The Wonders of Ancient Medicine

The weather has made it's sudden turn to 'sub-tropical' winter. Last week we were sitting in the mid to high twenties and still sweating. This week, sweaters, winter coats and space heaters are being pulled out of the cupboards. Normally I would be wingeing about this, and don't worry, I promise I will be shortly, but this time of year it is a bit different. Somehow, coming into the house sweating, and turning on the Christmas lights, just didn't feel right. The cold works for now. I actually feel a little bit festive. It helps that I have TWO packages under my tree awaiting my eager fingers. That's right, both my parents have stepped up this year. My mom didn't bring forth some house stuff that she bought me two years ago and "Call it my Christmas present!" Goddess bless her!!

So my knees have been a bit buggered since the whole 'fall on the kid' incident. Limping and favouring my other leg for a week from the bruise was enough to feck up the other leg. Have I mentioned I have shoddy knees? So I was gimping around my classroom at my evening job last week when one of the mom's asked about it. She told me that her mother couldn't walk from bad knees, went to this Chinese doctor, and miracle of all miracles, she can walk!! She offered to take me. I love this about Taiwan. I have seen this lady once a week for the past 6 months. Her daughter is one student of 26, and she is one parent of 10 that watches the class. I have never spoken directly to her, but she offered to pick me up at 9:30 on a Saturday morning to take me to a Chinese doctor.

I generally decline these gestures. As kind as they are, they often play out as awkward, drawn out events that don't end up with desired results anyway. But I need to do something about my knees, so I accepted graciously.

I woke up at 9 with a few butterflies. My trips to Chinese doctors have usually been excruciatingly painful. It is also a completely different pain than any pain I felt back home. My massage therapist back home used to commend me on my pain tolerance, and here I am a complete pussy!! Anyway, I head downstairs, and they pull up in their giant Lexus SUV. Husband is driving, mom in the passenger seat, and me in the back with my painfully shy student, Grace. A family affair!

We hit the doc. He tells me what I already know about the one knee, recommends 10 days no exercise, and some Chinese medicine patches. He takes a look at the other knee. He pushes the same spot that was painful on the other knee, and it is not as painful. He finds another spot...HELLO!! He tells me I have liver problems. Yeah, you can tell this from my knee. So then he pushes a spot on my chest. On the top righthand area of my cleavage. Before I could slap him for being a perv I am smacked upside the head with pain. When he pushes the spot on my chest, neither spot on my knee hurts when he pushes them. I don't have the spot on the other side of my chest. He shows me the meridian that runs down my torso, and shows me another spot that hurts...Thanks! When I tell him that I am recovering from food poisoning, he nodds knowingly...He knows!! Lots of water, fresh fruit, don't stay up so late and massage the spot on my chest (no I am not copping a feel, no, I don't need any help!)

I have always believed that Eastern medicine offers a different perspective to our Western prescription, surgery based approach. I have seen my students and friends pouring all kinds of sick looking powders and concoctions down their throats in the name of Chinese medicine, so I have developed a healthy dose of skepticism, as well. But these guys can stick 3 fingers on your pulse and tell you that you eat too many carbs, it is good that you don't eat meat, keep up with the exercise, don't think so much, get more sleep and phone your mother more! It is seriously creepy sometimes!! It is too bad that there isn't more cases where east meets west and we get the best of both world!!