Growing up I never dreamed of becoming a doctor. I was frightened by hospitals with their antiseptic smells and needles. I was a healthy girl and was seldom sick. Once in a while if I caught a cold or cough, my grandmother would give me a cup of ginger soup or tea, and cover me with heavy blankets so that I would sweat. The fever would just go away. “Ban Xia Lu” was one of my favorite cough syrups. I would take it even if there was nothing wrong; I just liked the taste. Sometimes when I had a stomachache, my grandmother would cup my stomach to rid the cold. It really worked! When my brother wet himself at night, my grandmother would say his bladder was weak. She bought some herbs and they helped control his bladder. To me, my grandmother was just like a doctor. I enjoyed my grandmother’s special soup filled with herbs, it just smelled good to me. I did not understand the word “sick.” To me having a fever or diarrhea was an excuse to skip school, take sweet syrup, and eat cooked dried pork prepared by my dad. The worst part was the red bruise on my stomach after I received cupping.

The first time I understood the gravity of illness was when I was fourteen years old. My mother had to undergo surgery for a tumor as large as an egg on her left lung. The doctors thought it may be lung cancer. It devastated the whole family. We had sent our aging grandmother to the countryside and borrowed money from every resource we could find for the surgery. I still remember how my mother told me through tears to take care of my younger brother, to help with the house chores, and to study hard, if in the worst case she could no longer do so herself. The medical technology in China 30 years ago was limited. Some people never even left the hospital after surgery; they died instantly in the operating room. I was so young then and worried so much about my mother. How much I wished I were a doctor! Even though my mother recovered from surgery and the tumor was not cancerous, from then on, sickness became a nightmare for me.

After graduating from middle school, I was sent to the countryside. I assumed a leadership position at the age of 18, leading more than 400 people working in the fields, constructing canals, and digging ditches. Every day I had to carry 50 kilograms of supplies, and worked 8 to 10 hours. The embankment did not have drinking water and nothing grew on the land. We had to rise more than three hours by tractor to get to the nearest town for all essential living goods. The poor living conditions, excessive work, and lack of nutritious food made many people sick. We had to be isolated because of the danger of spreading all kinds of contagious diseases. The “illnesses” I witnessed were like beasts devouring the lives of the young people. Many of the illnesses became chronic because people did not get immediate medical attention. I blamed myself for not being able to take care of them and hoped one day I would become a doctor who could take care of the sick.

I felt sick myself. I could no longer consider myself to be healthy. I could hardly carry the bundle of supplies to the riverbank, and twice I fell down the river, cutting my right eye and eyebrow badly by the weight of the load. I was sent to the emergency room. The doctors could not give me a diagnosis. Some thought I had an abnormal artery growing in the brain, epilepsy, or even Meniere’s disease. But no one could really diagnose or treat me.

This made me realize how seriously I was sick. I often felt dizzy and nauseous, sometimes blacking out. I was only 20 years old then. My father did not normally take his three children to the hospital, but this time, to my surprise, he sent me to the most prominent hospitals and doctors. For a family in strained financial circumstances, each visit meant that we had to cut down our living expenses. My father still took me to every doctor and clinic possible, but his efforts were in vain.

When I was 22, the Chinese government resumed college entrance examinations. I worked very hard and was enrolled into the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I thus left the farm I worked on for three years and started my life of becoming a doctor of Chinese medicine.

I spent five years in college working extremely hard day and night. I cherished this hard-earned opportunity to leave the farmland to go to this well-known university. I often studied more than 14 hours a day and rested very little. My undiagnosed sickness still troubled me and I was unable to concentrate or remember facts. There are old Chinese proverbs that say, “clumsy birds have to start flying early” and “a slow running turtle can beat a fast running rabbit.” I kept these in mind and studied harder and harder. I was determined that I would be strong and would enjoy the wonderful time that belongs to all youth. I did not want to be left behind, or feel pitiful or pathetic.

I often fell down and lost consciousness in class or on campus, coming to among surprised people. I felt extremely awkward and understandably sad. I almost lost my self-esteem and self-confidence. People talked about me behind my back. They would say things like, “This person looks very familiar, is she the one who fell down in the school yard?” “She must have epilepsy,” or “She doesn’t have seizures or foaming at the mouth.” I often burst into tears after hearing these comments when I went back to the dormitory. I buried myself in my studies. Accompanied by illness, I felt sad and worked extremely hard. This is how I spent my youth. I do not remember times of romance or fun. They did not apply to me. This is part of the reason why I understand so well the importance of treating adolescent health problems. I understand that illness not only hurts a person’s physical body but also hurts the mind. It can also have a negative impact on his or her future life, career, and self-confidence. It does not matter whether the condition is a minor health problem such as constipation, obesity, body pain or depression. If the problem is not taken seriously, it will influence the person’s life in the future and his or her way of facing real life and career.

When I was a senior in college, one of the doctors from the Department of Traumatology at the university finally discovered that my problem was with my neck. The doctor found a constricted space in my cervical spine. Once the neck turned to a certain position, it would cause my symptoms to appear. I was treated with acupuncture and tui-na for almost two years. My condition improved dramatically and I was finally cured. I regained my health and my self-confidence. I was so thankful for the treatment that changed my life. I made up my mind. I would devote my entire life to this career and help people who were sick like me. I was 25 years old then.

After graduating from college, I became a resident for two years working in several departments including the departments of internal medicine, surgery, OB-GYN, etc. Then I went back to the same university to further my studies as a graduate student. The university hired me after I received my master’s degree and later I became China’s first Ph.D. candidate specializing in OB-GYN in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I came to New York in early 1990. After passing tests and receiving the acupuncture license from New York State, I established Ming Qi Natural Healthcare Center in 1991. More than ten years ago Americans were unfamiliar with TCM. My efforts centered on educating people, including the Western medical community, about Traditional Chinese Medicine and conducting modern scientific research on TCM. There are more than 10,000 patients at Ming Qi Natural Healthcare Center, and everyday, we treat 40-50 patients. We are conducting clinical studies on treatment of conditions such as uterine fibroids, shingles, psoriasis, degenerative arthritis, menopause syndrome, and allergies through the use of Chinese herbs.

The purpose of establishing this center was to develop Traditional Chinese Medicine so that Western society can better understand the nature of TCM and benefit from it. To most Americans, TCM is a new medical treatment modality. As TCM practitioners, we respect, understand, and want to learn more about Western medicine. Based on solid scientific medical research, we can learn more about Western and Eastern treatment methods, their distinguishing features, and clinical functions. For the past 10 years, TCM has become increasingly popular in the United States. However we still have a long way to go and still face many obstacles. These obstacles exist mostly from misunderstanding of TCM from Western medical establishment’s point of view, but also from the TCM practitioner’s lack of technical ability and professional standards. The only way to further the development of TCM is to treat TCM as serious medical science endeavor. This is the only way TCM will be accepted and acknowledged by the Western medical community.

I benefited from TCM through my personal health problem. I was sick during my youth and TCM treatments restored my health, which made me devote myself to this career. However I benefited more from Western medicine. I was diagnosed with carditis 14 years ago when I was a graduate student; cardiac arrhythmia was so frequent, it was out of everyone’s control. I had to rely on Western medication to control my symptoms and relied on Chinese herbs to get better. I lost my first child because of a mitral valve prolapse. I became pregnant again when I moved to the United States. I would have had a second miscarriage if I did not get help from the most advanced medical technology and treatment for cardiac patients. I spent my pregnancy under close heart monitoring and supervision. Even though I gained 70 lbs. and had edema because of an enlarged heart and mitral valve prolapse, I eventually gave birth to my daughter with the help of a heart specialist, physician, surgeon and the obstetrician. I am even more thankful to Western medicine for the safe arrival of my daughter. That experience made me understand deeply the value of Western medicine. I wish I could further my studies as a medical doctor, but I am now over 40.

No matter the method with which you approach disease, the desire is the same – to help people, even though the way we understand and treat disease may be different. TCM has a history of more than 4,000 years and because of its historical background, the rigorous scientific scrutiny has not been pursued from a Western medical standpoint. TCM has existed based on its heritage and has carried on for generations. Our job now is to discover the scientific reason why TCM works clinically. On the other hand, Western medicine bases its findings on scientific proof before it is put into clinical practice. Medical science explains the scientific theory first and then puts it into clinical use. The most important task is to unite both methods for the sake of the health of all human beings.

This year marks the twelfth anniversary of the founding of Ming Qi Natural Healthcare Center. I have worked more than 12-hour days since I came to this country. I never stayed away from the clinic for one day until I gave birth. My daughter is now six years old and I want to spend more time loving and educating her. I finally decided to cut some of my office hours and spend more time to developing our new project that will benefit more people. Having this website is the very first thing I want to accomplish. I hope I can better understand your needs and serve you with my loving care in the same way I have been treating my patients. I love each of you and sincerely wish you good health, a good career, and a good life. Thank you!