Oh, the Agony!

Chronic pain has very much been a part of my life. It has pushed me into changing careers, which is absolutely a great thing, but it can undoubtedly change the way we move and limit activity. At its worst, pain can keep you from doing the things we most enjoy.

In David Bultler's "Explain Pain," he explores the idea that pain is "all in your head." Not to say that everyone in pain is considered a head case, but our brain does react when it believes that we are hurting ourselves. Once we injure ourselves, our brain will always remember what happened and continue to protect that part of the body throughout our lives. The brain then sends chemicals to the so-called "injured" site, and these chemicals cause inflammation. This response is initially triggered by an over-sensitive nervous system. Pain is good because it protects us from further injury and forces us to take care of ourselves (if we want to listen). But, in the case of non-injury pain that comes back again and again, the theory that Butler suggests is that the brain can be retrained so that it will not associate certain movements with a pain response.

This would explain aqua-therapy. Certain movements that we do in every day life may bother us, but we may carry out these same movements in water with ease. The same can be applied to brain injury therapy. I remember observing OTs ask their patients to perform tasks in front of a mirror. Not only are these patients getting visual cues, they are also retraining the brain that certain movements are possible.

I feel that I have applied this theory to my own situation while doing yoga without realizing. I'm excited about my healing process and my ability to apply these ideas for patients in the future.

Woo Hoo!

Just had to say that I got engaged this morning!! I've called almost everyone I know and I can't stop smiling...my cheeks hurt.

Allergies

I wish I had something a little more sunnier to post about, but the truth is, I had a shitty day yesterday. Today, I have joked about it, but only with the little energy that was left after the funk hit me almost 24 hours ago.

Yes, I have a history of all of this pain crap. I have the worst posture and used to sit at a sewing machine for 10-12 hours a day and now I am paying for it...literally. So, back to yesterday...to make a long story short, I'm allergic to muscle relaxers. Having your throat close up and your blood pressure drop around your coworkers who barely know you is a humbling experience.

Being me, I saw humor in it all and told my PT that the pain that I have been feeling is a result of having an abnormally large head for my body. In the words of Mike Meyers from "So, I Married and Axe Murderer": "It's like a watermelon on a toothpick!"

Without humor, how do we get through anything?

My New Addiction

If I had HBO, I would never get anything done and have no social life to speak of. With the invention of the DVD series sets and my subscription to Blockbuster online, I have kept up with some of the best television ever made.

I started off with "Sex & the City," which not only has great writing and acting, but also makes me miss the east coast and trips to NYC. I then moved on to "Six Feet Under" and can attest that I did not leave the house several weekends in a row until I finished all five series. Of all endings of every sitcom/television show, SFU ended better than I ever could imagine. I always thought that every character would die and haunt the Fischer and Diaz Funeral Home. Although that did not happen, I found that I wasn't too far off. I bawled like a little baby during the last episode and slowly felt the pangs of no longer having a good television show to come home to. Pathetic, I know, but regular television sucks ass in my opinion. It seems like television producers think that we Americans are so tired and overworked that by the end of the night will watch anything they put in front of us.

Not I.

Back to my point: my new addiction...My fella and I started watching the first season of "The Sopranos" and I wonder why it took me so long to watch it. Looks like I won't be seeing much sun until we finish all six seasons.

Mojito Madness

The beginning of Spring means many things. Walks to the park, flowers blossoming, allergy season...but most of all...Mojitos. I just made the best mojito I've ever tasted.

Any spring/summer drink recipes are greatly appreciated.