June 4th, 2005
OK OK, I know I've been slackin' off about the blog, but we have only done short stuff lately and well, I just haven't been motivated. Maybe I've been too hot? Well, here is the first of a few things that we did in June, that I hadn't recorded.

Since we were here in the midst of Asian culture, we decided one day to go with some of our friends to a Free Clinic to try Accupuncture. I had a shoulder that had been bothering me from a climbing accident and a cycling crash here! And my elbow was really bothering me from when Jeremy and I were tubing with Uncle Bob on the lake and it got hyper extended. So, I thought, OK, I have some latent injuries that would be nice if they would clear up. Jeremy, who was very skeptical of this 'asian magic' had also messed up his shoulder in a cycling accident, and our friend Adrian has back problems. So, why not go with friends!

I thought I was going to pass out, watching them insert the needles into Jeremy, and when the needles were inserted into me, it didn't hurt persay, but there was definatly a tingling sensation when she connected the nerves or whatever she did.



She is trying to pin point (no pun intended) the actual location of the persistant pain I had been having before inserting any needles.


And then somehow by connecting points on the body, the needles release the badness in the problem area and allow it to feel better. There are 4 needles, can you see them? She drew blood with the one on my Left arm...I couldn't move to see it b/c of the needle in my neck, but I felt it running down my arm!


And Jer took a close up of the one in my neck.


Adrian has lower back problems so his accupuncture was a little bit different, plus, he's been thru this a few times so they could use more aggressive methods on him.


Under these wooden cups, are needles inserted into specific locations. Then, the accupuncturist, lit something to create fire and thereby a vaccuum sucking the cups down onto his back.


And this needle in the back of his leg was connecting something in his back. Each of the proceedures leaves you laying around or sitting, depending on your injury location, for about a half an hour. It ends up being somewhat relaxing, as long as you don't move.


When the cups were removed from Adrian's back, he ended up with these'hickies' that stayed with him for most of the day!


And as we were leaving the clinic we saw this Mobile Clinic van outside. So, we took a peek.


Inside were all these bottles of medicines.


Inside the van from another angle.

At the end of our sessions we were instructed to eat something, to avoid caffein and icy cold drinks, and were also instructed to drink this black liquid that tasted just horrible and swallow several pills with each meal...(3x/day). The 'medicine' was supposed to aid in the accupuncture process of healing you faster. But, Jeremy stopped taking his meds after the first dose I think. Adrian took his first dose and grimmaced...he never finishes his meds, and I really gave it a valiant effort to finish my course of meds...but admittadly, did not...however, I took more than anyone else in this bunch!

Whether due to accupuncture, time, or pysical therapy, both Jeremy and my shoulders are much improved (not 100%) but we are climbing on them and mtn biking again, and my elbow gives me much less problems now, finally after almost 7 months of healing!

Even though this was a Free Clinic, Jeremy and I donated $10 each for services rendered!

© December 6, 2008