Dear Potential Patient,

            In mid-April 2002 at the age of forty-two, after maintaining one-hundred fifty extra pounds for twenty years, high blood pressure for ten years, and after three years on various arthritis medications for a painful knee, followed by a dismal Doctor’s report (BP 190/110) suggesting a more powerful blood pressure pill than the usual diuretics I had taken previously, not to mention the addition of perimenopausal symptoms for the last six months – I had one of Oprah’s “ah-ha” moments. It finally occurred to me that if my dog (who had already received treatments for two years) responded so well to acupuncture, maybe I should try it for myself. I told my Primary Care Physician about my decision to try acupuncture before resorting to any more pills, and chose Xiao Hong Li’s Chinese Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic out of a Sentara Patient Newsletter.

             I had my first appointment with Xiao Hong in late April 2002, and as a result stopped taking all prescription medications for blood pressure and arthritis. Xiao Hong supplied an herbal supplement for blood pressure maintenance, and I currently take several more vitamin and mineral supplements that are recommended for blood pressure, arthritis, menopause, and good health in general. I came home following that first treatment and promptly fell asleep in the grass on my front lawn for several hours. When Xiao Hong says to eat before getting her treatments, she means it! My advice: bring an apple or banana to your very first treatment since the extensive paperwork and interview take up a lot of time, more than subsequent visits.

Immediately following my first few acupuncture treatments, my perimenopausal symptoms, including heart palpitations and hot flashes, decreased dramatically. As of today, they are nonexistent. Likewise, the pain in my right knee was gone and all without medication! I also noticed that, remarkably for me, even during the summer months I was cold. I knew my blood pressure must have lowered significantly (BP 139/88) because for years even sitting down in a 65-degree house was still too hot for me. Now, I’m freezing at 70 degrees. In July 2002, I felt so much better that I began bike riding again and started a morning exercise routine at home. In October 2002, I took a trip to Australia and went for a six-hour horseback ride that without acupuncture I never would have tried with my painful knee joints. I admit that five hours into the ride, my knees were pretty sore, but I recovered quickly and the next day was climbing hills in New Zealand. In February 2003, after his knee surgery and follow-up physical therapy, I suggested that my husband start going for treatment regularly. His father also joined the acupuncture “family” after we gave him a gift certificate. They both like the way it makes them feel; less swelling, less stiffness, less pain.

 I started acupuncture with bi-weekly treatments for several weeks, that have since decreased to monthly, unless I overwork in my yard or injure myself in some other way. And that is one of the side effects of acupuncture; you feel so good that you tend to overdo it! In late March 2003, I did just that, overworked in my yard and injured my previously “good” left knee. I just increased my acupuncture sessions as needed and was able to complete an eighteen-week Tai Chi Kung course in June. I am happy to report that today both of my knees are “good” knees again. And in August, I started a more strenuous form of Tai Chi, as well as added weights to my at-home workout routine.

 Lastly, I need to mention another significant side effect of acupuncture. When I first started treatments, Xiao Hong said to me, “I’m going to change your hair.” I thought, what is she talking about now? I told her that I liked my long gray hair and didn’t want it changed, but she just said, “Sorry, you are too young to have so much gray hair (at least 80% gray) and that the change was just a side effect of acupuncture.” Not long after that conversation, I started noticing that the short gray hairs coming in around my face, hair-part, and temples, were completely dark brown (my original hair color). My dark brown hair began to turn gray when I was sixteen, just like my father. I had only colored it once and decided that it was too messy. I just decided I would like my gray hair instead. A couple of years ago, I even had a white tile floor put in my bathroom because you really couldn’t see the hairs on it since they were gray. Well, that has changed too. I would have to sweep the floor every day not to see hair now, and I have noticed that at least 50% of the hair in my comb is dark brown again. Strangely enough, and even my hairdresser is amazed, the long gray strands of hair are turning dark as well. You may ask how that can happen when hair is essentially “dead”, but the answer is apparently increased blood flow. Of all my cured symptoms and solved problems, Xiao Hong seems the most excited about this one – the hair! Don’t tell her, but I’m more grateful for knees that work, feeling cool in the summer, and no more heart palpitations and hot flashes. Also, without significantly changing what I eat, I have lost forty-five pounds to date, and I am convinced the next hundred pounds will drop eventually. It’s just a matter of time; time I feel I have now thanks to acupuncture. I am much more aware of my body now and, best of all, I still look forward to my monthly acupuncture treatments. Xiao Hong Li’s acupuncture is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Sincerely,

Xiao Hong Li’s Friend,

Elise Wolf

The progression of gray hair to browner hair.

Pictures from February 2002, before my first acupuncture treatment.

Asleep in the yard after my first acupuncture treatment (April 2002).

The trip to Australia (September 2002)

Christmas 2002.

February 2003