by Beverly Yelen

As a child of the 1930s and 40s, I often heard the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. As I grew and became more aware of my surroundings, I noticed that superstitions, old wives tales, beliefs handed down from generation to generation, and such were common place among my older relatives. I also noticed that there were hard and fast rules pertaining to proper medical procedures and any deviation from these rules was called quackery. Of course quackery did and still does exist, but lots of my generation would not -- nor want to – take the time to learn the difference between alternatives and true quackery. Eventually I did, and I was transformed from an old dog to one that could learn new tricks.

When I was in school we were taught nutrition, but cholesterol and other facts were not yet known. Since I always received an “A” in these health classes, I went my merry way indulging in bad food choices. I always had a weight problem and alternated between weight loss diets and binge eating, so I had the typical yoyo effect of weight loss and gain. Intellectually, I knew and understood that this was bad for my health, but I continued these habits until I became the old dog who could but would not learn any new tricks.

About three years ago, my negative attitude changed when I was 73 years old. Along with my husband, I enrolled in the Life Program at the University of Miami Wellness center. This is a program for active seniors, providing exercises, weight circuit machines, yoga, stability ball exercise, and other modalities for healthy living. Now I was exercising as I should, but I still had bad eating habits.

The crucial change in my thinking came about a year and a half ago when I contracted the “Shingles.” This is an extremely painful disease that often incurs later in life to people who had Chicken Pox as a child. My condition was aggravated by the aftermath of the disease, called Post Herpetic Neuralgia, in which a nerve is damaged. The pain was excruciating and my skin was so sensitive that it was difficult to wear clothing. Though sympathetic to my problem, my doctor could only treat the symptoms through pain medication. The medicines did not help and the side effects were making my problems worse. For the first time in my life, I really felt like an old lady.

My friends suggested that I try Acupuncture, but it took this old dog several months to open up my mind to the idea. I finally made an appointment with Acupuncturist, Silvia Salinas, and had my first treatment. She told me that it would take a while before I would see improvement, but she felt she could help me. I continued with these treatments and now I am considerably better. The pain has subsided to a tolerable level and I can tell that I will soon be completely cured. Silvia suggested that I eat lots of veggies, and other healthful foods, eliminating some foods that are bad for my condition. For the first time, I have started to eat properly. I have continued on this regime and good eating habits are part of my daily routine. I am also starting to lose weight naturally.

Also, I was now becoming interested in alternative medical techniques and decided to join Silvia’s Tai Chi class. I have seen a noticeable improvement in my balance and my well being. I am much more relaxed and able to cope better with every day stress.

I realize that although medical doctors are important and need to be consulted for serious conditions, there are other alternative modalities that can be used in conjunction with the traditional. One must keep an open mind, do the research, and find legitimate practitioners.

I am now 76 years young, no longer an old dog, and I am learning many new ways of living a useful active life.