Back Injury Update... Chiropractor Seems to Help

I've been going to the Chiropractor for a few weeks for my back injury. Between him and the gelatin, emu oil and fish oil, I think I actually feel a difference in my back. Here is what I have noticed so far:

• I can get up and clean longer than before I started going to the chiropractor. While I still hurt, the pain isn't as intense and I can go longer before needing to rest from the pain. I was able to clean for 30 minutes today! 
• While my legs still have burning pain, they aren't burning so bad that I feel like I am standing in lava or like I am on fire. The pain does eventually calm down when I rest too.
• The sharp shooting pain that I get isn't as frequent like when I first hurt my back or  after the injections.
• I can walk further! I can actually make it two blocks and back home without writhing in pain!
• I sleep better. I am not waking up every hour from the pain and the sleep seems to be solid sleep, rather than waking up feeling like I didn't sleep at all.
• When the chiropractor touches my back, I don't practically jump off the table from tenderness.
• I haven't hurt so bad that I get nauseous from the pain. Now, when I hurt, it's tolerable pain. It doesn't feel like my back is breaking in half every time I stand up.
• I don't need my walker as often. Although I still have times when I limp a lot and I use my walker, it isn't so bad.
• I am able to stand up easier and by myself.
• I can feel my feet! I almost forgot what it was like to feel my toes!

Does this mean the pain is gone? No. I will probably always be in pain (even the chiropractor said that!). But I needed to be able to function on a daily basis and I am slowly getting to that point again. 

My chiropractor is doing more for me in a few weeks than the doctors did for me in a year and a half. I can't believe they refused to let me go. I wish they could spend one day in my levels of pain. 

Anyway, that's my update. And all I am doing is gelatin in my morning and nightly coffee, taking 3x the amount of fish oil as suggested, emu oil rubbed on my back once a day (when I remember) and going to a chiropractor. Too bad "modern" medicine won't allow alternative medicine. I suspect a lot of people wouldn't be suffering from back pain any more.

Blogging Platforms: What do I use?

I received a comment the other day asking...

Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you're working with? I'm going to start my own blog in the near future but I'm having a tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I'm looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!

My Blogging Platform

My blogging platform is through Blogger. I bought my domain name through blogger as well. My background is through Cutest Blog on the Block where you can choose from a ton of different backgrounds, blinkies and other cool things to make your blog more original and they are free! 

Other Blogging Platforms

I haven't checked out BlogEngine, B2evolution or Drupal before but I have tried Wordpress. I was already using blogger when I tried them out and I found the user interface to be too hard to navigate so I stuck with Blogger. That was years ago so they may be a lot better by now.

Off topic? No way!

No problem with being off topic. I'm a blogger so this isn't off topic to me. Do you need help figuring it all out? I ask because I would love to share what I am using to help with my blogging!

Problogger Books that are Helping me Blog

Since I made my blogging my career choice, I started using probloggers books to help me propel my blogs forward and make them better. Right now I am working through 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. You can Click here to view more details. I worked through the free version awhile back but I found the paid version is more helpful.

If you haven't started your blog yet, Problogger has a great book I found helpful for my other blogs, The Gimp and Limp Club and For the Allergic in You. It's called Problogger's Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. You can Click here to view more details. It has a lot of great ideas to get you started!

Once you are going, you can use The Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers. Click here to view more details.I recently started reading through this one and it has a lot of helpful tips and advice to hone your writing and your blogging skills. It actually has a scorcard for each post you write so you can score your posts and see how your writing improves. This post has a score of 90 out of 100. That's pretty good!

Go Start Blogging!

I have your blog link from the comment saved and I'll be checking in to see how it's going. I'll link to your blog once you have it moving along. Good luck my friend! Keep me updated on your blog adventures!

Back Update: Schmorl's Nodes and a Chiropractor

After getting all of my medical records from the hospital to show the Chiropractor, I went home and started checking them out. I have an idea of what a spine is supposed to look like but I wasn't too sure exactly what I was looking for. I did have fun finding the protruding disc though. FOUND IT! Not a problem! I also thought my back looked... erm, decrepit in some spots.

After that, I actually read every bit of the reports. I found it so interesting that before my injections, they don't even mention arthritis and after the injections, now I have it from L3-S1. And S1 on the MRI does look quite gangly compared to the ones that are higher up. If I knew I'd get worse from the injections, I would have refused. 

Also, in one of the reports it says I have Schmorl's nodes. I had to look that up. I have never heard of that. It made me think of smores roasting over a camp fire. Anyway, I looked that up and it's basically (from what I am getting from around the web) where the disc protrudes into the vertebrae. They are "vertical disc herniations". Ouches! 

I took this to the chiropractor since I stopped seeing Dr Quacky. The chiropractor is really good. I no longer feel like I have a rock under my spine when I lay down. Granted, my pain isn't gone but it is tolerable half the time now. 

Also, he was looking over all the MRI and the X-rays and he said he had to disagree with the "No nerve impingement". They claim I don't have a pinched nerve. He thinks I do which explains the pissing myself. at least now I don't have someone acting like they have no idea why I am having pain and issues. He did say the pain won't ever go away but we can make it something I can live with. He did! 

The first treatment he slathered my back with BIOFREEZE. Holy burning eyes, menthol-man! That stuff is AWESOME! After he straightened out my pelvic bone (funny how that makes it feel like rocks under your spine) I was actually feeling quite human. The pain was still... well, pain, but I didn't want to curl up and vomit from the pain. In fact, it's been pretty okay. Sure, my back is killing me. But this is a level of killing me I can handle.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be pain-free. I am also slowly accepting the fact that I really will not ever go to work again. But at least I won't be in agony all the time. I'll take that!

Let's all Welcome the New Admin!

My son, Miles, has decided to help me with my blogging as I slog through the book from problogger. Click here to visit ProBlogger and order the books for yourself. I am so happy! He'll mostly be doing the background work and helping me check emails and reading comments and such but I am thrilled! He will also be in charge of the video game page! WOOHOO!

Here's a picture of him...

Wrong child. My bad! He just helps type sometimes too.

Oops, wrong kid.

Oh yea. That's my kid! And he spells a lot better than the cat too.

"I heard that!"

This is why your mom said not to play with knives.

It doesn't matter how many times you tell a kid not to do something, they have to go and do it. My 17 year old son decided to goof off and try to chop something with a knife. You know, the totally cool knife chopping that impresses people. Instead he ended up with this...

Yep. That's muh baby's thumb *facepalm*

This just looks painful.

This is how deep it went.

If you just look at it wrong he panics and screams.

And you also end up with this...

This is after we taped it together.

If it weren't for the nail, well, he'd have chopped his finger off!  I am convinced. This is after sitting overnight.

Ewwww!

This is the nail view.

 BUT! You get to have neon colored bandages!

So kids, if you want to play with knives, just remember that you will hurt! Your fingers will look like this, you'll have to wear neon green bandages, you won't be able to play Xbox or computer games for WEEKS and if your mom is a jerk like me, you'll be posted on a blog for everyone to see!

Don't play with knives!

No Poo: What I am Learning from being Frugal

I posted on October 7th that I was going to No Poo my hair (Use no shampoo) and see how it went. I am pretty pleased about it so far! Here are some of the things I have noticed so far…

What I Notice with No Poo #1: My Pompholyx is getting better

For those who don’t know what pompholyx is, it’s eczema on steroids attached to the bottom of your feet. They crack, bleed, itch and it feels like you are walking on hot coals. It hurts. It hurts BAD!

The next morning after my first No Poo experiment, I noticed that my feet weren’t burning as bad. Instead of my pompholyx looking flaming red and itching, it was a slight pink. For the first time in a LONG time, I can’t feel the annoying pompholyx on my feet.

What I Notice with No Poo #2: My Skin doesn’t itch as much

After each shower before No Poo, I would spend time itching incessantly and slathering myself with lotion to try and sooth my angry skin. Since I have done the No Poo thing, my skin is nowhere near as itchy as before. I am really starting to like this.

What I Notice with No Poo #3: I can brush my hair!

I am not sure why, but before No Poo, I couldn’t put a brush through my hair twice without my hair turning into a wreck in between brush strokes. I usually resorted to Pink Oil for my hair so I could untangle my hair and avoid breaking brushes. Now, I wait for my hair to dry and then brush it. I have to work out a few tangles but after that, the brush goes right through with no problems.

What I Notice with No Poo #4: My hair isn’t falling out

I am so used to clogging the drain with hair that it became a shower time routine to wrap in my robe and then fish the gobs of hair out of the bathtub. Since going No Poo, I noticed an incredible difference in the hair left over in the tub, or lack thereof. I am no longer worrying about whether or not I am going to go bald.

What I Notice with No Poo #5: My hair feels so much smoother

I didn’t expect this, but my hair feels SO much smoother; So much so that I can’t stop playing with my hair. I can’t help it. It just feels so good! I even have to put it in a ponytail so I will stop running my hands through it.

Is No Poo working?

Yes, I think it is. I am much happier without shampoo. I am using castile soap for my body wash and I have not used conditioner since my second hair wash. My hair feels so wonderful I can hardly believe it!

Any questions for me so far? I’ll post an update with your questions. I know there were a few but I wasn’t keeping notes. So ask away!

Hearing Aids: I can HEAR again!

After the Epidural Steroid Injection, I noticed I can't hear for anything. I was feeling conversationally deaf. Guess what!? I am. Oh...

So I went to costco and had a hearing test done. I am conversationally deaf if there is background noise. Now I have hearing aids and I can hear again! I thought the speaker on my phone was going out... no, it's my ears.

Just for fun... Here are 5 things I am getting used to with having hearing aids!

1. The Expense of Hearing Aids. My they were pricey! Overall, the rest of the accessories that go with it aren't too horrible (like  Hearing Aid Batteries, cleaning wipes and Hearing Aid Cleaning Brushes  but trying to get used to the fact that I am going to have to pay to hear... well, that's a little weird! I used affiliate links to show you the items I bought for mine.
2. The NOISE! I forgot how much noise there was before. Now I am walking around going "What was that noise?" LOL
3. Hearing Aids in my Ear! I am not used to having anything in my ear. This is taking some getting used to but it isn't too bad. It tickles sometimes though LOL.
4. I don't need an interpreter.  Before I left the house, I would make sure I had one of my kids with me so they could translate when I just couldn't make out what the person was saying. Now, they don't need to be with me. They can still go, but I can have a conversation with these hearing aids.
5. Learning ASL is still fun :) My kids and I have been learning ASL and using it. It was getting a little stressful HAVING to learn ASL because we couldn't communicate verbally. Now we can learn ASL because we WANT to learn it, not because we HAVE to learn it. It's a lot more fun now!

Overall, I am very pleased with them. Although I don't keep them in all waking hours like the lady said to. That gets annoying and I end up with a headache. I have to give my ears a break every now and then. But the best part is I CAN HEAR!