Acupuncture visit #2.

They called on Monday to tell me they had a cancellation for this week.  Actually, they had 4 cancellations for me to choose from.  I made my choice and hustled off to Cruces this afternoon. 
I managed to get there with just 10 minutes to spare and was escorted to the exam room.  It took the Doctor a while to get to me as he was diligently working with another patient.  I could hear them talking and while I couldn't understand most of it, I knew they were working on medical things. 
When he got to my room, we talked about how the last treatment made me feel, what helped, what didn't.  He asked a number of further questions and explained that several of the issues that I have are coming actually from the mess that my neck is.  That is manifesting itself in many issues that take place on my left side.  He asked questions about digestive issues. (TMI wont go into detail)  I answered and he explained again that those things take place on my left side.. again back to my neck.  We discussed the issues with my left knee as my ankle has stopped swelling and is feeling somewhat better (some new shoes will help that as well)  and he tested out my knee.  Then we got to the actual session of acupuncture.  It amazes me that he can push and poke HERE and I tell him YIKES THAT hurts... ...... and then inserts needles over THERE.. then when he goes back to push and poke HERE.. it feels absolutely wonderful. 

Today, after inserting the needles, he put the heat lamp again on my shoulder, one over my stomach, and my feet in a warming box and left me to it for over 30 mintues.  With in minutes I was "floating"  What a wonderful feeling.  Just enough warmth all around me to make me feel like I was on a cloud, my mind drifted away on the sea of beautiful music playing and I floated in and out of napping. 
When he finally came back in and asked if I had had any discomfort, I told him it was wonderful and I felt as if I was floating.  He said "ahhhh then it is working the way it is supposed to" 

This trip I also left with a handful of "pills"  What are actually better known as supplements, called Relaxed Wanderer to take 2 times a day till I return on the 7th of August.  We will then discuss how this has or has not helped my "digestive  issues" 

I would honestly do this every day I believe.  I cant wait now to go to bed and see how I feel in the morning and see how well I sleep. 

More updates to come.

Acupuncture treatment in the sunny South West

     Yes, today I went in to a new doctor.  I went to the Chinese Medical Clinic in Las Cruces to see Dr Nakano.  I originally scheduled the after getting back from our trip to California where my feet and legs were so swollen that I couldn't get my shoes back on for days.  I went immediately to my family doctor who gave me a prescription of Lasix to pull the fluid off.  I took it for about 5 days of the 2 weeks but it mace me feel so awful, I quit.  The prescription was really not doing that much for me anyway. 

It took me a month to get in to Dr. Nakano as he is apparently very busy.  By the time today rolled around and I was filling out the "Why are you here" paperwork I included the pain I have in my left shoulder as well as the on going swelling in my left leg. 

When I was called to the exam room, I waited about 10 minutes until the doctor came in.  He went over my chart, asked me a few questions and then had me lay on my left side, where he started putting pressure on different spots of my neck and shoulder and around my shoulder blade.

He then started in the middle of my head and in my neck. and various other places He, then, rechecked some of the areas that I had showed pain from before.  Already, the pain was much, much less that it had been. 

He put a heat lamp on my shoulder for about 20 minutes and I just laid there in peace and soothing music.  I was so sorry to wake up and sit back up to rejoin my day. 

When we retested the tender spots,  there were almost NONE!!!!!  Well, not on that side anyway.  I can also say that my feet and ankles already don't hurt the way they did yesterday. 

I will go back to see him a few more times as acupuncture is definitely not a quick fix as many of us in America expect to get out of a pill or surgery or such from our western medical doctors.  This will be more like pealing an onion, to get past the symptoms and down to the honest to goodness ROOT of the problem.  Now, I plan to head for bed to see if a good nights sleep might just be in order!!!

For anyone else who wants to follow me on this journey, let me know, and I will post further episodes of my acupuncture adventure.