Since Dr. Burwell shared a speech he gave to fourth year students at a luncheon meeting of the Associated Harvard Clubs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1947, it’s been repeated and paraphrased at many Medical school commencements and graduation: “Your teachers have tried to give you a good opportunity to learn and to offer you information which the evidence indicated to be accurate. Nevertheless, probably half of what you know is no longer true. This troubles me, but what troubles me more is that I don’t know which half it is.”
Sometimes, for me, going to the doctor can be both intimidating and frustrating. I’m fascinated by the medical profession and am amazed at how much they know, and can do/fix in the human body as well as how sometimes you can go in and they just don’t really know. Even in watching “House”, right? It’s about this genius who solves the unsolvable but really, if you think about it, the first 95% of the show is about all the misdiagnosis or is it misdiagnosi? So believe it or not, this quote has comforted me at times. Because no matter how scary something they might tell you or a loved one, I can always hold out hope they might be wrong or with a little time it might be different.
I’m also very intrigued with alternative approaches to healing. Whether it’s Eastern medicine, Shamans or our very favorite, must see, naturopath, Frau Shaeffer, in Germany. Let me just say we could write several blogs about her alone – she is amazing.
Recently, I’ve been very curious about Reiki. I didn’t know why and when something came up and I took the opportunity to try Reiki, I suddenly realized I didn’t really know what it was. At the beginning of my appointment, the, I guess you would call her, practitioner asks me what prompted me to make an appointment and request Reiki specifically. After my explanation, she suggests while Reiki would help, she strongly recommends Acupuncture. I ask if I can do both (yeah, I figured the more help, the better, right?) She says absolutely.
After additional paperwork for Acupuncture, I push my pant legs up (apparently the shin area is important) and get on the table. She begins to put the needles in. First my right hand then my leg. On the 4th or 5th needle, she asks “did you feel that”. Simultaneously while thinking “aww, she’s worried about me being nervous and is trying to assure me”, I answer, equally reassuringly, “no, not at all”. To which she replies “OK, I’m going to move this one over slightly” and then “YOWCH!”, “what the…?”. To give a pain order of magnitude, looking back, it wasn’t that bad, it was just a pain with a little shock like someone pulling out single hair on the back of your neck. You instantly want to rub the area to make it feel better. In this case, however, I can’t rub the area. She said “oh, good, I could see that one is in the right spot now, I was concerned where it was before. This is an important point and there should be a little twinge to tell it’s in correctly”. Racing through my mind now is if she asks me again if I felt that, and I didn’t I will LIE LIE LIE! But I didn’t.
The remainder of the time went well and I was struck by a couple of things in particular, 1 - as I spoke I could tell my speech was slowing down as though I was getting ready to go to sleep and 2 - I was super conscious of how complete still I was. Luckily, considering, there were needles sticking out of me all over, including my hands, I did not have an itch on my nose or anywhere.
Ok, and I know this seems silly but, I was suddenly obsessed with “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye”. So obsessed, in fact, that when I got home I had to research where the saying came from. It was more difficult than I expected.
First I found something that said “Cross my heart and hope to die, if what I say is a lie”. This made me wonder if maybe it was like that post office game and someone somewhere just got it wrong but it seemed like a stretch. Then I found a version “Cross my heart and hope to die, step on a cat and spit in his eye”. Ok this made no sense and I had never even heard this before. And then, eureka, I found a poem which sounded like it came from long, long ago and I convinced myself this is where the saying came from and my search could be over. It goes:
Sometimes, for me, going to the doctor can be both intimidating and frustrating. I’m fascinated by the medical profession and am amazed at how much they know, and can do/fix in the human body as well as how sometimes you can go in and they just don’t really know. Even in watching “House”, right? It’s about this genius who solves the unsolvable but really, if you think about it, the first 95% of the show is about all the misdiagnosis or is it misdiagnosi? So believe it or not, this quote has comforted me at times. Because no matter how scary something they might tell you or a loved one, I can always hold out hope they might be wrong or with a little time it might be different.
I’m also very intrigued with alternative approaches to healing. Whether it’s Eastern medicine, Shamans or our very favorite, must see, naturopath, Frau Shaeffer, in Germany. Let me just say we could write several blogs about her alone – she is amazing.
Recently, I’ve been very curious about Reiki. I didn’t know why and when something came up and I took the opportunity to try Reiki, I suddenly realized I didn’t really know what it was. At the beginning of my appointment, the, I guess you would call her, practitioner asks me what prompted me to make an appointment and request Reiki specifically. After my explanation, she suggests while Reiki would help, she strongly recommends Acupuncture. I ask if I can do both (yeah, I figured the more help, the better, right?) She says absolutely.
After additional paperwork for Acupuncture, I push my pant legs up (apparently the shin area is important) and get on the table. She begins to put the needles in. First my right hand then my leg. On the 4th or 5th needle, she asks “did you feel that”. Simultaneously while thinking “aww, she’s worried about me being nervous and is trying to assure me”, I answer, equally reassuringly, “no, not at all”. To which she replies “OK, I’m going to move this one over slightly” and then “YOWCH!”, “what the…?”. To give a pain order of magnitude, looking back, it wasn’t that bad, it was just a pain with a little shock like someone pulling out single hair on the back of your neck. You instantly want to rub the area to make it feel better. In this case, however, I can’t rub the area. She said “oh, good, I could see that one is in the right spot now, I was concerned where it was before. This is an important point and there should be a little twinge to tell it’s in correctly”. Racing through my mind now is if she asks me again if I felt that, and I didn’t I will LIE LIE LIE! But I didn’t.
The remainder of the time went well and I was struck by a couple of things in particular, 1 - as I spoke I could tell my speech was slowing down as though I was getting ready to go to sleep and 2 - I was super conscious of how complete still I was. Luckily, considering, there were needles sticking out of me all over, including my hands, I did not have an itch on my nose or anywhere.
Ok, and I know this seems silly but, I was suddenly obsessed with “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye”. So obsessed, in fact, that when I got home I had to research where the saying came from. It was more difficult than I expected.
First I found something that said “Cross my heart and hope to die, if what I say is a lie”. This made me wonder if maybe it was like that post office game and someone somewhere just got it wrong but it seemed like a stretch. Then I found a version “Cross my heart and hope to die, step on a cat and spit in his eye”. Ok this made no sense and I had never even heard this before. And then, eureka, I found a poem which sounded like it came from long, long ago and I convinced myself this is where the saying came from and my search could be over. It goes:
I cross my heart And hope to die Stick a needle In my eye Wait a minute I spoke a lie I never really Wanted to die But is I may And if I might My heart is open For tonight Though my lips are sealed And a promise is true I won’t break My word to you But if by chance I should somehow slip Accidental words Tumbling from my lips If this solemn vow I should break Then no more breaths Shall I take This promise is not a lie For I am not Prepared to die |
I loved my Reiki/Acupuncture combo experience but am now curious how I would feel if I had only one of them and which one. I’m predicting more of each in my future. I feel wonderful.
Sylvia
P.S. For more info on Reiki see http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html
Sylvia
P.S. For more info on Reiki see http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html