Ch-ch-ch-changes

I want to document some health changes, both since I started acupuncture all those many years ago, and since I've been losing weight lately.

So:

1. Easy bruising. I used to bruise if you just looked at me. I was covered in them constantly. And I wouldn't have a clue where most of them came from. Not any more! This was an acu success - easy bruising is a sign of spleen qi deficiency, which I still have, but not nearly so bad as before. Now I only bruise if I get a really hard knock. As it should be.

2. Fatigue. Oh lord, the fatigue. This has improved a lot. Of course, it's probably from a mixture of more exercise, weight loss, less booze, an interesting course at school to get up for, less depression. All that. Now I sometimes marvel at the energy I have in my belly - the fire, as it were, burning away, enabling me to get stuff done. The house is still a mess, though, as I don't have enough energy to clean, so it's not perfect!

3. Coldness. I was constantly cold. And if I wasn't cold all over, my hands and feet were icy. Now I'm very warm blooded. In fact, I'm frequently hot. Women all over the office now marvel at how I manage to share a thermostat with my boss, who likes the temperature frigid. Again, cold hands and feet are a sign of spleen qi deficiency, so I attribute this to acupuncture and possibly qigong.

4. Puffy feet. My feet used to get painfully swollen by the end of most days. I expect this was due to putting on weight. I couldn't even wear half of my shoes because they were too painfully tight due to the swelling. Now my feet'll get slightly puffy on an odd random day, but it is definitely not the norm. I also used to get puffy fingers if I walked anywhere, but not any more.

5. Low back pain. Along with the weight and lack of exercises came chronic low back pain. I had to force myself to walk again, and I had to start slow, taking a break midway through even a 10-minute walk to do some yoga stretches. This is mostly gone. I attribute this success to exercise, although I've had acupuncture for it when it flares up.

So there you go. The new, healthier me.