On Sunday I left my dad's house (I dropped off some Father's Day carrot cake) with my GPS in hand to take my second visit in a week to Roselle, IL. Why was I visiting this little suburb/town on a Sunday morning at 11am when gas is averaging $4.50 a gallon? Acupuncture. Your follow-up question may be, what for? Well I will tell you. I visited Dr. Li in his office, which also doubles as his home to get help with weight management and food cravings. You heard me right. I have allowed a 70-80yr old man stick needles in my body instead of just stepping away from my favorite rockslide brownie.
I have always been curious about acupuncture. So when my co-worker referred me to an 'amazing' doctor, I thought, this is my chance. I have a trip coming up soon. Antoine teases that every time we have a trip, I wait until 3 weeks prior to start getting my body in tip top shape. He is right, it's kind of ridiculous. Dr. Li who has a heavy accent, operates the business with a little assistance from his wife. A major stroke has left her unable to speak. So instead, she just makes a sound and gestures to communicate. She is so sweet, Sunday she gave me a hug upon my arrival. On my first visit, she held my hand and walked me back to the patient room. Their business is quiet and does not seem to be especially successful, except for the fact that they are still in business. The office is out dated, it feels like the house of relatives in Mississippi. Which makes it feel comfortable.
The first visit, I was on my cycle so Dr. Li opted to insert the needles on my back and legs instead of the most effective way, on my stomach, hands, arms and legs. Sunday, back to normal, I got the most common version of the 'procedure'. This means four needles around my naval, one on the crease of each elbow, a couple on each hand and some random needles on my legs. Then Dr. Li hooked what looked like miniature jumper cables to each needle and turned up the 'juice' so to speak. He cut the lights out and left me for about 25 minutes. By the time he returned, my hands were numb and I was drifting into sleep.
This week I even got something extra special. Dr. Li stuck two little pieces of tape with very small blue balls (no snickering please) in each ear. I am to rub each ball about 60 times or for roughly a minute before eating each meal. He also prescribed weight management vitamins that I purchased for $5, that I am to take three times a day. My verdict? I really think it works. I feel a difference. I never intended on this making me skinny, as that's not a fantasy of my necessarily anyway. I just wanted to curb my cravings and subdue my appetite. I notice now, I still crave chocolate, but I do not have the same urge to walk through fire to get it. I still get hungry, I just do not have the overall energy to actually get up and find something to eat. I am not overpowered by my hunger. I would recommend acupuncture.
My next visit is in about 2 weeks. As always, I will keep you posted to any new developments.
No comments:
Post a Comment