What a difference a week makes :)

Just to let you know I AM still alive and slightly kicking after my "heart" episode which on some further investigation has uncovered a non-life threatening but progressive pain in the anatomy none the less.  I worked the previous Monday night without incident though with my back still aching from the weekend/week before.  By Wednesday (which I thought was Tuesday, due to sleeping a good amount after Monday's night shift, and duh) I had a pain in the chest again, took asprin and breathed through it and decided to make an appointment at the chiropractor to sort my back which was not improving.  I have to say, this experience could not have been more different to the last torture chamber episode (written up in earlier post during the year) although I was a touch apprehensive at the start of the procedure.  I had to get down to nickers and don one of those gorgeous gowns all things medical seem to have a preponderance of.  (Knickers were on the right way this time so off to  a good start, lol).  A young bloke  (slightly older than Doogie Howser as most people are these days, lol) appeared and started by introducing himself with a firm handshake (scored points right there!!) and then proceeded to get me to answer a range of questions about various parts of anatomy and their workings.  He asked if I had had many falls - yes I said, from horses as a child, and lots of trips and falls over the past few years which I put down to clumsiness and multi-lens glasses.  He then asked if I had ever had a car accident - I haven't I said (he was most surprised at that) and then got me stand in front of a mirror facing him while I had to do some balancing tricks with my eyes shut, before turning me to face the mirror while he explained how out of wack (my words, not his medical term, lol) my spine was.  He said my pelvis was twisted (like the Brunhilda of my last experience had told me)  and my left leg was about 2" different to my right which was throwing my whole posture out, most likely causing pinching of nerves.  Good oh.  He got me to get on the purpose built table in the office and placed a pad of something under my right knee and something under my left lower thigh and left me like that for a few mins before using the staple gun thing a couple of times on my upper spine.  In the short space of time it all took, my pelvis had straightened somewhat and I was sent off to get xrays of my spine and a further appointment booked the next morning. 

I hied myself off to St John of God hospital and within about 10 mins was once again getting into another hospital gown before being led into the xray room where the woman asked if it was possible I was pregnant (before she took my xrays).  Bless, after laughing out loud and thanking her for the compliment I had to stand still, breath out, breath in and snap after snap was taken.  Front, back and side views all loaded onto a CD which when I was dressed again, I took back to the chiropractor so he could read them before the next morning's appointment.  It was around 11.30am and I had had nothing to eat at that point since about 10pm the previous night so decided to head to the Geraldton Regional Hospital to get my fasting blood test done but damn, the fates were against me.  After circling all the car parks twice and starting to feel light headed with hunger I gave it a miss and delivered the CD instead, before heading home for some sustenance. 

The short version is basically my spine is in poor shape.  The chiropractor has seen worse but it would seem time is of the essence.  I have mild spondylotic changes in the lumbar, thoracic and cervical vertebrae (curvature of the spine).  He drew a line on my xrays  where my spine should be, and I could definitely see the curve well below the line.  The front on view of my spine looked a little zig-zagged to my eye, and the tilt of my pelvis was again obvious to the untrained eye.  It would seem I have degenerative disc disease, mild osteoarthritic changes in both hip joints, and shading on my spine in several places would indicate arthritis happening in neck, middle and lumbar regions of my spine - who knew!!  So, after all this, because of my tilt and right leg compensating for the left leg, he could pretty much put all my symptoms of the previous Sunday (my imagined heart attack/angina all down to skeletal issues.  The plan is to have two sessions a week for four weeks which hopefully will put me in better shape and then a review.  The first two sessions did not make much of a difference to the by now chronic back ache but am feeling much better after yesterdays session.  Rather than the brutal crack, thump and wallop mode that I previously experienced, this practice follows a much more holistic and gentle approach by letting the body right itself as much as possible.  I am also on light duties at work for the next two weeks and he suggested mowing the lawns on my hill was probably not the wisest as I am trying to get spine functioning how it should.  So for the first time I am pleased that my back has given me enough gyp to see someone about it instead of taking pain killers until it went away.  I would never have had an xray to say the least or thought that I was so out of wack except once again, it was obvious when I was stood in front of the mirror with my shoulders on a complete tilt.  When the chiro told me that this was all part of the aging process for me now my response was, that I had had a good time getting to this place, lol and forewarned is now forearmed.  Thoughts of do I want a long time or a good time sprang to mind but I think with some minor changes I can do both, heh heh.  I had my first night back at work after a day off on Sunday and managed ok.  I had babies changed and delivered to me to feed, then picked up from me and put to bed, was able to sweep the floors but did not have to mop, and did folding and surface cleaning that did not involve bending or lifting and felt good at the end of the shift this morning so will see how we go.

Because of my confusedness with the Tues/Wed timing, I missed going to Rotary last week and did not go this week because of my shifts at work but have received an invitation to join so will organise having a coffee with the membership director later in the week.  I had a chuckle because the person who invited me along referred me to the chiropractor I am now going to, and would you know it, another woman from Rotary is one of the receptionists there. The small world of Geraldton!  

Last Sunday  one of the women from work came over for a scrap booking day which was fun.  She has done heaps and I have lots of resources, have just needed the prompts to get going.  It was a perfect day, nice and sunny even if blowing a southerly wind most of the day and we sat in the sun room overlooking 180o of the Indian Ocean whilst working at our respective projects.  I have No 1 grandson's 2nd birthday just about sorted, lol. 

I had a laugh earlier when reading niece Laura's blog,  http://www.hungryandfrozen.com  describing costumes various members of the family wore to a dress up 21st last weekend midst her food blog.  I had a moment when reading that her mother went as the ugly sister when the thought - she needed a costume for that, flashed through my mind lol.  It was a fleeting thought and a comment I am sure Kay would appreciate with the wit in which it is said, heh heh - ahhh the days of sibling rivalry that make such good stories now at family gatherings. 

Have just looked at the time and I need to get some sleep before tonight's shift so will stop and hope to finish this off at work early next morning.

Later:
Have just fed one of the babies and he is back in bed, all the chores are done except some school lunches so have snuck on here while we have a movie on the telly to pass the time away before the next baby awakes. Its 4am and have to say I am feeling a tad weary. I am thinking of having something to eat or maybe a coffee and that should ping me awake again. I weighed in earlier tonight and have officially lost 7.2k woohoo which is timely re my back, so all good.  I need to move before I doze off so will post this now. Looking forward to another warm day today, it was 36o yesterday and too hot to walk outside in bare feet.