the spleen system also includes the pancreas, with the capacity to digest, then transform the food into transportable nutrients which are delivered to organs and muscles. Imagine a river, she explains, with little water left in it: things don't move through it very well. But as they worked together to process her emotions and nourish her blood, the woman no longer had to have blood removed — her iron levels evened out. After several months she was able to mourn the loss of her miscarriages and celebrate her daughter's impending birth of a healthy baby. The neurologist she had been seeing for herniations in her lumbar spine was shocked to see that her condition had not degenerated as he had expected. "She was one of my first long-term patients," says Carmen, "Everything is theoretical until we see it in practice. … It was a really big learning experience for me to see a very physical pain that we could describe in Western medicine as disc herniation and sciatic pain, where the nerve is being irritated and it's radiating down the leg and that's what it is, period; versus yes, that's presenting, but there are a huge amount of emotional factors under it: life experiences, nutrition experiences, many other factors triggering this pain to worsen at that particular time. You learn to see the body as a constant communicator. It's very exciting." Diagnosis via color, texture, sound, smell, feel Carmen came to TCM, or traditional Chinese medicine, circuitously and somewhat serendipitously. While at College of the Atlantic, she worked with Gray Cox, faculty member in political economics, to compare various approaches to healing. Her senior project was based on work she had done on traditions of healing in Kenya. After COA, Carmen intended to study naturopathic medicine, but upon matriculating into a program felt a disappointing lack of connection. While struggling to understand where she belonged in the world of healing, she visited College of the Atlantic Magazine
Above from top: Ju hua, a flower used as an eye bath, or as a decoction for cold/flu symptoms, hypertension, and eye pathologies such as conjunctivitis. Huang qin, a root used as a broad spectrum antibacterial anti-inflammatory herb, especially for upper respiratory tract infections. Shi chang pu, a root used as a sedative, also against seizures and epilepsy. Shan zha, a fruit, used as an antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic, cardiotonic, and immunostimulant, as well as in cooking. 19