happy Halloween from the Spinal Relief Center

Well, today was another spine treatment. My lower back hurt quite a bit while I was on the table today. I think Dr. Meadows said that he was going to increase the weight on the machine next week. And he also increased my fish oil intake to 3 tablespoons a day. But I have great hopes for the weekend and will write more about that on Monday. What I want to write about today is the amazing transformation that Renee, pictured in the previous post, has undergone. She has become a roo. See the picture for verification. ha ha! Yes...I walked into the spinal relief center this morning to find the crew all dressed up. I wish I was a better photographer, but I did the best I could. First is Renee the roo. Then we have Renee the Roo holding her little joey. Oh my God! She was sooooo cute in that costume.

Next we have Allison and Jeannie. They work with the patients more than Jessica and Renee do. they are the ones who actually put you in the belt, lay you on the table and get you all strapped in and stretching. They also come and get you afterward and put you in your ice chair, bring you water, and start your leg massage with the chair. But today, they were both kittens with their cool little headbands and jeans.

We asked Dr. Meadows what he was going to dress up as on Halloween, and he said, of course, that he was going to be a doctor. A likely story! I still didn't get a picture of him, but I will. This was a special occasion and I think it only fitting to only put up the pictures of those intrepid enough to don a costume. Tomorrow is Halloween - I've spent a great deal of time prepping for it this year, and it's almost here. And now for the last picture - but certainly not least - here's Jessica all decked out like a good little soldier girl.

3-Treatment Day Week-

Hello from Wednesday! It's the first Wednesday for five weeks that I have not had a spinal decompression treatment, and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm actually a little bit sore, and I'm not quite sure from what other than maybe the intrinsic muscle exercises that I've been doing since they had me stop wearing my belt.

I'm going to bed pretty quick because I have to get up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow to head back over to the spinal relief center. However, I wanted to make sure that I did get an entry written. I think I'm going to have to write down tomorrow that my highest pain level today was a 7 - and that was riding in to work on the bus. My lowest pain level today was a big, fat ZERO. And I found that I was in pain only about 30% of the time with an overall pain level of about 3-4. Not too shabby. I did two sets of walking today. One was 22 minutes and one was 17 minutes. I'm so excited to get back to exercising, but I am going to have to be extremely careful to not overdo things. I sure don't want to damage myself.

I also have been saying that I was going to get some pics put up, and I'm making good on that promise as well.
Pictured here is Renee from the Spinal Relief Center. Renee is the office manager, though I'm not sure whether that is an official title or not. All you have to do is go there and interact with her to know that's her role, however. She's very efficient, personable and professional and I like her quite a bit. I'm not sure how she felt about getting her picture taken, but his is a decent one, even though it seems like she's just about to roll her eyes at me. I certainly wouldn't blame her. This picture was taken at about 6:15 a.m. Who the hell wants to get their picture taken at that hour? But she was a good sport about it.

So when I was walking on the STREET (which is something I make kind of a big deal about with Dr. Meadows and the crew - mostly because I don't like walking on the street and spent $1500 on a treadmill so that I wouldn't have to) and I found that my back was getting pinchy a thought occured to me. Another reason that I bought the treadmill is because spine doctor Chris Standaert (a dude I will not go back to unless I just absolutely have to) said that I should get a treadmill to walk on because when I felt my back starting to give me problems, I could just get off and go and lie down. That's probably one of the only things he ever said to me that made any sense. But, that's for another blog. One of these days I may just make a "Shitty Doctors of Seattle" blog, but not today. Anyway, it occured to me that is was another reason I bought the treadmill in the first place and I began to cast about in thought. It was then I remembered that a friend of mine had an old-school Nordic track that looked like it was hand-built by the founders of IKEA. It is a leg-powered treadmill and thus does not have the motor that causes damage to the spine. (which I mentioned in the post right before this) Anyway, I called and it turns out that he was about to put it on Craig's List and try to get rid of it, so I scooped it up. It's nice because I can just get up and go and walk in the exercise room like I'd been accustomed to doing and like I missed so much. So I tried that for the first time this morning (that was the 22 minute walk - the 17 was on the street downtown during my lunch break). So, life is coming together. I wonder if, with my reduced overall pain and lowered percentage if it would be worthwhile to ask Dr. Meadows if I could get in the hot tub again.
I've put up a picture of the old-school Nordic Trak here so you can laugh your ass off. And Renee, if you're reading this, look what I've been reduced to! You can't see it, but my Billy-bad-ass motorized treadmill is all folded up, disrespected and stuck off behind this little wooded wonder. But I'll be good. I'm determined to do as I'm told and get better once and for all, and STAY THAT WAY.

So, goodnight . . . tomorrow I will put up a picture of the DRX9000, and possibly one of Dr. Meadows. I would like to get a new and more candid photo of him than the one that is on the Internet about 5000 times. He's much more pleasant looking than that photo makes him out to be. Talk to you tomorrow.

The Decompression Continues

Well it's been forever since I wrote an entry into this blog journal. For those of you out there who are looking at this to get some kind of idea what goes on during the spinal decompression therapy, I apologize. Blogger actually shut down this blod for a few days because it was picked up by one of the bots as a potential spam blog. That sucks because it got me out of the rhythm of writing in it. Not like I'd established a big rhythm, but still.

Anyway, I'm writing today, here in my fifth week of treatment where I am no longer required to wear the disk distractor belt all day - and am also going to treatments only 3 times a week. I have to say that overall I feel much better. It's time now, however, to put my effort into my own healing as there are exercises to be done to maintain what I've gained. Now if you're looking into spinal decompression therapy, know this: It is not going to be a hands-off process for you. You are going to have to participate in your own therapy. The table that you lie down on and get stretched on is only part of what needs to be done. In the first weeks, you must wear your disc distractor belt (I'll put a picture of it up later, and maybe even one of me wearing it) every single day, every single minute except when you are lying down or are in the shower. This belt separates your rib cage and your hips and forces your posture to be upright. This takes pressure off of your lower back and immeditately makes you feel better. I complained about having to wear it at first, but when I had my one month check-up with Dr. Meadows last week, was surprised to reveal to him that I had now come to rely on it as a sort of security blankey....he said that he knew that, and that I was going to have to take it off and wear it only for four hours following treatments just the same. Poo!

You also have to do some exercise in that you have to walk. Now for someone who was walking 3.5 miles a day on a treadmill before they went in for this therapy, you'd think that would not be a problem for me. But I am not allowed to walk on the treadmill. The motion of the belt constantly coming toward you and continuing on its forward path as you set your foot down each and every time is jarring on your spine. So...even though I spent $1,500 because I hated to walk outside, I am now having to walk outside. Another thing you need to get accustomed to if you are going to participate in this treatment, is you are going to have to take supplements. Lots of supplements. You have to drink your two tablespoons of fish oil every day (really helps with your hair and nails) and you are going to have to take 3 other supplements twice a day, plus a liquid B12 supplement. But you know what? It works. When I went in to see Dr. Meadows and his Spinal Relief team, I was taking 3 oxycodone a day, and that wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to cut through the dramatic nerve pain I was feeling 24/7. It gave me about 7 hours respite from a pain that had reached a 9-10 range and brough it down to the 6-7 range....again, for about 7 hours out of the day. I am now not taking any pain killers - well, I did have to take one on Saturday, and I hated to do it - but I did. I took another one last night when I got home, but that's certainly nothing like 3 per day and feeling like you're going to have to be on them for the rest of your life.

So today's visit was great. I'm going to miss going there when all the therapy is done. Dr. Meadows has put together a really nice group of people and is practicing a non-invasive, very effective spinal relief technique and therapy.

I guess I shouldn't feel too badly about not making more posts. Basically the treatment has been the same each and every time I've gone - well, with the exception of the weight being increased that pulls on me. I don't know what I'm up to now, but I'll ask when I go back on Thursday. Gasp! I get to skip a day! Such a deal.

Okay...I promise to write more later - and not waaaaay later this next time. I'll make another entry after I go for Thursday's visit and see what it's like to skip a day in the middle of the treatment week. Ciao!

OMG! Fish Oil has a SHIT-LOAD of CALORIES!

Okay...I know this is my spinal decompression experience blog, and not a weight loss or even weight control blog - but I had to buy another bottle of fish oil today, and when I was putting it into my calorie counter, had the astonishing revelation that it is friggin' 270 calos for the dose that they have me on. Krikey! I'm on the phone right now with Spinal Relief Centers talking to Jessica and telling her about my "come to Jesus" moment with the calories in the fish oil. It's not like the kid can do anything, but I wanted to tell them.

I also told them after this morning's treatment what a great job they are doing. It's such a refreshing change to be treated halfway decent at a health care giving facility. I had a series of "words" with someone at the Minor & James clinic yesterday, but that's for another blog. This one is about my experience with Spinal Relief Centers. I asked Renee if I could take some photos of the place and some of them doing their jobs for my blog. She is going to ask Dr. Meadows, so I may have some pics to break up the text on this blog soon.

So today, Dr. Meadows set the machine to work the entire time on L3 with about 50 lbs. of pressure (well, it's really negative pressure since it's pulling instead of pushing). And honey, I am SORE! It makes sense to me that you will be sore because your body has been squashed for so long. It can't come back out into it's real shape without some pain. I mean, Keeerist! I lost 1.5 inches of my height over the past 2.5 years. That's a lot of stretching.

So anyway - I did also notice that my pain level has gone down generally about 2 or 3 points. I also noticed that for the past couple of days (doesn't look like it's gonna be that way today) I have had some of the time without pain. Therefore, I am beginning the weaning process off the Oxycodone now. I want to get under 10 milli a day. Once that's done, quitting is about a one-week process.

I'm sitting here at work, and I would feel bad for blogging, but my software isnt' working and I have a call into the help desk. I am using my secondary computer for database maintenance and can't use it for production work. Oh...am I talking about work on my spine blog? Okay...I'll stop.

So there you have it. Treatment No. 6 and all is well. They don't work on Fridays at the Spinal Relief Center, so I won't be having another visit 'til Monday.

Happy weekend!

Treatment No. 5

Okay... so something is happening at these spine treatments. Or with the program as a whole. I feel pretty good today, and I've got to say that my need for the pain pills is decreasing. Dr. Jeremy Meadows and his staff have been consistently nice and helpful. I believe that this may just turn out to be the best money I ever spent. Don't get me wrong - it is a LOT of money - but in truth, what price can you put on your health? None really. What was nearly excruciating pain when I walked or stood up from my chair or from my sofa, is now discomfort. Yes....discomfort. I do see hope. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, I remain cautiously optimistic despite the results I've seen so far. I am still wearing a spinal distraction belt with a friggin' ice pack in the back of it, and I am taking a butt-load of supplements every day and I'm NOT walking on my treadmill (which is reeking havoc on my mood, I must say, but no doubt allowing the inflammation in my back to settle down as well) but, despite all that . . . I am hopeful that this treatment is going to give me back a good deal of my life. And with that hope comes a rush of anticipated freedom that I haven't felt for a long while. It's hell crawling through life injured and wondering how you're going to deal with life in general. All will be well, however. I'll try to get some decent pictures of the staff and Dr. Meadows to put up here soon. I think that now I'm not being such a horse's ass when I show up there, they may be more amenable to my taking a few pics.