Smell the roses..or any other flowers

Good morning. I just looked at my last entry and thought...heavens, who wants to look at someone's backside? How about something beautiful. I adore flowers. I love their individuality, fragility, colors and the way they are just there...in a garden or out in a field. It is hard to convince myself that they are so beautiful only for bees to be attracted to them...it is hard to think that they are not so endearing for the sole purpose of making me happy. How ego centered is that?

I am forever thankful that I am an artist and the visual world means so much to me. I can be stunned by a butterfly on a bush, textures of leaves on trees and shrubs...I can be so happy in my own head. I am always working on art. It 's not all good. I teach art too and tell my students that for every thing one keeps there are lots of things that get thrown away. But it's the process that can be so intoxicating. Look around I tell the kids. Beauty is right in front of you!

New Learning.

Well, I do love new learning. Now I am focused on learning as much as I can about my SI joint. I now have  a rolling gait when I walk (much like a drunken pirate in some old movie) . My right outside calf hurts a lot too and I can't put the lidoderm patch on it unless I am wearing long pants. Hmm...and it is still summer. I think the patch would just fall off without pants to press it to my skin. Maybe I'll use duct tape!

   So, I thought I have done no exercises this year as one doctor told me it would hurt my aches and pains more. I fear that I look at bit more like this gentleman on the table than necessary.

I looked up some exercises for the SI joint and found this.

I also found this one! Check out the exercise at the bottom. What the heck is that? Who can do that? I am sure no one in the world. But today I may try some of the less daunting exercises. Cross your fingers that I don't get trapped in some terrible position never to be unbent.

SI joint

So, what is an SI joint? The Si joint is the joint in the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis which are joined by strong ligaments. The sacrum supports the spine and is supported by the ilium on each side. The joint is a strong weight bearing joint that produces interlocking of the 2 bones.

 The Dr. proposed that I get an SI injection . The injection would go into the joint and would be diagnostic as well as possible curative. It would show what was going on in that area to the Dr. and she would inject a steroid which might decrease any inflammation thereby stopping pain. STOPPING PAIN! I could not quite fathom that . I signed up immediately and will return in 2 weeks for the injection. There is hope ...of course not  that I would ever do that gymnastic postion above but that I could be pain and drug free.

Hope Springs Eternal

 Well, I am back from a week vacation. I headed north and while I was away I made an appointment at a small hospital in a college town surrounded by gorgeous mountains , blue skies and puffy clouds. I left the busy city Doctors and met with a pain specialist at this hospital. My cousin went with me. I have no sisters and she is the closest in my heart to one. The nurse complimented us on looking related. I was thrilled.

My goal was to get a second opinion about my pain, what meds could I be taking? My hope was perhaps there were better combinations than what I was doing now. And a discusssion of what the future would hold. The intake exam was the most thorough I had ever had. I was asked to walk straight lines and balence on one leg.

She asked " when I put on my sock standing on one leg, did it hurt?" I was bewildered.She was a young thing and probabaly looked like the young lady  above picture. I , on the other hand was sure that I would look like this poor charcter on the floor  if I tried to put a sock on standing up.I do not think I have put on my socks standing up for 10 years, pain or no pain. But I digress.

" I see that you have an annular tear" She said. "But I dont' think that is causing your pain. I think it is in your SI joint. "

"What every is that ?" my cousin and I asked?

Ah, a new day!

I know that for some of you (and myself) waking up in the morning can be a startling experience. This may be because you have somehow twisted yourself in the night and a new an unbefore recognized area of your back is now in pain. What does one do? I suggest getting out of bed as carefully as possible.

For me, I need coffee and some pills to get the day into perspective. I try to do one exercise and that is to stand straight. I am not a man, but I liked this picture. It shows embracing the day. There are many professions that you may have. Hopefully it is not like this one above. Nice painting by Millet though.

If you go into an office , when you get there you could stretch a bit before sitting into your chair. If you try this one though you are insane and will end up in the emergency room for sure. Remember that your back in your achilles heel and you want to pamper it.

Go slow, make up a mantra . " My spine is devine" (even if that is not quite true) You are not a spineless urchin. You have things to do, life to live...go to it.

Things one can do!

  When my back hurts I try to think of things I can do that do not involve my bending my back in any way. Hopping, skipping , jumping, leap frog, trampoline use and gymnastics are a few out of bounds activities. But there are many one can do with great success.

A guardian angel

  What one needs when one has medical issues is really one doctor who is rooting for you. I guess that Dr. could be your orthopaedic, or surgeon or physcial therapist but there needs to be someone who will listen and really think about you. For me that Dr. is my general practioner. She ( Dr. N) has been my Dr. for about 20 years. She has suggested a wonderful therapist when I needed one, an incredible surgeon when I needed one, and I feel she really knows me. So, she is the one I have turned to as each of the experts has thrown up their hands. She has made me have hope and has worked to make my every day be a good one...not down the line..but today.

Last week Dr. N and I talked about how advil had really seemed to help my pain but had really upset my stomach. She suggested an arthritus medication that is an anti-inflammatory but is coated and would not upset my stomach. And she assured me that if it did not work we could try other things. I have tried it for 2 days and must say it has made a huge difference. It is as if the pain is there but is covered with cotton balls or some soft thing so there is no stabbing, searing pain. This is huge.

Thank you so much Dr. N!