Gone In an Instant!

I have had a really great two days! Yesterday I took the boys to the park to meet up with some friends who are moving back to Columbia. Then Chet sent me off for a day to do whatever I needed/wanted to do. I ran a bunch of errands that are easier without kids in tow. One of them was a trip to Barnes and Noble to get new journals for the boys. I write journal entries for them every once in a while to describe what's happening (starting with the story of their birth). After a few other errands, I went to Panera, ordered some dinner, sat down to eat, put my earplugs in, read my Bible, read a couple chapters of Great Expectations, and then wrote in the boys' journals. Then I had to fit in some grocery shopping at the end of the day. So I pretty much ran around for about 5 hours of my time and was able to chill out for 3 hours. That three hours in the middle sure was awesome though!

Today I went to my second chiropractic appointment. Wednesday was my first visit, at which time they did some initial evaluation, x-rays, and hooked me up to an electrotherapy massage machine for a bit. Today I met with the doctor to review my x-rays, talk through my treatment plan, and have my first adjustment. I've been considering going to the chiropractor for years, but I didn't know enough about how to choose a good one and didn't feel like it was urgent enough to take the time. However, it just seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes by. My mid-back and neck constantly are letting me know they're there, and many times they just hurt. I also tend to have some pretty massive knots in my back and neck muscles that cause some issues. Generally, Chet can help me some by popping my back, but it's not usually enough to take care of it. And ever since I was pregnant with Gabe, my lower back has refused to pop the way it used to, which has led to a pretty intense build-up of pressure that never goes away and drives me crazy!

When I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago (further explanation of that visit is coming in the next post), he confirmed that I have some vertebrae out of place and marveled at the fact that I function with such large knots in my back. He suggested a chiropractor down the street from our home. That chiropractor isn't covered by our insurance, but I looked into it further, and there is a Christian chiropractor I've heard good things about who IS covered by my insurance. His office is also right down the street in another direction. I called on Monday, and they had me scheduled for Wednesday. GREAT! I went into the office and ended up knowing two of the staff. Even better.

The chiropractor reviewed my issues. My back is indeed a bit out of line. My neck is worse at this point. It doesn't have the natural curve it's supposed to, and it leans a bit to the right side. He talked me through the treatment plan and described how he plans to help me correct these issues. As it turns out, many of my other issues (exhaustion, thyroid issues, cycle irregularities) are directly connected to the nerves in the exact areas of my spine where I have the worst misalignment problems. The hope is that, if my spine is realigned, then many of these issues may be corrected... all without medication.

One of my major concerns is paying for these treatments. When I explained this to the doctor, he helped me figure out how I can do as much of it at home as possible and only come to him for the adjustments. I basically have to do some neck stretching and 20 minutes of pilates every day. Then the office manager worked things out with the doctor so that things will be VERY reasonable and totally within our means. What a blessing!

Anyway, he did the first adjustment and popped my mid-back into place. Then I flipped on my side, he twisted me up in a knot, and used his body weight to crunch me down a bit. In an instant, all that pressure in my lower back that's been there for 2 years was GONE! Then he did the other side. I literally exclaimed, "That's what I've been waiting for for two years!" At the end, I flipped onto my back, and he popped my neck into place. I walked away feeling AMAZING!

There has been a bit of tenderness along my spine throughout the evening, but it's that kind of feeling that lets me know things are good (kind of like sore muscles after a really great workout, which is something I experienced earlier in the week after I ran a pretty good distance in the rain). I've also had that after-massage feeling all evening. If you've ever had a good massage, you know what I mean--it produces just a different feeling in your head and behind your eyes. In total, I'll have approximately 20-22 adjustments between now and mid-September. I'm excited to see how things pan out over the next couple of months.

After the chiropractor, I came back and got ready for a lingerie shower for a friend. Those are always super-fun! It's been a busy but fun week! I'm SO THANKFUL that Chet made it a point to let me take some time to myself yesterday and that he's been so great about keeping the boys while I do things like go to the chiropractor and do other things! Beginning with my refreshing run in the rain, jam-packed with working on a bunch of projects, and ending with an evening of girl fun, this week has been really nice.

As I mentioned above, the next post will be a more detailed description of my other recent doctor appointment.