Written by MAS acupunk, Elizabeth Ropp
An ode to blankets....oh, how we miss them.
Right now we still have at least a month of winter left. But let’s face it, spring can feel just as cold and damp as December, January, and February. When we first re-opened in July after being closed for four months, it didn’t seem like a big deal that we couldn’t offer the usual stacks of blankets.
Then Fall came...and now Winter.
COVID has changed and upended everyone’s lives globally. When folks ask how we are doing here at MAS, in the grand scheme of things we really can’t complain. We are grateful to be working. Yet, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we are missing staff members and our schedule has significantly downsized. We miss how easy it used to be for patients to walk in or call at any daytime hour to make an appointment. And until this week, I never thought about just how much I missed our fleece blankets.
One particularly prepared patient reminded me when she lugged in four blankets and a pillow. I am not saying that all of you must now show up with four blankets and a pillow, so please don’t take it that way.
For the first time in almost a year, that one patient allowed me the opportunity to provide our signature MAS blanket burrito-cocoon. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I thanked her for reminding me of what my job used to be before COVID happened.
The burrito cocoon really is a MAS innovation. I learned it 10 years ago from Andy when I joined the team. Since then, Andy has taught other acupuncturists and acupuncture students who practice all around the country. There is a video of him demonstrating the burrito technique on the internet somewhere. I believe it is as therapeutic as the treatment itself. This is the best way, we have found, to keep you warm - if you tend to run cold - while also keeping you comfortable during your treatment.
Under COVID, some of these little personal details had to be set aside. We now launder every sheet that covers our recliners after each patient. If we added blankets into the mix, we would not be able to keep our attention focused on the patients and the treatment room. We would also have to be laundering blankets for several hours after each shift, which is not practical for our staff.
Spring will be here soon, and as the ground thaws and we can put away our heavy coats, I may not miss the blankets quite as much.
But at this moment, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the ways things used to be.
