The urge to go raving mad and scream.

My feet after surgery a year ago.

My feet now.  You can't barely see the scars.
My running journey since surgery hasn't been easy.  For months, my feet were so swollen they didn't fit into my shoes.  When I did start running again, I couldn't go very far without pain.  This pain wasn't the plantar fascia pain I had put up with for the last 5 years but a whole new set of pain in my feet (scar tissue), hip and back.  My gait had changed and my body wasn't adjusting.  I was down to running a mile a day.  One day in Zumba, a friend asked if I had done any Graston physical therapy since surgery.  I had never heard of this and began to do research.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graston_Technique
I found a PT and began treatment.  After 6 weeks and somewhat improvement, two friends (Kim G and Pat P) suggested I try acupuncture.  Yea, acupuncture.  Since there was one on my insurance, I gave it a try.  I was desperate to get back the running I had lost due to injury.
Upon arriving at her office, Dr. Ran (http://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-jinli-ran-las-vegas) is everything I thought an acupuncturist would look like.  Naturally, she is Asian and tiny.  The faint scent in her office reminds me of the holistic doctors my grandma took me to as a child in Vietnam.  She took me back to her office and went over my case.  I talked to her about my feet, my insomnia, my allergies.  (Heck, if I was going to be poked with needles I might as well see if it could cure me of all my ills.) After the consultation, the poking was about to begin.
Laying on the table, I had this urge to bolt.  This urge was further perpetuated by looking at the acupuncture chart and seeing needles in the cabinet.  I was sweating and my heart was racing.  If ever I should try to run, it was then.  However, when she entered bringing with her that sense of calmness and serenity, I stayed.  Dr. Ran is very good at distracting you while she does her work.  She placed needles between my eyes, in my head, near my nose, both wrists, arms, well, ok, everywhere!  They ones that hurt the most naturally were the needles in my feet.  Strangely, once the needles were placed, the pain stopped.  It actually felt nice and relaxing.
I can't begin to tell you how acupuncture works.  I won't tell you that I like it.  (I hate needles)  What I will tell you is that it really helped me.  I don't know if together with PT it helped or it helped alone or if I would have gotten better on my own.  I'm not a scientist.  I only know that I am back to running 4-8 miles daily without excruciating pain.  I will also add that when Michael hurt his shoulder (X-Ray showed no tears), I took him to Dr. Ran and he felt better after about 4 visits.  He also has severe allergies of which he hasn't taken any medication for since the last visit.  (Acupuncture didn't help my allergies at all.)
I haven't seen Dr. Ran in a month.  At our last visit she told me not to come unless I was hurting again.  What doctor tells you not to come?  She does, and it made me like her all the more.