Thursday's Acupuncture Treatment

After Wednesday's emotional appointment at OHSU, I was very, very glad I had an evening acupuncture appointment scheduled for Thursday.  Jelena thought it would be a good idea to up my acupuncture visits to twice a week since we are ready to start the injectables.  Since she didn't have any available appointments later than 4pm, I scheduled with her colleague, Lee Hullender Rubin, who is also a doctor of Chinese medicine and acupuncturist.  Eileen told me she'd had a few appointments with her when Jelena was on vacation and she had really liked her personality and therapeutic style.

I reserved the latest possible appointment (6:30PM), hoping I would be able to leave work no later than 5:45PM.  After a slow morning at work, I got busy around 4PM but was able to make it out the door by 5:30.  Thank goodness, because as it was, I barely made it to the clinic on time; I'd forgotten about rush hour traffic.

I liked my consult and treatment with Lee very much.  She listened to everything I had to tell her about what's been happening lately and to my fears about taking the stim drugs.  One thing she said that was very helpful to hear was that from her experience with OBGYNs (Lee used to work in a fertility clinic in Seattle), they are so worried about malpractice claims that they feel it is their duty to point out everything they see to patients--so there can be no question later in case something comes up.  I understand that and I need to keep that in perspective when I have my OHSU appointments--and I need to try and be less sensitive about the cysts.  They are there, but my hormone tests have also all been normal.  And that means that I still have some good eggs. 
Lee did several points on my head, just under my collarbone and on my belly.  She left the room a couple of times to verify she was getting just the point she wanted and I was grateful to her for that.  She also kept checking my pulses, during and after the treatment to see how they compared to when we began.  And she  encouraged me to keep my eyes open while I was on the table with the needles in, which she said would help me stay in the moment.  I agreed, but didn't really think I'd get very relaxed that way.  Usually I drift around in that blissful soft state between sleeping and waking when I have an acupuncture treatment.  This time I kept my eyes open and concentrated on my breath and on the room with green walls I was in and on the ceiling with its lovely old painted woodwork.  And when Lee came back again to take out the needles, my entire body felt deliciously heavy and relaxed and peaceful.  It was heaven.

I left the clinic at 7:45PM and decided to head over to the Ling Garden to get some dinner before going home.  Michael was playing golf with a friend and wasn't expecting me at any certain time.  I sat at a booth and had some of their lovely egg flower soup.  While I ate I imagined my body soaking up the nourishing protein and using it to get my follicles ready for maturation.  I was happy that the heavy feeling lasted all the way home where I did a castor oil pack and went to bed.  And I felt like I was taking good care of myself.

I have another appointment with Lee next Thursday, and one with Jelena on Saturday.  I am so thankful for my acupuncture appointments.  They are good for my body and so very healing for my soul.