8 of 10

**Warning! Do not read if you don't like hearing about needles, or medical stuff in general**

Yesterday I had my eighth acupuncture/acupressure appointment. I've gotten used to paying more attention to my body in between sessions, so that when Dr. Zhou asks how my neck, shoulders, and headache are doing, I can tell him honestly. After all, I'm really the one who decides what he's going to do. After the wretched migraines last weekend, I told him about my sinus infection (which I swear I had done at the first appointment), and he started putting the needles into my nose and forehead. I don't like it. But, I have been feeling better! At least, I don't get those headaches anymore.

Anyway, yesterday, he put two needles in the skin next to my nose and one in my forehead (where my third eye would likely be) for the sinus infection; and for the neck and shoulder issues he put one in the top of my head, two in my temples, two in the base of my skull, and two in my hands. Then he connected them all to the battery and started the current. One thing I really like about the acupuncture is that it really encourages me to fully relax... because if I don't, the muscles hurt where the needle is. Apparently, contracting muscles don't like the needles, but relaxed muscles don't mind. Then I can just let my thoughts wander or fall asleep. It's really cool.

I realized I still didn't really know a whole lot about what Dr. Zhou was doing. I have this habit of learning as little as possible about medical procedures before they're done to me, because if I know what's going to happen, then I think about it too much (like the laser eye surgery -- I think knowing exactly what was going to happen made it all the more stressful. I really hated thinking that I could screw up my eye just by rubbing it too much. Did I mention I'm a worrywart?). Generally, if someone I trust has already done the research and still recommends it, that's enough for me.

I realize this is stupid, because usually when I do learn about the procedure it makes me feel more confident about it. For example, I used to be really worried about childbirth. I know zillions of women have survived the process multiple times, but geez! There's this line in Look Who's Talking (sic) where Kirstie Alley says something like "Try squeezing something the size of a watermellon out of an opening the size of a lemon and see how you feel!" Yeah, it pretty much sounds like the worst thing ever. And then, in college, I took a human development class, and we watched a video that showed four different women giving birth (one natural childbirth first-time mom, one epidural first-time mom, one natural childbirth third-time mom, and a c-section), and I saw it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined. The human body is apparently waaaaay more stretchy and adaptable than I'd given it credit for. The more I learn the less I worry, though it in no way looks easy or fun. But I am far less afraid of giving birth to my children. Raising them will likely be the really scary part.

But I digress. After Dr. Zhou inserted the needles into my hands, I lifted up my right hand and took a look. Huh. Sure enough there was a needle sticking out. The doc asked what I was doing, and I said, "I haven't really looked before." He was surprised and said I was "a strong woman". He is a very nice, older, Chinese man, and the language is a bit of a barrier. He went into some sort of compliment about how when he cuts up cadavers at the school where he teaches some of his students faint, but I didn't understand part of what he was saying. I got the feeling he was impressed that I hadn't freaked out from the needle. (I must say though, that cutting into a cadaver and practicing on a live person are very different things in my mind. I didn't mind dissecting dead frogs, sharks and worms in Zoology, but I'm not interested in working on live animals, even if they are sedated.)

After he was done and started taking the needles out, I asked him to show me one and how much of it he actually inserted into my body. The needle he stuck into my hand was, of course, longer than the ones he put in my nose and top of the head. I was a bit surprised at how much of each needle went in, though I took it in stride. I told the doc I have a lot of faith that he knew what he was doing. He seemed pleased. All I know is this stuff makes my body feel much, much better! If only I could feel so good all the time.

Only two appointments left!