It Surprised Me
Last week I was working with an 86 year old patient. He is an interesting guy, but due to his dementia all he has is now. The past is gone and I do not know if he thinks about the future at all. Actually that is a good place to be, NOW IS THE MOMENT OF POWER. But of course it is better when one can remain there through choice.
Anyway.
This is the first time I have worked with this man, as I was feeling his pulses they were deficient as I would expect, except his left most distal pulse, the Heart Pulse. It has a ‘hard, bean-like’ quality that I have never felt in any other pulse. I felt his pulses for a good three minutes and tried to figure out what it was I was feeling. His nurses said that he was feeling as good as usual, sleeping well. They were unaware of any other concern and the patient was happy. I gave him a Tui Na treatment which he enjoyed (Read that he went to sleep half way through.) I documented what I felt in his pulses and then saw two more patients before I went home.
After I got home I was reflecting on what I felt. The more I thought about it, the less I was comfortable with it and the less I thought I knew about what the pulses could have meant. I called the assisted living center and spoke to the manager. I explained what I was feeling in the “Heart” position. She immediately said “Oh, he has had a heart-valve replacement and is on a pace-maker.” I said, “Oh, that is it!”
I was very amazed that I was feeling something reflected in his Heart pulse that was, in my opinion, directly related to his heart history.
I know that the art of reading a pulse is subtle, I have written about that here before; but it is always a bit of a surprise when I get something as substantial as what I was feeling in his pulse. As I said it was a hard, bean-like quality unlike anything else I have experienced.
To me it was refreshing to experience something new and unusual. I was also glad the home manager said she would have the nurse check his vitals and listen closely to his heart.
Anyway.
This is the first time I have worked with this man, as I was feeling his pulses they were deficient as I would expect, except his left most distal pulse, the Heart Pulse. It has a ‘hard, bean-like’ quality that I have never felt in any other pulse. I felt his pulses for a good three minutes and tried to figure out what it was I was feeling. His nurses said that he was feeling as good as usual, sleeping well. They were unaware of any other concern and the patient was happy. I gave him a Tui Na treatment which he enjoyed (Read that he went to sleep half way through.) I documented what I felt in his pulses and then saw two more patients before I went home.
After I got home I was reflecting on what I felt. The more I thought about it, the less I was comfortable with it and the less I thought I knew about what the pulses could have meant. I called the assisted living center and spoke to the manager. I explained what I was feeling in the “Heart” position. She immediately said “Oh, he has had a heart-valve replacement and is on a pace-maker.” I said, “Oh, that is it!”
I was very amazed that I was feeling something reflected in his Heart pulse that was, in my opinion, directly related to his heart history.
I know that the art of reading a pulse is subtle, I have written about that here before; but it is always a bit of a surprise when I get something as substantial as what I was feeling in his pulse. As I said it was a hard, bean-like quality unlike anything else I have experienced.
To me it was refreshing to experience something new and unusual. I was also glad the home manager said she would have the nurse check his vitals and listen closely to his heart.
posted by Michael Clifford, L. Ac. | 4:10 PM
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