Keep it Simple!

Thanksgiving was a lovely family time, but not exactly the best meal for my digestion, given my chosen diet and lifestyle for the past 20 years. I woke the next morning with an uncomfortable feeling in my lower abdomen and an even more uncomfortable memory of a nightmare! Some of my current patients were in this dream, a couple of long-time elderly patients, and a few others I can’t identify. I was treating all of them, but the physical layout was not my regular treatment room. It seemed to be a much larger, confusing maze in which I would run from one corner to the other, and for every patient there was some kind of challenge. The worst occurred when the oldest patient began to complain that I was not treating her professionally. I think I had left some kind of plaster on her chest, and it was coming undone, and she had to sit there and wait and wait for me because I was running around tending to other patients. My feelings were frustration, perplexity, and amazement at the strange things that were demanded of me at the time, all that besides the feeling of failure.

I’m trying to examine this message from my subconscious, and I think I’m getting the message to simplify. And maybe to delegate (later, when I start training a new acupuncturist here). Because I’ve developed a bag of “tricks” during my 12 years of practice, my patients often get more from me than acupuncture. As the number of patients coming in accelerates, this may be taking a toll on me. The volunteer situation self-aborted shortly after it began, and I have been essentially doing everything single-handedly. It might have been different, if there were more square footage available in the reception room, but as it is, there isn’t space enough for more people in this room. Some patients are asking for late evening hours, and I’m trying to resist the temptation to stay later, as it is always disastrous.

Even though I’m happy that my business is growing, I see that adjustments in my attitude must accompany this growth, to keep my sense of balance and my commitment to give my best to the patients. I thought I had won this tug of war months ago, when I re-committed to preserving my healthy lifestyle, and drew the line at hours and enforcing the community style simplicity of this clinic. I see now that it’s a battle I will always be managing.

(By the way, I do not administer chest plasters as part of my practice!!)