Kim's Blog

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all Moms!!! I hope you had a very special and relaxing weekend! Hopefully you had a day of relaxation, or at least moments of the day were filled with rejuvenation! 

In addition to celebrating Mother's Day this weekend, classes started for the new trimester this past week.   personally consider both the start and the end of each trimester a mini-celebration, as each segment of time shows the beginning or end to another chapter of learning. 

This week I was able to see the affects of acupuncture on pain patients very clearly. While I was fortunate to be a part of treating many pain patients, one patient agreed to share her treatment with this blog. This patient is a 61-year-old female who injured her foot. She may have broken 1-2 toes, but had not received X-rays at the time of her treatment. (Notice bruising on center toe.) It was decided to treat the foot distally, which means far away from her foot. One of the most conducive aspects of acupuncture is there are many ways to treat one pathology. If it's decided treating locally is not the best option, there are still many more options for treatment.

In this case, treating the patient's foot via auricular acupuncture was determined to be the best option. The patient received five needles in the ear on the same side as the injured foot. She received a needle in the following auricular points: toes, lumber, shenmen, point zero, and kidney. These points help to reduce the pain, while also helping the patient feel relaxed. Additionally, they help treat the patient's root energy, which will greater exacerbate a healing response.

The patient reported feeling a remarkable decrease in foot and back pain. The patient had a previous back injury worsened by the change in her gait (walk) as a result of the foot injury. Before receiving acupuncture, the patient rated the pain as a 6/10 on the VAS pain scale, 10 being measured as the worst pain possible.  After the treatment, the patient rated her pain as 2/10. I followed up the treatment with auricular seeds; they are small metal beads that stick on the patient's ear. Ear seeds are a form of acupressure that allow for continued treatment after the patient leaves the clinic. By pushing on the ear seeds, the patient triggers a healing and analgesic (feel-good and pain reducing) response. The analgesic response is much like taking pain medicine to decrease the pain. I will learn at the patient's follow-up visit, how the ear seeds affected her. 

I find observing pain patients' responses fascinating, as usually through about 5 needles, the patients have a significant decrease in pain that typically holds through the follow-up visit. This is something I could never imagined possible before becoming a student of AOM!

This is my final blog for this trimester. As a result, I decided to write about new beginnings.

For some students, now is the time they are beginning their journey into AOM. For other students, it's time for graduation and the beginning of their journey as practitioners. I was fortunate to receive feedback on how it feels to be in both places of this process from two students: Kari Singh and Mia Davis. Kari is finishing her second trimester at NUHS. Mia is graduating this trimester. I was rather moved by what each student expressed when asked how they feel about this phase of their journey. 

Kari Singh's Journey into Oriental Medicine

When I was 16 years old, my mother's best friend gave me a book on Reiki, Reflexology, and Acupuncture. I remember staying up and finishing the book in one night. Those words resonated with my soul. My spiritual being knew this is what I was meant to do...it is part of the reason I was put on this earth. At the age of 16, though, my rational mind took over and asked who would pay for this, where will you go to school, how would you make a living? I went to traditional four-year college and got my degree in psychology.

Acupuncture student Kari Singh

At the age of 36, I was going through a rough time in my life. I started receiving acupuncture treatments. My life was at a crossroads. The first treatment was a very moving experience for me. I felt Qi rushing through my body. It was like parts of me that weren't communicating suddenly were. My mind and my heart were one. I found myself and my calling all at once. I wanted to do this. I wanted to heal. After two weeks of treatments, I noticed major changes.

I found National University of Health Sciences shortly after. I started coming to the clinic to be treated by students. I asked a lot of questions about the program and I felt at peace. I knew this was the place for me. I enrolled and started at National in the fall of 2011. The day before orientation I was cleaning out a box and found that book from when I was 16. I had not seen that book in years. It made me smile because it was destiny. I will finish my second trimester this April 2012. I feel blessed every day to be part of this school. Many of my professors inspire and amaze me, daily. My goal is to be able to teach at this institution some day because I want to give back to a student what I receive now.

There are so many things about being a student at National that make this program unlike any other. The professors are so passionate about this program. Many of them go out of their way to ensure students succeed. The program is well rounded and geared towards blending eastern with a solid western foundation. The clinic treats patients from the public for $25. I am currently observing other students treating patients. It is very exciting to see patients with Parkinson's, Crohn's, anxiety, and a host of other conditions report how beautiful and amazing acupuncture and oriental medicine are to make them feel whole. I am excited every day as my journey continues.

I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world.
-- Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)(1)

I feel very inspired by what Kari wrote.  I can feel her passion through her words.  Simply reading her statement caused me to feel excited for her!

Mia also wrote an insightful and motivating statement regarding how it feels to be graduating.

Mia Davis' Journey into the Profession

WOW! Time sure does fly by! It seems like just yesterday I was starting the Oriental Medicine program. These past three years in the program have been so wonderful. It's amazing the amount of knowledge and experience I have gained in that time. Not only have I learned about oriental medicine, but I've also learned about another culture, language, and perspective on health and life.

Oriental Medicine student Mia Davis

My instructors have been supportive and beyond amazing at what they do. The amount of wisdom and caring they have imparted is truly unique and I will always be grateful that I've had this opportunity to learn from them. It feels good to know that I will be graduating with a feeling of true accomplishment and know-how. The friendships I have made here are golden. While my time at NUHS is coming to an end, the gift of knowledge I've been given here will last me a lifetime!

While Kari is entering the interesting world of learning AOM, Mia now has the knowledge and skill set available to soon treat patients as a practitioner. What I find most intriguing is both Mia and Kari seem equally passionate and excited at where they are in their journey. Both students are at the doorway of a new beginning, ready to begin with both feet in and arms wide open! 

Congratulations to everyone graduating this trimester!  Also, congratulations to everyone starting this journey!

This past week, I had the opportunity to present my dad as a case study for my Senior Seminar II class. It turned out to be a transforming experience!

Before he came to class, I performed an intake and case history with him. I learned that when working with family, it was a little difficult to stay objective, as I know him well, so I had a different perception of certain things than he. With a patient at clinic, there is usually no outside reference point, so the information being given is the only information the intern and clinician learn. With family, we know what they eat, their health history and their moods, but their perception and ours are not always the same. I think I was supposed to let the patient be right in this case, but since it was my dad, I found an area of grey for us both to agree on when we saw things a little differently. I think this was a great learning opportunity for us both.

When my dad came to the clinic, it was an interesting experience to step back and listen to the clinician and other intern ask him further questions and gather additional information. It was both difficult and motivating to see my dad fully as a patient at the clinic. Since he is my dad, I have always looked up to him, but at the same time, would do anything for him.

Once we decided on a treatment plan, we advised my dad to go into the treatment room and prepare for his treatment. He was a very cooperative patient. He is rather needle-sensitive and very in-tune to the "qi sensation" (energetic response of the needles), but handled it very well. He informed us of how he was feeling during the needling aspect of the treatment once we had placed all the needles. I felt this brought an added educational benefit.

My dad reported a positive response to the treatment. He continued to feel the benefits of the treatment the following days. In addition to my dad's benefits and the educational aspects of this case study, this felt like a bit of a milestone somehow for my dad and me. It felt a bit peculiar at times to have our roles shifted as patient and intern, but at the same time, it felt like something expanded between us by doing so. If you have read my previous blog from last trimester, you know that my dad and I are very close and he joined me at the AOM pinning ceremony. Having a moment in time where we were patient and intern instead of dad and daughter was rather intriguing.

Recently, one of my clinicians, Dr. Frank Yurasek, was having a rather powerful discussion with me regarding living in the "Now" and how it relates to patient care. He quoted a wise author Eckhart Tolle, who wrote Realizing the Power of Now. Dr Yurasek quoted a passage from Tolle's book that I will paraphrase: Our frustrations derive from living in the past, our anxiety derives from living in the future, and thus the only place to be living is in the now. Seems easy, but as many can relate, many of us have a foot in yesterday and a foot in tomorrow, forgetting to stand in today.

Clinically, I have found this to be very true with patients. Many cling to the life disruptions that have brought them into patient care, or the fears of what's to come as a result of current circumstances. I am learning it is sometimes equally hard to help a patient let go of the belief system that is keeping them sick, not just helping their bodies heal.

Through acupuncture, we have points to help ground, as I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. We have points and herbs to help the physical body heal, points to help create mental shifts, and so on. But, from my perception, these points work best in tandem with the patient; the patient has to be ready to let go of the disease or illness and ready to step into the present moment.

This doesn't mean that if the patient doesn't heal, they are preventing it. What I mean is the healthiest responses I've seen and been educated about are the ones where the patient let's go of attachment to the disease or illness and its possible outcomes, and becomes more attached to the richness of the present moment. I've watched patients experiencing chemotherapy truly living and enjoying life to the fullest. These patients are free from emotional pains of all they have already experienced and are not worried about what tomorrow brings. These patients never let cancer define them. They let themselves define their lives, not their circumstances. These patients constantly remind me how important the present moment is and to stop living for tomorrow or yesterday.

I know for myself, I seem to have constant radar up doing my best to keep myself in the present moment. Often on my free time, my mind will instantly jump to a paper I need to write, or dishes that need to be done, or some other form of responsibility I am putting upon myself. But, what I realize and remind myself of in those moments is nothing is more important than what I am doing in the present moment. Those other responsibilities will still be there and will be accomplished at the appropriate time.

I think our minds use living in the past or future as a form of procrastination from living in the present moment. If we place ourselves into a different aspect of time, we don't have to experience what is in front of us in real time. The thing I have come to learn, though, is there is little that compares with being fully in the moment and experiencing all it holds. Sometimes it's blissful, and sometimes it's filled with heartache. But those feelings are all part of here and now, allowing us to choose who and how we desire to be in this exact moment of time. 

Rightfully so, I think we as students and our patients often have fears and worries driving us to be anywhere but in the present moment. As a result, many of us proceed on autopilot and miss out on so much of life's journey. We push through circumstances that are rough in an effort for tomorrow to be better. Or, we miss out on the momentary bliss because we are stuck in pains of the past. All of this is justifiable and can be a reasonable way to live; I think it is just a less fulfilling way of life when the present moment holds so many gifts and wonders. 

Dr. Yurasek also shared with me a theory of living a purpose directed life versus an emotionally directed life. I think this is like a lock and key to bridging living in the present while knowing you're on a path for your future. Living a purpose directed life helps prevent the anxiety about the future, as it assures us that what we are doing in the present moment will support us tomorrow. I feel listening to our emotions in each moment as guideposts to direct us is key if what we are doing is on course with our purpose. But, being driven by emotions from the past and fears of the future will never lead us to the tomorrow were dreaming of, or most importantly, the fullness of today.

Years ago I saw the comic Family Circle and it said something to this effect--yesterday is called the past because it's gone, tomorrow is called the future because it's not here yet, today is called the present because it is a gift. This has always stuck with me and feels so true!

With the beautiful weather this month, I've been spending as much time as possible outdoors. The recent blooming of the flowers reminds me if we allow things to be in the present and let nature run its course, many times, beauty will result. We don't have to think about these flowers in December for them to blossom today, they just happen naturally in their perfect time.

From the start of the second trimester, NUHS clinic plays a large role in facilitating our education. Clinic offers us the ability to understand and apply what we are learning in the classrooms. It also teaches us patient care. Most of all, it allows us first-hand interaction with our patients, our biggest teachers. I have referred to clinic in many blogs, as it is personally my favorite part of the program. Of course we could not be in clinic without the classes teaching us AOM, but the clinical interaction is so meaningful to me. It's a chance to bring everything we learn and use it while having our patients teach us how it affects them. 

While in clinic, students are very focused on the care of their patients. This offers the opportunity to do extra research on a case-by-case situation. This is a very valid method for us to expand our understanding of specific conventional medicine and AOM diagnosis and treatment plans. We have rooms where we are able to work on our research and charts, allowing a thorough understanding of our patient and their care. 

We have a clinician room that we use for every patient. Hui Yan Cai, PhD, MD (China) is pictured in it in this blog.

Dr. Cai

When a patient arrives, the intern enters the room and performs an intake. From that information and previous research for ongoing patients, the intern meets with the clinician in the clinician's office. Then, the clinician also performs a short intake on the patient. Through this interaction, the intern and clinician formulate a treatment plan.

Once the clinician has seen the patient, the intern is able to begin the treatment. Just as the intake portion builds on the intern's knowledge base, much learning occurs during the treatment aspect of the appointment. This portion allows the intern first-hand experience to comprehend the impact and reaction of the intern's application of AOM. 

In this week's pictures, several observers and interns are shown working on clinical work. In clinic there are observers who observe every aspect of clinic. They also play a crucial role in keeping the area clean during the clinic shift. Once a student moves from observer to intern, they begin treating patients.

I feel NUHS' clinical setting is one of our greatest learning opportunities. I think most of the students feel this way, as well.

Congratulations, Miravone, on your pregnancy!!! What an exciting time for you and your family! I am very happy for you! As Miravone is going through an amazing time of transition and change right now, it appears many people are also going through a time of transition and change in different ways. In AOM, this is understood as a very healthy and natural process with the coming of spring. 

I have been noticing many of my friends, colleagues, and family members experiencing a rapid amount of transitions right now--some regarding health, others relationships and others school. Some are experiencing transitions in all three. I think we are all faced with transitions in life; it's as factual as the flow of yin and yang in AOM. But, I think what makes a transition easy or difficult is our willingness and ability to move and change as the transition enters our life. I think sometimes we can get lost or stuck in the transition and never take the jump to make the change. I think the fear of the jump is usually bigger than the actual leap of faith.

I know countless students have expressed feeling this way trying to decide whether to begin the AOM program. Since it is so different from what many people have grown up to understand in a conventional medical society, jumping full force into AOM can be a big decision. I know it was for me. I finally just had to jump and see what happened. I think that holds true for me in most areas of my life. I can spend all day philosophizing on the "what ifs", and thinking about all the possible outcomes, but that's where it's so easy to get stuck and never take a leap of faith. I've learned that jumping, after a healthy level of transition and decision-making, is the only way for me to follow my dreams. 

In the past I have jumped and realized it was a path to lead me to another path. This time, with AOM, I have realized this jump was the one that lead me to where I belong. I think had I kept thinking about all my fears and "what ifs" a few years ago, I would still be living the life I had then and missed out on so much. 

In acupuncture, we have a treatment called the Buddha's triangle. It is a set of three triangles that create a very grounding effect. This treatment is often used in clinic when a patient is in a place of transition and seeking help with direction. Through the acupuncture energetic response, patients tend to gain more clarity in the paths they seek to take. One of the triangles is shown in picture above.

Years ago, a mentor of mine constantly told me "change is good" during a very difficult time of my life. The optimist in me desired to believe her, but at that time, those words were very hollow. I was also young and had little proof of this reality. She explained to me how everything had to change in order for new growth to come. She showed me just as new buds must sprout out of the ground to someday make flowers, we, too, must have the courage to allow ourselves to blossom into who we are meant to become. Little did I know then, how true her words were and how much I would grow to believe them. They are also a core belief in AOM, showing the ever-flowing change of yin into yang, and yang into yin. They are the Universal and internal changes that move us into new beginnings.

A fair amount of students in the AOM program have families. Some students are married, some have children, and some are single parents. Whatever the situation is, having a family while being a student is usually viewed as extremely rewarding, but also a juggling act at times. Being in school with the motivation of family supporting you, or for single parents, to support your loved one(s) is such a root source of motivation from my perspective. 

This week I interviewed one of my best friends and fellow students, Cynthia, who is a single mom in the program. I think she is extremely inspiring and motivating.  She is a nurse, RN, in the AOM program. She is also pursuing her nurse practitioner degree and working two part-time jobs while raising her son. Within just a few minutes of meeting Cynthia, it was clear that her source motivation for pushing herself so hard was to make the best life possible for her son. She also has a heartfelt passion to help others, which I think is rather clear from her career choices.

From Cynthia's Perspective:  

"Being a mom and going to school requires a lot of multi tasking. I am cooking while doing my homework as well as helping my child while he does his homework. My work is never done. I feel like I spend most of my time in my car with dropping and picking him up from school, dropping and picking him up from whoever is the sitter that day, and driving back and forth from school. It's exhausting and I am always drained, but I never quit working towards my goals even though sometimes I want to. I know it's temporary and my reward in the end will be great. My child further increases my drive to better myself because I know his life will be better as well. By the time I'm done with school he will have been to 3 or 4 of my college graduations!"

I think Cynthia summarizes how many parents in the program feel. At times, being a parent, husband or wife and a full-time student may feel overwhelming, but that overwhelming feeling is fleeting. It cannot compete with the overall satisfaction that will come when we have accomplished our goals and are out practicing the medicine. We will be able to offer help to others to the best of our abilities while having complete peace of mind that our families are being supported.