Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Koh Samui: Hangin’

  Koh samui

 

Just hangin.

Feels good.

Except the sunburn.

We are off to another island

Koh Phangan

What are some of the things on your bucket list?

One of mine was to have acupuncture in Asia. My friend Celeste knew such a doctor so French Husband and I went: French Husband went for his back, and I went for my migraines. Oh my. The needles did not hurt in the least. But where the doctor placed the needle was as if stuck his fist in the eye of the migraine heart. Wow. Tears instantly rolled down my face. Noticing my tears the doctor asked, "Do you have allergies?"

I managed to smile, and said, "No. My tears are from the acupuncture needle touching the point of my migraines."

"You'll be okay," he said patting my back sympathetically.

Sure enough I felt fine afterwards. I will follow through with more acupuncture in France. French Husband too had a similar reaction, he said, "At first I felt nothing at all. Then gradually it seemed an elephant was standing on my back. The pain mounted, and then I fell asleep. Each time the doctor pushed the needle in, or whatever he did since I could not see, the same feeling happened. When it was over, the doctor had to wake me up, I felt amazingly peaceful without pain."


Comments

23 responses to “Koh Samui: Hangin’”

  1. pam in oregon

    Having spent my weekend in bed with a horrible migraine and wanting to die I would jump at the chance to find a remedy for them. I hope you are headache-free from now until forever!
    I’m loving following your adventure!

    Reply
  2. Zosia

    Travel more, read more and enjoy every day to the fullest.

    Reply
  3. Paulita

    Your description of acupuncture was the best I’ve ever heard. They should use you and FH as an advertisement.

    Reply
  4. Jeanne

    Love you
    Healing hugs for you both
    Love Jeanne

    Reply
  5. Shelley@thiswhiteshed.blogspot.com

    Eastern everything can teach us all an awful lot.

    Reply
  6. Bev

    How wonderful!

    Reply
  7. Star

    That sounds very dramatic. It’s too bad acupuncture is not covered under many health plans and that the cost without insurance is generally prohibitive (because it is my understanding that most issues require several treatments or ongoing treatment). I hope you receive lasting results!

    Reply
  8. Jillayne

    You just can’t underestimate the the feeling of relief of pain.
    I am sorry about your sunburns but love how you got them – fun in the sun!

    Reply
  9. LaurieSF

    Surf in Bali, tango in Buenos Aires, wave a flag at the the world cup in Brazil, see a bullfight in Spain, waltz in Vienna, hang from the canopy and zip line through Costa Rica.
    I just added Thailand ; )

    Reply
  10. Marilyn

    Oh yes, acupuncture is the best. Wish my insurance would pay for it, as I would go more often. Hope your sunburn starts to feel better very soon.

    Reply
  11. Jeannie

    I love acupuncture. It is like the deepest meditative state that I can achieve. Unfortunately, it didn’t remedy the pain for long, but it made me happy and relaxed. I still have it on occassion. It is like a deep tissue massage for your soul.

    Reply
  12. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I’m glad to hear this as I’ve always been mildly dubious of acupuncture. Love massage though! What a trip you’re having.
    I was reflecting on how different your posts would be if you’d chosen to go to Japan.

    Reply
  13. Amy Kortuem

    Great that the acupuncture popped that migraine spot right open!
    The most extravagant thing on my bucket list: to be in a dive cage off the coast of South Africa where the great white sharks swim. I’ve been fascinated by and terrified of sharks since I was six years old. It’s almost a spiritual obsession…I see them in my dreams sometimes, bringing me messages through the murky waters.

    Reply
  14. Jenna

    Everything is on my bucket list!
    I am glad you are feeling better, and hope the acupuncture continues to work. I was right, you do have great legs. Yann’s aren’t bad either.

    Reply
  15. Lee

    Migraines used to hit me constantly until I started wheat glutein free diet based on the result of allergy test. These days I feel much peace with my body if I eat right. I believe that food sensitivity has contributed to many chronic illness.

    Reply
  16. RSA Certificate

    Oh that’s so great that it worked (and that you got something done off the bucket list!)

    Reply
  17. Gretchen Baldauf

    Bucket list (one of numerous items) — see the Northern Lights!

    Reply
  18. Judi

    Acupuncture can be a very emotional and freeing experience. As we say, “it hurts so good” 🙂

    Reply
  19. Kathie B

    Be sure to read the article re the case that made acupuncture famous in the US.
    “Now, About My Operation in Peking” (by legendary journalist James Reston):
    http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/1971acupuncture.pdf?scp=1&sq=%22Now,%20About%20My%20Operation%20in%20Peking%22&st=cse
    Reproduced (sans photo) at:
    http://www.atcms.org/TCMAA/TCMAA-Education/Reston-NewYorkTimePaper1.htm
    Here’s the beginning of the article:
    PEKING, July 25–There is something a little absurd about a man publishing an obituary notice on his own appendix, but for the last 10 days this correspondent has had a chance to a learn little about the professional and political direction of a major Chinese hospital from the inside, and this is a report on how I got there and what I found.
    In brief summary, the facts are that with the assistance of 11 of the leading medial specialists in Peking, who were asked by Premier Chou En-lai to cooperate on the case, Prof. Wu Wei-jan of the Anti-Imperialist Hospital’s surgical staff removed my appendix on July 17 after a normal injection of Xylocain and Bensocain, which anesthetized the middle of my body.
    There were no complications, nausea or vomiting. I was conscious throughout, followed the instructions of Professor Wu as translated to me by Ma Yu-chen of the Chinese Foreign Ministry during the operation, and was back in my bedroom in the hospital in two and a half hours.
    However, I was in considerable discomfort if not pain during the second night after the operation, and Li Chang-yuan, doctor of acupuncture at the hospital, with my approval, inserted three long thin needles into the outer part of my right elbow and below my knees and manipulated them in order to stimulate the intestine and relieve the pressure and distension of the stomach.
    That sent ripples of pain racing through my limbs and, at least, had the effect of diverting my attention from the distress in my stomach. Meanwhile, Doctor Li lit two pieces of an herb called ai, which looked like the burning stumps of a broken cheap cigar, and held them close to my abdomen while occasionally twirling the needles into action.
    All this took about 20 minutes, during which I remember thinking that it was a rather complicated way to get rid of gas in the stomach, but there was noticeable relaxation of the pressure and distension within an hour and no recurrence of the problem thereafter….

    Reply
  20. Kathie B

    Sorry about the formatting problem!
    To view it fully, just:
    Control-A block my post
    Control-C copy it
    Then Control-V paste into another document.

    Reply
  21. Kathie B

    Oh, and I’ve done two of the big things on my “bucket list”:
    Learn Portuguese (not that it isn’t going to be a lifelong undertaking, of course!).
    And visit the Azores, to see where my grandparents came from, meet cousins, and start my genealogical research.

    Reply
  22. Rhonda P.

    My bucket list? Wow, France, France, France, oh, perhaps Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, England and Ireland. Then Turkey, Italy, Spain. Oh yeah, Bermuda, Bahamas, and then have my family go with me.

    Reply
  23. Koh Samui Villas

    Excellent post, glad to see you enjoyed Samui!

    Reply

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