SRD12 & 13 The Clinic

A/N: Life as a detoxing, shoulder rehabbing, therapeutic cooking, non-teaching Pilates instructor is so busy I'm falling behind on my blog! If you're reading this I'm pleased. If you would care to comment I would be even more pleased.

I arrived at the acupuncture clinic a little before 9 to fill out my paperwork. While I checked the appropriate boxes and signed the various consent forms required for free acupuncture, I noticed a little table near the door was slowly being covered with baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables, tubs of chunky peanut butter, and plates piled high with whole grain rolls. A large metal bowl filled with freshly picked spring mix sat next to two small jars of salad dressing. Smaller bowls held two different types of roasted vegetable salad. The food smelled fantastic even though I was too full to eat any of it.

The acupuncture clinic flyer had promised breakfast, but when I read "breakfast" I visualized cheap, store bought danish and weak coffee. So I still made a point of getting up early enough to eat my own home cooked steel cut oats with goat yogurt, walnuts, fresh blueberries, and maple syrup. As other participants filled their plates with wholesome goodies, I had to admit I hadn't expected the people taking advantage of free acupuncture for withdrawal symptoms would partake of such excellent fare. I guess I'm a food snob.

Because it was my first time there, I had to speak with a counselor before I could have a treatment. Amanda led me down a long hall to her office. She asked me very little about why I was there and seemed most concerned that I consider the psychological impact of being disabled and unable to work. I considered both and admitted that they suck.

Having met all the requirements for treatment, I followed Hope, the clinic's acupuncturist, to the treatment room. I soaked a cotton ball with alcohol, as previously instructed, and rubbed both ears clean. Hope handed me a piece of paper with the number "7" written on it and a clean cotton ball. I sat on a stool while she inserted seven needles; two in my right hand (for the pain in my shoulder), two in my right ear, and three in my left ear. Then I moved to one of the large, comfy chairs lining three sides of the room and sat in near silence just like the other 10 or 12 people with needles stuck in their ears.

Talking is actively discouraged in the treatment room. Most people seem to just close their eyes and chill. I took their suggestion and did the same. I've had acupuncture many times before so I wasn't surprised by the sudden calm. It was extremely refreshing to feel like I could relax in my own skin for a change. Next to nausea, feeling irritable and jumpy is the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. I sat back and enjoyed a vacation from those unpleasant feelings for about 40 minutes.

When I felt finished, I pulled the needles out of my hand and used a mirror at the front of the room to remove the needles from my ears. I stuck the needles into the cotton ball and showed them to Hope before dropping the whole thing into a container hanging on the wall.

I stopped by the reception office to say goodbye and made a little peanut butter on whole grain roll for the road. I still wasn't hungry but it seemed such a shame not to enjoy some of the bounty.

I had decided to try walking home. I stopped about halfway to take my 10:30 AM dose of Percoset, pleased I hadn't been looking at my watch for the past 15 minutes willing the time to pass.

Next up: afternoon is always the worst