The difference between Western and Eastern medicine.
2003-04-18 12:22 p.m.

Yesterday I tried to call my doctor and ask if I should come in about my cough, as I've been sick for six weeks and am kind of worried. Since I am in an HMO I can't actually call my doctor. I call the main number and they forward me to an "advice nurse" who must triage me and decide if I'm actually ill enough to warrant an appointment. I get put on hold for 40 minutes. Finally a stern female voice comes on the line. She asks me a series of questions to figure out if I have an infection or not. She asks me about what medications I'm currently taking and if there's anything I'm allergic to. Then there's the obligatory when was your last period are you pregnant or nursing question. Then she says to go to the pharmacy where I'll be able to pick up a prescription for narcotic cough syrup. I pick up my cough syrup and yeah I'm little loopy but at least I'm not coughing uncontrollably. I feel angry and frustrated that getting a prescription took all morning and I never got to talk to my doctor.

Yesterday I call my acupuncturist, I get an appointment for this morning before work. When I get there her husband (who is an acupuncturist and cueredero) hugs me and send me into the back room. My acupunturist is breastfeeding her baby and we sit down on the floor and have a long talk about what happened six weeks ago, what I'm feeling, what I'm worried about, what's good, what's bad and what does my throat feel like. The baby chills out on a pillow and I get to climb up on the comfy acupuncture table and get needles stuck into my wrists, ankles and boths sides of my neck. She does some energy work on my throat chakra and we get rid of lots of old emotional crap and get my chi running at a high rate. When I'm done she gives me a local flower essence combination (monkey flower, western dock, white spircea and dalmation toadflax), some Pinellia 16 capsules and some tea made out of Ting Li Zi, Apricot Seed & Sophora Root. We discuss qigong, boyfriends, husbands, common friends and her baby. I get a hug from her before I leave. I leave feeling happy loved and healthy.

If you're interested in pacific northwest flower essences go visit Camilla at Three Flowers. She also has essential oils and other wonderful things.

2 People have tried to sell me Viagra
*hack hack hack*
2003-04-17 2:10 p.m.

Have I complained about my cold lately? Six weeks. Six freaking weeks. Now it's down to a horrendous cough. I sound like an eighty year old two pack a day smoker with emphysema. I was up all night hacking up bits of my lungs. It's really bad when I lie down or when I talk a lot. As I have to dictate letters at work, my job is fairly excruciating. I called Kaiser and waited on hold for forty minutes (read e-mail, drank coffee, reviewed files) this morning until an advice nurse took pity on me and prescribed some codeine laced cough suppresant that is guarnteed to knock me unconscious tonight. I also made an appointment with my friend/gigong teacher/accupuncturist tomorrow morning so she can poke some needles into me. Here's hoping I'll finally get rid of this thing.

Hey, my kung fu association has posted some of my sillier writings. Here and Here.

0 People have tried to sell me Viagra
Pout for me, baby.
2003-04-16 1:37 p.m.

Took a break today and hiked up to Nordstroms and spent some quality time at the Stila make-up counter with a woman named Debra. She talked like Fran Drescher and spent some time painting my lips a deep plum and working on making them look "pouty." I spent a whopping $70 on two eye shadows, one blusher, one lipstick, one lip liner and a chocolate lip glaze. I had a Nordstrom gift card left over from Christmas so it was virtually free. I'm probably the only person that applies eye shadow before kung fu class. Hey, gotta take attention away from the bruised arms by enhancing the eyes, am I right?

0 People have tried to sell me Viagra
How to tell when kung fu is effecting your work life.
2003-04-14 1:39 p.m.

You know that kung fu lessons are effecting your work life when�

Your boss assigns you a new project you accidentally shout out "Yes, sifu!"

Trying on business skirts you make sure the slit is high enough so you can still manage a good groin kick.

You practice forms when you have the elevator to yourself.

You salute before entering the conference room.

You know ten different ways to kill someone with your ball point pen.

You wait for your Xeroxes to print while standing in a horse stance.

You constantly size up people in the elevator and decide which ones you could "take."

You do mini staff forms with your pencil while bored in meetings.

You wear your kung fu pants on "casual Fridays."

You find yourself quoting Sun-Tzu at the water cooler.

You ki-ai when the mailboy hits you with his cart.

You try to engage in friendly mock sparring with your coworkers only to feel guilty when they cower away.

1 People have tried to sell me Viagra

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