Does Crazy Cure Cancer? Cuz, I'll try it...

Sometimes I get tired of fighting cancer, it's like a job. A really sucky job with a tyrant of a "boss," literally threatening to syphon the life out of me while offering zero benefits, no days off, and lousy earnings. BUT, my cancer is not advancing, and even if it was, I would never stop fighting; so, time to pull the plug on the pity party.

In fact, I will try nearly anything to outsmart cancer. Aside from the traditional medicinal treatment, I have tried to come at the cancer from all angles by incorporating natural healing as well. At different times, I have changed my diet, done energy cleansing, Reiki, massage therapy, mediation, acupuncture, and concocted daily "green," drinks consisting of juiced kale, spinach, and asparagus topped with smoky flavored Turmeric Spice. Yes, it tastes as good as it sounds. Blech.

I feel like it is my responsibility to leave no stone unturned and so I pay close attention to all of the advice that I receive from well-meaning friends and family who once had an aunt, who had a cousin, who's best friend was an oncologist's daughter who suggest that I sit on turnips for three days. Ok, perhaps that is a slight extension of the truth, but I really do at least research and read about all of the recommendations that come across my proverbial desk.

Recently, upon my move back to central Illinois, I realized that some of my external contractors, for natural treatments, would have to change. I started by trying to find an acupuncturist. I do acupuncture for pain control and to relax so it seemed to be higher on the list of importance. After a few unreturned phone calls, I finally found a place that I thought would do the trick. It was a traditional Chinese medicine place that seemed legit. Enough. I made my appointment for the same day and was excited but a little nervous (being a human pin cushion tends to have the latter effect on me).

The appointment wasn't quite what I was used to, but I figured it would be slightly different to go from a white female chiropractor to a male traditional Chinese medicine specialist, so I was open to the change of the environment. He started by having me lay face down so that he could treat my back pain (Stop it! This is natural cancer treatment, dirty minds need not apply!). He told me that he would need to use a slightly larger gauge needle to effectively reduce my pain. I wasn't sure what exactly that entailed, but I decided to be brave so I told him to go for it.

<Silence>

<More Silence>...

Like 45 seconds of pure silence and just as I'm about to pop my head up to investigate, it happens... I was stabbed with a Samurai Sword! I yelped like an injured animal but let him continue to do it three more times, the final time being the worst. He told me that he was finished and I could get up, but I just couldn't. I lay there with my face buried in his stupid traditional Chinese table and silently cursed him for the pain he had just subjected me to. I was stuck by needles and/or had my blood drawn 17 different times when I was in the hospital for my brain surgery in 2014, and I'm not sure which one that I would rather experience again...

Truth be told though, my back pain did subside for a few weeks. Will I ever go back and do that again? I'd pretty much hang from the ceiling by my toes if you told me it would cure cancer; but if and when I'm ready to dip said toes back in the acupuncture pool, I will definitely stick to something a little less "traditional," and in the meantime, I will plug my nose and drink twice the amount of green juice to make up for it. Cheers.