and if you are considering acupuncture….there is no reason to fear the procedure.  I admit I was a bit hesitant but I was having such severe anxiety – especially when I turned off the light at night – that I decided to go for it.  He has been having some leg pain which wakes him up several times a night – with our anti-medication mentality, he decided he was going to try this route.  After 3 treatments, it was a grand success.  Last night on our walk, he said who would ever believe that sticking a bunch of pins in you would cure anything.  I still don’t completely understand it either.  I know the theory of this ancient chinese cure but it just doesn’t seem logical – thus my hesitation.

Dr Piva in Pleasant Hill did the work.  After relaxing on the cushioned table with a pillow under my knees he started inserting the needles.  The first two went on the bottoms of my feet.  I didn’t feel the first one, the second one felt like an instantaneous pinch…3 total in each foot and ankle, one midway up on my legs, one in the center of my stomach, 3 each in my hand and wrist and one in the top of my head.  He said I’m going to leave you for an hour.  I’m not going to tell you what to expect….we will talk about it when you are finished.  My first 10 minutes or so were filled with – this can’t possibly work – but I started relaxing…I felt like there were actually twinges or movement – not painful – just unexplained…these feelings would move on – at about the 20 minute mark I lifted up my legs and arms just to see what it looked like…I was starting to relax…I heard a nurse laugh in the hallway and realized that I had fallen asleep…this happened again and the third time was the nurse’s return to remove the needles, swab with alcohol and wait for Dr Piva to return.  He is such a gentle, soft-spoken man…I felt very comfortable.  He didn’t know if I would need a second session – he totally left it up to me.  If I start having unexplained anxiety, perhaps another treatment would help.  He also recommended I get some legos or a non frustrating game and channel my anxiety when I’m laying in bed… I’m a believer…who would ever believe that sticking a bunch of pins in your would cure anything!!!

Until next time…