As you all may have known my recent back issue had flared up to proportions that were interfering with daily comfort and started effecting my ability to work. As you all know when I’m feeling good, I’m great…but when my back is flared up or what some people would call “Out,” I am in agony barely able to breath or walk. My normal remedies were not working: Inversion (decompression), heat packs followed by ice packs, hot tubs, stretching, Chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy and I was taking Tylenol with Codeine when it got really bad and I just needed to rest. I do not like drugs, but sometimes it was sweet relief. My wonderful Chiropractor Christine was just too far away for me to sit in the car for the 35 minutes it would take to get there and come back home. It seemed that even when I felt good leaving her practice, that stupid car ride home would set things back in the negative. She and I discussed other options before I dare to think about the dreaded SURGERY. She suggested Acupuncture. She’s not the first one to say it and most recently Linda (Denise’s mom) and I had discussed her recent visits and her relief. I scheduled the first appointment possible and went in for my first procedure on June 12th with Dr. Richard Kitaeff from New Health Med (I will include his information below). I was really open minded to the whole new adventure (it actually has been around for 1000s of years), but you get what I’m saying. Dr. Kitaeff had a student with him for my first session, that’s how I got some of these photos (I’ll include below). I’m not going to sugarcoat it…It is weird to be poked with needles head to toe…literally! Then he leaves the needles in there for 18 or so minutes (okay, that’s just not natural, right?!) I’m laying on this mattress that has electrical currents creating a field around my body…(Shields up Scotty for you Star Trek fans). Then he puts electropads in my lower back L-1 through Sacrum which pulses shocks in arhythmatic tingling crackling up and down the lumbar area. Then he put a sonic pulse emitter directly over my L 4 – L 5 Disk with a random thud sensation. A heat lamp is placed over me for comfort and relaxation, I felt like a baby chicken still in the incubator. Okay, this is all very surreal at this point and my curiosity takes over, so I ask the assistant to take some photos, my head is in this cradle thing and I’m afraid to move due to all the needles in my head, ears, neck, out to my arms and hands, down my spine, in my hips, down my legs and the tops and bottoms of both feet, not to mention that I have electricity popping and crackling… what a visualization, huh? Like I mentioned before this only lasts for about 18- 20 minutes. By this time I no longer feel anxious, the needles, the electric popping or generally anything including and most importantly the PAIN. I had my second follow up procedure on June 15th and I just had one on June 21st. My next one is scheduled for July 3rd and I’m looking forward to it! For all you Cynics out there this is time for you to start shutting down. Linda Cooley said it best. The worst thing that can happen is nothing!? Which is brilliant, it’s not going to get worse, you don’t have a 6 month healing time or a looming second surgery. For all you optimists that means it can only get better! Now, I fit somewhere in the middle, I am a Realist. So I can tell you these few points about this experience… It’s weird sensations, but easily gotten use to. I am going to do preventative practices, stretching, lifting, core strengthening, etc. And most of all, I’m back to PAIN FREE!!! Thank you all for your support and well wishing during this last episode, I know I’m less of myself when I’m going through this. Hopefully that will be the last episode ever!
