Saturday, January 21, 2017

Maybe It Happened When I Jumped Out of The Tree...

Happy Saturday from the rancho.

Wet week here in central California.  We are getting the rain we need at a slow and steady rate.  Love it!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was having some problems with my sciatic nerve. Several people told me that a chiropractor might be able to help.

Soooooo....went to a chiropractor to see how my bones were doing.  First thing she did was have me stand and lift each of my knees...hmmm, why isn't the left side of my pelvis moving?  Don't know. She had me do some stretching, she didn't think that it was a ruptured disc.  So far, so good.  Off to x-rays.

Good news...no ruptured disc.  Bad news, missing a disc.  It appears that the last vertebra (L5) of my spine has fused to the top of my tailbone.  Good news, I can stretch the ligaments to create a straighter spine.  Bad news, this is gonna take a few months. LOL

Good news, no nerve damage, they look great.  Bad news, I have arthritis in both hips, with a calcification the size of a lemon on one side.  Sigh.  I have less than the usual 45 degree angle at every curve in my spine.  It will take three appointments a week for two weeks to try and get the movement back and the curves into the normal range.  But, I am a good candidate for chiropractic care.  We'll see.  I have so many things I still want to do, I don't want my body to break down now.

She was extremely careful to explain each and every x-ray and the treatment she would like to provide. After my adjustment, she called me at home at 8:30 pm to check that I was okay.  She said that if I was in more pain than usual, please call and she would come into the office and do a quick adjustment this weekend.  Wow.  So far, I'm very impressed with her bedside manner.  LOL

I asked how I could have missed a ruptured disc.  She said that based on the amount of fusion, this could have happened when I was very young, or is cumulative from 40 years of working in food service on cement floors.  She asked if I had been in an accident or taken a fall in my childhood.

Well, let's see...maybe it happened when I jumped out of tree when I was about 6 years old.  Of course, I had a pillow case in hand, and of course, it was going to open like a parachute and of course, I would float to the ground.  It was a long 15 feet to the ground and NO, the pillow case did not open. LOL  Blame it on my youth and too many cartoons...

Or, it could have been when my cousins and I turned a 10 feet water tank on it's side and used it like a log to roll back and forth across the field.  I think I lasted about 5 minutes before I fell off.  I hit the ground hard enough to knock the air out of me.  LOL

Either way, she and the MD she consulted with, are more worried about the arthritis.  I'm good with that.

On to some pictures.  DH and I went to an outlet mall to pick up some stuff for him (not a yarn shop within 15 miles, LOL)  And, what did I find?  Another cow for the cow parade!  Here she is, the Moo-Monarch Cow... Our area is a known stopping place for Monarch butterflies on their annual migration. Isn't she pretty?



I'm still working on the companion piece for my little bird.


Feels good to be doing some cross stitch.

I'm off like a herd of turtles.  Lots to do before my nap.  LOL  Have a wonderful weekend and be kind to one another.

16 comments:

  1. Oh yikes! Your back! Sounds...not so great. The chiropractor sounds great though. Good for you. I had a very bad experience with a chiropractor years ago. That cow is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, it's not even my back that hurts! LOL I've lived with a bit of hip pain for many years. Never thought much about it...it wasn't until the pain went all the way down to my knee that I decided I was done!

      Delete
  2. Ouch, that sounds painful. Good luck. Back problems are no fun and often take a long time to heal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm doing what I am told. LOL And the best part, when I am laying on the floor stretching my spine, I can nap at the same time. Win-Win! LOL

      Delete
    2. Love your stitching, too by the way. :)

      Delete
  3. Oh my goodness sweet friend. I am glad it's something they can fix. I have you in my prayers that soon you will be like new. I am going with the jumping out of the tree thing. :) Oh I love that cow. So love butterflies! I hope you get to feeling better very soon sweet friend. ((hugs)) and blessings, too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel better just knowing that it is not in my mind! LOL I've been so blessed to not have the horrible back pain that I see some people suffer with...I definitely don't want to be in that group.

      Delete
  4. Getting old is NOT for sissies!
    Sounds like you found an excellent chiropractor! I hope it helps.
    Oh, I laughed at you jumping out of a tree with your pillowcase. The innocence of youth.
    Beautiful cross stitch. I hope to pick up a needle one of these days. I just hate putting down the rug hook!
    Hugs :)
    Lauren

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think about all the things I did as a child...we had a wild and adventurous raising! We raced go-carts around our house, swam in a river without supervision, chased cows in an open field, climbed haystacks...I'm sure that in today's world, someone would have turned us into CPS. LOL But what memories...thank you to my dad for loving us enough to let us be kids. Smile.

      Delete
    2. Playing in the creek. Swimming in the pond with no supervision of course. Riding in the open bed of a pick up truck. Playing with mercury :)

      Delete
  5. Oh, my! Well, at least you have found out what is wrong and getting treatments so that is good. My aunt didn't have arthritis, but her back was worse and she had rods put in several years ago. I'm glad to hear yours doesn't require such drastic measures!!!

    And to find a doctor that makes phone calls?! Amazing!

    I love the monarch cow. If you see any monarch butterflies migrating this year, you should take some pics for us.

    We occasionally see monarch butterflies, but not many. I like the blue and black ones :)

    Some cross stitch?! Looks like a nice, soothing project :) A good break to keep your mind off of that yarn shop! Lol

    Have a great week! I hope your therapy sessions go well!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't that cow such a cutie? I've been to the monarch resting area in Pismo Beach once. It is so amazing to see hundreds of thousands of butterflies, hanging from the trees. Beautiful.

      I'm still working on the baby blanket. It must be done by the end of January, but I don't like this yarn. Much thinner than I usually crochet with and I am holding it too tight to compensate. Makes my hands tired. I will know better next time. lOL

      Delete
  6. Wow, I get nervous hearing anything to do with the spine. Thankfully, your arthritis is the worst of it and as one of my grandmothers used to say that might make you miserable but it won't kill ya. You seem to have found a reliable and attentive doctor to help get you straightened (LOL) out. Good luck with it all. That little bird is sweet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is nice to get back to some stitching. SMILE It sure is faster that knitting with sport yarn. LOL

      Delete
  7. I hope the pain in your back is not as bad as it used to be when you wrote about it the first time. But it seems that you are in good hands and I hope that the chiropractor can help you.
    Nice to see you stitching again. That little bird looks so lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm feeling much better. My husband commented yesterday that I walk just like my aunt and my dad...yes, that would be because I have the same body style and we all have hip problems. LOL

      Delete