My Rheumatoid Arthritis Disappeared after I Began Practicing Falun Gong

I am 56 years old this year. For several years I have been ill leaving me feeling weak every day. Falun Dafa saved my life and gave me hope again.

When I was 28 years old, I got rheumatoid arthritis. It was so painful that I could not bear it. At that time, I did not know what kind of disease it was. After that, I found that rheumatoid arthritis was like a deathless cancer. What I had was a kind of pain that could appear "wandering" about my body, some days in one location and some other days in another location. As a result, all my joints swelled, and they were very painful and stiff - even the joints in my jaw hurt. When those joints hurt, I couldn't even open my mouth to eat. All of the joints in my neck, knees, arms and hands hurt. Sometimes I felt very cold, whereas other times I'd come down with a fever and be soaked in sweat. It was more difficult at night and I was afraid of catching a chill. When other people were comfortable in sweaters, I had to put on an insulated coat and trousers. When others only wore cotton clothes and trousers, I had to put on a sweater and even warmer wool trousers. When others wore insulated coats, I had to put on both a sweater and an insulated coat. I had to wear a sweater and wool trousers to sleep. In the hot summer, I had to be in the sun everywhere I went. Sometimes it was so painful that I could not bear it and was on the verge of committing suicide. Every day, I cried a lot and took countless kinds of medicines. I became fat after taking a certain medicine for a while. I tried every method to cure my illness including those I saw advertised and even folk prescriptions. I even tried inquiring into the ads pasted on telephone poles. All of these methods failed.

Sometimes, my husband had to carry me on his back upstairs or downstairs, and carry me on his bike to go to and from my workplace. My office was very far away from our home and was not within range of public transportation. At that time, my family's economic situation was not good and my salary was low. My child was also very young. As a result, I had to go to work. Sometimes, it was very hard for me to get to the office by walking: I was like an old woman with bound feet. Every step hurt as though there were needles pricking my feet.

After that, the employers at my company saw that I had a serious disease and sent me to recuperate at the Tanggangzi Clinic in Anshan, Liaoning province. In the third month of recovery, I returned home because of my heart disease. Soon after I arrived, I became paralyzed and could not lead a regular life by myself. My legs were swollen and bruised. If you pressed on the leg, at that point a depression would form. If water was poured into the depression, it would be absorbed. Neither my neck nor my fingers could move. I got many diseases including heart disease, nephritis with four "positives" on the result of my blood urine test. I also developed "neuropathic headache", neurasthenia, gastritis and enteritis as side effects. Every day I had to take several types of medication and/or injections. I had chest pains several times a day and it was worse at night. Weak, I'd lie in bed every day and my hair was disheveled. Unable to lead a normal life, I suffered from insomnia and nightmares. Due to the long-term medication, I had serious dental problems: my teeth were rotten and fell to pieces, and in the end I had to get false teeth. I felt that I had become a useless person, as I was unable to do anything. I hated myself and I was sure that I must have done wrong things in my previous lifetime and was being punished for them in this life. I could not even wear regular shoes, let alone high-heels.

After both Chinese and Western medicines failed me, I had no way left but to practice Qigong to cure my ailments. During the peak years of Qigong [traditional Chinese exercises for cultivating "qi" or "vital energy"] in China, I spent lots of money and learned several kinds of Qigong. Despite practicing them for half a year, none of them made a difference. I went here and there for doctors and worship. I made offerings to Bodhisattva Guanyin [The Goddess of Mercy] and to foxes, weasels and snakes. Every day, I burned incense and kowtowed, begging for my diseases to be cured. I also purchased many "Song of Buddha" audiotapes but they did not work either. Sometimes, I would spontaneously cry or smile for no reason. I was mentally disturbed for some time and requested treatment from a psychic doctor. At work I was sort of famous for my illnesses. Sometimes, I would fall ill in the office and on several occasions my bosses drove me in their cars to hospitals or to my home. I wasn't able to travel far from home by myself.

In the midst of my most difficult days, I fortunately learned to practice Falun Gong. It was the 7th day of the first Chinese lunar month in 1997. Falun Gong was really marvelous, and that night I had a good sleep and was able to stop taking all the old medication. I got rid all of the things I used to make offerings to. I wholeheartedly wanted to practice Falun Gong and study the Fa [Law or Principles, the teachings of Falun Gong. After I studied the Fa, I felt that my body was very light. I could walk up four floors without resting, my chest pains were gone, and I could carry things upstairs without chest pain. I could do many household chores including washing clothes and dishes. My rheumatoid arthritis had recovered and my entire body was without aches and pains. All my body's illnesses disappeared and I never even caught a cold again.

One time, my teeth ached. My relatives suggested that I go to the hospital for treatment. I said that I would first read Teacher's book. However, when I opened the book and saw Teacher's photo, I immediately began to ask Him, "Teacher, help me, don't let my teeth ache". My toothache immediately disappeared after I said this, which was within 30 seconds after I had first opened the book. I was so glad and told my relatives who were watching television, "My toothache disappeared!" All of them said, "Wonderful! Falun Dafa is so good! It is really marvelous!"

During these past seven years, I did not need any medicine or injections. I have never had to go to a hospital, which prevented suffering so much pain and saved huge amounts of government and personal finances. I can wear high-heeled shoes and have traveled to many places including Hainan, Shenzhen, Beijing, Harbin etc. I can take a flight and I'm nowadays in a good mood. It is Falun Dafa that saved my life and gave me hope; I really am the happiest person. Whatever pressure I face, I will persist in unwaveringly cultivating Falun Gong, from which I have benefited so much.