Friday 15th February
In the US, you can't volunteer places without the FBI doing everything but give you an internal to check you are who you say you are. I had to get my fingerprints done today, which proved a problem because apparently I have very bad prints. This is good news if I ever find myself wanting to commit a crime, but not so good if I am standing in a police station trying to get the computer to accept my prints whilst other people pretend they are ok with waiting so long and having to rush out to put more money on their parking meter. Apparently I must have ironed my fingers or something when I was small. Still, eventually it kind of worked, so I was able to go to the centre and present them with my poor prints and ask them to check my latest TB test while I was there.
Not only do I have bad fingerprints, but I must have been exposed to TB somewhere along my travels too. The tests show positive, though I don't actually have it and am not infectious. I still have to have a chest x-ray now to check my lungs are clear. I am not sure whether my insurance would pay for that, so I may have to start the project of trying to find the cheapest clinic for x-rays around here.
Whilst the nurses were discussing what to do with me, Keith appeared with Ken, a resident who I haven't seen before because he was in hospital sorting out his broken hip. Ken said he wanted to try Reiki next Wednesday because Keith had been telling him about it. We started chatting, and ended up playing an amusing game of Yahtzee in which I learned that I am going to like Ken very much, he has a wicked sense of humour and took great delight in 'whipping everyone's ass' (I believe this is the correct phrase here) at Yahtzee.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
It's weird - but it's doing something....
Wednesday 13th February
Keith was feeling much better this week. He told me his shoulder and hip pain were much better, which was great to hear. After the treatment, where I concentrated on his head and back because he has the most byosen there right now, he talked more about his experience of Jikiden Reiki. He said, "I don't know what it is, it's weird, but it's doing something". He described feeling 'lighter' and 'better', before shrugging his shoulders and leaving.
Marc has recently given up smoking after a long time of being a heavy smoker. He needed to stop immediately because of his health, so he is using some kind of drug to do it. It's working well so far and he hopes the Reiki will help his lungs and general condition. It is harder to feel the byosen on Marc, though more came through today, especially on his legs. Sometimes if the toxins are buried deeper, or if someone is on a great deal of medication, it can be more difficult to feel byosen, though of course it is still there. However, I usually find the more often I treat someone, the easier it becomes to feel it as their body gets used to the Reiki and the toxins start to come to the surface more.
I spoke to Stuart, an older resident today too, and he wants to receive some Reiki next week for the pain in his legs. He had not heard of it before and listened carefully to what I was telling him about it, all the while looking very skeptical. I was really surprised when he said he wanted to try it. I'm happy someone else is interested too.
Keith was feeling much better this week. He told me his shoulder and hip pain were much better, which was great to hear. After the treatment, where I concentrated on his head and back because he has the most byosen there right now, he talked more about his experience of Jikiden Reiki. He said, "I don't know what it is, it's weird, but it's doing something". He described feeling 'lighter' and 'better', before shrugging his shoulders and leaving.
Marc has recently given up smoking after a long time of being a heavy smoker. He needed to stop immediately because of his health, so he is using some kind of drug to do it. It's working well so far and he hopes the Reiki will help his lungs and general condition. It is harder to feel the byosen on Marc, though more came through today, especially on his legs. Sometimes if the toxins are buried deeper, or if someone is on a great deal of medication, it can be more difficult to feel byosen, though of course it is still there. However, I usually find the more often I treat someone, the easier it becomes to feel it as their body gets used to the Reiki and the toxins start to come to the surface more.
I spoke to Stuart, an older resident today too, and he wants to receive some Reiki next week for the pain in his legs. He had not heard of it before and listened carefully to what I was telling him about it, all the while looking very skeptical. I was really surprised when he said he wanted to try it. I'm happy someone else is interested too.
TB test day - and cookies...
Wednesday 6th Feb
I wasn't sure whether to go in today or not because I was sneezing a little this morning and I know that people with hiv and Aids have to be extremely careful around any kind of germs. In the end, I phoned the clinic and they decided that as I had no cold it was probably an allergy. I made an agreement with myself that if I sneezed again before I was due to go (2 hours later) then I would cancel. I didn't sneeze and was fine, so treated both Keith and Marc again before getting a not-as-painful-as-I-expected TB test (compulsory for all volunteers) and making my way out with some of the cookie stash from the kitchen (I did ask, honest).
I wasn't sure whether to go in today or not because I was sneezing a little this morning and I know that people with hiv and Aids have to be extremely careful around any kind of germs. In the end, I phoned the clinic and they decided that as I had no cold it was probably an allergy. I made an agreement with myself that if I sneezed again before I was due to go (2 hours later) then I would cancel. I didn't sneeze and was fine, so treated both Keith and Marc again before getting a not-as-painful-as-I-expected TB test (compulsory for all volunteers) and making my way out with some of the cookie stash from the kitchen (I did ask, honest).
The first time....
Wed 30th Jan
I felt a little nervous going into the clinic today but the kitchen volunteers home-baked cookies soon sorted me out. Besides, the people that work there are so friendly and jolly that I can see it is going to be a great place to be. I have a good feeling about it.
Katie took me around the place and introduced me to some residents. The mood amongst them was pretty low and Katie explained that there have been an unusually high number of deaths in the last few weeks and people are feeling it. One lady, who I would have loved to treat, Margaret, has a great many ailments - painful knees and back, eye and ear problems and primarily anxiety. Katie told her I was here to give Reiki to anyone who wanted it, but she told us she was 'too ill' to get Reiki. I have heard people say that before and it fascinates me as this is the perfect time to receive it. However, I can see that as Margaret has so much anxiety, something new to her like Reiki may well seem very scary. I will try to chat to her and get to know her a bit before suggesting it again.
Two people jumped at the chance to get Reiki, though one hadn't had it before, he claimed he was up for anything. Keith has been in the facility a while, but is doing well and is hoping to move out into an apartment by himself soon. He is pretty healthy, but has joint pain, shoulder pain and neuropathy. I worked on his shoulders today as they were giving him the most pain. After the treatment he told me he felt energy running through his body and his arm and leg were twitching throughout the treatment. He booked in for next wednesday.
Marc has general pain and neuropathy too. He is an art lover and travel bug like me, so we chatted about that a little before the treatment, which he must have enjoyed because he crashed out completely during the session and booked in for next week too.
I felt a little nervous going into the clinic today but the kitchen volunteers home-baked cookies soon sorted me out. Besides, the people that work there are so friendly and jolly that I can see it is going to be a great place to be. I have a good feeling about it.
Katie took me around the place and introduced me to some residents. The mood amongst them was pretty low and Katie explained that there have been an unusually high number of deaths in the last few weeks and people are feeling it. One lady, who I would have loved to treat, Margaret, has a great many ailments - painful knees and back, eye and ear problems and primarily anxiety. Katie told her I was here to give Reiki to anyone who wanted it, but she told us she was 'too ill' to get Reiki. I have heard people say that before and it fascinates me as this is the perfect time to receive it. However, I can see that as Margaret has so much anxiety, something new to her like Reiki may well seem very scary. I will try to chat to her and get to know her a bit before suggesting it again.
Two people jumped at the chance to get Reiki, though one hadn't had it before, he claimed he was up for anything. Keith has been in the facility a while, but is doing well and is hoping to move out into an apartment by himself soon. He is pretty healthy, but has joint pain, shoulder pain and neuropathy. I worked on his shoulders today as they were giving him the most pain. After the treatment he told me he felt energy running through his body and his arm and leg were twitching throughout the treatment. He booked in for next wednesday.
Marc has general pain and neuropathy too. He is an art lover and travel bug like me, so we chatted about that a little before the treatment, which he must have enjoyed because he crashed out completely during the session and booked in for next week too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
