Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Ah!!! Just came from my last physical therapy appointment this morning. Feeling better, but still not 100%. I'm continuing with a chiropractor for the next few weeks. I really feel confident now that I'll get back to 100%. The first few weeks had me worried and I had already envisioned a tumor growing in my head undetected and a slipped disk in my back. That's one thing. When a writer is left alone for a long period of time, the imagination can go wild. A mere stubbing of the toe on a bed post can have you wondering if you now have a blood clot that cut off circulation which will cause you to have to have your entire leg amputated within the next few weeks. I probably wouldn't have admitted this, especially on a blog for all to see, except that after reading a few other blogs and books on writing from other authors, these thoughts seem to be quite common. They seem to be great procrastination techiniques that we're all so good at developing. Whew! Now I feel like a real writer! I have the required mental instabilities and paranoia. (Just joking)

I'm going to a new chiropractor this afternoon. I'm changing to one that's in the neighborhood and I can walk (which helps since I still haven't taken the car to the dealer to get my A/C fixed and get ripped off). I decided to make the change because the last chiropractor's office just didn't give me the warm fuzzies. I'm not quite sure what to make of the experience. The doctor apparently endeared a few "kids" from the neighborhood that seemed to walk in and out of the office, going in the fridge and getting water, and sitting down amongst those receiving therapy, eating a bag of chips, at will. Just hanging out. The doctor would appear to try to discourage this activity, but the visitors would seem to pay him no mind. One also went and helped himself to the therapy equipment until the assistant, apparently a peer, told him not to because the doctor would come back there. He paid attention to her.

The treatment was actually a good one (I felt better afterwards). Just a little funny sometimes. Well, the assistant really isn't into telling you what's going on and what's about to happen. I guess information is given on a need to know basis or only if you ask. Since I had been in physical therapy for the past month, I guess I assumed that when she told me to lie on my back, she was about to massage my neck, as the therapist did. The next thing I know, she flips a switch or something and my pelvis suddenly rises up to what feels like two feet off the table, and then it's lowered. Then the roller goes over my back, then up to my neck. Well, I didn't know to expect this and my eyes shot open. One part of my brain is telling me that I'm being molested and severely groped by someone under the table. My muscles tighten up and my heart picks up its pace. But after about three revolutions, another part of my brain convinces the rest of us that we are not being molested and there's no need to scream. But that this is actually indeed a part of the therapy. After that, it began to register that this was a good massaging feeling. So, after the "move along...nothing to see here" type speech in my brain, my heart was able to slow down, my eyes closed, and my muscles relax.

The doctor seemed uneasy. Very nervous like. Like he needed several cigarette breaks or something. When he was examining my injuries, his voice was shaky and his leg would bounce up and down a mile a minute. He was making me nervous, like I would have to make a break for the door at any minute. But all in all, the thing that really got me was while I was laying on my stomach receiving my treatment from the assistant, she became perturbed with the "kid" who came in and didn't have anything for her. Now, there are other clients in the room receiving treatment, but they apparently had no problem discussing their um...purchase and need to relax, out in the open. I couldn't believe my ears.

I'm not going to name the doctor's office or location, but it was a trip! The treatment was good, but like I said, I just didn't get that oh, so fuzzy feeling. I'm going to try a new chiropractor today. This should be interesting. :-)

3 comments:

Bud Thu Jun 30, 12:17:00 PM EDT  

Good decision to get the hell out of that guy's office. I had a bike accident in the middle of recording my CD. dislocate my finger. I went through the same kind of stuff you did. Will I ever play the guitar again? That sort of thing. The doc said that playing was the best therapy so I did and I was playing a gig a week later. Had to adjust a few chords, though. But the cool thing is that in making those adjustments, it gave me a different sound that has now become a part of my style. You never know. Don't let anything stop you.

Anonymous Thu Jun 30, 08:22:00 PM EDT  

You were kidding about the required mental instability of being a writer? I thought that was a requirement!!! LOL!

Cherlyn Michaels Sun Jul 03, 05:15:00 PM EDT  

Hey Bud! That's cool. You're right, you never know what good may come out of "misfortune". I think it takes a positive mind to be able to look for that silver lining. :-)

And Suzanne,
Sssshhhh!!! That's just between us writers. Let's not let everyone else know about that requirement! LOL