You Can Only Get Hit By the Truck That You Don’t See Coming

I love attending births on other people's birthdays... it feels like I'm honoring that person. So here's to Sara Sage!

This morning I got called into the clinic to assist a labor for a woman already at 7 centimeters dilation. After three hours of back-labor progressing into a resistant second stage there was another full moon baby at Bumi Sehat. My predictions of raining babies this weekend definitely came true after a relatively quiet week. Afternoon rolled along and I was actually going to make the appointment I'd made the evening before to get my first massage here. It was a new place highly recommended by the staff at the clinic, and this month there is a grand opening 50% discount. So I went for some therapeutic pampering. And it was. I received an hour and forty-five minute massage and body scrub of rice, ginger, peanuts, oil and potato and then finishing with a bath in the first warm water I've felt (I shower under a hose of icy cold water at the ashram!) not to mention the bath was dense with frangipani buds and ginger bark. The whole experience was incredible, and it cost $7. I stopped in at the clinic on my way back and we have two primips (first-time moms) here both at 1 centimeter, and they are sisters-in-law! It's going to be a long night--good thing I feel completely mushed yet rejuvenated.

Take care of yourself, pay attention to the signs your body gives you and really listen and then don’t forget to respond. Namely; slow down and you might live a longer life--literally (hence the title of this entry.) This is reiterated to me by Dr. Bobbi, the acupuncturist at the clinic. I am going to be getting my first treatment by her this week. I have always recommended acupuncture for folks for a lot of ailments—but I have never had it! When I was freshly diagnosed with diabetes, almost nine years ago now, I was told that there was an acupuncturist who was curing newly diagnosed diabetics. I remember that my mom actually spoke with this person, and he wanted me to immediately stop taking any insulin therapy, and that I should come and stay wherever he was practicing for a proper healing, unfortunately that would mean leaving in the middle of my junior year of high school. It was not practical. So here I am years--and loads of insulin--later, finally about to receive my first treatment. I’m hoping for some boost in the circulation department, possibly a recharge of my energy overall, and any kind of kick in the pants on the old pancreas that I can get!

Speaking of health and diabetes: I have noticed a few wonderful perks to this already pretty fantastic experience. I walk everywhere like the poorer Balinese (i.e. no Motorbike) and I eat like the ex-pats (trendy macrobiotic health cafés) and so far I have been enjoying a steady stream of blood glucose levels right around 130. I’m very pleased with this. And, though unrelated, I’m also very happy to notice that my usually miserable cuticles are very healthy looking, which is helping me to grow fingernails (which for me and my nasty nail biting habit is a really big deal!)

So, my body and my soul are very happy here.