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January 30, 2007

Taste of the Bitter (Eastern) Medicine

Accupuncture has now morphed into needles + ingestion of bitter medicinal tea + skin cupping in an effort to aid my IBS as well as my migraines. While IBS symptoms and migraines are in two very seperate parts of my body, I do know that migraines aggravate my IBS. It might be that stress is a trigger/ agitator of both or that the migraines adds to my bowel tensing. Either way, its just another pain that I must live with and accupuncture/eastern medicine has attempted to aid in its remedy.
I last wrote about the needles (YIKES!) and how they did make me feel a bit different. Overall, I would say the last few weeks have been very body stress free. Ingesting the tea was almost worse than the needles. Imagine coffee brewing for two days then left out for another 24 hours. It took me an entire episode of Will and Grace on rerun to finish the serving. Within 12 hours my colon reared, not being used to the cleansing nature of the medicine. My insides churned continuously for two days -- nothing us veterns aren't used to, but in the end I felt a whole enema cleaner.
Would I do it again? Jury's still out. I think I have to get to the point where my body accepts it as a part of my normal diet. Getting to that point isn't easy with meetings, conferences and lunches. Maybe I can take a week off.
"Boss, I shall be working from home this week so that I may run continuously to the bathroom and evacute the bitter tea unsticking unmentionables from my colon. Thanks."
Next time: Skin Cupping

Posted by Christine at 10:29 PM | Comments (34)

January 12, 2007

A New Strategy: Accupuncture

I'm willing to try anything once if I think there is a good chance it can help to improve my IBS. Accupuncture isdefinitely one treatment that takes a slight leap of faith. Needles? All over my body? Yes, I was desperate.

I got this card of a Eastern Medicine practice from a co-worker. The office was right across the street and my insurance covered it with a small copay. My co-worker insisted that I give it a chance and go the first session with an open mind. Appointment made. I meet an older Asian gentleman with a slight accent. To tell you the truth, that made me feel better especially when he started describing the energy of my body. He believed it whole heartedly - and not just because he learned it from formal education, but because he lived it. Fully clothed, I stood in front of him as he pushed on various spots on my body. I'm still anxious for the needles, secretly hoping that the introduction session doesn't include any real ones. Then he requested that I lay on the bench, still fully clothed.

If you've seen the last season of Sex and the City, you'll remember Charlette's accupuncture sessions to remedy infertility. You'll also remember her having a breakdown in the middle of the session and running out with dozens of needles poking out of her face. That scene played over and over in my mind as the doctor placed the first needle on the top of my hand - giving the head of the needle a "flick" to puncture my skin. "OUCH", I said. Ok, so I was being a bit of a baby. It didn't really hurt, more like a pinch. Another dozen pinches later (few on my face, few on my hands, few on my feet) the doctor tells me to relax for ten minutes and suddenly the image of Charlette pops back into my head. You have to understand the unexpected claustrophobia that can come with having needles sticking out of you and every movement results in a little pain.
After forcing myself to breathe, the ten minutes passed. The results? The following day resulted in regularity and this odd relaxing sensation that lingered.

We'll have to see about second session.

Posted by Christine at 12:54 AM | Comments (1086)