Anyone who has ever lived abroad knows that sometimes we do things just to say we did them, or just for the sake of a new cultural experience. We don’t actually expect to like new and strange foods, we just eat them so that we can say we tried it once. I expected my latest Chinese cultural experience to be one of those times.
I have a dear sister who is studying Chinese medicine. Often when I have a cold or other malady, she scribbles some characters on a scrap of paper and informs me of where I can get it and how to take it. These were all over the counter herbal remedies, and I never actually took any of them, because I prefer good old chicken soup and vitamin C. When she (we shall refer to her as Kathy) found out about my celiac, she told me she thought Traditional Chinese Medicine could help me.
I disagreed at first because there is no treatment known in America to have any effect on celiac outside of a life-long gluten free diet, and we know the disease to be genetic. Besides, aren’t Chinese Medicine doctors crazy spiritualists who subscribe to all sorts of strange eastern beliefs? On top of all that, I had heard that the herbal concoctions prescribed by this strange breed of doctors usually taste so bad that you must immediately wash the taste down with something else to prevent your natural reflexes from suddenly and violently rejecting it.
After talking with the Husband for a few days about Kathy’s offer to take me to a good doctor, I changed my mind and decided to try it. We reasoned that one time in my life I will be in China with this condition, and if there is no treatment in America, I may as well try what China has to offer while I am here (though I drew the line at needles and meridian points! No acupuncture for me, thank you). We also decided that Kathy is strong enough to know the difference between medicine and philosophy. If she says it’s strictly medicine, well then I’m willing to check my western hang-ups at the door.
Next thing I knew I was standing inside a tiny clinic waiting to see Kathy’s professor, who also practices medicine. . .
to be continued tomorrow.
