WordPlay: Clarifications on Medicine



Longmontaacupuncture.net



Words conjure images; and we instantly build a collage of snapshots in our mind. 

From these images we have specific associations rooted from our own personal connotations; whether they are postiive, negative, true or false, is purely bias unless thorougly educated.   

• "Traditional Chinese Medicine"
• "Oriental Medicine"
• "Complementary Medicine"
• "Alternative Medicine"
• "Western Medicine"
• "Acupuncturist" 



Mark Parisi



I love words.  I have a BFA in Screenwriting; freelanced with USA Today and am quite the accomplished People's Magazine crossword puzzler. 

As I enter this field that is ancient yet still quite new in the Western world, I believe using the correct terms is just as important as inserting needles.  As soon-t0-be-practitioners, I'm beginning to understand the bulk of our work is not going to be under a clinical setting -- It's going to be in education.  Whether we're chatting about what we do or guiding the misinformed.



Kasamaproject.org


Currently, my blog states, "Traditional Chinese Medicine" (TCM).  The history of TCM has a terrible connotation; and I'm still trying to figure out if the definition of those words have changed.  It's a lot like the concept of gentrification.  Sure, it's great to have the convenience of a Duane Reade but what does that do to the identity of the neighborhood?  Do you keep the old with the new?  Is that even possible?  What happens when Starbucks finally moves in; and the corner liquor store turns into a fancy wine shop?

The term Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) is typically used today, I've never liked the term "Alternative Medicine" because going through my own teen-angst phase of skater-punk-grunge scene, "alternative" is never a positive thing in modern society.  In fact, it makes the medicine sound like I don't shave my pits and I've got dirty dreads. 
 I prefer to simply use "Complementary Medicine" because I believe in a fully integrated system of healing.  I am a strong believer that diseases, imbalances and disorders are complicated and multi-faceted.  Therefore, it seems crazy to me to treat them with just one method of healing.  However, I am not an advocate of treating isolated symptoms; nor a proponent of most pharmacological drugs.  I believe medicine should aid in returning the body back within a range of balance; and focus on prevention and wellness.    At the end of the day, I'm a huge proponent of simply getting people healthy, in the least invasive manner as possible with an emphasis on prevention.


Jacqueline Young Complementary Medicine for Dummies



Put "Western" on anything and it makes people feel comfortable because it sounds legit.  Add "Eastern" on anything and suddnely, it's exotic with smokes and opium pipes.  I like, "Biomedicine" because the "West" (whether it's the States, Europe, Australia, or Canada) has natural medicine (Naturopathology) which has existed thousands of years ago that is not within the realm of so-called conventional medicine (ie. St. John's Wort).

I also have to stop telling people that all I study is acupuncture or that I'm going to become an acupuncturist because at OCOM, we study a helluva lot more than just sticking needles.  When I graduate, I will have a toolbox full of healing treatments incoporated in my practice.  Additionally, I will also have a solid biomedical foundation in terminology, anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry and physics. 



Cancercompass.com



A well-rounded treatment includes not one treatment but a variety depending on each individual. 

So in order to clarify the language barrier...

I am a medical student studying East Asian medicine which includes primarily Chinese medicine but also Korean and Japanese:

• Acupuncture
• Herbs
• Body/Energy work
• Diet/Nutrition
• Cupping
• Moxa
• Biomedicine foundation

My intention has always been to break down Eastern medicine without the esoteric, hippie stuff.  However, I've realized I don't need to "dumb-down" the lanaguage in order to do so.  I have to have faith people are willing to learn a new terms in order to have a better understanding on their own personal health.

Cartoonstock.com



Pinch Me

"You are physically manifesting a vision." 

Michael J. Gaeta, President of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine

I am officially a full-time medical student of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM). 

During my search for the best school (for me), OCOM stood out in a quiet yet powerful manner.  It doesn't have a big, fancy campus (not yet... Wait until 2012!) and it didn't give a flashy admissions presentation.  In fact, the school catalogue is a plain, white booklet and a quote at the bottom, "The science of medicine, the art of healing."

However, it was the first to...

• Be nationally accredited by the AAAOM
• Develop a doctorate program
• Be the first school to receive funding from the National Institute of Health to research the effects of acupuncture 

As I plan to further my education/career into research, it was important for me to find a school that offered a doctorate program; and prepped its graduate students with a research foundation. 



Menucha - Washington & Oregon view


Aside from all its educational brownie points, OCOM (out of 5 schools I visited and multiple others I researched) was the only school which required its students to attend a 2-day orientation at an off-site retreat center.

Schools typically have an hour-orientation but this very act of gathering its incoming first-year students and faculty at Menucha, which is located near the Gorge River with views of Washington and Oregon, laid out the values of its school - Community. 

As a quintessential New Yorker and a typical Type-A, the idea of community is foreign; however, it is a concept I want to desperately embody.

In 2012, OCOM will be moving its location from the Middle-of-Nowhere to the City Center.  At the orientation we were presented with photos and floor plans of the new building purposefully located in the historical section of Portland, Old Town Chinatown. 



Pres. Gaeta Relocation Presentation


The $15M, LEED Gold-certified (!!!), 5-story building will be nearly 4,000 square feet larger with 17 private treatment rooms, 1 community treatment space, LEED Gold certified, a rooftop garden and feng-shued to the wha-zoo by Yale-graduate, Alex Stark.

Like a typical Portlander, the school opted to purchase a historical building and renovate it; which not only means it saved a gorgeous architectural staple but a good chunk of the renovation is being paid for by Uncle Sam. 

My class will be the first and only class to have the opportunity to experience the transition, growth and journey of OCOM expanding from beginning to end. 

I can't help but get excited at how honored I am to attend this school at this very moment of its own vision taking form right before my eyes.

As our health care system continues to fail us and we consistently become a mockery of the Western world, I honestly feel this medicine will grow.  However, I'm a firm believer it can only grow with the intent of educating the community on re-evaluating the true definition of "health".  

President Gaeta ended his presentation with the emphasis on our personal journeys.  Every single one of my classmates, including myself, have come to this point in our lives to not only dream of serving people but to courageously take the steps to manifest the vision. 

It's the wildest feeling to have my dreams slowly take form outside of my mind.  No matter how many times this happens, it still feels unbelievable.  It truly is an awesome feeling; and it makes me want to keep doing it.



Me & MOCO

 "There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."

- Douglas H. Everett

Branded For Life



Finca


I took my trusty Eagle Creek backpack to Nicaragua solely because... Because...

Well, because I don't know how else a person travels. 

A rolling luggage to a third world country seemed ridiculous even if I was staying on an gated, organic farm high in the mountains of nowhere with a prompt housestaff and an infinity pool.

Is it weird that I always take the soap? 

Or that I carry an extra T-shirt for a pillow case? 

Or quadruple my sarong as a towel/scarf/blanket/coverup?

Whether I like it or not, I've been unknowingly branded to always be a "backpacker"; and this will always be an innate distinction within me.  Recently though, I've discovered this ain't so bad.

Sunset at Cloud Farm

After 3 days of luxurious Cloud Farm, I could hear a little voice in my head whisper,

"Stay longer." 

I now believe, this voice is the Traveling Spirit within me. 
(Shoot me) 

The same Spirit that makes my feet itchy.  The same Spirit that logs onto Kayak.com... Just out of curiosity.  The same Spirit that slightly perks me up whenever I hear someone who's been out of the country. 

All I needed was a little push which came in the form of a casual statementfrom another camp-member whom I now refer to my "Sister In Mind", "You should stay longer."

Boat Surf Trip to Playa Hermosa

I took it as a sign; and within an hour, I changed my flight.

I'm getting better at this:  Listening to my soul without neglecting my mind.  I'm learning to compromise which I feel will be incredibly important as I train to become a medical practitioner. 

TCM, like everything in Life, stresses the importance of balance.  As I embark on my journey into medical school, I realize this concept of balance needs to become an action rather than a theory. 

It's easier for me to balance the obvious things in my life like diet; exercise; study hours; free time...

But it's  a challenge to balance my Past, Present and Future Selves. 

I thought I needed to neglect everything about my past in order to become present and stronger in the future.  However, I now realize, it's my past that has brought me to my present which will make me stronger in the future.  Without any of the brandings from my past, I wouldn't be where I am today. 

Caught the biggest, longest wave (for me)

I flew from Managua, Nicaragua to Newark, NJ with only a day to pack up my entire belongings and move across country to Portland, Oregon.  I forgot to pack a lot of crap but I don't regret staying in Nicaragua longer because I had the opportunity to surf & get better, met some badass people and discovered I actually like being a backpacker which only means one thing:


Private beach surf



I like to travel.

After nearly 2 years in SEA, I never wanted to travel ever again.  However, after my recent trip, I I realized there are different types of traveling. 

Good friends & traveling strangers

Traveling doesn't always have to be a soul-searching-journey.  In fact, I believe, traveling is really meant to be done when you have a strong grasp of your soul.  Only then, can you fully appreciate it for what its worth. 

But I'd never come to this conclusion without my past.  Without my past, I would have never (ever!) changed my flight. I would have never gone for tacos.  I would have never dumped homemade whole-wheat bread into a garbage bag for lunch.  I would have never slept on the bottom bunk.

As I begin to slowly figure out what sort of medical healer I would like to become, I hope to find a compromising balance of my Past, Present and Future because I truly believe the connection among the three will make me a better servant to my community.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Don't You Dare Call Me a Backpacker

ME

Is there anything I should be doing or reading to help me prepare for school? 

ADMISSION

Take a vacation.  Don't read anything related to Oriental Medicine.  Don't even think about it.  You're going to spend the next 3 years of your life in a highly intense medical program so... Take a vacation.

I'm finally done with A&P II (Woke up to the words: oogenesis and glomerular  filtration wheeling around in my head.  Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder?); and I'm off to Nicaragua hasta manana for a WHOLE WEEK!  True, compared to my 2-years of traveling, a week is a blink but I'm so done traveling with a one-way ticket that a week-long holiday... A VAY-CAY... Is just fine with me. 

I don't have to worry about getting dengue (again!) or being dropped off in the middle of nowhere with vultures trying to steal the little stuff I have because... I'm taking the freakin' tourist shuttle! 

Also, I can relax and not have to stress about finding the cheapest guesthouse (Even if it has cat-sized rats & heroin addicts running around who bite you in the middle of the night.  The addicts, and occasionally, the rats.) because...

I will be staying here...

And doing this...

And much-needed this...

Devouring this...

Which will fuel me up for this...

It's been too long since I've done these...

Stoked to see if I can do this...

But I'm really looking forward to doing this...

And giving gratitude to this...



More Than Sticking Needles: 1st Year Classes

How freakin' adorable is my school's mascot?!

1st Year Classes (Fall - Spring)

• TCM Theory I, II, II

Foundation in theoretical concepts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

• Oriental Medicine Research

Introduce a set of competencies for the research literate practitioner.

• Community Outreach Practicum

Develop skills and experience in educating and informing the general public about TCM.

• Point Location I, II, III

Lecture and hands-on practice to accurately locate points and channels.

• Qi Gong I, II, III

Direct application of the medicinal benefits of qi gong.

• 

  Medical Tuina massage

  Tuina I (II, III, IV)

Chinese massage.

• Shiatsu I (II, III, IV)

Japanese massage.

• Medical History East & West

Historical and cultural perspective on the changes within the health community by tracing the historical developments of both Oriental medicine and modern biomedicine.  Emphasis on the cultural, environmental & socio-political interactions.

• Respectful Touch

Skills of self-care, boundary settinga dn communication.

• Living Anatomy

Understanding the bony and soft-tissue structures of the body through external palpitations.

• Introduction to Chinese Herbs

Herbal medicine series of individual herbs, substances and herbal formulas.  Discussions of preparation, formulas, precautions, problems with herbs and relevant research.





Herbology


• Chinese Herbal Medicine: The Pharmacopoeia

Study of approximately 300 of the most commonly used medicinal substances in TCM. 

• Observational Skills

Clinical introduction and studying non-needling acupuncture techniques (moxibustion, cupping and gua sha).

OCOM requires all graduate students to complete 3,400 hours of educational training. 

On top of that, we  need our pre-med requirements all sorted out (Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy I & II, Physiology I & II and Psychology)

(Note: Western Pre-med: Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, A&P and Physics.)


Mr. Gladwell, does studying count towards the 10,000 hours?

Typically, the graduate program takes 4 years...

 I'm doing it in 3-years. 
(Ya, dang right, Namaste, fo sho!)

There are a few differences...

For example, 3-year program students are required to immediately take 6-weeks of Tuina and Shiatsu in the fall; then choose one as a concentration.

Another difference is, 3-year program students are apparently, masochists.

I wanted to share the educational requirements needed in order to become a licensed Oriental medical practitioner.  At first, I was really hesitant in studying OM (TCM) because I wasn't sure if I had to compromise my own personal beliefs in health - A complementary system. 



Tim Daly plays an OM on ABC "Private Practice"


Fortunately, most TCM schools want their students to have a solid foundation in Western sciences; and as OM becomes more widely accepted, we need to have a Western biomedicine background in order to just talk to our other health colleagues - Especially, if we score a job at a "Private Practice" in Santa Monica with a recently divorced dcotor who looks a lot like Taye Diggs!

The biggest misconception about OM practitioners is that we take a couple of classes and receive some Cracker-Jack certification.  When in fact, we take pre-med classes THEN instead of heading off to John Hopkins for medical school -- We go to OCOM.

I remember during my first visit to OCOM, the Dean mentioned this was medical school. 

Intense and empowering... And a shit ton of work. 

(My words, not his - But I'm sure this is what he meant)

We have our own diagnostic tools; and are required to work clinical rounds both as interns and externs.  Unlike our Western medicine colleagues, we spend the first year of our school
learning a vastly foreign concept of the human body; and trying to find some way of making sense of it. 

I've received a fantastic advice from a current 1st year student whom I met while visiting the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM):  

Stoked to learn about sports medicine.

...  The concepts are going to feel really overwhelming at first, and you'll feel behind, that maybe you should've come in knowing more (because they just kind of dive into the material), but that's normal and everyone feels that way. ... It's hard to see the bigger picture and to feel like you can't put the pieces together. But this is normal, and don't stress out and like I said, everyone says it all starts to come together after you've been in school about a year.  

Like a Virgin



Beginner: Yogi



"If you carry the child within you... That's what works."

- Barry Cunningham, Publisher of Chicken House Children's Book

Last week, a friend of mine (I'm re-considering this term, as we speak) gave me shit for not being a "good surfer". 



I was confused by this word, "good" ; and in complete honesty, hurt by his intention. 



Beginner: Fitness model



I trekked all the way out to Far Rockaway, taking 7 transfers in 104 degree heat just for mediocre waves that were 2 feet.  It was a journey.  Like all journeys, I met an incredible cast of characters from the train conductor who talked about his surf experience while helping me get Miss Charlene (my board) to the train; to the nursing student who always wanted to learn how to surf but his inability to swim was holding him back; to Jillian, a badass chica who learned how to surf on her 40th birthday and was getting married to her fiance of 15 years that weekend when the monumental same-sex marriage bill was be instated.

And that was just the ride TO the Rockaways.




Beginner: Tea Fields Hiker

When I finally arrived, I was warmly embraced by a community of locals who allowed me to catch a ride on their turf.  We exchanged friendly chats about our boards, howled, "PARTY WAVE!" when we all caught it; and hooted when we watched someone else go for it.  I was pretty stoked at myself for being able to paddle out, sit on my board and even catch a few.  I hadn't gone all summer and just went out twice last year so you bet I was high-five-ing myself for this.  Plus. an old mate from way back, just bought a board; and I forgot how much fun it is to just be in the ocean with one person you know. 


Then it hit me, I'm not the type of surfer who's out there wanting to show off some tricks.  I don't necessarily want to get "good".  I'm a beginner; and with that title, I realized I still have this naive innocence about the whole thing.  I go out when waves are 2 feet.  I go out when there's no power behind the swells.  I go out when the winds coming for the West.  I go out when I'm wearing the wrong bikini bottom and I end up mooning the entire East coast.  



Beginner: Thrill Seeker

I go out to laugh, laugh and laugh. 

I go out because it makes me happy.

I go out because it's the most absurd thing to do.



Beginner (unlicensed): Hell's Angel



In the past 5 years, I've gone through some major difficult moments in my life.  When I look back, I can't believe I've actually survived.  I can't believe it so much that I can't stop laughing about the whole thing.   I cry, I still get emotional but humility is one of the few things in life that can make me laugh and cry at the same time. 

It's impossible to go through Darkness without it bitch-slapping you in the face; and making you realize (as cliche as it may sound), Life, really is, too short to take it all that seriously. 

It's sad when we limit ourselves from new experiences because of our unrelenting fear of looking like a goofball. 

I hear it all the time:

Beginner: Ocean lover



"Oh, I'd love to travel but I can't right now."  "Yeah, I want to dance but not right now."  "I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar but I don't have the time."

Sure, I have my moments of can'ts, don'ts and won'ts:

"I'm too old to be wearing low-riders."  "I'm too old to be dating a 19 year old." 



Beginner: Cave Woman

I'm gonna stand by these can'ts, don'ts and won'ts because I can't breathe properly in skinny jeans; and the thought of kickin' it with someone born in the 90's sounds... Slightly illegal. 

But...

I'm not too damn old to be doing a lot of things; and people like George, an 88 year-old farmer I met in Kauai,who ziplined (for the 2nd time!) through the mountains and waterfalls of Hawaii, all the while, hitting on our 45 year-old guide, reminds me it's important to remember to live fearlessly like a kid... Or at the very least, a horny 15-year old.

Either way, I'm guaranteed to have some good fun.

On a side note:  This "friend" doesn't even surf.  Doesn't even travel.  Doesn't do much but get high, get arrested and talk shit.  Lately, I've been heavy into the concept of Intent.  Clearly, his intent was to get a rise (as he always likes to do).  In our 20's, this was funny.  We're now in our 30's; and I've noticed that his shit talking ways just doesn't get by anymore.  No one laughs; and it's actually uncomfortable.  I've been feeling for his situation as of lately; but I can't keep being positive for someone who continues to be negative.  Any kid knows that's totally f-ed up.

Beginner's Luck I found this place...







What's In a Name When You're Poking?

Took part in this year's Summer Solstice Yoga @ Times Square.

About a year ago, I saw a hilarious documentary about one (cynical) man's journey towards understanding the theories, practice and history of yoga in, "Enlighten Up!"  I was surprised to find out, unlike TCM, yoga doesn't have a definite historical past.  No one knows exactly where, how and when yoga began. 

Yet, yoga was one of the first "alternative medicine" accepted widely in the US.  Today, yoga is practiced in posh studios with complimentary coconut water to free classes supported by the community.  There's Yoga Journal (a magazine specifically geared towards yoga); Luluemon (a pricey clothing company selling all kinds of must-haves for your daily practice) and loads of retreats (I often fantasize of attending). 

The Gurus of Yoga have managed to create a lifestyle from their form of healing.  Personally, I think this is something OM can use as an example to become more widely accepted.

NOTE:  I'm not comparing yoga to TCM/OM in any other way than its acceptance, or lack thereof, amongst the majority. 

Yoga has teachers. 

TCM has practitioners.

Yoga has certifications. 

TCM begins as a 4-year graduate program with the option of a 2-year doctorate.

Yoga can be practiced alone. 

TCM requires a symbiotic relationship between the patient and client.

Yoga has clients. 

TCM has patients.

I'm not knocking down on yoga (I practice every day and am so grateful for it.  Shout out to my fav yogi, Rodney Yee!)  However, I think it's remarkable on how the yoga community managed to keep yoga as their own. 

Acupuncture is a form of healing which involves hair-thin needles.  Hair-thin, but still needles.  The possibility of a patient being injured is real.  The majority of the time, these injuries occur because of people who are have not been properly trained, like physical therapists, chiropracters and general practitioners.

Currently, the Oregone Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (OAAOM) filed a legal challenge to the Court of Appeals against the Oregon Board of Chiropracter's Examiners rule that chiropracters can practice dry needling with only 24 hours of education. (Click here for more info)

24 hours!  That's a weekend class!  4 years of an OM students' education crammed into a 2-days!
(Click here to get really pissed off)

This is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! 

OM practitioners are having a difficult time being accepted into the Western medical community; however, more and more schools (med, nursing, chiropractic, physical therapy.) are "teaching" acupuncture (under the clever name, "Medical Acupuncture") as an elective (Western medical practitioners who did not have the option of taking Medical Acupuncture in med school can opt to study it while they practice.  This is an old article but OCOM alum, Lisa Hanfileti, LAc breaks it down.  Note: OCOM requires 3,500 hours of training)  I find this interesting considering there are so many haters out there (oh, it's a placebo effect) but the undeniable growth in acupuncture studies has increased significantly. 

If it doesn't work... Then why study it?  BOO-YAH!  'Cause you know it works, NEXT!

In 2008, Maryland got slammed when the Maryland Board of Chiropractic Examiners clarified dry needling is within the realm of chiropractic practice. 

What the heck is "dry needling"?



Meridian Channels


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), acupuncture literally means to puncture with a needle; while "dry needling" means placing acupuncture needles, using acupuncture points, into a muscle trigger. 

What's the difference?

NOTHING! 

Which is exactly why 8 states have outlawed physical therapists from practicing "dry needling".  (Click here to read more of this shannanigan)  So now, Oregon is fighting against chiropracters who want to practice dry needling. 

The main concern for me is that sure, these practitioners are studying acupuncture points; and learning a few points is just memorization.  However, they're missing the FOUNDATION... The ROOTS of this medicine.  It's like learning the incisions for open heart surgery by borrowing Open Heart Surgery for Dummies at the local library, watching a couple of You Tube videos and going deep. 

No one in their right mind would do this... Because it's insane.

These practitioners study the very superficial aspects of the medicine.  Again, it's the Western medical community trying to find a short-cut to treating the symptoms, rather than the root of the disease.

The legal cost is currently at $30,000 and OAAOM is need of some $cha-ching$.  I'm a broke-ass student who's been eyeing this really cute 2mm wet suit by Cynthia Rowley but I've just made a small donation because this is my community that is being affected.  These mofos are coming onto my turf and I gotta represent! 

According to the numbers, acupuncturists are having a difficult time staying afloat; and I think it's partially because we need to start making demands by changing the legal system.  We can't sit back and Qi Gong our way through while our medicine is literally being taken away from underneath our feet. 

Click here to lend a helping hand and donate a little somethin'-somethin' to OAAOM's legal fees. 

Jungle Rule #1: Weed out the weak

That's right, I meditate in Times Square.

Last week, I was given the title, "Urban Guru" by a good friend of mine I met in South East Asia.  We met in the jungles of Malaysia back in 2008.  Seriously.

In the midst of one my many Facebook bitching, I had written in haste,

"Right when things seemed to be on track, you get a little turbulence just to test you out and see if you really know your shit."

It was in reference to all these haters I've been encountering since I've been accepted to OCOM. 

Prior to making the decision to fully commit to studying a traditional form of medicine, in a world heavily depended on quick results, I was building my armor against all the hate from people who knew nothing about the powerful healing effects of OM.  Never in my Taoist dreams, would I have ever predicted, I would need to protect myself from haters in my own community.

To say the least, this has been incredibly disheartening. 

It's the Holden Caulfield-theory: Meeting your favorite author is never a good idea.  He's never as badass as you imagine him being.   Always a disappointment and never as good as the book.

It feels 10,000 times worse to receive such resistance from the people you respect deeply.  People who are living The Dream.  People who inspire you to continue your path.  People who you admire so much that one day you hope they would accept your offer to become your mentor.

I suppose the biggest shocker is the fact that I had a naive notion and assumption of this industry.  I assumed (ugh, I can hear my 10th grade Spanish teacher, Senora Hunter's voice ringing in my head, "Assuming, makes an ass of you and me.") because this is an industry of serving the greater good, there would be a geyser of high-fives, stickered stars and enough Hallelujahs to go around.  I just assumed negativity would be coming from outside the circle because well... 'Cause it's us against them, right? 

Healers vs. Big Pharm.

It's been about a month from the initial hate.  Ironically, right after I sent in my deposit to OCOM.  Once the initial shock, sadness and confusion kicked in; by the time I received my latest round of hate (at an acupuncture clinic I visited this weekend), I was fully pissed off.  My inner-Jersey came out and I caught myself saying (accent and all), 'You know what, you can go fuck yo'self.' 

I'm still pretty pissed off... And I'm kinda loving it.  

When I look back in hindsight, through all my experiences, it is rage that fuels my need to change and plow forward.  So, New York, right?  I can't just make daisy crowns from a meadow, flash peace signs and protest by giving out free hugs.  Nope, I have to get crazy livid, march forward like a total maniac while screaming from the top of my lungs.  

Meh, if Chinese medicine has taught me anything, it's the notion that we're all different. "Unique" might be a better word, in my case.

I suppose I wished these haters from my community would have just broken it down realistically, minus the melodrama.  Instead of acting like such Debbie Downers and saying things like:

Don't go to school; don't study this; you'll never be able to pay off your loans; you'll never be able to get a business loan with all your student debt; you'll never make a living beyond $25,000/year; the failure rate is excruciatingly high; your pants is on fire; blah blah blah.

I wished they would have been a bit more level-headed yet still completely honest,

"Yo, this shit's hard.  Think 2, 3, 72 times about investing your money, time and life into this because you're gonna have to hustle."

To me, the latter is exactly how I see it. 

I'm convinced the majority of the people who choose to study this medicine come to this conclusion at the end of some sort of 'I-Hit-Rock-Bottom' journey typically consisting of some sort of loss of health.  I would be surprised if the majority of these people just woke up one day and thought, 'Ya know what, I think I'm gonna study this acupuncture thingy 'cause it's like so cool.' 

Clearly, there is a journey we all took.  A journey that involved a lot of pain, tears, heartache, doubt, fear, anxiety and eventually, finally, an immense amount of clarity. 

As I've mentioned time and time again, I'm no hippie so obviously, I realize heart, guts and soul isn't enough to make a living as an OM practitioner.  This revelation has led me to recognize the good in all these haters.  Up until this point, I have received a surprisingly heavy load of support from friends, families and random strangers.  They've all been interested despite their own hesitation to actually receiving TCM (all due in time).  My past school/work experiences have taught me nothing is easy as it sounds.  I've been immensely weary of schools that have advertised the amazing lifestyle of an acupuncturists in which I can open my own practice, travel around in a cruise ship, help indigenous people in the Andes!  I'm not a dumbass 19 year-old anymore.  I'm a grown-ass 30-year old woman and I know a sales pitch when I hear one.



Oh, Kelly!


I've come to the conclusion, these haters have kept me in check by forcing me to realize I really have to get on top of the business game.  Although most OM schools provide a couple business classes, I've always felt these weren't enough.  I know it will be up to me to seek out the business education I need in order to well, essentially, in the wise words of Destiny's Child, "Pay my bills." because "I'm a survivor/I'm not gonna give up."  Who knew Destiny's Child would have such an impact on my career change? 

It's a fine line for health practitioners to talk about the M-word.  Money is viewed as sinful as relying on allergy medications.  However, I do believe there is room for honest communication and we need to get over this crazy idea of wanting to save the world without getting a pay check for it.  We're taught to always take care of our own health prior to treating patients.  If we're not healthy (mind, body and spirit) than there's no way we'll be capable of healing others.  I'd like to use the same example and say, we need to take care of ourselves, financially, in order to help our community.  No one's gonna get treated if there ain't no place to get treated, genius.

There has to be a way of discussing finance (profit) without viewing patients as clients; and without feeling like a scummy time-share agent.  It's a fine line but I'm determined to figure it out. 



Taman Negara, Malaysia



I truly believe when you're on the right path, there will be more resistance; solely because this is exactly what you're meant to do.  At the end of the day, it's all about survival of the fittest.  It only makes sense, the most competent individuals earn the right to heal and become leaders.  Personally, I don't want to be a part of a community full of a bunch of whinning dummies.  I want to be a part of a community which act logically with a deep sense of compassion; and the intelligence to change the world. 

I'm leaning into the discomfort because I feel like I'm doing something right.