Oh barf! Yesterday Julie could tell I was dealing with some big stress and asked me to hold the biggest of the big in my mind while she worked her magic for a bit, then to hold the best possible outcome of that stress in my mind while she worked some more. And, as I should by now have come to expect from my Rushford Family Chiropractic experience, it was a revelation. I started tearing up right there on the table and thought I might lose it, whether from the sadness of the past 2 years or from the anticipated joy of recovery, it's hard to say. That best possible outcome, though, that was clear as a bell - I saw myself jumping from rock to rock in a little stream in the woods as the sun filtered down through the trees on one of those perfect mild Vermont summer days. Of all the things I miss, the ability to run ramshackle through the trees like a wildwoman has been the hardest to give up. Tiptoeing over an icy patch on my way home last night I realized I probably won't lose that caution for some time to come, but how nice it will be to fall without fearing I might snap my leg off at the root!
Thanks to February break next week I should be able to work in at least 3 or 4 more adjustments AND a massage before surgery, which is fantastic. My spine's been going through a lot of changes just in the past few weeks and I'm dreading losing that momentum post-op, though hopefully I won't have to go too long before being able to travel to the office and be adjusted comfortably again. If nothing else, the changes in my shoulders are sure to make for (relatively) easier crutching, and I'm interested to see if the alignment is different enough that my callouses will be different this time around. Yes, that's how narrow my field of interest becomes post-op - "Oooh, look at the palms of my hands!" :)
Break next week will afford me a goodly amount of time to get my apartment in order before it becomes too difficult to clean (physically, I mean!), as well as to deal with some of the anxiety I've been pushing away in favor of dealing with more immediate matters. Julie reminded me of a great breathing technique for getting calm and centered, perfect for when my mind starts going in 4 million directions. I think the contrast between that and 3-4 days spent immobile in the same bed post-op is one of the greatest I've experienced in my life! She also mentioned Silent Unity as a service I might avail myself of, saying "You put in a request and they hold you in prayer", such that in my mind's eye I saw a circle of strangers actually holding me and praying, which as it turns out is not how it actually works. Pretty cool concept, though! I'm reading Compassion in Action right now and there's a wonderful moment Ram Dass describes with a meditation group that has a similar effect on him - it feels like no accident that I picked up the book when I did, and I'm sure Ram Dass would agree!
Showing posts with label NSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NSA. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
5 weeks pre-op
Oh yes indeedy! Lately I've been weighing the relative merits of going in blind to this type of undertaking versus knowing what to expect. I think the distinction is really that between fear and dread. I'm not particularly scared this time around, but I am really really really not looking forward to going through it all again. Poop. But! Meanwhile my post-op hip is treating me fantastically, which is a good motivator for RPAO as well. Until recently my right hip has remained relatively asymptomatic, save for some incessant popping that only started after my LPAO. The past few days, though, have slayed me with sciatic pain on the right side, something I also experienced early on after diagnosis when I was just sorting out all the weird ways my left side had been coping. (Even then it was only on the right side, which I guess is fairly common for sciatica.)
I saw Dr. Hoo yesterday in so much pain I wasn't sure I could get up off the table, but of course she picked up immediately on the source of the discomfort and went to work. When I finally did get up the pain was somehow even worse and I could barely get back into my car. An evening's relaxing with three Lidoderm patches and a good night's sleep seem to have allowed the NSA voodoo to work its magic, though, as I woke up this morning with nothing but a dull ache remaining. Great success! Also a fine reminder of what it's going to be like when I can't bend on the right side - nearly busted out my hip kit grabber, but I think I'll save that for when I'm back on crutches for real. :)
I saw Dr. Hoo yesterday in so much pain I wasn't sure I could get up off the table, but of course she picked up immediately on the source of the discomfort and went to work. When I finally did get up the pain was somehow even worse and I could barely get back into my car. An evening's relaxing with three Lidoderm patches and a good night's sleep seem to have allowed the NSA voodoo to work its magic, though, as I woke up this morning with nothing but a dull ache remaining. Great success! Also a fine reminder of what it's going to be like when I can't bend on the right side - nearly busted out my hip kit grabber, but I think I'll save that for when I'm back on crutches for real. :)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sadsack surprise
I can't tell you how many times at school this week I've said "What was I just doing??" Seems to be the way of things these days. I was so scattered going into my adjustment Tuesday that Dr. Hoo seemed genuinely horrified at my condition and had me do some centering breathing exercises to try to pull me back together. They involved breathing with my hands on my stomach, my diaphragm and my throat and it was pretty powerful stuff, except when she asked me which felt most "open and inviting" - at moments like these I always feel like I'm at the optometrist, "Clearer with Number 1... *click* or Number 2... again 2... *click* or 1?" And I wonder "Are you trying to trick me??"
In any event, the adjustment was quite nice, followed by a really relaxing (no psoas poking this time!) massage, my last with Jennifer before surgery. To celebrate, instead of the delicious truffle she usually leaves you when she's done, she gave me perhaps the world's most marvelous chocolate bar - how I've managed to remain ignorant of these things even with my deep-seated caramel obsession is beyond me!
Oh yes and today is my second day without any ibuprofen, which I've been popping by the massive 600mg pill for many many months now. Had to go off it pre-op and have now successfully determined that it actually does nothing for me, save for probably effing up my kidneys for life. Even after a very hip-rigorous yoga class last night I'm still feeling just about the same without the meds as I ever did taking them.
And man was it some yoga class! Thankfully over time I think my prodigious sweating has at least been somewhat curtailed, but not my amazement at how far I'm actually able to push myself. Last night's theme was about finding your edge and pushing beyond it, and when Anj said "Feel your edge" I could probably feel it better than anyone else in the room, since it felt like the edge of a knife in my thigh. Still and all, no lasting ill effects from going that one step (or twist, as the case may be) further, even though I've begun really embracing the idea of running my leg into the ground (like my dear Subaru!) before surgery. Cow Face Pose (you may remember when I said Big Toe Pose was the worst asana name ever but I was clearly wrong!) certainly does the trick in that regard!
On the "I'm such a bad Buddhist" tip, it was nearly impossible for me to shut my dang brain up during the introspective/centering bits last night, but when I finally did I had an interesting realization: I'm sad! It's surprised even me how not-panicked I am, but I couldn't quite put a finger on what I was feeling until last night. Not that I could say why exactly, but there it is! Oh the vagaries of the human heart!
In any event, the adjustment was quite nice, followed by a really relaxing (no psoas poking this time!) massage, my last with Jennifer before surgery. To celebrate, instead of the delicious truffle she usually leaves you when she's done, she gave me perhaps the world's most marvelous chocolate bar - how I've managed to remain ignorant of these things even with my deep-seated caramel obsession is beyond me!
Oh yes and today is my second day without any ibuprofen, which I've been popping by the massive 600mg pill for many many months now. Had to go off it pre-op and have now successfully determined that it actually does nothing for me, save for probably effing up my kidneys for life. Even after a very hip-rigorous yoga class last night I'm still feeling just about the same without the meds as I ever did taking them.
And man was it some yoga class! Thankfully over time I think my prodigious sweating has at least been somewhat curtailed, but not my amazement at how far I'm actually able to push myself. Last night's theme was about finding your edge and pushing beyond it, and when Anj said "Feel your edge" I could probably feel it better than anyone else in the room, since it felt like the edge of a knife in my thigh. Still and all, no lasting ill effects from going that one step (or twist, as the case may be) further, even though I've begun really embracing the idea of running my leg into the ground (like my dear Subaru!) before surgery. Cow Face Pose (you may remember when I said Big Toe Pose was the worst asana name ever but I was clearly wrong!) certainly does the trick in that regard!
On the "I'm such a bad Buddhist" tip, it was nearly impossible for me to shut my dang brain up during the introspective/centering bits last night, but when I finally did I had an interesting realization: I'm sad! It's surprised even me how not-panicked I am, but I couldn't quite put a finger on what I was feeling until last night. Not that I could say why exactly, but there it is! Oh the vagaries of the human heart!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Don't get it twisted
A breakthrough! Last night I was performing my usual pre-sleep stretch-and-pop routine and happened to twist right into a spot on the left side of my spine that returned a sharp pain. I sort of "explored" it a little (Anjali, my yoga instructor, would like that) and found that I was able to "breathe into it" (Dr. Hoo would like THAT!) and, after just a few more twinges, relieve the tension. Woot! Now, you may think I'm crazy (already or as a consequence of the following statement), but that particular subluxation is something I've been feeling for at least a decade, and I suspect at the root of my left shoulder troubles. Once it released last night I spent the next 20 or so minutes rolling my shoulders (repeated crunching sounds gone) and swinging my tingling arm (which felt about an inch and a half longer) around like a loonie. Augustus was certainly confused.
My shoulderblade itself is still pretty tight this morning, but thankfully this afternoon I have an adjustment and my reevaluation at the Rushfords, so I can both crow about my progress and start working on the next level of... ah... flexibility, I guess. I feel like Hoo would call it something like "spinal freedom". :)
Yes, so this NSA/yoga/massage combo is really doing the trick! I haven't quite come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to give it all up in 5 weeks for I don't know how long. Not quite sure how I'm going to swing that, but I'm so glad I've had the time I have to get my alignment in order, which can only help speed my recovery time.
And did I mention what a marvelous weekend I had? Good friends, good food, great music and just a general grand old time. I managed to stay off my feet enough to not get exhausted or increase my pain much at all, though the front of my hip (which is new) has been hurting pretty consistently over the past week and my limp has become noticeable. Well, more noticeable to me - I'm sure other people have been noticing it for some time now!
Oh and my mom finally read a blog! My folks have basically been ignoring everything I've sent them over the past year+, preferring the "The less we know the better" approach (which somewhat drives me insane, but that's neither here nor there!) but I finally hooked them with AKM's blog of her time in the hospital and post-op, so they can get some idea of what to expect. I'm proud of my mom - as scared as I am, it must be even worse for her to consider watching her only offspring go through all this, and facing it head-on is no easy task.
And, finally, after waiting on hold to the dulcent tones of a Muzak version of "Take My Breath Away", I want to wring the collective necks of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Oh, they got the first part of the Prior Approval paperwork from Dr. Bean's office Friday, but the fax cut off so it needs to be sent again. Of course, they are the only people (psychics excepted) who actually KNEW that, because apparently it's not protocol to CALL the doctor when forms are incomplete. Chuckleheads.
My shoulderblade itself is still pretty tight this morning, but thankfully this afternoon I have an adjustment and my reevaluation at the Rushfords, so I can both crow about my progress and start working on the next level of... ah... flexibility, I guess. I feel like Hoo would call it something like "spinal freedom". :)
Yes, so this NSA/yoga/massage combo is really doing the trick! I haven't quite come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to give it all up in 5 weeks for I don't know how long. Not quite sure how I'm going to swing that, but I'm so glad I've had the time I have to get my alignment in order, which can only help speed my recovery time.
And did I mention what a marvelous weekend I had? Good friends, good food, great music and just a general grand old time. I managed to stay off my feet enough to not get exhausted or increase my pain much at all, though the front of my hip (which is new) has been hurting pretty consistently over the past week and my limp has become noticeable. Well, more noticeable to me - I'm sure other people have been noticing it for some time now!
Oh and my mom finally read a blog! My folks have basically been ignoring everything I've sent them over the past year+, preferring the "The less we know the better" approach (which somewhat drives me insane, but that's neither here nor there!) but I finally hooked them with AKM's blog of her time in the hospital and post-op, so they can get some idea of what to expect. I'm proud of my mom - as scared as I am, it must be even worse for her to consider watching her only offspring go through all this, and facing it head-on is no easy task.
And, finally, after waiting on hold to the dulcent tones of a Muzak version of "Take My Breath Away", I want to wring the collective necks of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Oh, they got the first part of the Prior Approval paperwork from Dr. Bean's office Friday, but the fax cut off so it needs to be sent again. Of course, they are the only people (psychics excepted) who actually KNEW that, because apparently it's not protocol to CALL the doctor when forms are incomplete. Chuckleheads.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My hip hurts
Really you'd think I'd have a lot more posts with that title. :)
I don't know what it is lately, but the pain in my left hip has shifted and intensified the past couple weeks. I still have stretches of time where I'm fine, but when I'm not I'm REALLY not, and end up wincing and limping around for awhile. Heat definitely helps, though I gave myself a nice high-thigh steam burn with my beloved therabelt the other day - perhaps a bit too ambitious with the microwaving! It's weird, though, when I can get my hip to really relax, I feel it all the way up to my neck - similar to how when I walk I can often feel/hear a clicking at the base of my skull in time with my left leg's movements. Freaky!
I had a really good adjustment with Dr. Hoo yesterday, though, and feel like I've reached a new level of understanding with/of my spine (dear god that sounds new-agey!) - it's interesting how the process makes you so hyperaware of your body, similar to (though surely not as constricting as) an MRI. Hoo forewent the psoas adjustment(s) yesterday because she was "finding some new tension" - I suspect the combined result of my semi-murderous rage towards a coworker and my ever-increasing awareness of the impending reality of surgery. I really was pretty fine with it for the first 4 months or so, but for some reason it's been hitting me hard lately - probably because I need to start the funtimes insurance dance on the matter and get my pre-op stuff set up with Annette, Dr. Kim's very kind scheduler.
I saw Janice, my nutritionist, for probably the last time yesterday - she was blown away by my cholesterol results and we talked goal weight for surgery, all the good stuff I can eat to get my blood good and strong pre-op and the good stuff I can eat post-op to get my bone and tissue healing and my body back on track. And we talked about poop - you'd be surprised how much I talk to relative strangers about poop these days. We also talked meal plans, both in the hospital and at my folks house when I get out - a piece that's a little scary for me since every time I go home I dig through their kitchen and wonder "What the hell do you EAT?!" I'm going to get grocery lists and meal plans together for my mama to (hopefully) follow and start cooking extra soups and such to freeze for when I finally do make it back to my apartment... not that I feel I'll be strongly moved to eat soup in July, but what can you do?!
Oh yeah, and Hoo thinks I might heal my infirmity with yoga. She's really not too keen on the surgical option. So next week I'm going to try to see the massage therapist she recommended, who can also advise me on poses that are (and aren't) good for me. My master plan is to have a mini-spa day for myself Monday, going to the pool in the morning, then up to Burlington to see the masseuse, the finally to Hoo for an adjustment. Ah, I can't wait for break!
My mom's also floated the idea of a "dry run" to Boston next Friday, I guess to see if she can navigate the city and to assess her rooming options while I'm in hospital. I am frankly terrified to be in car driven by her in or even near Boston, but hopefully she'll assent to maybe going the T route for this first outing. Which of course would necessitate a goodly bit of walking, so... we shall see. I doubt she'll want to come drool with me over the new Shepard Fairey exhibit in town. :)
I don't know what it is lately, but the pain in my left hip has shifted and intensified the past couple weeks. I still have stretches of time where I'm fine, but when I'm not I'm REALLY not, and end up wincing and limping around for awhile. Heat definitely helps, though I gave myself a nice high-thigh steam burn with my beloved therabelt the other day - perhaps a bit too ambitious with the microwaving! It's weird, though, when I can get my hip to really relax, I feel it all the way up to my neck - similar to how when I walk I can often feel/hear a clicking at the base of my skull in time with my left leg's movements. Freaky!
I had a really good adjustment with Dr. Hoo yesterday, though, and feel like I've reached a new level of understanding with/of my spine (dear god that sounds new-agey!) - it's interesting how the process makes you so hyperaware of your body, similar to (though surely not as constricting as) an MRI. Hoo forewent the psoas adjustment(s) yesterday because she was "finding some new tension" - I suspect the combined result of my semi-murderous rage towards a coworker and my ever-increasing awareness of the impending reality of surgery. I really was pretty fine with it for the first 4 months or so, but for some reason it's been hitting me hard lately - probably because I need to start the funtimes insurance dance on the matter and get my pre-op stuff set up with Annette, Dr. Kim's very kind scheduler.
I saw Janice, my nutritionist, for probably the last time yesterday - she was blown away by my cholesterol results and we talked goal weight for surgery, all the good stuff I can eat to get my blood good and strong pre-op and the good stuff I can eat post-op to get my bone and tissue healing and my body back on track. And we talked about poop - you'd be surprised how much I talk to relative strangers about poop these days. We also talked meal plans, both in the hospital and at my folks house when I get out - a piece that's a little scary for me since every time I go home I dig through their kitchen and wonder "What the hell do you EAT?!" I'm going to get grocery lists and meal plans together for my mama to (hopefully) follow and start cooking extra soups and such to freeze for when I finally do make it back to my apartment... not that I feel I'll be strongly moved to eat soup in July, but what can you do?!
Oh yeah, and Hoo thinks I might heal my infirmity with yoga. She's really not too keen on the surgical option. So next week I'm going to try to see the massage therapist she recommended, who can also advise me on poses that are (and aren't) good for me. My master plan is to have a mini-spa day for myself Monday, going to the pool in the morning, then up to Burlington to see the masseuse, the finally to Hoo for an adjustment. Ah, I can't wait for break!
My mom's also floated the idea of a "dry run" to Boston next Friday, I guess to see if she can navigate the city and to assess her rooming options while I'm in hospital. I am frankly terrified to be in car driven by her in or even near Boston, but hopefully she'll assent to maybe going the T route for this first outing. Which of course would necessitate a goodly bit of walking, so... we shall see. I doubt she'll want to come drool with me over the new Shepard Fairey exhibit in town. :)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Some funny things have occurred to me lately...
Like I don't like hospitals. Poor John's stuck in Fletcher Allen right now thanks to his psychotic cat, and I entertained the notion of visiting him for about .3 seconds before getting that ooky feeling in my stomach hospitals always give me. Then it took about another .3 seconds for me to realize that in 4 months time (less a day!) I'll be living in one for probably a week. Hm... perhaps a fear I should address sooner rather than later!
A woman I'd just met asked me recently how I knew there was something wrong with my hips, and I had this weird cognitive dissonance for a minute. "Um... because they hurt like hell!" So funny how I've come to take the pain for granted - nobody'd asked me that before and I guess I thought it went without saying!
And because my brain works on anniversaries and countdowns, I have these odd moments lately of "Next year at this time..." as compared to "Last year at this time..." Last year at this time I was pretty much useless, drinking a lot of wine and generally being a sadsack. Not to mention being unable to walk down the hall when I got up from my desk and having no idea why. As such, it's rather edifying to think that next year at this time I'll be cured! Maybe. Hopefully. :) I've had to wait so long between diagnosis and surgery that it seems a real blessing to be able to number my crippled days at anything less than 365. These days it also seems like a blessing to be able to walk without a cane, make my own meals, and put on my own dang pants - things I fear I'm going to be longing for something fierce come this summer.
I missed my appointment with Dr. Hoo yesterday because the weather was iffy, but otherwise am feeling very well in the spine region. I've had three psoa adjustments on the left side and two on the right, and it's made quite the difference. For the first time (ever, I think) I've been able to crack the left side of my lower back, and my right side doesn't even need to crack anymore - amazing! My left shoulder has been steadily relaxing over time, and my neck and shoulders seem to be cricking and creaking their way back into place. What's really amazing (and one of the biggest benefits of NSA) is how now those crackings have a finite end - once I've done it a few times, that area's pretty much set, or can adjust itself, at least, without my conscious input. Incredible! My posture is better than ever, my pain is decreasing, my head is clear (well, as clear as one can hope for!) and my sleep is heavenly. Though I still have the weird dreams - last night being a long walk in a strange city with people walking much too fast for me. And I'd forgotten my shoes. :) Sometimes the symbols of the subconscious aren't THAT hard to riddle out!
I've started (compulsively) watching Deadwood, which has yielded yet another mantra for my dysplastic journey (along with Larry David's cane explanation "Fell in the toilet." hahaha) - this one from the wonderful dancing scene between Doc and Jewel. "I'm as nimble as a forest creature!" (In my mind the squirrel below is going "Eh!")
A woman I'd just met asked me recently how I knew there was something wrong with my hips, and I had this weird cognitive dissonance for a minute. "Um... because they hurt like hell!" So funny how I've come to take the pain for granted - nobody'd asked me that before and I guess I thought it went without saying!
And because my brain works on anniversaries and countdowns, I have these odd moments lately of "Next year at this time..." as compared to "Last year at this time..." Last year at this time I was pretty much useless, drinking a lot of wine and generally being a sadsack. Not to mention being unable to walk down the hall when I got up from my desk and having no idea why. As such, it's rather edifying to think that next year at this time I'll be cured! Maybe. Hopefully. :) I've had to wait so long between diagnosis and surgery that it seems a real blessing to be able to number my crippled days at anything less than 365. These days it also seems like a blessing to be able to walk without a cane, make my own meals, and put on my own dang pants - things I fear I'm going to be longing for something fierce come this summer.
I missed my appointment with Dr. Hoo yesterday because the weather was iffy, but otherwise am feeling very well in the spine region. I've had three psoa adjustments on the left side and two on the right, and it's made quite the difference. For the first time (ever, I think) I've been able to crack the left side of my lower back, and my right side doesn't even need to crack anymore - amazing! My left shoulder has been steadily relaxing over time, and my neck and shoulders seem to be cricking and creaking their way back into place. What's really amazing (and one of the biggest benefits of NSA) is how now those crackings have a finite end - once I've done it a few times, that area's pretty much set, or can adjust itself, at least, without my conscious input. Incredible! My posture is better than ever, my pain is decreasing, my head is clear (well, as clear as one can hope for!) and my sleep is heavenly. Though I still have the weird dreams - last night being a long walk in a strange city with people walking much too fast for me. And I'd forgotten my shoes. :) Sometimes the symbols of the subconscious aren't THAT hard to riddle out!
I've started (compulsively) watching Deadwood, which has yielded yet another mantra for my dysplastic journey (along with Larry David's cane explanation "Fell in the toilet." hahaha) - this one from the wonderful dancing scene between Doc and Jewel. "I'm as nimble as a forest creature!" (In my mind the squirrel below is going "Eh!")
Monday, February 2, 2009
I have spine homework
You know, it's a good thing I have so much practice being self-centered. :)
Dr. Hoo has charged me with not trying to crack my wonky shoulder/upper back and it is REALLY HARD! She pointed out Thursday that all my twisting and stretching efforts in the area for the past 2 months have come to naught - in fact, the energy I'm trying to put into the stuck vertebra is just being absorbed (unhappily) by the vertebrae on either side of it. So I haven't cracked my shoulders in nearly 4 days, and am basically feeling immobile across the top of my back. It's weird.
Thankfully my beloved therabelt straps handily around my shoulder as well, so I can keep heat on it while (theoretically) relaxing. And relaxing my shoulder makes me realize how much of my day I'd been spending trying to pop it back in place, sometimes just by taking an extra deep breath. So I'm not taking any extra deep breaths, which is also weird. But hopefully will result in some happy resolution to the shoulder issue when I head to the Rushfords tomorrow. Dr. Hoo was also kind enough to give me a $10 off coupon for a therapeutic masseuse (and former chemist!) she recommends, though I've yet to make an appointment there. Frankly, at this point I feel like I'm bleeding cash out my spine, happy and well-adjusted though it may well be! I think, though, that I'm going to make one major investment this month, in a "Clear Day" with the Rushfords - a day in which you receive three adjustments, with yoga, meditation, inspiration and mandala art therapy (seriously) in between. Dr. Hoo really feels it might be a breakthrough day for me in the spots where I've been teetering on clear for the past few weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm also starting to look in earnest for secondhand Millennial Crutches (they're all the rage in the dysplastic set, dontchaknow!) so I can get a couple months of practicing in before becoming actually crutchbound. January pretty much completely passed me by, so I'm a little surprised to find myself halfway through the school year and just 4 months away from surgery. Yipes!
Dr. Hoo has charged me with not trying to crack my wonky shoulder/upper back and it is REALLY HARD! She pointed out Thursday that all my twisting and stretching efforts in the area for the past 2 months have come to naught - in fact, the energy I'm trying to put into the stuck vertebra is just being absorbed (unhappily) by the vertebrae on either side of it. So I haven't cracked my shoulders in nearly 4 days, and am basically feeling immobile across the top of my back. It's weird.
Thankfully my beloved therabelt straps handily around my shoulder as well, so I can keep heat on it while (theoretically) relaxing. And relaxing my shoulder makes me realize how much of my day I'd been spending trying to pop it back in place, sometimes just by taking an extra deep breath. So I'm not taking any extra deep breaths, which is also weird. But hopefully will result in some happy resolution to the shoulder issue when I head to the Rushfords tomorrow. Dr. Hoo was also kind enough to give me a $10 off coupon for a therapeutic masseuse (and former chemist!) she recommends, though I've yet to make an appointment there. Frankly, at this point I feel like I'm bleeding cash out my spine, happy and well-adjusted though it may well be! I think, though, that I'm going to make one major investment this month, in a "Clear Day" with the Rushfords - a day in which you receive three adjustments, with yoga, meditation, inspiration and mandala art therapy (seriously) in between. Dr. Hoo really feels it might be a breakthrough day for me in the spots where I've been teetering on clear for the past few weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm also starting to look in earnest for secondhand Millennial Crutches (they're all the rage in the dysplastic set, dontchaknow!) so I can get a couple months of practicing in before becoming actually crutchbound. January pretty much completely passed me by, so I'm a little surprised to find myself halfway through the school year and just 4 months away from surgery. Yipes!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Referred Relief
Oooh who wants to learn more hip vocab?! It scares me a little how much of this stuff I've picked up over the last few months, but, you know, the more you know! (dum dum dum DAAAH!) My work with Susan, the Wonder PT, got me familiar with the tensor fasciae and illiotibial tract (aka IT Band, which I believe I've bitched about here before!) because that's where we focused a lot of my ultrasound massage and Kinesio taping. Sorting that got me to strengthening my gluteous minimus, which was in pretty rough shape, having been banged around for months in my wonky joint. Still definitely not as strong as I'd like, but I'm getting there, and have now moved on to the illiopsoas - woohoo!
Dr. Hoo started paying attention to my psoas last week when she asked me to tilt my forehead down a bit while I was laying on my stomach and I immediately had searing lower back pain. She had me lie on my back and pressed the heel of her hand against my hip bone while having me lift the opposite leg and try to hold it up against pressure from her other hand. "Your left side is much weaker," she declared (stop the presses, William Randolph Hearst!) and told me she'd need to "take a contact" (NSA terminology for poking me in some manner) halfway between my belly button and hip bone. Thankfully I've become fairly unconcerned about medical professionals fiddling in my pelvic region, so it wasn't too uncomfortable, though it was certainly a bizarre sensation.
As you can see from this nifty cross-section diagram, the psoas essentially connect the base of your spine to your legs, wrapping around and running down the inside of the thigh. And they hurt me all the time! THIS is the answer to my question to Dr. Kim ("What exactly is hurting?") that he didn't know how to answer. After my first psoas adjustment last week, I had a lot of soreness on the outside of my leg and in my left bum, which is unusual for me. It did seem to work out some of the pain of the inside of the joint, though, and I felt a bit more stable, though I had a few choice moments of losing joint function altogether, which is NOT unusual, lucky me! After yesterday's adjustment I definitely had weird pangs and stretching, but not the soreness of the last time, and am feeling like my leg is twisting (or UNtwisting, I suppose) from top to bottom. Which is a weird sensation. :) Good, though, and I think getting better today. And instead of referred pain in my knee (always a strange concept, because medically my knee isn't hurting me, but actually it is) I now have referred relief!
In other news, I have a limp. This may not be a surprise to you, but it is to me more often than you might think. A few weeks back I was having a bad (hip) day and felt like I was just taking it a bit slow and measured when I walked into Royal Orchid and the matriarch immediately asked "What happened to your leg?!" I was crestfallen - here I thought I'd been keeping it such a good secret! haha I had a moment yesterday walking (pretty normally, I thought) down the hall at school when I caught my reflection ahead of me and saw what any Joe on the street would - someone obviously favoring their left side. Curses! It's funny how something like this affects your self-consiousness, though - for a long time I've been of the opinion that people think of you whatever they want, regardless, so you might as well be true to yourself and see who can really hang with that, but this whole hip business catapults that theory into the stratosphere. Yes, I have to turn my body fully perpendicular to the car like an old woman in order to get out; yes, I'm 29 and take the elevator up 1 floor to the chiropractor; YES I LIMP HOW DARE YOU JUDGE ME?! hahaha Also very helpful in checking my own assumptions about other people, I tell you what!
It's a beautiful snowy day in Vermont and I'm sad not to be able to run around in it frolicking like in years past, but I've been pretty crafty around the house in my infirmity and haven't gone stir-crazy at all yet, which is nice. We'll see how I'm doing come March. :)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
HEEEAAADDD, shoulders, hips and sacrum,
HIPS AND SACRUM!
hahaha Oh man, it's a good thing I have such a deep appreciation for the absurd, else I surely would have lost my mind long ago.
Well! It's been just ages since I've posted here, though I suppose nothing particularly noteworthy has occurred in my pelvic region in that time, for better or worse. Yesterday was my first time in the pool in 2 weeks, because of all the holiday madness, and I was a little nervous, but did smashingly. I've had 3 or 4 adjustments in the interim and can really feel the difference in my shoulders when I do upperbody stuff. Did I mention I'm getting jacked? :)
I also realized recently that I regularly use "jacked" in 2 completely different ways - to mean both getting stronger (see above) and hurting (as in "I totally jacked my back") - but at this point I guess that's the least of my worries!
Anyway, so for probably the last month or so I've been compelled to stretch all the time, especially when I go to bed at night - a common effect, I gather, of NSA. I never thought much before about the relationship between my shoulders and my hips, but I'm more and more aware of it these days, in no small part because my left shoulder is, well, jacked! Yeah, and I apparently had no idea how badly. Dr. Hoo keeps telling me to be patient with it but it's been WEEKS now and it's still not quite right. I've made some incredible progress, though, not the least of which is movement in parts of my back I didn't know actually could move, and I'm very thankful for it.
And aside from too much uninterrupted standing on New Years Eve, ol' leftie's been doing pretty well lately, and I didn't come out of the pool yesterday shaking like I did after my last break from it (though admittedly that was way back in weak old July!). Turning over to 2009 has gotten me all the more amped up in my surgery prep/countdown (which is nearly to 5 months now, for those keeping track) and, though sadly Sandy Claus did not bring me Millennial Crutches this year, I did get a 120 gig iPod that should keep me nicely occupied during my infirmity. Oh, it's fantastic!
A happy new year to you all from me, a pig, and this drunken gnome-like fellow!
hahaha Oh man, it's a good thing I have such a deep appreciation for the absurd, else I surely would have lost my mind long ago.
Well! It's been just ages since I've posted here, though I suppose nothing particularly noteworthy has occurred in my pelvic region in that time, for better or worse. Yesterday was my first time in the pool in 2 weeks, because of all the holiday madness, and I was a little nervous, but did smashingly. I've had 3 or 4 adjustments in the interim and can really feel the difference in my shoulders when I do upperbody stuff. Did I mention I'm getting jacked? :)
I also realized recently that I regularly use "jacked" in 2 completely different ways - to mean both getting stronger (see above) and hurting (as in "I totally jacked my back") - but at this point I guess that's the least of my worries!
Anyway, so for probably the last month or so I've been compelled to stretch all the time, especially when I go to bed at night - a common effect, I gather, of NSA. I never thought much before about the relationship between my shoulders and my hips, but I'm more and more aware of it these days, in no small part because my left shoulder is, well, jacked! Yeah, and I apparently had no idea how badly. Dr. Hoo keeps telling me to be patient with it but it's been WEEKS now and it's still not quite right. I've made some incredible progress, though, not the least of which is movement in parts of my back I didn't know actually could move, and I'm very thankful for it.
And aside from too much uninterrupted standing on New Years Eve, ol' leftie's been doing pretty well lately, and I didn't come out of the pool yesterday shaking like I did after my last break from it (though admittedly that was way back in weak old July!). Turning over to 2009 has gotten me all the more amped up in my surgery prep/countdown (which is nearly to 5 months now, for those keeping track) and, though sadly Sandy Claus did not bring me Millennial Crutches this year, I did get a 120 gig iPod that should keep me nicely occupied during my infirmity. Oh, it's fantastic!
A happy new year to you all from me, a pig, and this drunken gnome-like fellow!
Friday, December 19, 2008
My pelvic sway
Sounds pretty sexy, eh?! But, um... it's not, really. Curses!
I had my reevaluation with the Rushfords Monday, and have moved consistently out of the red zone, exceeding our target goals in 2 out of 3 categories. Fantastico! I'm steadily working through stored stress and doing a good job of getting rid of new stress as it comes up, which is an especially amazing feat this time of year. The more I work out some areas, the more aware I am of the places that are still stuck, among them my left shoulder blade, which I feel like I finally breathed into for the first time yesterday at my adjustment. Turns out my pelvic sway is still much the same as when I came in, which surely has some to do with the fact that, you know, my pelvis is... what's the least repellant word here? Malformed? haha Hot!
Though I don't hold out much hope that NSA will somehow magically make all my hip pains go away, it's certainly had an amazing impact, yesterday being a fine example - I came limping in all grumbly mumbly and Dr. Hoo did some leg maneuvering along with the usual spine and shoulder stuff. Definitely the first time a medical professional has ever rubbed my butt and said "Let's bring some breath here, please." But, hey, it works! So I brought my breath there (which I didn't even really know I could do) and it was great. On my last deep breath of the adjustment my eyes actually rolled back in my head, and immediately Dr. Hoo said "Did you feel that breath?!" And I did, all the way up into new and exciting realms of spinality. And it was pretty sweet. :)
I had my reevaluation with the Rushfords Monday, and have moved consistently out of the red zone, exceeding our target goals in 2 out of 3 categories. Fantastico! I'm steadily working through stored stress and doing a good job of getting rid of new stress as it comes up, which is an especially amazing feat this time of year. The more I work out some areas, the more aware I am of the places that are still stuck, among them my left shoulder blade, which I feel like I finally breathed into for the first time yesterday at my adjustment. Turns out my pelvic sway is still much the same as when I came in, which surely has some to do with the fact that, you know, my pelvis is... what's the least repellant word here? Malformed? haha Hot!
Though I don't hold out much hope that NSA will somehow magically make all my hip pains go away, it's certainly had an amazing impact, yesterday being a fine example - I came limping in all grumbly mumbly and Dr. Hoo did some leg maneuvering along with the usual spine and shoulder stuff. Definitely the first time a medical professional has ever rubbed my butt and said "Let's bring some breath here, please." But, hey, it works! So I brought my breath there (which I didn't even really know I could do) and it was great. On my last deep breath of the adjustment my eyes actually rolled back in my head, and immediately Dr. Hoo said "Did you feel that breath?!" And I did, all the way up into new and exciting realms of spinality. And it was pretty sweet. :)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thanks BJ :)
BJ has consistently been the funniest contributor to my library of hip-related humor. Sent me this the other day:
heh heh heh
I nearly - NEARLY! - went back on the cane yesterday, after spending too much time on my feet at the store Saturday (and sleeping 12 hours that night) but managed to muddle through. This near-zero weather isn't doing me any favors, though I believe Santy Claus will be bringing me a new cozy knee-length coat for Birthmas this year!
On the insurance front, suffice to say I am very irritated right now and things are still up in the air about my MRI bill. Hmph!
Last Thursday I went to a demo/"Life Talk" at the Rushfords and now I have spine envy. Dr. Hoo let us observe an adjustment on a woman who's been coming to them for years and it was pretty mindblowing to see how quickly her spine is able to modify ITSELF in response to the smallest targeted touch (sometimes nowhere near where the problem might be manifesting). It was great to finally be able to see the process from the outside perspective and understand what an active role I (slash my bodymind) can and should play in the adjustment. I'm taking charge of my spine dammit! haha Looking forward to tomorrow's adjustment, which I think is my second to last before I get reevaluated and, much as I love it, hopefully drop down to going just once/week - I don't think the stress of driving there all the time is helping me any!
And in other news, MY BIRTHDAY IS TWO WEEKS FROM WEDNESDAY!!! WOOHOO! :D
heh heh heh
I nearly - NEARLY! - went back on the cane yesterday, after spending too much time on my feet at the store Saturday (and sleeping 12 hours that night) but managed to muddle through. This near-zero weather isn't doing me any favors, though I believe Santy Claus will be bringing me a new cozy knee-length coat for Birthmas this year!
On the insurance front, suffice to say I am very irritated right now and things are still up in the air about my MRI bill. Hmph!
Last Thursday I went to a demo/"Life Talk" at the Rushfords and now I have spine envy. Dr. Hoo let us observe an adjustment on a woman who's been coming to them for years and it was pretty mindblowing to see how quickly her spine is able to modify ITSELF in response to the smallest targeted touch (sometimes nowhere near where the problem might be manifesting). It was great to finally be able to see the process from the outside perspective and understand what an active role I (slash my bodymind) can and should play in the adjustment. I'm taking charge of my spine dammit! haha Looking forward to tomorrow's adjustment, which I think is my second to last before I get reevaluated and, much as I love it, hopefully drop down to going just once/week - I don't think the stress of driving there all the time is helping me any!
And in other news, MY BIRTHDAY IS TWO WEEKS FROM WEDNESDAY!!! WOOHOO! :D
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Man, insurance is dumb.
So even Blue Cross doesn't know why I got billed $450 from Children's Hospital - the friendly customer service lady was like "Uhhh... I'm going to pass this on to our investigators...?" But it seems like it was just an error in processing, since I had approval for out-of-network service from Dr. Kim and an emergency approval (from the side of 89) for the MRI on the day of. Apparently the charge is for the reading of the MRI, which may well have been done by someone other than Dr. Kim, which may have resulted in the error. Now I wait. And just presume it's all a mistake, because I sure don't have $450 lying around!
Otherwise, though, insurance is most assuredly NOT dumb, as without it I would have paid probably $15,000 (yes, that's the right number of zeros!) out of pocket before even getting to surgery. Or, more to the point, have incurred $15,000+ of debt!
Waking up this morning I was reminded of an unforseen consequence of my continued NSA adjustments - lots of sleep and LOTS of long, bizarre, superinvolved dreams! I don't know quite why, though the sleep isn't really a surprise. For whatever reason, that's what happens when my legs tire out - I just nod off... for about 3 hours on average! The dreaming I'm sure the Rushfords would say is a result of the pathways along my spinal cord being unblocked (and whatnot), but whatever it is it's throwing my subconscious for quite the loop!
Otherwise, though, insurance is most assuredly NOT dumb, as without it I would have paid probably $15,000 (yes, that's the right number of zeros!) out of pocket before even getting to surgery. Or, more to the point, have incurred $15,000+ of debt!
Waking up this morning I was reminded of an unforseen consequence of my continued NSA adjustments - lots of sleep and LOTS of long, bizarre, superinvolved dreams! I don't know quite why, though the sleep isn't really a surprise. For whatever reason, that's what happens when my legs tire out - I just nod off... for about 3 hours on average! The dreaming I'm sure the Rushfords would say is a result of the pathways along my spinal cord being unblocked (and whatnot), but whatever it is it's throwing my subconscious for quite the loop!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Level 2 ACHIEVED!
Well, Thanksgiving was awesome, Celtics were AMAZING, and having Travis and BJ (and Nick and Kara) in town Saturday was just a joy. Overall, life has been pretty good, though I was limping something fierce by the time I got to the Rushfords last night. I can always tell how well I'm feeling by how long the hallway seems. :)
Being trapped in a car for as long as I was last week, I actually found I had plenty of time to focus on my spine, and all the important nerve messages it sends me to keep my alignment true. Dr. Hoo was pleasantly surprised to see how well I was able to maintain flexibility despite the added stress, and started working with me on some Level 2 spinal business. This involved me laying on my side while she lined my ailing vertebrae up all proper-like and had me hold it for a few breaths. Immediately upon sitting back up, my left hip pain was gone. Just... gone! Astounding!
I also experienced another one of these crazy deep healing breaths that went right up into the top of my spine and shoulder blades, realigning the whole mess back to center. It's the kind of breath I expect to see in tomorrow's "Life Talk" at the Rushfords - basically a demonstration for new patients of what's going on behind your back when you're laying there (a lot more butt-touching than you might think). I'm definitely looking forward to it - much as I've felt the effects of my adjustments pretty profoundly, I still have no idea how to explain it all to people. Lucky for me I have Ali around to say things like "Oh, I looove Level 2!" which makes me feel slightly less crazy. :D
Being trapped in a car for as long as I was last week, I actually found I had plenty of time to focus on my spine, and all the important nerve messages it sends me to keep my alignment true. Dr. Hoo was pleasantly surprised to see how well I was able to maintain flexibility despite the added stress, and started working with me on some Level 2 spinal business. This involved me laying on my side while she lined my ailing vertebrae up all proper-like and had me hold it for a few breaths. Immediately upon sitting back up, my left hip pain was gone. Just... gone! Astounding!
I also experienced another one of these crazy deep healing breaths that went right up into the top of my spine and shoulder blades, realigning the whole mess back to center. It's the kind of breath I expect to see in tomorrow's "Life Talk" at the Rushfords - basically a demonstration for new patients of what's going on behind your back when you're laying there (a lot more butt-touching than you might think). I'm definitely looking forward to it - much as I've felt the effects of my adjustments pretty profoundly, I still have no idea how to explain it all to people. Lucky for me I have Ali around to say things like "Oh, I looove Level 2!" which makes me feel slightly less crazy. :D
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Barry Franklin: "I feel like I've died and gone to America."
That about sums it up, yes? :D
In light of the New Day Dawning in America (And Whatnot) I'll keep this brief, though I felt an update was in order after I saw Tucker last night and he said "I'm glad you're okay - you hadn't blogged in a few days and I was worried." hahaha I am, in fact, quite a bit better than okay, following an excellent visit with Dr. Julietta (pronounced not with a J but with a "hoo") Rushford on Tuesday. I gave her the quick-and-dirty on my condition (it's always odd to explain it to someone who actually knows what I'm talking about!) and she said "But Marissa, the last time you were here you were wearing a cane, were you not?" :) Saturday was the last day I used my cane, nearly 5 weeks after I started on crutches - that's just about right in the 4-6 week range they'd given me when I started, but I can't discount the role NSA has played in my dramatically improved comfort level.
When I told Dr. Hoo about my surgery, she made the same face everybody makes when I tell them about it and said "Well. I want you to open yourself up to new possibilities. The body has an amazing capacity to heal itself - that's your mantra from now on!" To be honest I'm not quite to the mantra level of relaxation at ol' Rushford - more on the "Whoa! Who's touching my butt?!" level, with periods of patchy meditative focus. But there was a moment when she touched my lower back and I suddenly BREATHED in this huge deep breath, and felt like my whole face opened up. She said "Did you feel that breath, Marissa?! Breath is what the body uses to heal itself - it's something else for you to keep in mind." And I DID feel that breath! It was pretty crazy.
Yesterday I spent a goodly amount of time stretching and exploring my shockingly expanded range of motion - and this after only 3 adjustments! Tucker is convinced it's hypnosis, but if you consider that muscle tension is a matter of your brain being stuck sending the same signal over and over again, it really is a matter of redirecting the brain, or refocusing it long enough for the signal to reset, a form of hypnosis, I guess. Uhm... this is my entirely lay interpretation of what happens to me at the Voodoo Doctor. :) But it works, and that's good enough for me!
I'm walkin', yes indeed!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Leaving Caney City
Maybe I'll head on up ta Gun Barrel City! Man, you really don't want to mess with Texas! :)
Friday I decided to forego the cane for my Halloween extravaganza - it was a last-minute decision, but one I don't regret much a'tall. I wandered downtown Rutland for some time, and even DANCED (which was heavenly) and didn't really feel too horrible at all. Until the next morning! Saturday I spent mostly leaning heavily on the cane and lying on my parents' bed with a cat and an ice pack. Yesterday, though, I fore...went? the cane again and cleaned my disastrous apartment for several hours without any real trouble. HUZZAH!
A big part of the Rushfords' clinical... model, I guess, is that improved spinal function improves the body's ability to heal itself. A couple weeks ago if I overdid it on my hip it'd take DAYS (or weeks on crutches) for me to restabilize, but after resting up for most of the day Saturday I was pretty much good! It feels AWESOME to be on 2 legs again - I can't even tell you. And being in the pool Thursday just reinforced the wondrous benefits of my NSA experience - I keep having moments where I'm like "WHOA! I didn't know I could do that!" Like... putting my right hand completely over my head, for instance. Mmmmm life is good!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
What is Network Spinal Analysis?
C'est ca. Does that help? Probably not. :)
Following rave reviews from the future Mrs. Tothers (and a free referral from Mr.), I travelled yesterday to Rushford Family Chiropractic in Burlington. Let me tell you it's a little odd to walk past Army and Navy recruitment offices only to open the door to an aromatherapitized, serene-chant-filled center for connecting me with the life force that flows through me. Somehow this made me more nervous than any of my MANY other medical experiences (except the MRI!), but as soon as we got down to the task at hand I could see the benefit of it all.
After writing my name and medical history for approximately the 1 zillionth time, Dr. Matt and I discussed the stresses in my life, both physical and emotional, before he started the evaluation of my spinal function. He started at the top and had gotten about 3 seconds in before discovering two huge bands of stress along the righthand side of my neck and shoulder. He likened these to tree trunks of stored stress, dating the lower band from about 1996 and the upper from about 2002 - "I believe that's the ex-boyfriend band", I told him. :) 1996 was when I was 16, so between my dealings with my parents (and my own brain) and the losses we experienced that year, it makes sense I'd have some tension from then.
The other major area of concern was, not surprisingly, my lower back. Holding my shoulders in place and pushing on the area, he put my range of motion at about 10% of capacity. To be honest, I didn't even remember that part of my spine COULD move, which is kind of scary.
I would be hard-pressed to explain what the actual "adjustment" consisted of, not because it's complicated, but because it's so simple and effective it's mindblowing. You can pretty much throw the chiropractic crack-and-snap paradigm out the window - there's barely any touching involved at all! But somehow it resets the signal your brain's been stuck sending to a particular muscle and allows it to relax, sometimes for the first time in years! It took less than 15 minutes, and immediately when I sat up the right side of my neck and shoulder felt... well, FELT for the first time in I don't know how long. I had a really weird time driving home, because I felt like my head was on crooked! And, suddenly, when Dr. Matt held my shoulders in place and pressed on my lower back, my whole body moved! He estimated it at closer to 25% range of motion. Did I mention my mind was blown?!
The Rushfords have a handy Spinal Exam Results Chart that rates your Range of Motion, Tissue Stress, and Spinal Cord Tension from a soothing blue Wellness/Maintenance Care range to a fiery Critical Care Range. I redlined across the board. Dr. Matt's recommendation was that I make 3 visits/week and reevaluate at 12 visits. Since their office is a ways away and they're only open evenings twice/week, I booked twice weekly for the next few weeks. I don't know how I'm actually going to PAY for it, but it's definitely worth it. Not to be too melodramatic, but when I went to get some food after my appointment, I left my cane in the car - the first time I've walked out in the wide world without some manner of stick in over a month! :O
Tonight I go for my second session and, who knows, may be doing cartwheels come Friday morning! :)
Following rave reviews from the future Mrs. Tothers (and a free referral from Mr.), I travelled yesterday to Rushford Family Chiropractic in Burlington. Let me tell you it's a little odd to walk past Army and Navy recruitment offices only to open the door to an aromatherapitized, serene-chant-filled center for connecting me with the life force that flows through me. Somehow this made me more nervous than any of my MANY other medical experiences (except the MRI!), but as soon as we got down to the task at hand I could see the benefit of it all.
After writing my name and medical history for approximately the 1 zillionth time, Dr. Matt and I discussed the stresses in my life, both physical and emotional, before he started the evaluation of my spinal function. He started at the top and had gotten about 3 seconds in before discovering two huge bands of stress along the righthand side of my neck and shoulder. He likened these to tree trunks of stored stress, dating the lower band from about 1996 and the upper from about 2002 - "I believe that's the ex-boyfriend band", I told him. :) 1996 was when I was 16, so between my dealings with my parents (and my own brain) and the losses we experienced that year, it makes sense I'd have some tension from then.
The other major area of concern was, not surprisingly, my lower back. Holding my shoulders in place and pushing on the area, he put my range of motion at about 10% of capacity. To be honest, I didn't even remember that part of my spine COULD move, which is kind of scary.
I would be hard-pressed to explain what the actual "adjustment" consisted of, not because it's complicated, but because it's so simple and effective it's mindblowing. You can pretty much throw the chiropractic crack-and-snap paradigm out the window - there's barely any touching involved at all! But somehow it resets the signal your brain's been stuck sending to a particular muscle and allows it to relax, sometimes for the first time in years! It took less than 15 minutes, and immediately when I sat up the right side of my neck and shoulder felt... well, FELT for the first time in I don't know how long. I had a really weird time driving home, because I felt like my head was on crooked! And, suddenly, when Dr. Matt held my shoulders in place and pressed on my lower back, my whole body moved! He estimated it at closer to 25% range of motion. Did I mention my mind was blown?!
The Rushfords have a handy Spinal Exam Results Chart that rates your Range of Motion, Tissue Stress, and Spinal Cord Tension from a soothing blue Wellness/Maintenance Care range to a fiery Critical Care Range. I redlined across the board. Dr. Matt's recommendation was that I make 3 visits/week and reevaluate at 12 visits. Since their office is a ways away and they're only open evenings twice/week, I booked twice weekly for the next few weeks. I don't know how I'm actually going to PAY for it, but it's definitely worth it. Not to be too melodramatic, but when I went to get some food after my appointment, I left my cane in the car - the first time I've walked out in the wide world without some manner of stick in over a month! :O
Tonight I go for my second session and, who knows, may be doing cartwheels come Friday morning! :)
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