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Entry tags:
- acupuncture,
- cfs,
- health,
- life
Acupuncture
I went to my first acupuncture appointment yesterday. It was ok, impossible to tell if it's had any long term effect given how variable my condition is but I certainly didn't feel much difference straight after.
I normally wouldn't touch alternative medicine with a ten-foot pole but![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
black_samvara said it worked for her chronic fatigue, and my current approach is to try anything that has been specifically recommended by people who've gotten over chronic fatigue (or a specialist I was similarly recced) This approach has the benefit of giving me an excuse to choose not to take the well meaning advice of people who want me to try random stuff that helped them with stuff that was not chronic fatigue syndrome (no offense to people who mention stuff that helped them, since sometimes if it sounds plausible I will try it, it's the "You should do *blah*!" that's annoying)
Anyway, I was first made very worried by Transperth saying I'd have to walk 2km each way to get there (I pondered a taxi, but I'm going to have a few of these appts) But looking it up on google maps it's like 100m from Canning Highway, hardly an obscure backroad, in fact (as I saw using Streetview) it's just near my old swimming school, near a set of shops I always wanted to check out but mum wouldn't let me. By asking transperth the best way to get there from Perth (rather than my house) I found a decent route, I got to take the midland train to Canning bridge, nice view. The shops turned out to not e very exciting, though the Farmer Jacks has some nice looking gluten free snacks I may try out another time.
According to the business card I picked up, it's Roy Jenzen, Chinese Medical Centre, 22 May street, East Fremantle, 9339 8988. No eftpos, $64a session.
The centre is in an old east freo house (steps and no ramp :/) It feels like the house of some neat, middle class person who like chinese ornaments, and there were some interesting books in the reception area, it was all very un-doctory. Before me were a pregnant woman and another with cancer.
The acupuncturist has a fairly extreme stutter so tended not to talk unless he had something specific to say, but despite that was very self assured (it did make me reluctant to ask questions since the answers took so long) Part of me was squicked by all the touching (holding my wrists while asking questions, for example(*)) but he had a professional manner so it was as ok as it could be. He got me to lie on the bed-thing and "get relaxed", which I did until he came back in and my brain suddenly went "OMG NEEDLES THIS IS GOING TO SUCK" :) I resolutely looked at the ceiling, it actually didn't hurt more than say an ant bite and didn't set off my needles squick(**) too much. I had one in each ankle and wrist, and I think two near my belly button (I didn't look :)) Then he left me to rest some more and I had a nap(***), and then he came back, pulled them out, asked how I was (better for having had a nap but otherwise much the same...) and left again. And that was it.
(*)"Your arms seem very ..........tense" "Yes, I've been playing a lot of Guitar Hero" "I.......see"
(**)Yes, I am squicked by both needles and touching. Then again, it was still all much less traumatic than giving up gluten. I had sad dreams about cakes and bread last night :(
(***)I eventually realised he was probably seeing two patients at the same time
I normally wouldn't touch alternative medicine with a ten-foot pole but
black_samvara said it worked for her chronic fatigue, and my current approach is to try anything that has been specifically recommended by people who've gotten over chronic fatigue (or a specialist I was similarly recced) This approach has the benefit of giving me an excuse to choose not to take the well meaning advice of people who want me to try random stuff that helped them with stuff that was not chronic fatigue syndrome (no offense to people who mention stuff that helped them, since sometimes if it sounds plausible I will try it, it's the "You should do *blah*!" that's annoying) Anyway, I was first made very worried by Transperth saying I'd have to walk 2km each way to get there (I pondered a taxi, but I'm going to have a few of these appts) But looking it up on google maps it's like 100m from Canning Highway, hardly an obscure backroad, in fact (as I saw using Streetview) it's just near my old swimming school, near a set of shops I always wanted to check out but mum wouldn't let me. By asking transperth the best way to get there from Perth (rather than my house) I found a decent route, I got to take the midland train to Canning bridge, nice view. The shops turned out to not e very exciting, though the Farmer Jacks has some nice looking gluten free snacks I may try out another time.
According to the business card I picked up, it's Roy Jenzen, Chinese Medical Centre, 22 May street, East Fremantle, 9339 8988. No eftpos, $64a session.
The centre is in an old east freo house (steps and no ramp :/) It feels like the house of some neat, middle class person who like chinese ornaments, and there were some interesting books in the reception area, it was all very un-doctory. Before me were a pregnant woman and another with cancer.
The acupuncturist has a fairly extreme stutter so tended not to talk unless he had something specific to say, but despite that was very self assured (it did make me reluctant to ask questions since the answers took so long) Part of me was squicked by all the touching (holding my wrists while asking questions, for example(*)) but he had a professional manner so it was as ok as it could be. He got me to lie on the bed-thing and "get relaxed", which I did until he came back in and my brain suddenly went "OMG NEEDLES THIS IS GOING TO SUCK" :) I resolutely looked at the ceiling, it actually didn't hurt more than say an ant bite and didn't set off my needles squick(**) too much. I had one in each ankle and wrist, and I think two near my belly button (I didn't look :)) Then he left me to rest some more and I had a nap(***), and then he came back, pulled them out, asked how I was (better for having had a nap but otherwise much the same...) and left again. And that was it.
(*)"Your arms seem very ..........tense" "Yes, I've been playing a lot of Guitar Hero" "I.......see"
(**)Yes, I am squicked by both needles and touching. Then again, it was still all much less traumatic than giving up gluten. I had sad dreams about cakes and bread last night :(
(***)I eventually realised he was probably seeing two patients at the same time