2025年第49篇文章，总第433篇
“Cough, cough, cough” has been a persistent sound for over ten days, coming half from my child and half from myself.
The last time I had such a prolonged cough was two or three years ago. Interestingly, during the “mask” period, I didn’t cough this much. This time, I didn’t dare to delay; as soon as I noticed the symptoms, I quickly took medication. However, I am unsure if the medication was appropriate, as I saw no improvement. At night, the coughing made it impossible to sleep, and during the day, I felt exhausted and unwell while having to take care of my child. It was truly a test of endurance.
So, yesterday afternoon, I decided to go to the hospital. Habitually, I registered for the internal medicine department, but on Saturday afternoons, the internal medicine doctors were off. The guide suggested I try Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and I registered with a mindset of giving it a try.
How should I put it? Visiting a TCM practitioner really made me feel that “seeing” is an action verb. It encompasses the most fundamental aspects of medicine: “observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking” (望闻问切). The doctor inquired about many possibilities and drew some conclusions from my pulse, prescribing treatment accordingly.
The doctor prescribed me a cupping therapy session and a five-day course of herbal liquid, explaining that the herbal liquid is meant to regulate the entire body, not just the cough, so the effects would not be immediate.
Following the nurse into the therapy room, there were options for massage and acupuncture. I was assigned to the last therapy room, which was essentially a therapy bed and a table, enclosed by curtains to create a relatively private space.
Since I had never experienced cupping before, I asked the nurse repeatedly if it would hurt. She said it varies from person to person; everyone has different constitutions and pain thresholds, so she couldn’t tell me exactly how it would feel.
Alright, lying on the therapy bed, I only felt the sensation of the cups being suctioned onto my back, with the surrounding flesh being drawn together around the center of the cup. This process was repeated about ten times. After the first session, the nurse instructed me to lie still for ten minutes. During this time, I could feel the small cups seemingly drawing moisture from my body, which the nurse explained was the internal dampness. After ten minutes, when the nurse removed the cups, she asked if it hurt, and I replied, “Not at all.”
Thus, experiencing things firsthand is essential for personal understanding. No matter what others say, it cannot represent your own experience. This is a truth everyone knows, yet we still habitually seek our answers from others’ experiences. However, many times, the “experiential” methodologies do not apply universally.
I hope the TCM herbs will help me quickly regain my energy. Feeling vibrant and clear-headed is the most charming state, and I wish we cherish every moment of being our best selves.
I am Xiyue, warmth remains
Meeting you in words every day
I write daily, you read slowly
That’s all for now
Thank you for reading this far
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End of the article
Evening of March 15, 2025
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