Today, in one last ditch effort to alleviate my sinus symptoms before scheduling surgery, I ventured to the burbs to try acupuncture. I drove out to see this Dr. who is trained in both Eastern and Western medicine, giving him a more balanced opinion of how to address an issue. Let's call him The Medicine Man (MM for short).
The Medicine Man is a man of a heavy accent and few words. Shortly after I arrived, he led me to a room and asked me to lie down on the exam bed dealy. After asking me several questions about my history, symptoms, etc. and taking my pulse a few times, he held up a container of needles--it was go time. Now, I've been giving myself my allergy shots for about five years, so I have no problem with needles. But not knowing what to expect, I admit I was a little anxious. So I held my breath as he tapped the first one in. It kind of seemed like he was lining up a blow dart, then tapping a needle into place. The first 'dart' was inserted on the right side of my nose. I could barely feel it. MM proceeded with eight more needles--four more on my face and two on each forearm. They were all placed symmetrically, with the extra one in the middle of my forehead. Some were a little bit uncomfortable, but most of all, there was just the sensation of something "being there." MM centered some kind of heater over my stomach and hands. He worked quietly, and I only knew he was done placing everything because he finally said, "Ok, now you relax for 30-40 minutes."
Um... ok...
So I listened to the plunky guitar music and tried very hard to find relaxation. This was... difficult at first.
The next thing I noticed was that I could see one of the needles in my peripheral vision. MM had placed a needle on each side of my face between my upper lip and nose, where my smile lines live. I could see the left one of of the corner of my eye as if it were a whisker. But the weird part was that it was pulsing with my heartbeat. I could feel it in my chest as I watched it wiggle on my face. I watched that for a while, somewhere between creeped out and fascinated.
I finally started to drift in and out of rest, finding the calm but wanting to stay awake and aware. I let my mind wander, and for a while, I was pretty deep in relaxation.
Then I was wide awake again, wondering how much time had passed. I couldn't see a clock from where I was, and I certainly wasn't going to start moving my head around. So I lay there, wondering if someone would come in soon or if they'd forget and just leave me there all day, later laughing at the needle face girl who didn't know it had been three hours. Oh, my imagination. Some minor keyed, still plunky version of "Green Sleeves" entertained me a bit longer until MM opened the door. He pulled out my whiskers and the other needles--a sensation like someone pulling a thread out of your skin--and asked me how I felt.
Lying on my back in the middle of the day usually makes my head feel like it's going to explode. But honestly, I could breath pretty clearly. I maintained the heavy, 'someone threw a towel into the guitar that is my head' feeling, but the air was passing in and out of my nose better than usual.
MM asked me a few more questions about how I felt, and then the man of few words said the last thing I ever thought he would say.
"I would have the surgery."
My East meets West Medicine Man didn't tell me to take herbs or to see him eight more times before assessing. He told me that my problem can only be cured by "cutting." Of course, he wants me to come back next week with my new CT scan so that he can help me through the rest of the month. And I'll do it. Probably. Because it can't hurt. And right now, I'm already back to Stuffy McStuffertonville.
But I was absolutely not expecting MM to provide such a clear cut answer. Not only do I appreciate his honesty, but I finally feel that I have exhausted every alternative option from around the world. With this puzzle piece, I can be confident that I'm not rushing into a solution, and I'm not choosing the riskier option. I'm choosing the very best one.
So tomorrow, I will have my scan, ask my final questions, and if all goes smoothly, I will pick my date. And that will be exciting.
Thank you, Medicine Man.
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