Today’s session is full of new and exciting things! I allowed electricity to be used and I had some cupping done! FOR SCIENCE!
I’d been having an odd thing happen for almost a week. I was getting a tingly/zingy feeling in my left hand going up the thumb and forefinger. I told Dr Li about this and she said, “Oh, yes, that is your colon meridian. It’s talking to you!” How cool is that? My body is actually TELLING ME what’s up!
Most of the work we’ve done so far has been the colon meridian. As Dr Li puts it, “Things need to move down. They are not moving down.” I would agree! Ever since VSG, my entrails have not worked right. With the PPI, I had diarrhea most of the time and when I stopped that, I have constipation most of the time. So, YEAH, things need to “move down”. AGREED.
Today she brought up the electricity again and I balked. She insisted that it is NOT like anything that touches the skin, because it does not touch the skin at all. I thought that I should give it a go myself to see how it is for SCIENCE. So I did. And, she is 100% correct: it is nothing like on the skin. At all. It just feels like a pulsation. I’d still say if you’re new to acupuncture, probably get used to the needles first, then move on to electricity. The reason she was keen to do it is because I’m not getting past these colon issues, and adding electricity to the acupuncture makes it MUCH more effective. We shall see, I guess. She told me that the electricity is used on the abdomen, but rarely the spine, due to the sensitivity of the spine. Makes sense. Here’s what it looks like:
I also got cupped today! Exciting! Not the heated glass cups, but plastic ones. A weird sensation, but I think it really did relax the muscles. Cupping is to relax the specific muscle it is on. Here’s what that looks like (during and after):
Addendum: I have bruise on my back from one of the cups. Still got a ring on the front, and this bruise. Doesn’t hurt at all – bruising and crepey skin is hereditary; gifts from my grandmother and mother. Sigh.
I also got a new Death Tea™ formula. I take 1/2 tsp in water, so I’m making the tea again with this recipe: 1/2 tsp per 1 oz water. We’re changing the timing of the tea to afternoon and before bed, since that is when GERD gets worse. This batch is much more earthy than straight up bitter. Thank the gods!
Can’t wait for my next session! I also have Nick booked in for next Friday (Jul 16). I’m really curious to see what he thinks of it!