Medical Memoirs of the Wife - PART 2

Next thing I knew I was standing inside a tiny clinic waiting to see Kathy’s professor, who also practices medicine. . .

The front of the shop was lined in glass counters filled with over the counter remedies, and in back was the pharmacy of sorts -- tall chests of red lacquered drawers labeled in Chinese characters, and a man busy weighing, pulverizing and mixing various odd smelling substances.
I had no idea what to expect. We sat down on stools and waited for my turn to see the doctor. He was sitting at a small, cheap folding table midway back the shop, and in front of him were a small blue pillow and a prescription pad. When it was my turn he instructed me to lay my arm on the table palm up, with my wrist on the blue pillow. Then he put three fingers on my pulse and listened.


The check up lasted about 10 minutes. He would listen to my pulse, frown, scribble on his pad, ask me a question, listen again. More scribbling, more questions, more listening, a look at my tongue and it was all over. Kathy tells me that there are as many as 24 different patterns of pulse that a Traditional Chinese doctor is trained to listen for and discern. The questions were the same ones any western doctor might ask. I was surprised at how objective and even scientific it all was.

I received a plastic bag stuffed with doses of the medicine and instructed to take one packet three times a day, then see him in a week so he can re-evaluate my symptoms and see if the next round needs any adjustments. The doctor is firmly convinced he can help me. I remain skeptical, but have been amazed at the improvements on the medicine. The husband keeps teasing me about the hamburgers and breaded chicken he says I will soon be eating again.

Meanwhile, after every meal I submerge a packet in hot water to heat it up


pour it into a bowl (for purpose of faster chugging)

and down it goes!

I figure it can’t hurt me, it seems to be helping, and as long as I’m taking it it’s a great excuse to reward myself with candy three times a day. And for those who have asked me what it tastes like -- walk into your closest health food store, breathe deeply of the strange herbal smells... and imagine licking the floor. That’s all I’m going to say about that.