Small Needle Big Needle - A Medicine Paradigm

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being. It originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. As a matter of fact, In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the Stone Age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones. Stone acupuncture needles dating back to 3000 B.C. have been found by archaeologists in Inner Mongolia.

So what is this all about? How can thin, unharmful needles can make such an impact on the human body? Although it would be tough for it to be scientifically explained, it has proven successful results in practices from pain killers to weight loss increasing metabolism to stimulating blood flow in specific areas of the body. Well this is the case for Marujita as she had her first session of acupuncture today and it all went good; she cried very little as needles, five in total, where placed on top of her small and skinny head. The purpose of this treatment which she will have every day until we are done (that is until June 11Th) is to stimulate blood flow on her brain. Remember the stem cell injected via IV into her bloodstream? Well we want those to deposit themselves up there, "sulla sua testa" so stimulating the area constantly will end up being very beneficial for her. In the case of spinal injections, this will affect more directly the nervous system but then again, increasing blood flow into the brain can do nothing but good.

The small (and almost invisible to the naked eye) needle tip sticks into her head while putting little pressure into specific areas or "Meridians" to achieve what was described before. A needle so thin yet so powerful; a needle so thin, yet so harmless, rests untouched for some twenty minutes doing its little tiny and whispering job for her to enjoy. This is the miracle of ancient Chinese Medicine, dating back those couple thousand years back.

In essence, a spinal (or lumbar) injection consists of a needle, a bigger needle, applied to the back around its lumbar area directly into the spine itself. Since the spine sends and receives millions of messages through nerves, to and from the brain, this is the fastest "autobahn" from them to go straight up there, and start doing their tough and complicated job. Basically, at this point, the stem cells go corporate, all the way to headquarters and to the chairman's office! There, they work together and design the strategic plan to start working on immediately. Awesome.

This big needle sets itself as a "Catheter", a tube that's inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel allowing injection of fluids and in this specific case stem cells. So if you are not a mother, you probably don't know (I don't) the pain experienced when this big needle goes through your spine bone, into the nerves and up its way, it's massive. I would think it would be like that very bad day at the dentist office when he accidentally touches a nerve and up we jump and scream. Pain, nothing but pain.

Hopefully, this pain means gain. This is what we came here for and we expect nothing less. Hence the process will repeat after today, four more times. These stem cell little people have a lot of work to do, this is what they get paid for, nothing less.

Marujita was first under sedation and waited for the doctors to pick her up and take her to the treatment room where we were not allowed in. Thank God, watching that must be almost as painful, but it's all for the best and this day and the following days will be over soon and everything will be OK. In the mean time, I will follow my maintenance diet of fried rice or noodles; of kung pao chicken or pulled pork in garlic sauce, all with tons of white rice, the kind that tastes so mellow but tastes so good!

This is so real, so real in fact, that the room holds the name; the name for future life conservancy. The name that carries so many controversies in so many countries amongst so many religions and pious individuals. Controversies that go from moral principles, to political to financial issues to religious thoughts. People are scared of the truth, some people I mean. Not us, no way. I vote for life, I vote for the chance that you and I had and are now thankful for. Life means living, and this is what this modern miracle, modern technology is here for. Let's embrace it, support it, believe in it. It is here for us to enjoy, and to enjoy more. The whole philosophy of happiness lies resumed under this umbrella term that it's now available to us. This is " The Stem Cell Transplantation Room". Wow! This is simply amazing, can you feel it!

The process took around 10 minutes, while they injected the stem cells into her spine. Apparently, because we were not allowed in, she did not complain of such pain by having that needle on her back. She came out asleep and the doctors are giving here now a growth-factor hormone through a IV. We hope that the sums of all parts, not the parts itself, are the key to positive results. The stem cells, the acupuncture, the growth-factor hormones; the standing therapy, the physical therapy, all in all will contribute to the whole process. A long month awaits, but one with positive minded oriented results will help make this month a very short day. I might be a little selfish here considering the pain she might go through, but it's all for her best and she will come to appreciate it very soon. I can warn the soul, the future man in her life, that I will be given away a very expensive jewel; one that can not be bought or traded or negotiated with. The responsibility of a lifetime awaits an uncouth fellow.

After a couple of hours after the treatment, she woke up with no fever which was a typical symptom after a spinal injection. It is all good because given that she is taken the spinal injection this way, we can count on the rest of the four remaining to be the same way. She might be feeling some pain and discomfort, I mean, after that experience what are we to expect?

So, in the end, we got our first shot of Johnny Walker's Blue Label, and guess what, we want to get drunk to oblivion!

See you next time, right here, right then!