After surviving testicular cancer, John S. of Breezy Point was told the nerve damage from chemotherapy might be permanent. Then he found Bethpage Acupuncture.
“Irreversible” is not a word anyone wants to hear from their doctor. But for many people diagnosed with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, or CIPN, it can feel as though that is exactly where the conversation ends. John S. of Breezy Point had already survived testicular cancer when he found himself facing an entirely different battle. The chemotherapy that helped save his life had left him living with constant pain and progressively worsening symptoms. His feet felt as though he were walking on pins and needles. He was becoming weaker, less steady and increasingly concerned about what his future might look like. “I was beginning to be worried that one day I would be wheelchair bound.” Chemotherapy medications are designed to travel throughout the body and attack cancer cells. Unfortunately, some can also damage healthy peripheral nerves. For certain patients, symptoms of CIPN begin during treatment and may continue long after chemotherapy has ended. Those symptoms can affect far more than physical comfort. They can change how confidently someone moves through the world. For John, even something as ordinary as navigating a flight of stairs had become difficult. “It was difficult to even walk up and down stairs and do other things we usually take for granted.” WHEN EVERYDAY THINGS STOP FEELING EASY Peripheral neuropathy can present differently from one person to the next, but common symptoms may include pain, tingling, burning, weakness or numbness in the hands, arms, legs or feet. Some people experience sudden sharp, stabbing or electric-like sensations. Others notice diminished sensation, difficulty with balance or coordination, or trouble using their hands for simple tasks like fastening clothing or picking up small objects. And when those symptoms persist, the effects can reach into nearly every part of daily life. For John, the message he had received from multiple doctors and specialists was discouraging: the nerve damage left behind by his cancer treatment might be permanent. He had survived cancer. Now he was being told he may simply have to learn to live with what came afterward. Then John reached out to Jennifer Beltrani, L.Ac., of Bethpage Acupuncture. Jennifer takes an integrative approach to complex nerve-related symptoms, combining acupuncture with advanced therapeutic technology designed to support circulation, nerve function and the body’s natural healing processes. The goal isn’t simply to chase individual symptoms. It is to understand how those symptoms are affecting the person’s mobility, independence and quality of life—and build care around helping them get more of that life back. For John, the changes began showing up in the moments that mattered most. After a series of treatments, stairs were no longer the obstacle they had become. “We have a beach house and it’s upstairs. This morning I walked right down the stairs and got in the car,” John shared. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s become mighty easy for me.’ I didn’t have to hold on to the handrail or anything!” Then came the sentence that says more than any clinical description could: “It’s life changing to have my mobility back.” MORE THAN JUST LESS PAIN Stories like John’s are why Jennifer has made helping patients with peripheral neuropathy an important part of her work. Patients often arrive after months—or even years—of trying to manage symptoms that interfere with walking, sleeping, exercising, working or simply feeling confident on their feet. Some developed neuropathy following chemotherapy. Others are living with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or nerve symptoms from another underlying cause. While every patient and every outcome is different, Jennifer’s approach begins in the same place: listening carefully, understanding what has changed and identifying what the patient wants to be able to do again. Because for someone living with neuropathy, progress isn’t always measured in abstract numbers. Sometimes it looks like taking the stairs without gripping the railing. Walking across the room without wondering whether your feet will cooperate. Getting back in the car without thinking twice. Or realizing one morning that something which had become difficult has suddenly become easier. For John, that moment was profound. After surviving cancer and facing the possibility that its aftermath might permanently limit his independence, getting his mobility back meant getting an important piece of his life back, too.
