Another moment in the Spotlight

A year ago I had the opportunity to have a "small-business makeover" courtesy of the Arizona Daily Star. I hooked up with the business coach, Karen and she helped me to focus my business. I wrote a blog about that in July ~ "A Moment in the sun," well apparently the journalist liked what she wrote and wanted to follow up on my story.

It was good to refocus and see how far I have progressed, what areas have improved and what area's I still need to focus on. Overall many, many things have improved and I still need to clarify a few others and refine my focus as I evolve.

As I read the article I notice there are two mistakes. First of all I am NOT (yet) certifiend in Chinese Herbology. I am trying to carve out the time to study for this exam. I have had all the training, but never stepped up to the $750 plate to take a swing at that test. But I am working on it. The second mistake is the article gives the impression that I do acupuncture for Sunstone Cancer Support Center, I don't. I was teaching Tai Qi for them for 16 months, I am currently taking a break from that. But we were never able to get the time and focus to coordinate for me to be giving treatments through their facility. But I do know of them and know of their work and work with them to attempt to get the U-of A to allow acupucture into their new cancer hospital when it opens.

Other than that I really liked the article.

I have seen that as I focus on a specific type of patient I tend to get more patients. Now what is interesting to me is that the patients I am getting may not always be the ones I am targetting. But who cares?? I am getting new patients and that is what matters... Case in point, from the article it would seem that my focus is women's health and supporting patients as the undergo chemotherapy. Well that is true, but the patients I got after the article ran are neck and shoulder pain patients and a truly severe headache patient. But it is great, I am able to help them and we are enjoying our travels together. Or I should say I am enjoying our journey, I cannot say if they are... ;-)

One of the things I am trying, as always, to do is help people to see acupuncture & Chinese medicine as something other than the medicine of last resort. "Well I have tried everything else and nothings seems to work, I might as well try this." It would be so much more effective if we could get to the patients before being a last resort.

Thanks to all,
Respectfully,
Michael

Some times it does not work

It is interesting how my mind works. I minimize the effects of treatments that work and ponder the ones that don't. I do not think much about the lady with neck & back pain for 17 years that I was able to help in 3 treatments, or the lady that had hot flashes every 90 minutes for the last 6 years that I was able to help. Or any of the other wonderful stories I can share.

The one I am thinking about today is the nice lady that has hot flashes that I have not been able to help. Nine months of treatments, every 3-4 weeks and all we were able to do was reduce the frequency and intensity a little, but no major change.

It is always disappointing when I cannot help someone. Even when I tell myself that this was a complicated case and I did the best I could, I still wonder: What piece of this did I not see? I know that no one single form of medicine can help everyone. I get that. But I just get a little bummed when I can't help my patients. Even though in reality I know that I do help them, and I have even helped this patient. We just did not get the results we wanted.

I know that in the long run this will have helped me to grow and to learn; it is just one of those learning experiences....


On a brighter note, I hosted a chat for the Endometriosis Research Center on Wednesday night. It was fun to try to explain about TCM. I was trying to be the "diplomat" of Acupuncture that I am nationally certified to be. I guess I am an anomaly in that too; I take the title diplomat seriously. I try to educate the public about the medicine every chance I get. Will I get any patients out of this? NO, that is not what it was about. I was trying to give these ladies some avenues of hope to explore.

Anyway it was a fun conversation. "What does the color of my tongue have to do with my health and or pain?" "How do you know I have hot flashes just because there is a huge crack down the centerline of my tongue and it has no coating?" "Why does my belly hurt, like a knife is being twisted in it?"

I tell you, with no kidding, as a guy I am SO GLAD I do not have to experience some of the things that a woman goes through.

That is all for now.
Write if you find water...

Trying to decide

I have received some interesting feedback from the blog about stopping a woman's cycle. I have also started a discussion about this on-line at the acupuncture school. That has been interesting too.

One of the students asked if I was going to write to USA Today to see if they would be interested in an editorial opinion piece. I am trying to decide if I want to do that.

My tendency is to keep my head down, below the radar and not create any waves. But I also know that if I do not speak my truth I am not living to my fullest. It is the paradoxial dilemma of the day.

Do I really think that USA Today would be interested? No, probably not. But I will not know until I try.

The other question is do I think I can write an article that is sensible, readable and interesting? Well, I have doubts about that, but that is normal for me.

If I have time I will contact the newspaper and see if it is a truly bad idea or just a mildly bad idea.

Guess I did not have much to write today.

Roasting, again

Somewhere over the last week, whoever is in charge "out there" turned the BLAST FURNACE on to Full Roast. It has been over 105 every day for the last week. This becomes one of the 'four seasons' ~ "You've got to be kidding me!!!" is the name of this season.

But on to a more professional level. It has been interesting to me to watch the reactions I get from the University whenever I talk to them about incorporating acupuncture treatments into their new hospital. The individual starts to squirm, then the questions come.

"Has there been any research done on using acupuncture as part of a treatment plan?"
~ Yes the N.I.H. and the National Cancer Institute encourage the inclusion of acupuncture in all treatment plans.

"What about insurance?"
~ Each insurance policy is different, it has to be on a case-by-case basis. But the cost of acupuncture is minimal when compared to the cost of stopping the chemo, or the cost of the personal experience of the side-effects of the chemo.

"Are the herbs safe?"
~ The herbal company I use manufactures their herbs to U.S. F.D.A. Pharmaceutical Guidelines. In particular this company's focus is on herb-to-drug interactions and the formula's reccomended are specifically made to treat the side-effects of chemo and help the body maintain a more normal function.

It can go on like this for as long as I care to talk to them. I do understand part of their concern; they are unfamaliar with these types of treatments. Anything unknown can create fear. SO, I see my function is to educate them about TCM. I am not sure what they see my function as. Maybe they think I am just a pain in the neck...

Then again, maybe I am just less patient than normal because someone turned on the blast furnace... It's going to be close to 105 again today....