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 lead visiting Japanese scientists just after the United States of America occupied Japan. He was so brave that he didn’t even carry a gun. He served for a year right 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 commercial jets and airliners 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 keep his cool even when he had to jump off the plane in Rhode Island once after the plane’s engine had some trouble. When he first got out of the plane, his parachute did not open. He remained very calm, went through the procedure of 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 put him at ease. 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, a blood thinner, and high blood pressure medication as routine treatment for atrial fibrillation. She took the drugs for a few months; her heartbeat 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 medication. His fingers couldn’t straighten at the end of the 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 see 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 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 once a week and her knee pain was much improved. He only had stiffness going up and down stairs. Then his acupuncturist in Needham decided to help him with AF with his once a month acupuncture visit in Needham. They told her to reduce his coffee to a cup or decaf. Initially, he said his cardiologist didn’t think his AF was related to coffee. His acupuncturist gave him two options: continue to drink coffee, then install a pacemaker with blood thinner forever, or change his habit and avoid the pacemaker. Mr. Woolfgan decided to change and started drinking decaffeinated coffee when he turned 87 years old. After a few months of acupuncture treatments at Needham, his heart rate became very regular and he dropped to 50. When he went back to his cardiologist at Newton Wellesley Hospital, they told him he could stop taking blood thinners and reduce your beta-blocker. halve the dose so that his heart rate would stay between 60 and 70. his cardiologist told Mr. Woofgan that he is the only patient who was able to stop the blood thinner 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 level of pain in his wrist was drastically reduced.
At the age of 86, Mr. Woolfgan decided to have knee replacement surgery even though he had no pain in his knee, just stiffness when going up and down stairs. His orthopedic surgeon at 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, he shouldn’t have surgery on his knee. He was a strong 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. His right knee angle 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 has finally disappeared, but the right knee still cannot fully straighten. When his acupuncturist asked 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 living quarters in downtown Boston, forcing him to withhold acupuncture treatment at Needham for three months. As soon as the closure order was released, he returned 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 has not shrunk an inch. Recently, he developed dizziness when he got up too quickly or stopped to sing in church. His acupuncturist told her to ask his cardiologist in Boston to adjust her medication. He lowered his beta blocker even more and his dizziness disappeared. The slight changes he made when he turned 90 included going back to his usual coffee 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 had 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 cleanse 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 cut open the skin and muscles of a 90-year-old, his immune function will be compromised, so he can develop various types of other diseases. Our 91 year veteran has been very disciplined and has been able to exercise and sleep regularly. That is why he is mentally and physically healthy. In addition, Mr. Woolfgan still has fairly good vision with no macular degeneration or glaucoma at his age because he was never a fan of eating too many nuts and spicy food, and he reduced his salt and sugar intake after his acupuncturist told him. recommended. .