Can I just say, before my friend Richard coins it as his own phrase, that:
Acupuncture is the new Beer.In the never-ending quest to alleviate the mounting uncomfortable pregnancy sypmtoms (week 30, ya'll!), I stumbled across a mention of prenatal acupuncture therapy in some totally richy-rich pregnancy mag at my doctor's office...the article promised that should I venture into the land of needle pinching happy qi land, that my back/hip/pelvic pain could be admonished...at first there was a lot of
Huh in my brain, but I also reasoned that thousands of years of practice really must hold some weight in the all natural method of pain relief.
So, what the hell?
I went through the various channels with my complicated insurance plan to discover that this kind of alternative therapy IS covered - right on. So I made an appointment with a man who spoke faster than I tend to do whenever I get within 5 miles my hometown of Brooklyn, NY, and I was booked for the next day.
The idea of having needles inserted all over my swollen body definitely caused a bit of anxiety as I entered into the fragrant office - but the man from the phone, the official Acupuncturist - whom I will now refer to as Dr. A because he speaks to quickly to catch his name - stayed true to the fast-talking self I met on the phone and we raced through the paperwork and onto the needle part.
Okay - it really ISN'T that bad. The needles in my back were pretty much painless...the ones in the face were pretty odd, and the arrangement of needles in my scalp were pinching. But nothing that made me flinch. And after the rush, rush, punch in needle, rush rush, where do you work, punch in, rush, when is your baby due, punch in, rush, rush, Dr. A left me alone in a room to do whatever it is I am supposed to be doing with needles inserted all over my body.
After five minutes of trying not to giggle or move for fear that I would lodge one of the instruments into my body forever, I started to feel kind of groovy - just like you do when you finish off a Brewer's Art house ale after working all day. And within mintues of the initial grooviness, I was in a complete state of jelly-like euphoria.
Before I knew it, Dr. A whisked into the room to wiggle the needles around, which again was weirid, but didn't affect me in my new perfect state of mind...Dr. A could be friends, but at that moment, I just wanted him to stop talking so I could go back to vegging out, which I did for about another ten minutes before the needles were removed.
People, I am not exaggerating when I say that this treatment was pretty incredible. My back/pelvic pain was immediately gone, my usual levels of stress felt like a distant memory, and my mind was more focused on being just in a damned good mood than I think I ever have been.
I immediately booked another appointment for later that week, convinced that I had found my new religion. My enthusiasm propelled me into scheduling an appointment for Handsome as well. For all that he patiently deals with during my pregnancy (last night, I apparently had hot flashes in my slumber that may or may not have resulted in flailing slapping and screaming at him - I remember nothing).
The second appointment, joined by Handsome, proved to be another successful journey, although an entirely different experience than the first one. Handsome came out of his treatment blinking and looking more relaxed than I have seen him since he proposed to me.
Later that afternoon, Handsome emailed "I feel like I have spent all day at the beach."
So obviosuly, we are sold on this new avenue of me me me pampering. The Bean responded to Acupuncuture with her usual kicks that occur whenever I start to relax, so we are all converting to shaping up our qis.
