Turning Point Center, LLC

When Judith applied for the job of receptionist at the clinic, her strongest recommendation came from Tom’s daughter. Rosemary’s people instincts are impeccable, and she adopted “Grandma Judy” within minutes of meeting her. For her part, Judith happily adopted Rosemary into her family of four grown children and six grandchildren.

We are particularly lucky to have Judith because she is one very busy and talented woman! In addition to her duties at the clinic, she teaches yoga: a Plus Size class through River Road Parks and Recreation and a class for seniors at Falconwood Village off Coburg Road.

Judith is also passionate about women’s health and Ayurvedic medicine. Each year, she organizes a weekend of lectures and one-on-one consultations with her teacher, Dr. Sarita Shrestha, Nepal’s first OB/GYN specialist.

Judith has used acupuncture to treat insomnia, shingles, and shoulder pain. Most recently, she experienced complications from retinal and cataract surgery. Initially, the healing progressed well, but her central vision began to deteriorate four months after the surgery. She developed fluid-filled cysts and edema, making it difficult to read. “It was scary,” she said.

Judith began receiving regular acupuncture treatments for her vision and then had two extensive eye exams within one week of each other. At the second examination, the doctor noticed significant improvement in her eye. “I am sure the acupuncture is what helped it,” she said.

We feel so blessed by Judith’s gentle humor and warmth and are so grateful we can help.

Tom Williams, L.Ac. demonstrates an effective Japanese acupuncture treatment for hypothyroidism. This treatment protocol was developed by Kiiko Matsumoto and her teacher Master Kawai. A diode chain, Patchi-Sparker device, ion pumping cords, and key acupuncture points are used to stimulate thyroid function.

“When I first started getting acupuncture,” says longtime patient Tara Jones, “I couldn’t bend my knees or walk down the stairs. As a result of working closely with Janeen and Tom, we discovered the causes of the problem, which included wheat allergy. Ongoing treatments made me stronger. Now, I can sit for long periods with crossed legs or do strenuous yoga exercise without any pain.”

Tara is particularly impressed by the focus on true health at the clinic. “The initial health history forms are so thorough. Just filling them out was an amazing lesson in what being healthy is. Having lived a pretty healthy lifestyle for most of my life, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it meant to be healthy. But  I found myself checking off many symptoms on the check-list. ‘Waking up during the night to pee?! Doesn’t everyone?’ No, it turned out. They don’t. And neither do I, now that my kidneys and other organs have been strengthened by acupuncture.”

Of the smaller needles used in Japanese acupuncture, Tara says, “From the beginning, I have been very sensitive to the needles. Tom likes to joke that it’s because I’m a redhead. Janeen just says I’m just a very sensitive person. Whatever the reason, the discomfort was certainly never going to stop me from having acupuncture treatments for I knew that it meant that the needles had been put in just the right spots. Besides it never lasted long. However, when Tom and Janeen placed a special order for a box of super-super thin needles, I was touched by their desire to make the process more pleasant for me. I was even more delighted when we tried them out for the first time and I could barely feel them going in!”

When the clinic had an opening for an office assistant last year, Tara was an obvious choice. Then, when beloved office manager Joanna Brook moved to Texas, Tara was quickly promoted to the post. When not greeting patients and ensuring the smooth flow of the clinic,

she teaches yoga, enjoys time with her 12-year-old daughter, Sophia, plays and composes music for the piano, and performs with the Roving Park Players. This past summer, she played Prospero in The Tempest (which we hope you did not miss, because she was amazing!).

This video is a demonstration of direct moxibustion by Tom Williams, L.Ac. In Japan, moxibustion is a clinical specialty on par with acupuncture. It is an ancient form of heat therapy, using the ground and dried leaves of the plant Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris). The Mugwort is pressed into sticks or cones for use in indirect applications or is left as loose granules for use in direct applications.

This Japanese-style technique stimulates blood circulation and is effective for stress-related illnesses, including back and neck pain, headaches, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, infertility insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and weakened immunity.

We regularly teach a class in the home use of indirect moxa (not the kind captured here!). Call the office for details.

This month, we caught up with Echo Lucas, who juggles the demands of two jobs with the joys of grandparenting five boys. You may have met Echo at the refund desk of Costco, where she has worked in a variety of capacities for twenty years. She says, “I am blessed to have such a good company to work for. They allow me the freedom to work in such a way that I am able to work at what I am passionate about.”

Tell us about your work with CAFA.

In 2007, I went part time at Costco and was able to work part-time for an agency that I co-founded in 1994. Christians as Family Advocates is a non-profit agency whose mission is “Making a Safer Place for Children.” CAFA provides programs for batterers, support groups for women, parenting classes, neuro feedback, and counseling services.

We are also the only program that provides supervised visitation in Lane County. In collaboration with eight churches in the area, we supervise visits for children and the non-custodial parent that they wouldn’t get to see otherwise. We provide a safe place for the visit to occur and train volunteers to conduct the visits in a safe, non-threatening, and comfortable setting. In 2010, we did 417 visits and logged 1076 volunteer hours.

What are the most important benefits you’ve had from acupuncture? Acupuncture has helped me in many areas. I first went to see Tom when I was having trouble after foot surgery. I have no more foot pain. Now, I will usually try acupuncture before any other service: for anxiety, vertigo, shoulder, arthritis, neck pain, and headaches. It has consistently eased my pain.

I also use an Alpha-Stim that I received through CAFA and was surprised when I was able to use one in conjunction with acupuncture treatment at Turning Point Center. I have eased my anxiety and insomnia by using the Alpha-Stim.

How old were you when you were diagnosed with JRA? I was about 3 years old when I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) but was showing symptoms earlier, probably around 2 years old. It was actually my Grandmother who noticed that something seemed wrong. They ran tests to figure out why I was in so much pain and were looking at some pretty scary things like cancer.

What do you remember about being a young person with arthritis? I remember many trips to Boston for check-ups with my doctors. There weren’t (and still aren’t) very many pediatric rheumatologists and the closest was at Children’s Hospital in Boston. It was usually an all-day affair with my rheumatologist, physical and occupational therapy, x-rays, lab work (which I was deathly afraid of), and sometimes an orthopedist. I remember having a difficult time in gym class and some teachers who didn’t understand juvenile arthritis or what I could and couldn’t do. That if I couldn’t do what they were asking me to do, it wasn’t because I was lazy. I had (and still have) great friends. I don’t remember that my arthritis was anything we talked about as I was growing up. It was nothing I felt I needed to hide or shy away from. It was just a part of my life, but not my whole life, if that makes any sense.

You work now as a hand therapist. Did your experience of living with RA have something to do with that? I do think my decision to enter health care was influenced by having JRA but not overtly. When I was very little I wanted to be a veterinarian or a preschool teacher (like my mom) or maybe a lighthouse keeper! Looking back, my parents realized that this disease was something I could be living with the rest of my life and it would be important for me to learn how to adapt, modify activities, and be as independent as possible. When I began to look into college and a career, occupational therapy seemed a natural fit. In some ways I had been doing it all my life. Becoming a hand therapist was something that evolved over time after several years working as an OT, but that’s another story!

Many communities don’t have good medical resources for people with rheumatologic diseases. What have you found in Eugene? Access to care is a huge issue. I feel very fortunate to live in Eugene where there are many resources available. I have a wonderful rheumatologist, Dr. Wasner, and an internist, Dr. Dukeminier. Not to mention a great acupuncturist! I have begun to look at diet and lifestyle factors like meditation and stress management and how these may influence my disease. I also have been converting to a gluten-free diet. It’s too early to tell if these changes are making a difference but this is a community where you can find the resources to explore those options.

What are the most important benefits you’ve had from acupuncture? I’ve worked with acupuncture for several years. I’m very aware that the medications I take, while they have been the best way to manage my arthritis so far, have the potential to be very toxic and harmful to other parts of my body. I really think that acupuncture has helped to balance the impact of those side effects. The medicines that work best for RA also suppress the immune system, and I strongly believe that I am able to fight off colds and other infections because of regular acupuncture sessions. Over this past year, I have had a little more trouble with some of my joints, and acupuncture has helped to ease the pain of those flare-ups too. So yes, I’m a big believer in acupuncture and the role it plays in managing my arthritis and improving my overall health.

Tell us about your work with the Arthritis Foundation. I’ve been involved with the Arthritis Foundation off and on for several years. I’m one of the organizing committee members for the Eugene-Springfield Arthritis Walk and 2012 will be our fourth year. It’s been very interesting to hear other people’s stories and find the similarities and differences between their experiences and mine. Last summer, I volunteered at Camp JAM for kids with arthritis and their families. It made a huge impact on me. For the first time, I was surrounded by kids with arthritis and adults who had been living with arthritis since they were kids. It’s hard to put into words, but it was amazing to be surrounded by people who knew exactly what I had gone through as a child and what I still go through as an adult. No one else really gets it. I also found myself wanting to tell every kid and parent at the camp that having JRA doesn’t mean you can’t have everything you want out of life. It may make it more challenging at times, but who doesn’t have challenges!

–Jenn Mroz, Eugene, Oregon

One of the joys of my work as an acupuncturist is listening to the stories patients tell. They are interesting because they are about the things that are important to you: Your family, work, volunteering, hobbies, and, of course, your health. Our first interview features Jim Jamieson, who recently retired after serving 23 years as Willamette High School’s principal.

When you finished at Willamette High School, were you tempted to hang up a “Gone Fishing” sign? Not at all. Even at age 63, I feel young in many ways. I have tried to keep healthy through good nutrition and various kinds of exercise from aerobics to targeted weight lifting to Centergy to Pilates. I also look for a variety of treatment options beyond traditional medicine when I have physical difficulties. Probably being around teens for 40 years kept me thinking of ways to make a contribution. Now I have the time to work as I want.

What have you been doing since your retirement? My main work is as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with the Lane County Juvenile Court. I work as a volunteer advocate for abused and neglected children. I also work with graduate students at the U of O and with an educational auditing non-profit in Salem. I love to cook and have enough time for doing that now.

Why is this work important to you? There are so many needs that others have. I get fulfillment from seeing others be helped and succeed.

What do you do to manage stress and stay well? Workouts help. Connecting with my wife through daily walks is crucial. I laugh and try to make others laugh, with me or at me, whichever works.

What advice would you offer to people who are still in the midst of busy–and stressful–careers? Take some time for yourself and those you love. Laugh. Find joy in some simple things. Avoid frustrations outside of work. Be the change you want to see in the world. Take care of your family and those you love.

You used acupuncture for a number of things over the years. What has been its main benefit to you? I believe acupuncture helps my body heal itself and return to a balanced state. I know it has helped me avoid surgery on several occasions. I feel at peace after each session.

“Hi, I’m Dan Close and I came to the Turning Point Center because I have seasonal allergies.

Ever since I came to Eugene in 1974 I had severe allergies in February, March, April, May, and June. I attempted to manage these allergies through a variety of procedures: Medicine, avoidance, over-the-counter medications, masks, everything.

My wife had been telling me for years that I should try acupuncture but I was just a little nervous or leery about that. One day she persuaded me to go see an acupuncturist… I heard a good report on Tom Williams, and the Turning Point Center was so close to the University that I came over. I think this is my fourth or fifth year, having my seasonal allergies treated.

It’s an unbelievably effective treatment in that you come prior to the onset of the major allergens from the trees and grasses and you sort of build up the ability to counter them. I don’t know how. I’ve never really figured out how it works. But what’s interesting is you come for a period of time and you kind of build up and then go away for a awhile. I usually come three separate sequences of time: in the middle of February, late March to early April and then mid-May to June. That seems to be an effective way to treat my seasonal allergies and I would encourage you to do the same.”

--Dan Close, Eugene, OR

Tom Williams, L.Ac. and Linda Spray, RN-retired, will lead a lecture series on the effectiveness of acupuncture for fibromyalgia at Turning Point Center LLC (April 7 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM) and Lane Community College (April 28 from noon to 1:00 PM). Call the clinic at (541) 686-9658 for more information. Below is a transcript of Linda’s testimony: 

“My name is Linda Spray and I’m a retired Registered Nurse. I retired early about ten years ago because I had a recurrence of cancer in my left shoulder and I had had chemotherapy and radiation. After I was retired, I experienced the bad effects from an earlier on-the-job injury and heredity. I developed fibromyalgia, which worsened and worsened over the years. I felt helpless and hopeless with it.

“Fifteen months ago, I was at the point of complete despair and ready to completely give up. It seemed there was no hope. Fortunately, I got to the right medical people, got some different medications, and got to see Dr. James Morris at his pain clinic. In his consultation, he recommended that I try a number of different modalities, one at a time. I missed the one at a time and jumped into all of them. I’ve done massage and Feldenkrais for a lot of years and some reflexology and they kept me going. Then I added physical therapy and, very importantly, I added acupuncture with Tom Williams.

“I am so pleased with the progress I have made with Tom. One of the clearest things that’s happened is that when I came to see him, he nor anyone else could touch my left shoulder. That was the area that had brought me to despair. It would feel like somebody had thrown hot grease on me and they kept throwing it. As people with chronic pain know, there can be times when it’s just overwhelming. The very first time I saw Tom that pain decreased. I was blown away and so pleased.

“I’ve continued to see him weekly and that pain has not ever come back like it used to be. If he’d done nothing else for me, that is an incredible gift. In addition, he has helped me with my whole body structure getting stronger. He works very well with the other two or three modalities I do. He’s aware of things, very professional, very skilled, very gentle. I am extremely happy that I found Tom.”