A Tribute

I’ve done so much ranting and raving about politics and politicians lately that I’m suddenly very tired of the negativity as I’m sure everyone else is, so why add to it? Today I would like to post a tribute to someone who has made such an incredible difference in my life, my comfort and my sense of well being.

I’m not going into a detailed discussion of my aches and pains, but I do have a bad back and bad knees and while I love Seattle, it is very hilly. I’ve always enjoyed walking, but between the hills – some quite steep and my aforementioned hindrances, I found myself sitting around the house more than I liked. I have a car to use for shopping and that sort of thing but with gas prices what they are I don’t do a lot of just driving around. But mostly I missed being able to go with my son and the dogs to the beach or the dog park or just a hike around the neighborhood to look at all the beautiful plants and flowers.
I had a friend in Portland who kept urging me to find an acupuncturist. He said I would be amazed at the difference it would make in my life. Well, the idea of someone sticking needles in and around my body really didn’t do a thing for me, but by the time I had lived in Seattle for three months I decided I had to do something.

I turned to the internet to see what I could find and there were dozens! So, how do you choose? I started visiting websites and finally found one that looked really interesting. It was well done, informative and had a lot of information that I could understand. There was also an email address where you could send questions and I did, wondering how long it would take for me to hear back. My answers came a little later in the afternoon – not from an assistant or secretary or receptionist, but from the man himself. Now, I thought, that’s a first. We exchanged several emails, he answered all my questions to my satisfaction and I made an appointment. I was then able to fill out a questionnaire online so that he could have all the information before I arrived for my appointment.

He shares office space with a rolfer and another acupuncturist on the fourth floor of a small office building that has underground parking – if you lived in our particular area of Seattle you would realize what a huge plus that is! The office itself is very quiet and peaceful, there are no secretaries or receptionists.

The first fifteen minutes or so we talked about my problems and what could be done and then we got to the treatment itself. I never felt any of the needles, they are very, very thin and there really wasn’t even a prickly feeling. That part of the treatment took about twenty minutes and then after removing the needles he did what is call tui-nai or Chinese massage for nearly an hour. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! I made an appointment for the next week.

I continued going once a week for the next six and I was feeling fantastic! I knew and he made it very clear that he couldn’t “fix” my back or my knees, but he could make me more comfortable and make it easier for me to get around.

I’ve been seeing him for more than a year. When my finances got really tight with the price of everything going up at the rate it’s going these days, I told him I wasn’t going to be able to see him as often. He told me it was important to him that I be able to continue doing the things I loved to do and he cut his price for me to less than half of what I had been paying. I had an appointment right after my birthday and when I went to pay him, he refused to take it, saying that was my birthday present. How often do you find someone like this? Particularly in health care. And in the enviornment we live in today it seems even more remarkable. He’s a young man, married with a brand new baby girl. He is excellent at what he does and I think it is because he sincerely cares about people.

So, that is my tribute and my gratitude to a young man named Tyler Martin.