Success Stories
Wu’s Healing Center’s successes illustrate the profound impact Traditional Chinese Medicine can have on a wide range of fertility challenges in both women and men.
Under Dr. Wu’s care, women with FSH levels of 65 have conceived naturally; women with levels as high as 118 have seen their FSH drop to 9. Women up to 50 years of age have conceived naturally and carried babies full term. Men have overcome sperm disorders. Fibroids have disappeared. Women who have experienced multiple miscarriages, ovarian or tubal dysfunction, thin uterine lining, premature menopause, irregular cycles, endometriosis, and inexpiable infertility have delivered healthy, happy babies.
Judith K., age 63 (December 2021)
I’ve suffered from chronicgastro-intestinal problemsmy whole life. Bloating, constipation, sharp pain, discomfort after eating. Sometimes the bloating was so intense I couldn’t breathe. Chronic stomach pain just became an uncomfortable way of life for me.
I have tried all sorts of remedies—diet change, diet restrictions (no wheat, no lactose, no nightshade vegetables…), fasts, conventional medications, homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurveda, herbs, acupuncture, massage, diuretics. I’ve been diagnosed with SIBO, IBS, indigestion. Sometimes I would find some temporary relief….but the pain and bloating would eventually return.
In August 2021, my daughter was brutally attacked and raped. Almost immediately the bloating escalated. I looked like I was pregnant, eating was painful, I felt like there was no room for me to breathe, the discomfort would not be relieved no matter what I did.
I was referred to Dr. Wu by a friend who had been successful in getting pregnant 20 years ago after seeking treatment by her. Immediately I felt held by her and her staff. Dr. Wu explained to me that because I had been experiencing this condition for 60 years I would need to be patient with the treatment. She provided me a regimen that included meditation, massage, and traditional Chinese medicine of acupuncture, cupping, herbs and moxa. Her approach was holistic, respecting that the spirit, mind, emotions and physical body all needed to be healed.
I have been seeing Dr. Wu and her amazing staff for ONLY 6 weeks now and already the relief is palpable. The bloating is gone. Dr. Wu is a true healer. I am deeply touched by her tender, intuitive approach. Her healing is not cookie cutter. She sees you as the individual you are, she touches your spirit and gives you her love and expertise in the healing arts. What a blessing to receive the gift of this healing. Truly my life is being transformed.
Judith K., age 63
Artist and health care consultant, San Francisco
December 2021
Stacy Leigh Bailey (January 2020)
I recommend Doctor Angela Wu OMD, LA, & the Wu Healing Center in San Francisco:
I was a student of Doctor Wu’s back in 1995 at San Francisco State University where I minored in Holistic Health and I took her Chinese Healing Studies class. Subsequently I started seeing Dr Wu as a patient at her clinic: The Wu Healing Center. Dr Wu’s teachings, philosophy & clinical treatments have impacted my life in very positive ways over the last 23+ years and I find myself going back to her & her team whenever I need special insight to help me feel healthier on many levels.
Learning About Chinese Healing Studies at San Francisco State University:
I really enjoyed learning from Doctor Angela Wu at San Francisco State University. I recall being in awe of her calm & regal demeanor as a professor. I learned about Chinese medicine and how to diagnose ailments with a variety of methods (including how to read tongues* and heartbeat pulses.)* I also learned about meridians, elements, plus a lot about Qi , Shen, and Ying & Yang.*
I especially remember two of her class lessons: In one class she asked her students, who all were seated in desks that were facing her, to all smile at her and as she went on to explain that we all looked better smiling back at her (and that made me laugh). She went on to explained that there is a subtle and measurable power of smiling on our overall health.**
Another lesson that I remember strongly from Dr Wu’s classroom- was about appreciating your each of your organs. She asked all of her students to think about what age that they were and then asked “How would you feel if someone you knew for that long never shared just how appreciative they were of you?”. Dr Wu went on to guide us through the process of thanking each of our organs one by one. I really liked the exercise as I had never thought about it that way (and I genuinely do appreciate that my heart keeps beating and that each of my organs keeps working without asking for much). When I receive treatments at the Wu Healing Center I’m taken back to those lessons as part of the treatments include walking through each organ and breathing in the positive aspects of that organ and breathing out/ releasing the negative aspects of that organ.**
From Student to Patient and from Patient to back to Student:
In January of 2020 I was reminiscing with Dr Wu about the two examples of her memorable classes (listed above) and she asked me if I remembered another lesson that she had taught me on one of the first days of class- about writing out what skills and good things that we had learned from each of our parents. This piece of info hit me in a strong way as I have recently realized how I’ve been holding onto grief from my mother’s passing from over 3 years ago, and
I have realized with the help of a few intuitive people (including Dr Wu) that I need to put in some work, on many different levels, to release all the grief and associative feelings around her passing in 2016 & also have come to realize through this process that I have not fully found my full balance of appreciation and gratitude after my father’s passing in 2007.
When I had explained to Dr. Wu about how I am still grieving my mother’s passing and I shared a dream that I had that morning about both my parents being deceased in a house where I used to live and how in the dream it turned out that my mom was still alive. Dr. Wu picked up on that I even though both of my parents have passed that I seem to be more concerned about the grief surrounding my mother’s passing and so she asked to remember the exercise about writing out the learned qualities from each parent and specifically about my father and what had I learned from him.
I hadn’t thought about this idea of what I got from both parents and this idea really impacted me since I had metaphorically buried the history of my father. I had to ask myself what did I learn from my father whose passing was in 2005, and what was I grateful to him for. All of this helped me think about how to return to a balanced feeling about -both- of my parents.
For example: One of the net results on my physical body over the last 3 years since my mother’s passing was that I kept having stomach issues like: multiple food poisoning and food sensitivities situations that seemed extreme, and one of these occurred on Dec 1st 2019 that really got my attention since it was more extreme than any of the other food poisoning in the last three years. I had not put all this information together till I came to Dr Wu for treatment of my stomach issues. With her help I could see the pattern of what was happening on many different layers of my being: physical, mental, and on a more ethereal, even spiritual level.
Another example for when I felt I needed to get Dr Wu’s opinion & treatment was in 1996 when I kept coughing for no apparent /external reason that I could comprehend and when I explained to her that I was in the middle of a break up at the time and had been crying constantly she said, in her professorial questioning way: “ Where do we we store grief?” and immediately I recalled the lesson about carrying grief in our lungs and just having that pointed out to me helped me shift my perception and start on the path to recovering from the grief (physically & mentally).
Summary:
So in summary, I have found myself returning to Dr Wu whenever I have some sort of ailment that I feel like she would understand (and help with, more than a typical western medicine approach). Having a working knowledge of holistic health I feel like she has an understanding of the underlying tendencies and can treat those weaknesses in my system that lead to the symptoms surfacing to help my body (and mind) become stronger and more resilient. And I am so grateful to have Doctor Angela Wu and the Wu Healing Center in my life.
Joan (January 2018)
I am an egg donor and I was told to try acupuncture to get the best results. After researching local acupuncturists in the area I thought Wu’s Healing Center would be the best fit for me. They don’t just do acupuncture, they start with an intake to see how you are feeling and if there are any new concerns. After that you have a body work session which is an amazing acupressure massage. The practitioners are focused and work with purpose to heal any issues and to allow your body to relax. Dr. Wu then comes in for an analysis and does a great job coaching you throughout your sessions. She does the tongue and pulse diagnosis and then helps you focus on your diet in order to get your body in the best possible shape, which she then enhances through acupuncture. My egg count doubled after seeing her for 5 months. And just as important, I then went through a detox protocol to cleanse the body of the medications from the retrieval. I feel much better about the process now that I’ve been under Wu’s Healing Center’s care.
Vanessa (December 2017)
Dr Angela Wu is a kind, caring, and compassionate fertility acupuncturist. Not only is she good at her job but also as a nurturing person and soul. So accommodating to fitting me in her schedule to help things progress and helping me financially. So thorough at figuring out what the challenge is and was with my body. I owe her and her practice the world. My husband and I are expecting our first baby girl on January 15th, 2018, after trying to get pregnant for a year and eight months with irregular menstrual cycles and being so physically active in my 20 year professional dancing career with the San Francisco Ballet as a principal ballerina. My husband and I have recently moved across the country for work, and even with the distance, Dr Wu checks in with me regularly and sends me packages across the country in caring about my postpartum and supporting me even with the distant.
Danielle (November 2016)
This is long overdue! My two, healthy, happy, three month old twin babies are sleeping peacefully (?) in the nursery as I type this. Truly, I believe that they would not be here where it not for Dr. Angela Wu and the work we did together.
A friend of mine passed her book onto me a few years ago, just as I was beginning the journey towards motherhood. I read the book and honestly, felt overwhelmed. I knew that Dr. Wu was here in San Francisco but felt intimidated and did not make an appointment. Actually, I did make an appointment but canceled before the session!
Fast forward 1.5 years, many rounds of IUI, one round of IVF and one miscarriage at the tail end of the first trimester (brutal), and I was ready to take things to the next level. After the pain of the miscarriage, I kept having this intuition in my gut that I should go see Angela. I was intimidated bc in her book, she says that we have to quit virtually everything in our lives (exercise, dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol, cold foods…) and I really did not know if I could be that disciplined. Yet, my desire to be a mother was greater than my fear of the diet so I made the appointment…and this time, I went.
In person, Dr. Wu is warm, caring and deeply understanding. Yes, her protocol is intense (and pricey) but she seems to know when to push and when to let us be human and fallible. Surprisingly, she rarely commented on my fertility diet, which by the way, I was not following very well. I made changes, for sure, such as a big reduction in wine consumption and an ever bigger increase in Chinese herbs and supplements. My partner and I even made the Silky Chicken Broth!
During our first session, about a month after my miscarriage, she looked me in the eye and said, “Promise me that you will not try again until you are ready,” meaning until she decided I was ready. At the time, this really freaked me out. I did not want to wait. I wanted my baby NOW. The Western doctor said I could start ASAP and Dr. Wu was telling me it might be 6 months or more. This was scary and upsetting but my intuition was telling me to follow her guidance and let go of control. Little did I know how important this last part was. Letting go of control is the best lesson in both fertility and becoming a parent.
Ultimately, it was exactly 6 months later when we determined, together, that I was ready for the next embryo transfer. For the first pregnancy, we transferred two embryos and I ended up with one pregnancy (and then loss). So, this time around, we again transferred two embryos and were blessed with TWO BABIES. We like to joke that Dr. Wu made me extra fertile! 🙂
We are so blessed and we are so grateful to Dr. Wu and her entire team, all of whom played an integral role in supporting me through the journey from heartbreak to the absolute bliss of parenthood.
Thank you, Dr. Wu. You are forever in my heart!!
He TaiLe (August 2016)
I first came to Dr Wu in December of 2012. After conceiving my son with no problems in 2009, I’d recently learned that I was almost completely infertile three years later. I was 36 and had just been told my FSH was 34, when it should be below 10 to get pregnant.
Since my friends were all having second babies with no trouble, I wondered whether something might be wrong with me systemically. I also didn’t necessarily want to jump into western infertility treatments when I was reading online that they can wreak havoc with a woman’s body and mind, and besides, someone with my numbers might never conceive.
I wasn’t sure what to think when Dr. Wu immediately put me on a very strict diet (no wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, spinach, nightshade plants, and almost no fruit whatsoever), prescribed handfuls of herbs, and gave me a long list of other precautions (no high heels past ovulation; don’t let the wind blow on your neck; homemade chicken broth every day; etc). I had never taken herbs before and didn’t much enjoy the abdominal massages at her office either.
I was very surprised when my cycles, which had started to vary in length from 17 to 60+ days, almost immediately became much more regular. I felt much better following her advice that I had previously believed possible. The headaches I’d had almost daily disappeared. None of these issues were things western doctors had been able to address. I was grateful to be healthier.
Nonetheless I didn’t get pregnant. Month after month went by. I felt both heartbroken and deeply ambivalent, as well as hopeless as I knew I was only getting older.
Dr. Wu told me I needed to take better care of myself and stop worrying about other people so much. She told me she thought I had more time to have a second child than I believed, and that I should forget about conceiving for a while and go back to grad school, which I’d been considering for a very long time.
I couldn’t forget what the western doctors had told me, and I’m sad now to say that I didn’t believe her. After a year under Dr. Wu’s care, I stopped going to acupuncture and went back to a western reproductive endocrinologist. Over the next year I endured five failed IUIs. I was taking different hormones almost every day which I hated. I had something like a 3-5% chance with each IUI of conception that would lead to live birth, and of course that chance would keep decreasing as I continued to age; there was not a lot of reason for hope in any given cycle, despite all the work involved. The doctor refused to do IVF with me because he felt my “fragile” eggs, so few in number even with lots of hormone medications, would not survive.
Finally I decided that I should at least try to give up my dream of having a larger family, even though it was one of the biggest things I ever wanted in life. I decided to grieve it through, focus on other parts of my life, and try to come to peace with my situation, including my wonderful husband and the son we were lucky enough to have already.
That was early 2015. I applied to grad school and got in. My son started first grade. I started grad school. I started running, which Dr. Wu had told me not to do while trying to conceive. In general, I still followed lots of Dr. Wu’s advice. I kept getting happier, healthier, and more centered, although I kept grieving for a second child. Even though I hadn’t seen her in a long time, I thought of Dr. Wu all the time. My cycles stayed wonderfully regular throughout all this and I was glad for the normalcy she’d been able to bring back to my body.
I finished my first grad school semester and enjoyed the holidays. When we got home I felt so tired I couldn’t get out of bed, so I rested there for a few days. I got up and enjoyed some busy days with my husband and son, but still felt so very tired. I thought I was sick; given my history of disappointment I was totally oblivious to the idea I could be pregnant. Finally I realized I should take a test and I was flabbergasted and thrilled to find I was 6.5 weeks pregnant.
The western doctor had been concerned that, even if I did conceive, my body would not make adequate progesterone to sustain a pregnancy, so I had a blood test to check on it the very same day. Not only was my progesterone totally adequate with no medical help, it was at the very top of the healthy range. I’d conceived on my own, against very steep odds, and baby and I were evidently thriving. Even though I hadn’t seen Dr. Wu in about two years, I’d become pregnant by finally following her advice. It’s the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me.
I am now 39.5 weeks along with an apparently healthy little girl. In addition to our disbelief and utter joy, this pregnancy has been markedly easier than my first, even though I’m now 40. I’ve had far less swelling, aches, and digestive upset than I had with my son. I’ve also felt happy and lively throughout, especially after my acupuncture treatments!
I went back to Dr. Wu for prenatal care, and while I still can’t quite get used to taking handfuls of herbs, I know that what she practices has a logic and a magic all its own. I know that our bodies contain wisdom and are influenced in ways western medical practitioners – and frankly, even most acupuncturists — know nothing about. I am so grateful I found her and so grateful for all the time I spent with her. Even if I’d never conceived again, my family and I are healthier for following her advice and her way of thinking, and I know that is a gift that will be with me for the rest of my life. What can you say about someone who’s changed your life that much for the better? Thank you Dr. Wu!
L.H.O. (February 2016)
About a year and a half ago I was referred to Wu’s Healing Center by an acupuncturist who had been working with my husband and me to conceive a second child. Almost seven years ago, we had very quickly (our first try) and naturally conceived our son. I had a healthy pregnancy and he was born a healthy and happy baby.
When our son was about two and a half years old, we began to try to conceive a second child. I assumed that it would take no time, just like our first. Little did I know, at that time, that our journey as a family, and my own, towards conceiving a second child would be much different than the first, in almost every way.
After a year and a half of trying to conceive on our own, we sought help from the OBGYN, followed by another acupuncturist, followed by a fertility specialist…all with no success. When I first met Dr. Wu, she told me she felt I hadn’t taken care of myself properly since the birth of our son. As much as I was hoping just a little change in my diet would fix the “problem,” I would eventually learn that I had much more work and preparation to do than that.
Fast forward to more than a year and a half to today, when I can verify that she was right, but in a different way than I understood at first. Through working with Dr. Wu, I have, as she says, changed the course of my life. I better know how to take care of myself now through diet and lifestyle. In desperation to conceive, I can recall not even caring about any detriments I may incur to my own health, just so long as I was able to get pregnant and have a healthy baby. I have learned that first I must be committed to my own health and well being. I spent over a year working closely with Dr. Wu, preparing my body and mind for conception.
My favorite, and the most meaningful, time that has been spent with Dr. Wu has always been the conversations we’ve had. Dr. Wu has provided me with such life changing advice- sometimes in the form of sharing her own experiences, and other times simply opening my eyes to what was right in front of me. Her straight-forward communication style and sincere intent has and always will be such a huge factor in the more positive, educated, and healthy path my life has taken. The subtle, yet significant shifts in perspective as a result of my counseling with Dr. Wu have also allowed me to be able to help others- at work, in my personal life, and even providing support to others’ fertility journeys. I’ve found that now that I live with a more balanced body and mind, I have so much more to offer those around me.
After over a year of regular visits and a commitment to maintaining a healthy body and mind, I was ready. With the support of Dr. Wu and the invaluable staff at Wu’s Healing Center, along with the help of a wonderful fertility doctor, my husband and I were able to conceive after our very first IVF transfer. Thanks to all of the preparation that Dr. Wu had helped my husband and I to achieve prior to the transfer, from the beginning, the IVF process was more successful than expected at each stage.
We are now in our third trimester of pregnancy and are excited to meet our new little blessing soon. The journey to this moment may have been much longer than expected, but in retrospect, was greatly needed. Something I value most that I’ve learned has been to trust others. There are people in the world, such as Dr. Wu, who really do have your best interest at heart whether you choose to believe it or not. Before I met Dr. Wu, I believed no one could be more committed to what’s important to me than myself, but Dr. Wu has undoubtedly matched my commitment. (She even cancelled her own birthday vacation Hawaii to accommodate my IVF calendar!)
Dr. Wu and the staff at Wu’s Healing Center will always hold a special place in my heart, as they have all played such a large part of redirecting my journey, not solely to conception, but most importantly, to happiness and health.
Dominique (December 2015)
I didn’t actively try to have a baby until I was 40 because I assessed I wasn’t in the right situation to do so but I did freeze my eggs as I turned 40 just in case. Things changed that year and my fiance and I came together and it seemed like the right time. We got pregnant easily but we had to terminate our pregnancy at 11 weeks due to a genetic developmental issue. A few months later we got pregnant again and I miscarried at 5 weeks. At this point I decided I should put some good energy into it and put all the chances on our side since things weren’t just unfolding and I was 41 years old. I wasn’t quite ready to try using my frozen eggs. I wanted to see if we could go the natural route first.
This is when Dr Wu was recommended to us. She quickly told me that she could help and to wait three months before trying again. At that point I was about to turn 42 and that seemed like an eternity but I complied. I followed her dietary recommendations once I really put my mind to it. It took me a while to totally go with it because it felt like a lot: the weekly appointments, the many herbs, the lifestyle recommendations and nutrition. I definitely had to put it on the front burner of my life. When I did so however, I will say that I felt quite good.
We got pregnant naturally with our daughter at our first round of trying soon after and I felt like I had all this wind at my back under Dr Wu’s care. I had no morning sickness to speak of. I was a little low-energy and moody but functioned quite well in my first trimester. The second and now third trimester I have felt truly great. People are constantly telling me how radiant I am. People were sick all around me with the flu and I never got it and that is unusual for me.
Dr Wu was very clear about her instructions and the more I followed them the more I felt that I had all this life-force going to me and the baby. I feel very healthy and feel the baby alive and well. From advice on travel to infant care, she has been and undeniably strong ally to us in this process. It does require dedication on the part of the parents for sure.
It hasn’t always been easy for me to comply but when I think about it in terms of that I am doing all that I can to give my child the best chances of health for her entire life and that of her progeny I think: “Why would I not do this if I can?” It seems like the best gift one could give their child: to nourish them so well while all their organs are forming etc and setting them up as well as possible for the rest of their life. Dr Wu also assures me that this treatment will help the birth go as smoothly as possible as well as helping my milk come in etc.
I am now 33 weeks pregnant and going strong. People are constantly remarking they are impressed how well I am doing and how strong, radiant and energetic I seem in my pregnancy. I literally feel like the force is with me in this pregnancy and it is wonderful to have this kind of support through such a vulnerable process.
Diana & Julien (October 2015)
After two years and a half of trying and almost no ovarian reserve, here we are at the end of our 15th week!
We had tried naturally for one year without success, so we decided to see a fertility specialist. They ran all the lab work and everything was alright for both of us. Like almost half of the couples struggling with infertility, our case was “unexplained”. Given my age (36 at the time) and all the normal lab results, we started different protocols beginning by the most conservative ones (ovarian stimulation, timed intercourse) and following with IUIs (five times) for one additional year, but none of those worked for us.
The next step was IVF. During a routine update of the lab work to start the treatment, we were all shocked to discover my AMH levels had suddenly and inexplicably dropped to 0.3, meaning almost no ovarian reserve. Doctors were truly sorry, saying this was very unusual but it had just happened. Nothing in my clinical picture could have predicted that. There was nothing left to do but trying an IVF, adapting the protocol to make it more aggressive, knowing our odds for success were now extremely low. We were devastated.
I had heard about Dr. Wu’s clinic from a friend but didn’t feel it was for me. I wasn’t ready for so many restrictions and weird exercises I saw my friend do. However, I knew they had a holistic approach, centered on wellness. I didn’t care about getting pregnant any more at this point. All I needed was something to make me feel better. So I made an appointment.
The very day of my first appointment with Dr. Wu, my cycle started in advance. That means my IVF cycle was on. So on my way to Dr. Wu’s office I had the fertility clinic calling with a thousand instructions, the insurance asking for paper work, the pharmacy saying the medication might not be there on time…I thought my head was going to explode.
When I told all this to Dr. Wu she listened very carefully and asked “So, when are you planning to start your IVF?”, and I answered “Today”. She opened those big eyes of hers I will never forget, saying “No! No! Your body is not ready! Doing it now would be like planting a seed in a field of snow”. (What???) Now I was not only devastated but also very confused. I collapsed.
She asked us to wait a few months to better prepare for the IVF but we were so anxious about this 0.3 number that haunted us day and night, by the minimal success percentages the doctors gave us, and by the idea that every day I would have less and less eggs, that we decided to try the IVF anyway. After 3 days we had to cancel our IVF because we only had one egg in spite of all the aggressive stimulation.
The next month my husband was away so we couldn’t try again, but In the meanwhile I became really curious about the traditional Chinese medicine. I borrowed Dr. Wu’s book from my friend and started asking questions. I have to admit I didn’t understand everything but it all started to make some sense to me.
My doctor had said it was ok to do acupuncture but recommended I didn’t take any herbs because she was not familiar with them and she was afraid they would interfere with the treatment. But Dr. Wu not only knew about Traditional Chinese Medicine, she was also familiar with the Western one. She had prescribed the herbs that would support my own protocol.
The truth is I’m not an expert in none of those medicines; hence, it was a matter of trust. It was our bet. So I said to myself “if all this does make any sense I am going to do it all the way”. I then decided to follow every direction: the herbs (yuck!), the food guidelines (really? Lamb twice a day, everyday?), the moxa (kind of smelly), the meditation (that was good!), etc. It was hard but I’m lucky to have a very supportive husband who was always there encouraging me and Dr. Wu is an incredible coach when you are able to open up and learn to listen.
When the time came for the next try of IVF, two months later,Dr. Wu said “doing it now would be like buying a house without money: you could sign the papers but you might not be able to pay the debt”. In spite of the progress I had made “warming up my body”, I was not ready and she insisted we wait one more month. It was a hard decision but we listened to her this time and waited. I was so anxious that I asked my doctor to have an ultrasound, even if we were not doing any treatment, just to see if I was still making any eggs. We were stunned to discover 10 follicles in the ultrasound. Ten!!
So we scheduled the IVF for the following month but we never got to do it, because one of those ten eggs got fertilized… naturally!
We are now at the end of week 15 and all the ultrasounds, genetic screenings and blood work show our little boy is growing healthily.
We are thankful to Dr. Wu and her caring team and proud of ourselves for all the hard work and the great results we have been able to achieve. It is an actual team work. Thank you, our families will forever be grateful to you.
Andrea Q. (August 2015)
When you find the right Acupuncturist, it can change your life for the better and Angela Wu did that for me.
I developed extremely high blood pressure after taking a new birth control pill. I had been taking the pills off and on to regulate my menstrual cycle since I was a teenager, as my cycle would fluctuate anywhere from 15 days to sometimes more than 45 days. I knew something was wrong with the new pills when I developed intense unwarranted rages. I found out from my doctor, rage was a know side effect of those pills. I stopped the pills and tried a different one. The effects of those pills made me feel like my eyes were bulging out of my head and I had pressure in my chest.
I went to see a cardiologist as my family has a history of heart problems. The cardiologist was not a good one. He basically told me I had high blood pressure, which was causing the bulging eye feeling and the chest pressure. I asked why I was having high blood pressure since I had never had a problem previously. His expert opinion was that I old and fat. He told me I would have to take blood pressure medication for the rest of my life.
I was 35 years old at the time and about 50 pounds overweight. I had been overweight since I was in my late teens and no major increase in weight had occurred ever to make me suddenly go from having normal blood pressure to having it go out of control. I thought about what had changed in my life and the only thing I had been doing differently was taking a new birth control pill. I stopped taking them immediately and then went to see the Wu.
I knew about Angela because my mother had been seeing her for back pain resulting from fractured vertebrae. Mom had been to many pain clinics, had undergone 2 rounds of med injections into her spine and had not improved at all. She could barely walk more than a block before she had to sit down from the pain. A friend suggested Angela after seeing all Mom was going through. Within 6 weeks, Mom could walk much farther and the pain was basically gone. After 2 years of Western medical failures, Angela had Mom feeling better by 6 treatments and walking longer and better in 6 weeks. I figured if she could help Mom, she might be able to help me.
Within a month, my blood pressure was back to normal and my cycle was mostly regular with only minor fluctuations meaning it was coming every 30 -34 days. No pills. No birth control or blood pressure medication. And I felt so much better.
I am now 43 and am still over weight. I had to stop regular session with Angela (which had come to be one session every 3 months or so for maintenance) because I moved to Southern California. My cycles have remained regular all this time. My blood pressure has had it’s ups and downs and more recently it was up but I have been seeing an acupuncturist near my home and it has come back down to normal again. No pills.
Angela Wu has made a significant difference in my life and my mother’s life. Her treatments work. And keep working. Thank you, Angela.
Jeannie M. (August 2015)
Angela Wu is just one of the people on earth you need to meet. Your life will be richer. I started seeing Dr. Wu over 18 years ago when I was just a couple of months pregnant with my daughter. While she didn’t help me with fertility, she most certainly helped me with pre and post natal care, including some post-partum issues. In my eyes, she quickly become my “primary care physician; in the most literal way. I continue benefitting from her care, and of course from her caring and talented staff’s care for many years until I wasn’t able to leave work for appointments and had a hiatus for several years.
Despite not be able to see her, I lived by so many principles I had learned from her. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2009, I knew I had to reconnect with my “guru”. At age 47, I know she would rather have had me come back to want to get pregnant, but her eyes got very wide when I told her why I was there. With her eternally positive attitude, I had no choice but to also focus only on healing and making the best choices for me. I knew my life depended on working with her.
Since the very trying time (5 surgeries in 3 years), I always felt like I was getting the best possible care, and therefore shot at regaining my health, working with Angela and staff. I believe she possesses a wisdom that goes beyond our human and impermanent shells, that facilitates personal peace.
I recently benefited from her wisdom with a problem I was having with a relationship with a close friend. Through Dr. Wu sharing her own personal experiences, I was able to identify what was important to me and reaffirm my commitment to this dear friendship.
I am forever grateful for my relationship with Angela Wu and recommend her for any and every person needing care.
Mrs. Lewis (June 2015)
It is very hard to put my experience with Dr. Wu into words. My overall experience at Wu’s Healing Center has been life changing. I came wanting a baby, but what I received is so much more. I have a deeper understanding of my body, my relationship to my body, and how I need to live my day-to-day life. More importantly, I have a better and more acute sense of myself. This understanding has been nurtured and guided by Dr. Angela Wu, one of the greatest teachers I have ever worked with. For me, the journey has been as rewarding as the outcome.
A few years back, I heard about Dr. Wu and was on a desperate quest to have a second baby. I was willing to do any treatment to have another baby and was fully prepared to do the right work, in conjunction with both Eastern and Western IVF treatments. What I quickly learned was that I had to prepare my body even before the process began. This wasn’t easy – I didn’t want to wait, I was eager to start.
At age 30, I was diagnosed with a diminished ovarian reserve. It was a huge shock and in retrospect, I realized that I was very angry with my body and myself. I had a hard time letting go of all the emotions. In time, Dr. Wu began to help me let go of this anger. Soon, my health was improving rapidly. I was losing weight and felt incredible. I drastically changed my diet and soon it wasn’t a sacrifice, but a new way of living. This new ‘way’ paid off for me (and my family) every single day.
I also consulted with Dr. Wu in regards to finding the right IVF doctor. I was grateful that to find a wonderful doctor to work with – a true expert. I was lucky to have a really wonderful team. They both mutually supported and respected each other and my endeavors in both Western and Eastern medicine. My follicle count improved and I soon began my first IVF cycle. Sadly, that cycle ended with a chemical pregnancy and tremendous heartache. Who could have ever predicted such an outcome? I was faced with the reality that I would have to start the IVF process all over again. I was at a major crossroads. I was being steered by pain and anger. We considered the possibility of egg banking. To me, this was the obvious choice. However, this was also a choice that came with great physical and emotional sacrifice. I had once again lost faith in my body and truly lost faith in the whole process.
Overcoming the fear to be able to complete the second cycle was only possible because I trusted Dr. Wu, and she took the time to listen. I had so much sadness and my treatments were a place of solace. My husband, my sisters, and even my mother were unable to understand everything I had gone through and what still lied ahead.
My focus on numbers, test results, and the side effects of the IVF cycle were very intense the second time around. During my sessions I was able to be honest, express my fears and together, we would reach a deeper understanding. I was able to complete one more IVF cycle and additional egg retrievals were not required. Dr. Wu often reminded me that all I needed was that one single healthy embryo.
Throughout this journey, I had to accept that everything was beyond my control. No matter how many cycles I completed, or however good the doctors are, I could not control the outcome. I compared myself to other women and wanted to have two, three or four embryos to work with.
After the retrieval, the lab work, and the testing, I had one healthy embryo. Of course, I was disappointed. The roller coaster after the retrieval process is brutal. During the ten-day period I really had to control my fears. Dr. Wu was with me every step of the way as we focused on healing my body from the drugs and all the procedures. We focused on the blessing and wonderful opportunity that this one healthy embryo presented for the future.
In a matter of months, I was ready for my transfer and was prepared for the testing and waiting that would be required. I was terrified. Throughout the many tears, Dr. Wu still listened. She acknowledged what I had been through, what I had lost, and the physical treatments helped me overcome some of the emotional anguish. My experiences had informed who I was, but I had to find a way to be present. I had to be open and accepting.
After multiple beta tests and a very long six weeks, the day of the ultrasound arrived and we heard a tiny, fluttering heartbeat. My one little embryo had made it and was indeed growing inside of me. I am now well on my way to my third trimester and will be welcoming another baby girl this summer.
I now feel the baby I so desperately wanted and at times thought was never possible, kicking and growing inside of me. I am so very grateful. My body is now much healthier and equipped to carry a healthy pregnancy. I still sometimes get scared and my acupuncture sessions help to realign me. Wu’s Healing Center is my safe haven.
While I would never wish for the heartache I have endured, this has been a great life lesson. I am grateful to have learned so much and I understand myself on a much deeper level. Dr. Wu is a great a teacher and requires you to look within yourself with questions worth asking. I know I would not have this baby kicking inside of me if she were not guiding us on this journey.
Doctors told Carol she couldn’t get pregnant with a high FSH level of 65.
When Carol came to Dr. Wu for treatment in 1994 she was 30 years old and had an FSH level so high doctors told her she couldn’t conceive. Troubled by hot flashes since she was 25, diagnosed as premenopausal at 28, she thought her chances of conceiving were slim. But by October 1996, Carol was pregnant, and she delivered a nine-pound baby boy in January 1997. In December 1998, she resumed treatment with Dr. Wu, conceived again in November 1999 with an FSH of 56, and delivered a health baby girl in August 2000.
Entering menopause at 50, Linda had abandoned hope of conceiving naturally.
With her menstrual cycles fluctuating between profuse and no flow and hot flashes a regular occurrence, Linda was entering menopause. A determination to conceive naturally made her chances of pregnancy slim from a Western perspective. But after coming for her first treatment in February 1998, Linda conceived naturally and delivered healthy twins in January 1999.
Sue had lost an ovary. With Greg’s low sperm count, the couple knew their chances of having a baby were slim.
Sue was 39 and Greg was 46 when the couple came to Dr. Wu for help conceiving in March 2000. Although her right ovary had been removed in 1988 — and despite Greg’s diagnosed low sperm count — Sue became pregnant in July 2000 and delivered a health baby.
Ellen’s fibroids had grown so large that doctors recommended she terminate her pregnancy.
Ellen came to Dr. Wu at 42. Her western diagnosis: endometriosis and fibroids the size of ping-pong balls. After miscarrying in February 1998, she received her first treatment in November 1998. In March 1999 she became pregnant, delivering a baby boy in November 1999. In May 2000, doctors found no trace of her fibroids.
Seven miscarriages and five unsuccessful in vitro fertilization cycles threatened Diane’s pregnancy hopes.
Doctors could not explain why Diane, 46, had experienced so many miscarriages and no success with Assisted Reproductive Techniques. She started treatment with Dr. Wu in February, was pregnancy in June 1998, and delivered a baby girl in February 1999.
And after 14 years of trying, Marie, 38, still wasn’t pregnant, and doctors didn’t know why.
Marie, 38, had been trying to conceive for 14 years. Doctors could find no medical reason for her lack of success. She came for her first treatment with Dr. Wu in June 1999. In July 1999 she became pregnant, delivering a healthy baby nine months later. Trying for a second child, Marie endured a miscarriage. She came back to see Dr. Wu and, after only three treatments, became pregnant. This time she carried the baby full-term. Dr. Wu is grateful to have been chosen as the baby’s god-grandmother.
