Many of you are aware of the multiple health issues I am dealing with. Frequent doctor visits in every specialty have yielded little more than a new bottle of some kind of drug on my medicine cabinet shelf.

For a couple of years now my son has been encouraging me to try acupuncture. The fact that alternative healing methods are not covered by insurance or Medicare made it cost prohibitive, so Justin sent me some cashola.

I did a little research and found someone with a good reputation and have seen some of the results he has achieved in others. After only two sessions, I am amazed at how quickly and thoroughly my symptoms are disappearing.

Migraine headaches were leveling me on a daily basis. Since Will (Fudeman)my acupuncturist has treated me, the headaches have subsided by a clear 75%. The intensity, duration and occurances have all been affected.

I also had come down with a really horrible cold just before my first treatment. He paid special attention to that malady and I could literally feel my lungs and sinuses draining of congestion during my treatment! The next day it was as if the cold had entered it's last stages and I felt good enough to clean my apartment.

You just cannot imagine my joy in having hope revived that I will regain enough vitality and strength to enjoy my life. My son has told me the results are cumulative and I am excited to continue.

The insertion of the so-called needles is quite painless. I actually do not feel most of them at all. Occasionally, when a chi center is particularly blocked, the needle being inserted is mildly uncomfortable, but nothing like a blood test or injection. The needles are so fine, they virtually fit into a pore.

Anyway...I know many people are suffering with this and that and ancient Chinese medicine seems to cover all of them! For instance, my sister's neighbor, who also sees Will, has MS but you'd never know she was that ill. She absolutely believes acupuncture is what keeps her symptom free. If you have gone as far as American medicine can take you and you still aren't well, please consider this alternative. I'm not saying it holds every answer, but 6000 years of observation and research can't be wasted time.

Americans....decendants of courageous and strong pioneers who left civilization to carve out a totally new existence in a foreign land. People of such intense belief and commitment, they were willing to sacrifice everything society had to offer at that time in order to fulfill their personal dreams.
When at last some semblance of comfort existed where once there stood dense, foreboding wilderness; the country of origin tried to step in and claim it as her own.
The people of this land did not sit back and accept domination politely.
They doubled their efforts, sacrificed greatly and fought a long and bloody battle to win their independence. We have heard the story of the Boston Tea Party. Tea was the staple of American life. It was even more dear to them than our coffee beans are to us; but did they continue to use it? No. They dumped it into the harbor and switched to hot cocoa!
When England came with soldiers and said, "You will obey!", the people of this country responded with an overwhelming "Blow it out your ear!"

What happened?

Our own government, having now assumed the arrogance of the aristocratic past, holds each one of us hostage to the very things our ancestors and relatives fought against and died for.
We pay taxes on our taxes and for the necessities of everyday life; things we can't do without. Your home is not your own, unless you pay the taxes.
Our workers work harder and longer hours than any other technologically advanced country! Yet when unions stood in the way of corporate seizure of our freedom, they were simply dissolved and hardly a whimper was heard.
Our children are uneducated and medically neglected while even undeveloped countries spring ahead of us in the statistics.
The news was reported today that summer would again see high rises in gasoline prices. Why? There is NO other reason besides the fact the oil companies are getting richer and richer...that's it...but does anyone do anything but complain? The fat cats of the petrol industry don't care if we whine and moan all day long...but I bet they sure would take notice if the sleeping American public would take just one day out of 365 to strike. Don't work, don't buy, don't travel. One day. 24 hours. You better believe there would be scurrying in the rat pack quarters. How would America survive one day without television? Talk about pansy...we are!

All I hear are arguments between political affiliations. "You Democrat"..."You Republican"...conservative, liberal ad nauseum. Great, we're all fighting about which group of thieves we support. That's really quite brilliant, isn't it. Meanwhile, life zooms by at supersonic speed and our kids grow up and leave home while we're at work. Which I'm sorry, no, you can't have time off to say goodbye. Of course, that's if they don't get shipped off to the middle east.

I'd willingly go 24 hours without all but the absolute necessities of life...but I really doubt anyone would notice one person in central New York shivering in the dark under a blanket...so if anyone has a better idea, please let me know!

Pye is pissed.