So as I told you all yesterday, I rolled my ankle pretty terribly. Today when I got to work, all my co-workers were freaking out about my hobbling and how gross my ankle looked. And when my boss saw me taking like 10 minutes on the stairs, he asked me what was wrong. I told him the whole story from yesterday, and he somewhat casually mentioned that I should go to an acupuncturist for my ankle. He told me that a lot of times when people in Korea, twist or sprain their ankles, wrists, etc. they go have acupuncture done to help resolve the problem. He asked me if I'd be interested in going to see the acupuncturist, and I gave him a half-hearted sure as I continued into my classroom to set things up for my kids. I didn't really think much more of it.
During lunch, my co-workers convinced me I should go see a Dr. because I was having a lot of trouble getting around on my ankle. There is a Dr. who speaks English about 2 blocks from the school, so I headed that way to see him. After waiting for an eternity to see the Dr., I walked into his office, took off my shoe and sock to show him my ankle, and was quickly referred to another Dr. in the area. Frustrated I walked back to my office as lunch was up. When K classes were over, my boss walked up to me and asked if I was ready to go. I had no idea what he was talking about and looked around the room to see if anyone else knew what was going on. Then he reminded me that he thought it'd be a good idea for me to go to the acupuncturist. I instantly began freaking out on the inside. For those of you who don't know, I HATE needles and despise Dr. offices. I couldn't imagine willingly walking into an office all the while knowing that the Dr. was gonna stick a bunch of needles into my body. My boss and his wife were adamant about me trying acupuncture, as they were both just sure that it would heal my ankle. And you know the old saying, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So I decided when in Korea, do as the Koreans do, and I told my boss I would go.
We got to the office, walked in and immediately the smell of medicine/doctor offices overtook me. My boss had come with me as I speak no Korean and they spoke very limited English. The nurse took my blood pressure and led me back to a little cubicle with a curtain where she told me to lie down and wait for the Dr. The doctor came in, took one look at my ankle, and began yanking and pulling and twisting like he hated me. It was so painful, I had to really, really try to not kick him with my good leg. After all his pulling and twisting, he asked me through my boss if my ankle felt better. It didn't, but I was worried what he was gonna do to me next. So I hesitated before saying it still hurt the same. The Dr. decided I needed acupuncture. He rolled up my pant leg, told me to relax and began sticking needles in me like a pin cushion. Surprisingly, after the initial pain of having someone stab like 10 needles into your leg and ankle, I couldn't feel the needles once they were in my leg. The Dr. finished, put a heat lamp on my ankle/the needles and told me to lay still for about 25 minutes. I just sat there staring at my leg and all these little needles that were sticking out of it. After 25 minutes, a nurse came in and removed the needles. Then she put these little electrodes on my ankle and began sending electricity through my ankle. It actually hurt more than the needle part. It was like a bunch of constant little pricks. I went through this for 15 minutes; after which, a nurse came in took them off, put some Bengay on my ankle and sent me on my happy way with a few simple instructions.
Overall, my ankle felt a lot looser and easier to move after going through acupuncture. I couldn't believe it helped! I definitely still have some pain and can not move my ankle much. And my entire foot is still hugely swollen. But I can certainly tell a difference in how much better it feels after the acupuncture. I guess nearly giving myself a panic/heart attack was worth the visit to the acupuncturist.
Love you and miss you all!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
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