You Think I Irritate YOU...

I know I irritate people.  Hell, if I didn't, I would think my efforts had been waning, and there's one thing I DON'T want to do is let down those who count on me to irritate the hell out of people.

But the person I irritate the most has got to be my acupuncturist. You see, he is different from most doctors.  Most doctors do this:

What's wrong? Oh, it looks like this.  It must be this. Try these.  No? OK.  Try these then.  Didn't work? Try these.  Side effects? Well, choose what you want: original problem, or side effects-your choice.

Then, they continue to "treat" you, with the same things that don't work, or cause crummy side effects.

Dr. G is not like that.  He looks at me, asks what is bothering me the most.  He is already on edge because he has been treating me for almost a year and I am not "cured".  See?  Irritating.

This is how it goes:
Dr. G: So, where are you having pain?
Me: Both wrists, left worse than right.  Both elbows, right worse than left. Worse with activity. Knees sore during yoga.
Dr. G: Sciatic pain?
Me: No.  Tenderness along the nerve, but no pain, per se.
Dr. G: (furrows brow) Why is it still tender?
Me: Ummm, 'cause it's messed up? 
Dr. G: How long ago did your pain, in general, start?
Me: Well, the sciatica pretty much my entire adult life, much worse since I got pregnant with my first child. Why?
Dr. G:  Well, there's an autoimmune response that is happening-you have some sort of inflammation, some reason your body is reacting with pain.
Me: Yes, I have fibro. That's what it does. Causes pain.
Dr. G:  Yes, I know THAT, but I want to know WHY, so I can eliminate the source!

This is where he asks me a few hundred more questions, then resigns himself to treat me.

Then, a few more questions come up, all seemingly unrelated, like:

• How's your bowels?
• Do you sleep at night?
• Are you irritable?
• How's your energy level?
• How long do you sleep each night?
• Does pain wake you?

Blah, blah, blah.  Inevitably,  he will find a supplement he wants me to try, for about a month, and then report back to him.

This time, he said, "Oh, I want you to start with one at night, one during the day. Take with your fish oils, for better absorption. Oh, and watch it, these can be a bit tricky with people. If you start feeling psychotic, that's bad-it means your dose is too high. See you next time!"

He should have said, "More psychotic".