Not so fast

In my last blog entry, I wrote about the virtues of acupuncture. Lots more energy, no more hot flashes, no more sleepless nights! Yay!

Now, I am realizing, I may need to eat my words. This past week: hot flashes, most of the day and night, and intense hot flashes at that. Sleeping soundly at night - fugetaboutit!  But my energy - wow!  Has it ever returned!  Lots of energy and a strong feeling of physical well-being.  Yesterday I returned for another acupuncture session and I was full of complaints about the hot flashes and the sleeplessness.  Here's the conversation I had with the doctor:

Dr. Li:  Wow, Susan.  Have you been to the beach?  You look so tanned.
Me:  Yes.  Yes, I did get to the beach one day.  I do seem to tan quickly, despite the big hat and the suntan lotion.
Dr. Li:  And what have you been doing for exercise?
Me:  Well, I started back at Bikram yoga, the 90 minute yoga in a room set to 105 degrees.

Now in the field of education, we call this a 'teachable moment' and, boy, did I just hand him a teachable moment on a silver platter!

Dr. Li:  Let me tell you a little more about Chinese medicine.
Me: (You walked right into this one, Susan.  Yes, you did.)
Dr. Li:  Chinese medicine isn't just about these small needles.  It's about the environment, the internal and external environment.  You've heard of Feng Shui?  It's also about the environment.  Your internal environment is on fire, so why are you putting yourself in outside environments that are very hot?  It only makes you more hot.
Me: (Do I really have a Master's degree, because right now I feel like a dope.)
Dr. Li:  The body takes a long time to cool down.

Ok, do I give up Bikram?  No, don't make me do that!!  I guess that means Bikram in the morning, so I have all day to cool down.  Right?

And the beach?  Give that up???  I call that cruel and unusual punishment!!  And cruel and unusual punishment is illegal and I certainly wouldn't want Dr. Li to be involved in anything illegal.  (Aren't I just full of rationalizations?)  Well, it's really a moot point anyway.  Summers are short here in NH - though this summer is exceptionally hot! - and my beach days are few and far-between.  I'll don my hat and buy myself an umbrella and stick my feet in the icy waters of NH and Maine and be happy at the beach.

And, of course, suffer at night.

What's a post-stem cell transplant menopausal woman to do??  (Yes, I can hear what you all are thinking - 'you can suffer in silence, Susan!')  :-)

Ok, no more complaining - at least not in this blog and not in the next.  Coming in the next blog:  the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation's Race for the Research.  And how is this for a team name - Team Multiple Miracles?  Yes, that's my team and we'll be running and walking on September 15th at Carson Beach in Boston.  I'll be recruiting you in the next blog entry, so be sure to read it.  Don't make me track you down!