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 Posted By kaychin on 8 Feb 10, Mon | Permalink

I am a little afraid to say I like my acupuncturist because, you know, what will people think?

That I am sadistic? That I like being poked?

So before you jump into the wrong conclusions, let me share some of the things I learned from my session this morning.

Trust me, they all make a lot of (common) sense.

Dr Lim and I have been having this conversation about food since I started my treatment.

She laughs every time I tell her I love pig trotters and the intestines. She knows I cannot live a day without coffee, and she knows I have a taste bud of pregnant women, craving, all the time for sour gummy bears.

She knows, and I know, that everything I crave is bad for my health but instead of telling me to cut back, she tells me not to think about food.

This morning, she asked if I have time to think about eating when I am busy?

When I said 'no', she quickly suggested that I should stay busy.

"If you don't think about the food, you will forget how delicious they are right?"

But she is also always reminding me to take regular breaks from work.

So basically, I am supposed to concentrate on work while working and then concentrate on resting when resting.

When I told her this morning I managed to exercise a few times the past week, she immediately commended me for being a good citizen.

"You know the Government is very worried that Singaporeans don't exercise enough?"

Now now, while I agree with most things she's been doing to me, I didn't quite understand why she had to drag in the government when it is me who is in pain?

Usually, after she is done slamming 30+ needles into my poor back, she will move on to other patients, and this is also the time for me to compare notes.

I am, mostly curious, if she says one thing to me and another to others.

I saw the guy who would end up in the cubicle to my right at the reception and he must be in his early 50s.

Because we were only separated by a thin curtain, I heard practically everything that was being discussed.

Interestingly, this gentleman reported to Dr Lim that he was feeling better, and the conversation then went on to someone's son, who is going to have an operation to remove something.

I don't know what is that something, but from the sound of it, it is something optional.

"You should tell him to think twice, don't anyhow remove things."

"Can you imagine if everyone just want to cut anything that is irritating? Cannot right?"

I know I was not supposed to be eavesdropping, but technically, I wasn't because I was sure that message was meant for me too.

So I nodded, quietly, in full agreement, "Of course Dr Lim, cannot anything cut lah."

After she was done poking Uncle #2, she moved on to the patient on my left.

Now talk about Apple and iPad, what I was about to hear will definitely make Steve Jobs think twice about meddling in areas that men should never meddle in.

From the voices, I figured there was a mother and a young daughter.

Soon, it became clear that the person needing help was the younger one.

So roughly, this was how the conversation went.

"What time you sleep now? 4am again?"

"And you complain that your period is irregular?"

"Because you lead irregular life right?"

"So you want irregular period or not?"

"You going China soon right? I hope your new roommates don't sleep at 4am."

"I tell you ah, of course sleeping habit has direct impact on pregnancy."

"You see ah, in the villages, people are so productive because at night, without lights, they have nothing else to do."

"If your friends are good friends, you all will look after each other and all sleep early."

"You all keep falling sick, then who is going to look after you all? It is a drain on government resources you know?"

"When you sleep early, your skin is nicer, smoother, you like that right?"

OK, I was totally amused and I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't.

Not when there are about 30 needles on my back, and knowing that Dr Lim is mostly right.

Now you know why I like her?


Footnote: I didn't get to see the face of the girl to my left. So no doctor-patient confidentiality issue here.

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