Back Aches

These past few weeks have been topsy-turvy. Last Wednesday, I was getting ready to leave for work when I lifted my backpack and heard a snap. Something let go in my back. I can't figure it out...the bag wasn't heavy and I picked it up just as I have a million times before. Regardless, it hurt. The rest of that evening was tough, work was a challenge. The crazy pain didn't start until I woke up the next morning.

Thursday morning I could barely lift my head. I decided to head over to my local doctor. Thankfully, doctors here are plentiful and getting to see one is never a problem. There happens to be an office in the building next to mine. I went in and within about 5 minutes a nurse had given me an ice pack and the doctor was asking me all the pertinent questions. Every doctor I have encountered here has a functional level of English, thankfully. The receptionist took my health card, wrote down my info, and charged me a whopping NT$100 for my visit...folks, that is about $3 American...

A few minutes later, I was escorted to an exam table. The doctor began by having me lift my arms to see my range of movement. He stated that he sees this type of injury a lot. He put cream on my back and told me that many back injuries are a result of infections. In order to fight the infection, he was going to try some cupping on my back. It's used to draw out the toxic stuff that may be causing the pain. The following picture is my friend Carrie getting the same procedure.

If you'd like to learn more about "cupping" and lots of other neat stuff, check out Carrie's site at My Several Worlds.

Photograph by Joanna Rees. She is an ex-pat living here in Taipei and quite the shutterbug. Check out her site at Joanna Rees Photography.

I'm not sure if the procedure worked, but I am willing to try anything, back/neck pain is the worst. Along with the cups, the doc did some pressure point work. After the pressure work, I felt a bit better.

While I was trying to relax I glanced out the crack in the door and noticed a woman across the hall having acupuncture applied to areas on her face...this is when all hell broke lose...NEEDLES!! The room began to spin. Wow, I am a total basket case. I told the doctor that I needed to lay down and some water to drink would be nice. Cold sweat beads were forming on my forehead. He left the room and came back with some water and an interesting little chewy thing that was supposed to help me relax...it did. After allowing me to lay down for a few minutes, the good doctor got back to work. He told me not to lift anything heavy for a few days and applied a bunch of stinky smelling patches to my back. I could take off the patches in about 6 hours.

I took off work Thursday and tried to relax. That evening I took off the patches and felt a little better but I don't think that any of the procedures would have a lasting effect. It's been a week since the visit and I still have quite a bit of discomfort.

Many of you may be thinking that the above procedures are odd. Yes, the doctor I went to is a traditional Chinese doctor that specializes in alternative methods of care. This is not the only form of medical care here, just one of the options. I was curious to see what kind of alternative treatments were out there. "Normal" doctors are also plentiful and it costs me just NT$200 per visit (about $6 American). I think I might head over and see the guy that I went to when I worked in Shulin, he is great.

Trypanophobia

Yesterday I ventured to the city hospital to, once again, re-up my visa. I am about to enter my third year here on the island and in order to stay here you have to go through a short series of tests. These tests include vision, a chest x-ray, height/weight, and blood. I am cool with everything except the giving of my blood.

I have a pretty bad case of Trypanophobia, the fear of hypodermic needles. According to Dr. James Hamilton, a leading researcher in the subject, about 10% of American adults suffer from the irrational fear.

There are several different types of the disorder. The type that best fits me is Vaso-Vagal Trypanophobia. It's the most common type, about 50% of the folks with Trypanophobia fall under this category. The sufferers fear the sight, thought or feeling of needles and when they encounter them they experience nausea, sweating and panic attacks...that's me!

To put it simply, I am a wimp when it comes to needles.

Yesterday was a classic example of my struggle. I was cool until about 10 seconds before the nurse stuck me. I sat down and extended my arm. Almost immediately I started feeling light-headed...the sweating started. When I say sweating, I mean SWEATING! My shirt was drenched and I have to wipe the fluid from my eyes...how embarrassing. The nurse did her thing, all the while trying to coach me through it. She insisted on telling me about the teen-aged girl that went before me and did just fine, adding to my humiliation. The procedure takes place in a room packed with folks lined up like supermarket check-out lines, not exactly private. My lack of control was witnessed by a good-sized crowd...yippee!

After she finished, she placed a cotton swab and some tape on the area. A futile exercise because tape doesn't stick to a wet surface...lol.

Before I attempted to stand I told the nurse that I needed to lay down; I was spinning. She escorted me through the office and to a room with a suitable bed. I have been through this before so I knew where to go before she told me. About 5 minutes later, I stood up and was ok. I put my shoes on and proceeded to get the heck out of there.

Thank god I only have to do that once a year.

Catherine calls me a big baby...she is right on when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Belonephobia!

I'm a classic Belonephobic! According to the AMA, it is someone who suffers from a fear of needles.

I had yet another traumatic experience with a needle a few days ago. It is time for me to renew my visa so I can stay in Taiwan another year. This means I had to go through the nasty medical check-up. The check-up includes giving 5c.c.'s of blood. It was awful. I sat down and stretched out my left arm, all the while trying to breath deeply and pretend it wasn't happening. When I thought she had finished (she poked me two or three times), I asked her if it would be OK for me to lay down for a few minutes. She led me into a room and got me a cold towel for my head...I break out in a cold sweat every freaking time I have blood taken. I don't mean a little wetness, I am drenched! Then she lowered the boom...Mr. Edwards, I wasn't able to get any blood, we are gonna have to try the other arm...I thought I was gonna die! I complied with her wishes and after the room stopped spinning, I managed to get the heck out of Taipei City Hospital.

You know, you'd think after the countless injections I went through to get into Peace Corps, I would be pro at this...NOT EVEN CLOSE!

That nightmare is behind me.

Tomorrow I am gonna attempt to lay out a plan for my second year on this island. I think it is gonna be a good one.