Friday, March 22, 2019, 3:30 p.m.
Today’s experience was both familiar and new. It has been over a year since I have been to a group acupuncture session, and that was integrated with the Pain Management Program of January and February 2018. That was with Sophie, with a very small group, in a room where we all sat with the back of our chairs against a wall and another chair in front of us where we could prop our feet, and a pillow where we could put anywhere we wanted.
But back to today’s reality. I checked in at the receptionist’s desk, where she took my Kaiser ID card, typed in some things, then gave me a printout in two copies. I turned toward the waiting area automatically and she had to remind me that the group acupuncture room was the opposite direction. Sure, I remember now. There was an assistant at a desk with a laptop and a line growing in front of her, which I joined.
I saw that the patients were giving the assistant a paper which I assumed correctly to be one of the copies that the receptionist had given me. It had my name and ID number on it so I didn’t need to give the assistant my card. When I got to the front of the line, I gave her the paper and she compared it with a list. She asked me what my pain level is today (I told her, “4”) then she asked how much I thought my pain was improving in percentage. That was a new question so I had to think for a moment before I responded, “20%.” She handed me the 2-pack of alcohol wipes with the number “8” on it, so I headed toward the room and found chair number 8. In the far corner of the room.
When I sat down, I noticed that several other patients had foot stools. But I had a chair in front of me that I tried to move over so I could prop my feet up. The lady to my right (in chair #7) said she thought the others had gotten their foot stools out of a cupboard so she asked the person to her right, and shortly someone got more foot stools out of the cupboard and passed them down to us.
It was 3:32 and I wondered when the session would actually start. Then I saw a man in a white coat who apparently was a new acupuncturist, at least new since this time last year. Even though there were a few chairs empty on the other side of the room, I saw him begin to put needles in the patient in chair #1. I had already used the alcohol wipes on both ears, being careful to not pull out my hearing aids in the process. When he got to me, he didn’t seem bothered by the presence of my hearing aids, but proceeded to insert the five needles into each ear.
After a few moments (I presumed when he had finished putting in all the needles in the patients who were there), he began talking to the group. He was so soft-spoken that I really couldn’t understand much of what he said, even with my hearing aids. Plus, I was facing away from him and didn’t want to turn my head or body to face him because the needles might fall out.
After he was done speaking, he turned up the soft music and dimmed the lights. Ah! Now I can close my eyes and practice mindful breathing. I feel the relaxation coming on almost immediately. Nothing is itching on my face; I have no need to scratch. Still, I keep wondering if any needles are falling out.
Only one needle had fallen out (one from the right ear). This room is very comfortable because I don’t have to interact with anyone else, other than the acupuncturist. The other patients were of all shapes and sizes, all ages and ethnicities. I noticed one man in the back row who was a Sikh with a dark red turban. I had noticed that the acupuncturist asked him to remove it before putting the needles in his ears. He did so without comment and it came off his head like a hat.
I think it was probably about 35 minutes of actual time spent, and I felt so relaxed, so refreshed. It was sprinkling when I came out but I could see the van from the entrance of Building B, so I walked through the drizzle. Emily and Linda were chilling, and the drive home was pleasant. I have another group acupuncture appointment for the end of next month.
