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7/11/06

I had my third chemotherapy treatment on 7/10 (Monday.) Even though I was apprehensive about how the night would turn out, it was much better than I expected: partly because even the chemotherapy has become something of a routine, but also because I am learning to take "antinausea' medicine pro-actively.

I went to the acupuncturist for the first time in my life today. I like the holistic approach of oriental medicine. Also, in the past I had a few empirical experiences with Chinese herbal medicine that proved much superior to the western medicine. Even though I have a little bit of needle phobia, I dicided to try, and the result was very relaxing and wonderful.

My friend R who is going through chemotherapy in San Francisco for her breast cancer is using the Chinese medicine supplement/accupuncture protocol to complement her chemotherapy. Her blood count has been wonderfuly good, and she is currently down in Costa Rica to see her business client while going though the chemotherapy. Since R is a person who does background research throughly before doing anything, I felt very safe to use the same doctor.

Since last week, I have been working with this doctor via Email and telephone, and obtained the protocol that included accupuncture, Chinese medicine supplement, exersise, imagery last Friday. My oncologist looked at the protocol on Monday, and said to go ahead.

My accupuncturist E (female) was very tender and kind, and explained which accupuncture point does what very clearly. What was interesting was how she took my pluse. She took three kinds of pulse, saying each pulse tells a different function of your body. According to her, my kidney (in Chinese sense) is weak. Then she asked me to show my tongue. Looking at the surface color of my tongue, she said that my body is "moist."

Since the San Francisico doctor gave a few accupunture suggestions in the protocol, she used that as a guideline.

Because it was my first experience, she inserted 12 needles on my arms and legs and feet. With that I rested for a while, and dozed off. Then she gave me a few more along the spine, and had me rest; again I dozed off. She gave a gentle massage to my back to finish off, along with a big glass of warm water. It tasted very good.

What was amaizing was that I felt totally normal during the therapy. I did not feel that I am here because of the cancer, but I am here in order to alter the balance of my inner body. I have not felt "normal" in this sense since the cancer diagnosis, and it was a wonderful feeling.

Also, I felt wonderfully fatigued and sleepy after the treatment, and took a nap at home. What a wonderful nap! It was only for one hour and a half, but it was so deep that I thought that it was morning when I woke up. I have not had a sleep of that kind since the insertion of the J-tube.