Today was my weekly acupuncture appointment, the only difference here was that my lovely acupuncturist/naturopath, Dr. Nice was off on vacation (in sunny Cuba – lucky girl!) so I was in with the perky chiro/acupuncturist that was filling in for her. Have you ever seen a chiro table? It doesn’t look like your normal dr.’s table. It’s ergonomic and fits the shape of the body… that is if you are a teeny tiny person. If you’re someone like me, it’s completely uncomfortable because your feet hang off the end and there are no sides to rest your arms on so they are either folded across your stomach or dangle down towards the floor.
Anyway, I hop (haha, try gingerly move) onto the table and locate the most comfortable position possible (feet hanging off from the table at the lower calf, arms folded at my sides so that my hands are under my bum, head resting on the head rest area that has a crack down the middle). Meanwhile perky girl puts the needles in their allocated spots. This all goes well – no pain, no blood, no tears. Sigh. Then she turns out the lights and leaves the room, closing the door behind her with the chipper words “Relax and enjoy your nap”. I suddenly go into panic mode. I’m lying on some contraption in the dark, with pins sticking in me, being serenaded by some kind of weird Japanese opera while the walls feel like they’re closing in around me. I was {} this close to hopping off the table and running out of the room screaming. I could feel the blood rushing to my head, my chest getting tight and my heart begin to pump pump pump. All the classic signs of a panic attack.
I knew that if I didn’t act quickly I’d have a full-blown attack on my hands and who knows where that would lead. So, I started trying to even out my breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth… big, deep, cleansing breaths. Then, I put myself in my happy place – in a backyard pool floating face up with the hot sun beating down and the small waves lapping against the sides of my face and body. Inch by inch my body started to relax… but, I never quite reached the Zen feeling I normally get from acu.
OK – I just have to say it. I hated it. It was horrible. I can’t believe what a creature of habit I am, but I love Dr. Nice. She’s awesome. And, I love her big squishy table that my feet don’t hang off and my arms don’t dangle from. I love that she dims the lights rather than plunging me into darkness like I’m being punished for something. I can’t help it. I just like what I like and if I had ever been referred to perky girl, despite all of the great things I’d heard about acu prior to starting it, I would NEVER have continued it.
On the plus side, I guess it’s nice to experience something like that so that you find out how much you appreciate the people in your life.
I can’t wait for Dr. Nice to get back.
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