Dr. Duckworth's Update: Stories from IAALM Trip to Joplin

Dr. Duckworth recently traveled to Joplin, to tend to victims of the tornado, through the auspices of both Acupuncturists Without Borders and the NLTC-affiliated Institute of American Acupuncture and Life Medicine. Here are some questions and answers regarding that trip:

How did you become involved with Acupuncturists Without Borders?
An acupuncturist in Springfield who had previously done volunteer work with ACWB, called them. They came to Joplin/Springfield, established a relationship with the Salvation Army and taught a one day workshop on their treatment protocol to abaout 8 people in Springfield. The Springfield acupuncturist sent an email announcement to the President of the State Acu Ass'n whom had already been contacted by Jason, representing IAALM. That lead to my communicating with the practitioner in Springfield (Abba Anderson). Mary Wallis, L.Ac., a member of the Board of Directors of IAALM, went to Springfield and attended the workshop. It's a protocol I studied about 16 years ago and use some aspects of it in my practice.

When and how was the decision made (by either AWB, or yourself) to attend to patients there?
The day after the tornado, Jason and I talked about "doing something" because IAALM was founded to provide care to those who don't have access to proper care. Joplin qualified. When ACWB stepped up and got things rolling, it was easy to fall into line. The next step being: how we gonna do this? Then, just doin' it.

What was your initial thoughts on the damage, seeing it in person?
Incredulous. There was nothing in all my years of experiences comparable. I wasn't in 'Nam but that's what I thought of. I came into a town where several miles of everything had been blown away, blown up, like some major bombing of a big city.

What were your working conditions like in Joplin?
There were chairs where folk sat and received ear acupuncture and I did 'handwork' on shoulders and legs. The chairs were situated under a huge, open-sided tent covering many tables for people to sit and rest and eat meals (Salvation Army served 1200-1500 meals a day there); FEMA and other agencies had booths. There were large (4-ft. tall) fans blowing. It was HOT and very windy and dry and I drank many bottles of water.

Typically, what were the issues that you spoke to these patients about, in terms of their physical and emotional health?
I didn't ask too much, I listened a lot. They were all being treated for PTSS - they were (are) walking around in a daze. One man talked about working for hours to free someone buried, only to finally reach them and the guy was dead. The rescuer has nightly nightmares about not getting there in time. A lady was grateful for the daily treatment 'cause the treatments helped her bury 3 of her family members. One man about my age just paces his house every night, waiting for another tornado. He hadn't slept more than an hour a night for two weeks. One man rescued 30 people from the Kmart, his son rescued 10l; their backs hurt. Another rescuer tore his should muscle. But, mostly, they sat quietly and let peace settle in for 30-40 minutes.

Did you treat people who'd never had acupuncture before, or had they had some exposure to the treatments in the past?
Joplin ain't San Francisco. These people had no experience of acupuncture. One man I treated had come by the acu station every day for four days before he decided to try it. three hours later, he came back and asked if he could have another session. "YES!"

Of the stories told to you, which still resonate the most?
I don't know... the man who rescued 30 people; the lady who buried her family; the 71 year old who came on his motorcycle because both of his cars had been blown away and they still haven't been found. I think the ones who didn't talk had the heaviest stories.