On Pins and Needles

What better time to get back to blogging than right after my very first acupuncture appointment?

Picture this: Seoul. June 2010. Maebong Station. I was walking up the stairs of exit four, enjoying my Monday morning treat (mocha latte) and thinking about how smokin' hot nearly all the players on the Spanish national team are. I was thinking about how silky David Villa's hair would feel when I tripped up the stairs and nearly landed flat on my face. I had stuck my left hand out in front of me, trying to save my face and my coffee, and landed on it with all my weight.

Ow.

I somehow made it to school and went straight upstairs. I screamed for Charles and he wrapped up the wrist and gave me instructions on care. I followed them, swelling went down, I was able to do my K-pop dance routine with no problem. I thought that was the end of that.

My little finger had other ideas. About two weeks after the incident, I was teaching the youngest class and my wrist began to throb painfully after doing the hand motion for the itsy bitsy spider song. After the pain went away, my pinkie was numb and stayed that way until today. Last night, it started hurting even more so I finally went to the acupuncturist.

Now, as some of you know, I freak the eff out around needles. Last summer when I had to go to the emergency room because of bronchitis, they took out blood and I nearly fainted. I loathe needles so naturally I was apprehensive of this whole "acupuncture" thing but it turns out, I had nothing to be afraid of. The first part was like any other doctor's appointment and then I went into a room full of beds. First, the nurse put this metal massage thingie on my pinkie and got it all relaxed. Then the "oriental doctor," Dr. Yoon, came in and straight away I told her about my needle fear. She was was very sympathetic and told me to lie on my side and face away from her.

I could feel the needles going in but it didn't hurt, at least until she got to the pinkie. That freaking killed. She left me alone for about half an hour and no joke, I was so relaxed that I fell asleep! Dr. Yoon had to wake me up to kick me out. All this for less than 25,000 won. Not bad at all.

The pinkie still feels a bit weird and it started throbbing when I went for my run this evening so I might go back if it doesn't improve.