Happy new year! I hope everyone had a peaceful, joyous holiday season.
I took the last week of December off to rest after a very busy and emotionally exhausting year. Sadly, I am now among the many, many people who have lost loved ones in the last two years. I came home from my writing retreat in October to the news that my father had a stroke in the Philippines. He passed away on November 1st, then I lost my favorite aunt less than three weeks later.
Thank you so much to everyone who sent their sympathies. I felt a lot of love! I am very fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people and to be able to work in an environment that is, by definition, a healing space.
A wise friend said, “Everyone needs more than anyone else has to give right now.” As we navigate another winter in a pandemic, I hope we can at least be kind to ourselves and to one another, because you just don’t know what someone might be going through right now.
May 2022 be a brighter year for all of us! Stay well and hope to see you soon.
– Fannie
Scheduling appointments
The clinic continues to be busy and I really appreciate those who made the effort to book in advance to snag their favorite spots in the schedule.
It has been administratively challenging to manage wait lists for both existing and new patients, but I strongly encourage patients who need an appointment sooner (let’s say you threw your back out) to reach out to me (email or call/text 617-294-9109). The schedule often shifts when the 48-hour appointment reminders go out and I usually have some last-minute availability.
The line for new patients is also moving along and I am working my way through the waitlist. If you have been waiting for more than three months, check your spam folder and/or send me an email to let me know you’re still interested.
As always, feel free to go online and look for appointments at your convenience. If you see an open slot, you will probably book it sooner than I can since I am with patients most of the day.
Pandemic policies update
In one of my group chats with friends recently, someone said, “Fannie, share some acupressure tips or eastern ways of handling [COVID]!” My reply was simple:
“Mask up and wash your hands. 😉”
There’s no significant change to our pandemic safety protocols since vaccinations do not prevent infection and transmission. We ask everyone to keep their masks on and wash their hands, regardless of vaccination status. Due to the highly transmissible nature of the Omicron variant, let me clarify some clinic policies.
Bottom line: if you feel unwell, don’t come in. Even if it’s within 24 hours, call/text me at 617-294-9109 or email to let me know that you can’t make it to your appointment. Cancellation fees are waived for situations related to COVID. That way I can offer the time to someone on the waitlist.
In the last 7 days, if you have:
- Traveled
- Been exposed to/in contact with someone who has COVID
- Seen people outside your social bubble
Please get a PCR test 3-5 days after arrival/exposure (preferred, if possible – I know testing appointments are hard to come by these days) or at least take an at-home COVID test to make sure you are negative for COVID-19 before coming into the clinic whether you are vaccinated or not.
If you tested positive for COVID-19:
- Reschedule your appointment for at least 10 days out. Patients are most contagious 1 day BEFORE and 3 days AFTER onset of symptoms.
- Confirm that you are symptom-free the day before the appointment. If not, we postpone.
If you have not yet gotten vaccinated, PLEASE consider doing so. It is free and widely available now. For the safety of all patients and practitioners in the clinic, I will not be taking any new patients who are not vaccinated.
Thank you to everyone for being considerate and being careful for the sake of our entire community.
New insurance for 2022
If your insurance plan is changing for 2022, please take a picture of the front and back of your card and email to me BEFORE your appointment.
If you now have insurance that covers acupuncture and would like me to bill them directly, please fill out this online form so we can verify coverage
COVID-related Resources
If you have been exposed and cannot find a test kit, the state of Massachusetts can send at-home kits for COVID-19 testing to Massachusetts residents. Request a test kit.
The City of Somerville COVID-19 Info and Resources page has great local information and updates.
Numbers and statistics to watch (if you still have the energy to do that):
Finally, a useful chart on what tests tell us:
