Acu*PUNCTURE!

I noticed my hip was a little sore getting on and off the bus with the kids this morning. Nothing too bad, but increasingly worse after each stop. I was fine while making my homework in the morning, and while teaching my first class. Halway through my second class I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand, everything hurt. I mean, I could do it, but it really hurt!! I sucked it up and got through my class, trying not to be an angry bear with my babies. At the break time boss offered to take me over to the hospital (I declined), one of the teachers ran home to grab some muscle relaxants, and at lunch I filled my prescription from Tuesday afternoon's doctor appointment and then promptly took one of my PRNs. That, in combination with the over-the-counters dulled it all enough by about 330pm for me to teach without straining, just alternating between sitting and standing. When I was done at 5pm I was done, and decided to go find some needling.

At 530pm one of the Korea teachers walked with me over to an acupuncture clinic that's right by my house, only 5 minutes from the school. When we walked into the clinic it SMELLed like you'd expect a herbal medicine shop to smell. Not unpleasant, but a very distinct smell. One of the girls had lived in Canada for a year so her English was great. I met with the doctor about my leg (turns out she's the mother of one of my favorite students (Connie) who gave me the lovely umbrella for teacher's day!!) and my hip. She asked me a few questions, tapped my wrists a few times while seeming to listen for an echo or something, and then (through her assistant) that it was 'no big problem,' I would have to come for 4 or 5 appointments and I would be fine.

I've been for acupuncture before for my neck, it wasn't too big a deal, didn't really hurt and overall left me feeling pretty relaxed... so... I was *NOT* prepared for the very ouchie badness of having deep-muscle work done!!!!

I changed into shorts and t-shirt in the middle of the room with everyone else (all women at least, lol) while chatting with the assistant. I was all calm and ready for the tiny pokes I remember from my last appointment. Only one thing to say... NO SAME-SAME!! 

Turns out that the muscle that's been causing all of the pain is quite deep in the butt, so while I tried to maintain my composure I was a pretty noisy jumpy pincushion while she was putting the needles in!! I was embarassed and tried to lie still and be quiet, but I couldn't help it!!! After being in pain most of the day I'd had about all I could take, so I was nearly in tears by the time she had done with the needling. The needles were all across my lower back, down my spine, one at the back of my neck, several in my hip and all down my right leg. Of course I couldn't see them because I was laying on my stomach, but if I could have taken a picture I would have!!
After the doctor inserted the needles (during which time I was on the edge of screaming "Ok! Ok! Connie has no homework for a year! I'll even do it for her! 100%! No Problem!!" wondering how she would treat me if her daughter DIDN'T like me!!) they turned on a heat lamp and I stayed there for 40 minutes.

As long as I didn't try to move they didn't hurt once they were in. The woman on the table next to me had a brief conversation with the assistant about how a foreigner managed to find her way into the clinic, and her opinion that foreigners didn't believe in acupuncture (hence much confusion on her part, thinking I came by mistake, lol). The assistant politely talked with her and kept tying to steer the conversation away from me, but the patient was curious, lol... where is she from, what does she do, how long has she been in Korea, on and on. Good thing I've been here long enough not to be too bothered by it all, I just pretended I had no idea what they were talking about and drifted off to sleep.
 

I woke up about 2 minutes before time was up, and the assistant pulled the needles out (which hurt a smidge but I was happy they were out). After that was done she put a series of hot glass cups on my back to withdraw toxins from the body. She heated the inside of each cup with a lighter stick and then applied them to my lower back. I tried to ask more about it, but of course the assistant has minimal knowledge of it and the conversation ended in "I don't really know, the doctor just says so," and I left it at that.
 

The cups stayed on for about 10 minutes or so (maybe 5?) before the were pulled off one-by-one. Now they didn't hurt going ON, a bit of pinchy feeling for awhile until you get used the it, but coming off... WHAT DID I DO TO THESE PEOPLE???! After she pulled off each cup she slapped the area to dissipate the pain, all the while giggling through my torture as I grimaced into my pillow, glad I was having my back worked on and not my stomach!! 

 
Then she told me the doctor would be coming back to do a bit more acupuncture work... nooooooooo!!!! This time she did some meridian work, some rhythmic tapping of my foot up to my hip, wrist and elbows with a very small needle in a poker stick... difficult to explain but easy to sit through and didn't hurt at all (even when she poked the soles of my feeet and teh tops of my toes - phewph!).
 
I resisted the urge to scowl at them while rubbing my 'wounds' as I paid, until they told me I had to come back 3 days in a row - then I scowled, lol... oh man... Connie's dad was at the desk when I was paying (it's their clinic), and they altered my fee. Foreigners are supposed to pay twice the fee of Koreans for medical attention, but they entered me in under my coworkers name and charged only charged me the regular half-price, lovely lovely people!
 

The best news? I walked out of the clinic with no pain in my leg or hip, and I went right to sleep when my head hit the pillow after Korean class. Next appointment, Friday 2pm... ugh... well, if the puppy can do it I can do it...

Happy Friday everyone!!