Clinic Shift - Day #3

We were assigned the out-patient acupunture department today. It is in the same cooridor as yesterday but with a different Doctor and interns. OUr Doctor today is a very famous woman Doctor in China. Her specialty is curing facial spasms, facial paralysis and stroke victims. She does this with mostly acupunture and does use some herbs. THis is amazing to me.

This department was full and many people came and were treated quickly. They have to pay at the cashier's department on the ground floor and bring their recipt to the clinic. WHen I saw clinic I mean a small hospital room. There are 7 old, broken down, dirty wicker high back chairs. There is a small half room partition with 3 beds in the back. Their is one ceiling fans and the windows are open. That's the "department" and clinic that we work in.

There is only room for the doctors, the students and the pateints. Family come in but are quickly shooed out. They can stay for a little bit if their family member can't talk. They have to leave once the doctor gets the information she needs.

We had two translators with us today. One translates what the doctor is telling us and the other translates the Chinese acupuncture names (like "He Gu") to the numbering system we use in America (like "LI4"). The problem for this second tranlator was that we have to know the Chinese name so we were helping her with American name. She did help us because this Doctor uses her own points and she could help explain those to us.

We also do cupping (using glass and bamboo cups to suction up the Qi and get the blood circulating), TDP lamp (a small portable heat lamp that also helps move the blood and qi), moxibustion (the use of the Chinese Herb called "mugwort")and e-stim for the acupunture points. She let us watch the first 12 patients and then we had to start to needle. Sheila went first and said it was very different than what we do in our clinic in Phoenix. Since they re-use and sharpened the needles, then tend to become dull over time. THerefore, you have to just about stab them. YIkes!

So, I got to start stabbing (ah, needling) this morning. I think that the Chinese think that it's very odd to have an American do acupuncutre on them while in China. The woman survived my technique and seemed to be okay. We treated her for TMJ and I put in these needles: SJ5 Wei Guan, LI4 He Gu, ST36 Zu San Li, SP6 San Yin Jiao and Liv3 Tai Chong.

We have an afternoon lecture on Ghost Points and Bi Syndrome. This is a discussion about treating Mental Health issues and pain issues. I'm very much looking forward to this lecture.

Well, today the earthquake reached our little clinic. We treated a woman from the earthquake zone. Her entire village was wiped out and she's one of the few survivors. We treated her leg and foot. It got very quiet when she was introduced. Everyone totally respected her. Also, one of our translators is from another village in the earthquake zone and her village too was totally wiped out too. She was studying at the university when the earthquake hit. She said that all of her family (mom, dad and granparents) are alive and heading to Chengdu.

People - we are so amazingly lucky and blessed in the US. Please, after you read this entry, go to the people you love, hug them, tell them that you love them and go out and enjoy yourselves. I can't begin to tell you what it's like here but we are very, very fortunate ni America.

I'm glad that I'm here and can help in my little way and that I can be your eyes and ears. I'll try to add more pictures this week-end.

Love, peace and joy,

Donna