, went through the procedure on how to operate the parachute, and was able to land in the Atlantic Ocean successfully. He later told his acupuncturist that he didn’t drink coffee that morning, which even reassured him. He didn’t eat very well when he was young, but he never overindulged in anything due to his military training. He goes to bed early and gets up early. He loves a diet high in salt and sugar and his two cups of coffee in the morning. He had been quite healthy until he was 80 years old.
At the age of 80, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) and osteoarthritis at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Her cardiologist prescribed a beta blocker, blood thinner, and high blood pressure medication as routine treatment for atrial fibrillation. She took the meds for a few months; Her heart rate slowed but still irregular. Little by little she noticed that the pain in his right knee was getting worse and her hands were getting more swollen. His hands were less swollen in the morning before he started taking the medicines. His fingers could not straighten in the late afternoon, due to swelling in the joints of his hands. Once, while she was waiting for her arthritis specialist at the Needham clinic, one of the patients in the waiting room recommended that she visit an acupuncturist in Needham. He has been an open minded rider and always willing to try something new. Although he lives far from Needham, in downtown Boston, he was determined to reduce his knee pain and maintain his good health so that he could care for his wife and serve his church.
He began acupuncture at the age of 80 to reduce pain in his right knee. She came to our clinic in Needham 10 times a week and her knee pain was greatly improved. He only had stiffness going up and down stairs. Then his acupuncturist in Needham decided to help him with FA with her once a month acupuncture visit in Needham. They told her to reduce his coffee to a cup or decaf. Initially, he said that his cardiologist did not believe that the AF was related to the coffee. His acupuncturist gave him two options: continue drinking coffee, then install a pacemaker with anticoagulant forever, or change his habit and avoid the pacemaker. Mr. Woolfgan decided to switch to decaffeinated coffee when he turned 87. After a few months of acupuncture treatments at Needham, his heart rate became very regular and he dropped to 50. When he returned to his cardiologist at Newton Wellesley Hospital, he was told he could stop taking blood thinners and reduce your beta-blocker. I halved the dose to keep his heart rate between 60 and 70. Mr. Woofgan’s cardiologist told Mr. Woofgan that he is the only patient who was able to stop the anticoagulant during his more than 30 years of practice. Mr. Woolfgan noted that once he lowered his beta blocker, the swelling in his hand was much less. He was able to grip his golf club much better and the pain level in his wrist was dramatically reduced.
At the age of 86, Mr. Woolfgan decided to have knee replacement surgery even though he had no knee pain, just stiffness going up and down stairs. His orthopedic surgeon at the Boston Medical Center told her that his artificial knee would make him walk better. His acupuncturist in Needham told him that if he doesn’t have knee pain and can walk without pain, don’t have knee surgery. He was a firm believer in his famous orthopedic surgeon in Boston and underwent knee surgery at the age of 87. After his knee surgery, his right knee was swollen like a balloon and at an angle that he could barely bend. His orthopedic surgeon had to inject him with anesthesia, then two nurses had to hold his leg to straighten his right knee. The pain was excruciating during the procedure and he nearly passed out. The angle of his right knee was reduced after this painful procedure and his brain became super sensitive to any kind of pain after this brutal procedure. However, as he is a tough man, he continued his acupuncture treatment at Needham and went to the gym every day to exercise his leg muscles. The knee pain is finally gone, but the right knee still can’t fully straighten. When asked by his acupuncturist if he wanted to have another knee replacement on his left knee, the answer was no.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Woolfgan and his wife were cooped up in their independent home in downtown Boston, so he stopped acupuncture treatment at Needham for three months. As soon as the shutdown order was released, he went back to his acupuncture treatment once a month. Now that he is almost 92 years old, he still has a sharp memory and can walk without a cane. He is six feet four inches tall and hasn’t shrunk an inch. Recently, he developed dizziness when he got up too quickly or stood up to sing in church. His acupuncturist told her to ask his cardiologist in Boston to adjust his medication. He lowered his beta blocker further and his dizziness disappeared. Slight changes he made when he turned 90 included going back to his usual brown at times. His heart rate stayed around 60, but the irregular heartbeat returned every time he drank regular coffee. His acupuncturist can always tell if he’s been drinking decaf or regular coffee. He also started drinking tea and more water because he had two surgeries to remove a malignant tumor in his bladder. His acupuncturist told him that if he didn’t want to have a third bladder surgery, he should drink more water to clean out his bladder.
In this case, Mr. Woolfgan was able to change his 80-year habit of drinking regular coffee that could have resulted in his need for a pacemaker. Surgery is always risky because when you open the skin and muscles of a 90-year-old, his immune function will be compromised, so he can develop various kinds of other diseases. Our 91 year veteran has been very disciplined and has been able to get regular exercise and sleep. That is why he is mentally and physically healthy. Also, Mr. Woolfgan still has pretty good vision without macular degeneration or glaucoma at his age because he was never a fan of eating too many nuts and spicy food, and cut down on his salt and sugar intake after being told by his acupuncturist. recommended. .
