14 needles later...

I had my first visit with my accupuncturist yesterday morning. There was a pretty thorough intake interview with her. It was very easy to talk to her because I have known her a few years personally. We met her and her partner through Good Friend Beth and have seen them socially over the years. They were at our wedding. Incidentally, GFB will be in town this weekend and we will all play some sort of meetup tag.

So I am up on the table and remaining relatively calm. I hear the needles being dropped onto their holding dish. This is where my eyes close. I want to know about the process, but I don't, at this point, want to be seeing and ginormous needles.

She began by rolling my pants up to my knees, all the while maintaining a soft and gentle contact and conversation. The first 4 needles went into my legs below the knee. And really, not at all bad, almost an invisible sort of intrusion. I had opened my eyes again as she was working lower legs ad I couldn't see what was going on down there.

There is a gentle swabbing of alcohol on the area preceding the next stick. A couple needles in or near each wrist. Then, the alcohol is swabbed between my eyes. Abruptly, my eyes were closed again because hey, I really don't need to see these needles yet.

There was next swabbing on the crown of my head and I didn't even feel that needle (needles?) I easily could have gotten these out of order, All I know is where they were going, and I was rather focused on counting how many because my curiosity was raised, but also because it let me not focus on needles of any sort sticking me.

The last few needles? 2 in each ear. This immediately took me back about 18 years. I was eoither still pregnant with Connor or I had just had him, a young naive 25 (right...), and wussy as all get out about even the slightest discomfort.

I had a terrible ear infection and in order to place a drainage tube, the doc needed to numb my ear. I don't think novacaine works on ears. I had nine shots in my ear that day and I screamed like a banshee for each one. Blood curdling screams that disturbed the entire hospital at LAFB, and brought my wasband running from the waiting room. He knew it was me.

The first three shots were within my ear like three points of a triangle. They were as far out and apart as they could be and still be within my ear.. 15 minutes later, three more came somewhat closer in and no, the first three did nothing to alleviate the pain of the second three or to lessen my screams. Then 15 minutes, later, three more closer in to the center of my ear. More of the same screaming and my wasband was holding me down on the table. He challenged the doc, his superior in the technical sense, because the doc wanted to restrain me or have a couple orderlies holding me down which Steven flat out declined insiting he could hold me still. He could, but he couldn't do that *and* cover my mouth, so the screaming ensued. He later told me he thought he might have permanent hearing damage from being so close, but that was long enough after, when we could joke about it.

So I had that mini-trauma while I was up on the accupuncture table and it was enough to distract me from the needles entering my ear. Those were a subtle pinch, but nothing more. And I didn't scream. But it was weird having thought about something so long ago that had little been thought about since.

The needles took about 5 minutes to set up, and then I was to stay put and relax for 20 minutes for them to start doing there thing. The table is heated and I was very relaxed.

As is my involuntary habit, at one point I flexed my foot slightly, or rather tried to (involuntarily). I do it unconsciously all the time, because my ankles and feet constantly need to crack. I am always pointing and flexing my feet. As my foot moved, I was brought a little out of my relaxation. I could feel tha path of the needles. I was the rest of the time telling myself "Don't flex your feet...don't flex your feet..."

It was really weird to feel the path connecting the needles that were so far apart on my body.

part two of my treatment is herbs. That dissolve in boiling water. That I then have to drink as "tea". We all know that tea whore that I am, these herbs do not make real tea. Nope. And, I was warned that it might be pretty awful.

This morning I started my herbal tea regimen. Two packets of Bai Shao, and one each of the following; Bai Zhu, Zhi Gan Cao, Dang Gui, Rou Dou Kou, Rou Gui, Dang Shen, He Zi, and Mu Xiang. The 10 little packets are blented together in a bowl and then boiling water, about 1 1/2 quarts, is added to make some yummy herbal tea. One of the packets translates to cinnamon, so I had hope. Elizabeth hollering "What's that smell?" wasn't terribly helpful. (okay, she didn't yell it and she didn't smell it until her nose was right over the bottle, but I did make her smell it first, and she gave a nice ewww.)

I am to make the tea in the morning and then divide it to have a portion after each meal. I did my duty and got it ready thid morning and drank the first dose when I got to work. If I have to find a word to describe it, it's a bit nutty. Sort of like drinking tea I thought I might like but was terribly wrong about it, but drinking it anyway. Not pleasant, but not even close to dreadful either. Of course that I have to drink it a few times a day might change my opinion of it.

So the new journey toward wellness has begin and I have hope. Time to drink some herb tea and google some herbs.