Healing...

Healing after an injury takes on new meaning when living in Taiwan.

First, seeing my doctor (or anyone medically) can be challenging because I don't speak Chinese other than numbers, several phrases and many words out of context. I can ask for a glass of water or beer, no problem. But telling a doctor what the pain is like is a whole other thing.

Second, acupuncture here is so much cheaper and easier to do. I go to see my Chinese medicine doctor every other day for acupuncture and it costs me about $3 US each time. I just walk in, have never waited more than 5 minutes and I'm usually out the door within 30 minutes. Hurts like a bitch but I do see some improvement. I cry each and every time because he doesn't stop pushing those needles until he hits that spot just right. Bingo!

Here's the conversation I had with him on Monday about the pain. (I'm red, he's blue.)

How do you know exactly where to put that needle? Is the point to inflict the most pain?

I know when I reach the pain I am doing it right. When I was a student, I had to practice on myself.

That's crazy! Do you know what the word "sadist" means?

No, what is this word?

It means someone who enjoys inflicting or giving pain.

The pain is part of the healing. I know BINGO I am doing it right. (he had a little smile on his face here and he really said "Bingo")

I understand that but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. If you are a sadist, then that makes me a masochist. That means that I take the pain you give and I keep coming back.

That makes us the perfect couple.

I have to say I'm looking forward to breaking up with you.

There is still inflammation in the muscles around my shoulder and not using those muscles for the past 8+ weeks has made motion a challenge but the acupuncture is releasing those muscles and the levels of pain have gone down. I'll suck it up and look forward to NOT crying when I visit him and to not having to go see him every other day.

Finally, I was introduced (thanks Linda and Maurice) to a Taiwanese man who is a healer. I can hear you right now. Acupuncture? Healer? What a bunch of hooey! Well, don't knock it til you try it. David, that's the healer, is this thin and gentle man that has healing powers. How do I know this? Well, the first time, all he did was cup his hands gently around my shoulder and I could feel the warmth. After a few seconds, his hands became hotter and hotter and then I could feel this pulsing of energy coming from his hands into my shoulder and down my arm. It was crazy! For the first time since this accident, I felt a release of pressure in my shoulder. He did this for about 20 minutes and I had less crazy pain for about 24 hours.

I saw him again 3 nights later because I was in lots of pain on Sunday. He spent about an hour working on me trying to balance my energy and releasing my chi gates. We have these energy centers in our body and an injury can block the flow of that energy. Some of this is actually painful. At one point he was pressing into my sternum while pressing into my spine and then he did the same on my wrists and fingertips. Ouchy but the relief after is amazing!

I know this might sound crazy to some of you but after spending about 90 minutes with David both with him working on me and us chatting, I felt better. The pain was less and I felt balanced somehow. Here's an example. I have this one spot on my back near my right shoulder blade that hurts pretty much all the time. It's where stress and tension live in my body. My daughters know that spot well because, since they were little, I have had them rub, press and elbow this spot to give me some relief.

Well, David found that spot and pressed on 2 places - my neck and the shoulder blade. He only pressed for a couple of minutes on each spot then cupped his crazy warm hands over both spots. I literally felt that spot release. I have spent hours in massage and yoga trying to do just that and he found it and dealt with it in less than 10 minutes. He said the release wouldn't last forever but that with time we could get it where it lasts for longer and longer periods of time. Yay to that!

I see him again tonight and will for the next few nights.  Here's hoping that those healing hands get me on my way to good health.  Western medicine was only doing so much and all I got in response to still having pain is, "Here, take some pain meds." Or, "You need to be patient." With acupuncture and David, I feel like the pain is less and I feel a little better every day. I'll do whatever it takes.