Inquiring Minds Want To Know!
I can't even count how many times a relatively new-ish patient will ask me why I got interested in Asian medicine. After all, it is obvious I don't come from a long tradition of Chinese medicine, which you can see by looking at me. While that is quite true, the reality is that my mother was the one to introduce me to Chinese herbology and naprapathy when I was in high school.
I loved my naprapath! He was a big bear of a man, and did some soft tissue manipulation as well as chiropractic-type adjustments. In high school, I was very active in sports, particularly rowing. I was part of the Lincoln Park Boat Club as they youngest member at age 15. All that pulling an oar in one direction caused a twist in my spine that was so painful, I stood up during class time at school. Once I had met my naprapath, he set me straight, and always finished each treatment by saying "now you are going to feel great, so don't get dangerous!" Oh, I loved his spirit.
My introduction to Chinese herbs came a few years later, during my first year of college. I had some serious digestive problems, including bleeding. At first, the school clinic thought it was colon cancer, which thank GOODNESS was not a correct diagnosis, but I was put on high doses of prednisone just the same. If you have been under my care for any duration, we may have had a discussion about my feelings about prednisone. It is a magical drug in its efficacy, but every time I have had to take it, I feel like I am bargaining away one more year of my life. It is such a dangerous drug with many consequences.
After suffering a lot during that first college year, during summer vacation, my mom hauled me down to Chinatown in Chicago to consult with a doctor. He didn't speak a lick of English, but I remember him looking at my tongue, feeling my pulse, puling down and looking at my eyelids, and voila! Here are your herbs! Boil them up, drink them down. Whew, they tasted terrible! In fact, my suspicion was that Chinese herbs worked by tasting so bad that you talked yourself into feeling better. Which I did. My symptoms waned eventually, and I could stop that tasty elixir. (Chinese herbs actual do elicit positive health changes; it is not magic or a placebo.)
The first time I had acupuncture was also during my college days. I studied dance at college, and had a minor pulled muscle in my back. Someone must have suggested acupuncture, so I found the yellow pages (do you know what this is, reader?), looked at all the names of doctors, and found one that resonated with me. -- You would be surprised at how often this is how people choose their doctors! -- A lovely woman, Nancy Rakela, took care of my back. I remember being very impressed that she knew so much about the body, about herbs, about health in general, as well as being a kind and warm person.
While I never intended to follow this path, it was a winding one, I am so happy to be able to share it with people and help them in their journey to vibrant wellness.
