Acupuncture - image property of Dr. Lisa Africk

So I recieved my very first acupuncture treatment today. Ya know, needlework. Now that was an interesting, yet kinda boring and nervous experience. First of all, let me just say that I really don’t care much for so-called “alternative treatment” or “alternative medicine”. I just don’t. I just let those who believe in it go about their business. If it works for them mentally, so be it. With that said, I think I need to recap why on Earth I went to an acupuncture treatment.

A couple of weeks ago, Jarle Refsnes called during those morning hours when my mother has already left for work and I’m still at home, about to go to work myself. And yes, I’m 25, and I still live with my mom. So sue me. Anyway, this guy had been childhood friends with my mom, as well as treating her for some of her back pains (last resort type of treatment, really) a few years back. He was wanting to check up on her to see if she could use a follow-up treatment, but as I said, she had already left for work when he called. And at that time, I was also on the final recovery stage of a recent flu experience (which had already kept me in bed with awful caughs and clogged up nose for the whole previous week), so I must’ve sounded pretty sogged-up, since he asked if I had pollen allergies. The pollen season for my part was far from started yet, but I do have the allergies. Those who’ve read my profile in the about me section have probably snagged up that bit of fact about me. Now this guy started asking if I’d mind taking a trip by his office to see if he could treat me and rid me of my pollen allergies. Tempted as that sounded, the chance of making my future summertime experiences a tad less clogged-up, I made the appointment there and then.

Today was the day for the “fun” to begin. I unclothed my upper-body and laid down face-up on the bench. The huge strange-looking apparatus next to the bench kinda threw me off, wondering what the heck he would use that one for, and in my own special way hoped that he wouldn’t need this monster. Needless to say, he did. It wasn’t that much of a monster, he just put two small paddles on my upper body, one on each shoulder. The fact that he told me I might feel a slight tingling didn’t exactly calm me down, though. Cue the needles. I must admit, I expected a whole lot more than the three needles he brought in. First needle in right arm, just below the wrist. Second needle in left arm, this one also just below the wrist. And the third one dead center on my forehead. At least that’s what it felt like. But he did place it on my forehead, though. And now for some more fun. Away go the two small paddles, and in comes something he calls a “magnetic blanket”, roughly 50cm x 20cm in size and slightly thicker than a bi-weekly comics magazine. Not to mention stiff and heavy as hell. For a blanket, I mean. So he continues by placing this blanket thingy across my bare chest, from shoulder to shoulder. And what does he do next? He just leaves me there with my thoughts. For about 20 minutes, with a poke-in every once in a while to see how I’m doing. I gotta admit, I was doing just fine before I even entered his office, and now I was just laying there with nothing to do until this therapist says it’s OK to move. I must be a very trusting guy.

And, of course, at this point, my nose was starting to itch. Semi-dry air, pollen season barely started, nose itching a little bit (just aching for a quick scratching), and both my arms are basically pinned down by this metal plate covered in fabric. Oh, joy. Anyway, when the time was up, he removed the metal blanket, extracted his 3 pins, told me to get dressed again, threw me a prescription for some homeopathic preparation (leaving no clue as to what exactly those pills might really be for, other than “helping with the treatment of my pollen allergy”), and sent me on my way. He also set up another appointment the coming Tuesday at the same hour.

Quite the experience, eh? Yet not exactly what I imagined when my mom said he dabbled in acupuncture. Yes, that was the clue that made me a tad more nervous. I wish she had finished that explanation before my first appointment, though. He has actually been “dabbling” with acupuncture professionally for almost 30 years.

And for my usual toon post, here’s a clue-in regarding blogging. I might even get around to put up an article more often than I have in the past, who knows? At least I believe I’ve filled my quota more than sufficiently for this week.

PC and Pixel, by Thach Bui. Reprinted without permission. Over and over.