A step back in time

Hut bar-b-que Phu Cat Phu cat Air Base 1968

Qui Nhon, Tet 2001 Once again I'm out at the train station queuing up with bazillions of  Tet holiday travellers  all of us with the same goal of booking a seat on the next train heading north. The concept of first come first serve, orderly lined up is lost on many of my fellow travellers.  As I'm elbows out of the way by a little lady, a third older than me, six inches shorter and half my girth.  I claw my way through the throng to have the ticket window folks tell me “no seat, come back tomorrow.” Three days in a row this has been repeated. I walk away making a silent vow that by hook or crook I'll get me a seat on tomorrows outbound train. I'm not sure how to do crook so that leaves hook.  Hook it is and on my return to Qui Nhon I quickly hook the night security guard for a early morning (really early,5:00 am) train station trip on the back of his motorbike and for for him to be my stand in for a ticket on that mornings train.  Anyway, I hope that is what we agree too as my Vietnamese is zilch, and his English is only slightly better.  Success. Three hours later I'm stretched out on my hard sleeper bunk chugging on to Hue. The train is packed,.The conductor and his helpers line up little plastic stools down the isles to seat the over flow, within an hour I've gained three or four people seating against me on my bunk, as I pretend to sleep. The bunks were laid out, three on each side of the cabin, with the top one at least six foot off the floor.  So it’s understandable why everyone got so attached to my lower bunk.  It’s interesting how intuitive some Vietnamese are, not one person with in my eye sight speaks any English, all the station announcements crackle out in Vietnamese and I'm worried I'll miss my stop.  Not to worry, just before the train arrived at the stop, there is frenzy of movement as my backpack is pulled out of its storage spot and my pack and I are guided to the train door as it rolls to a stop in Hue.  The window of my car is lined with smiling, waving Vietnamese as the train pulls away. I've made several trips over the Tet holiday and it’s always crazy, especially for foreigners. While my Vietnamese friends seem to thrive on the craziness.   This is the biggest holiday in Vietnam, Vietnamese living over seas come home for the holiday.  Many businesses close and the employees head to the countryside to spend the holiday week with family or just travel.  What looks like chaos to foreigners like me, is part of Tet’s fun for the Vietnamese. Reduced hours or closed restaurants and stores,  everything at premium prices is all ok “it’s Tet!”   Finely getting away from Qui Nhon felt good, not that it’s a bad place and I had a nice room in a hotel on the beach where the friendly managing director gave me a special rate after I told her my story and that I had been a way for 33 years.  Funny as time passes, some memories get out of focus so I was there, not for the beach but to re visit my old duty station at Phu Cat Air Base.  Not surprising but disappointing nevertheless, as it was hardly recognizable, except for the remnants of the revetments on the flight line. Of course, the gun towers, F100’s, Caribou cargo planes and the assortment of helicopters I remembered were long gone. The barracks (huts really) we lived in, the gun tower at gate by the end of my hut, all the make shift beer bars constructed of bamboo and tin, with beaded entryways off base by the main gate, of course gone also..  The makeshift  road that ran by my hut where on many a morning  I would a wake to the rumbling of tanks is now a paved and well maintained motor way taking you directly to Qui Nhon. Maybe memories like I have of my time are are meant to fade, so the experiences doesn't drag us down.  Anyway, it was good to be on my way again.

The last needle and I'm all cupped out

Grandma Ecker used the expression "he was in his cups" and above is new twist to that old saying.   Yup, the reddish coloured stuff inside the glass vials is me, well anyway my skin. After the needles it's on to the cupping.  I've done a bit of research and now some what understand the logic behind while thinking it fits into the category of if you believe cupping works, maybe it does.

Anyway, it's hardly the new guy on the block in regard to medical treatment.   It's an ancient form of Chinese medicine with it's origins dating back to 3000 BC.  The air inside the glass globe is heated as you see in the photo above, placed over the injured area and as the air inside cools a small vacuum is created drawing your skin inside.  The concept is based on the idea that this will increase blood flow to the injured area enhancing healing. 

we got cups

wired up with no place to go

About 3 weeks have passed since I started my acupuncture
treatment and think it was time well spent.  Even though I'm
not back to running, I'm walking fast enough that those
pesky birds haven't tried nesting on my shoulders.  I'm starting
to climb stairs two at a time, instead of the super slow one step.
Still have some pain but such is life. If I was 30 something instead of
60 something  or as the good doctor has told me if I would have came
treatment straight a way instead of waiting a few weeks my recovery
would have been faster.

I had a great close but an electronic glitch stole it from me and you get the
following instead.  So even if your legs aren't as great looking as mine and you screw em up or injure
something else you might go for the needle and if Doc Monika is available your really in luck.

• It looks painful, is it?   Not really but it feels and looks strange, along with leaving black and blue  circles.     
• How long are the cups left on?  Not long, a few minutes.    
• Do you think it has any benefit, other than bragging rights that you've been cupped and as a photo op?   Maybe

laying cup

Part two - Doug goes under the needle

Dr. Monika's treatment regime is a 10 course venue set up as an every other day course of treatments. Yesterday, I completed number 9 of the 10.  Wish I could jump up and say "ah, it's a miracle, he can walk" but still not walking so good and jumping is not going to happen.  Matter of fact yesterday walking to the store I was moving so slow, had to shoo birds away that I'm assuming, once again I had mistakenly been thought by them, a statue.

However, my pain free range of motion has increased greatly and now and can just about climb aboard a motorbike with out having it turn into a major dramatic event.

Also, for reference, some those needles hurt when they go in and once the juice is wired up and turned on, it can also give you dau (pain).  The good doctor Monika said that, in my case anyway, the muscle has to be

stimulated and the fine line between feeling something and pain has to be hit in order to make the treatment effective.  Once the needles are inserted, the electrical leads are connected and the juice to the needles is regulated your good to go.  The clock is ticking, the needles are vibrating, a little involuntary twitching and then twenty minutes are up.  Then Dr Monika's


Dr. Monika

 

disconnecting the leads and painlessly removing the needles.