Self-Healing in italiano

Coughing up phlegm, coughing deeply, blowing my noise, talking like a chain smoker — all signs of illness.

My Dad pleaded for me to go to Kaiser and get an Xray. Maybe I had bronchitis.

I went to the Five Branches School of Chinese medicine for treatment. I’d rather take herbs and be poked with needles than take some chemicals. I stayed home throughout the weekend and worried my whole family as they heard me cough. Sometimes I coughed so hard that my hear hurt a bit. I didn’t want to go to Kaiser because I figured whatever medicine they would give me would just suppress the coughing. Obviously, my body wanted to get rid of something and I needed to give it time.

So, I stayed in bed or read outside in the hammock. Wanting to finish Un altro giro di giostro (Another ride on the merry go round) by Tiziano Terzani, I was kind of happy that I made myself homebound by being sick. I read slowly in Italian and Terzani’s 576 page hardbound tome, is no easy read. He uses the historical past tense in Italian — a tense I briefly studied in college over 10 years ago. So, some of the verb conjugations are not easy for me to follow.

He recounts his own voyage to heal his cancer and realizes that despite all the doctors, shamans, energy healers and spiritual advisors he consults with worldwide, he can only heal himself with his mind.

I felt like I was healing myself by reading his book.

I am my own best doctor when I slow down and listen to myself. I can also be my own worst cause of pain and disease.