January 5, 2011

Mary Wuest

     Today was our second day of class. Class ran from 8:30am to 7:00pm with a two hour lunch break. We mostly learned about the Zang-Fu Organ Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which is facinating. There are 5 basic Zang organs in TCM which correspond with a Fu organ. For example, the Liver is one of the Zang organs and the corresponding Fu organ is the gallbladder. Something interesting in TCM is the function of the spleen, which is their primary digestive organ. In Western medicine, the spleen is considered to be part of the lymphatic system which aids in our immune function. It has been challenging for many of the students in our class, including myself, to set aside the Western way of thinking. We are constantly trying to relate and compare TCM and Biomedicine, but we find ourselves becoming more confused. It will take time and effort to wipe our minds clear of what we have learned in order to understand the TCM way of thinking, however TCM's holistic concepts make it well worth the effort. If we can incorporate even a little of this holism into our practice in the United States, our nursing careers will be more fulfilling to our patients, and to us personally.