Tag: Health

Accentuate the Positive! · chiropractor · me

Aunt Jim Can’t Bend … again

AuntGemLeave a comment

It’s another go-round of serious back pain for ol’ Aunt Jim. Since March 8 I’ve been seeing my chiropractor for back pain. This is a 10 or 12-year-old injury which flares up from time to time. Usually a few visits to Dr. Jones-McCaw take care of things. But it’s been three weeks, and after making seven chiro visits in seven days, and sleeping in 45-minute stretches last night, both she and I knew it was time for my second MRI.

Today I called in sick and got the works done. First, the appointment with my family practitioner, a great doc who’s seen me through this before. He immediately sent me for x-rays. (Technology has progressed since my last set. Then I had to carry the X-rays from the lab to his office. Today they were digital. He just logged on and checked them.) After he saw them I got the news I expected – degenerated interveterbral disc – and we scheduled an MRI for 2 p.m. It’s still the same sensation of being in a washer during all the cycles … agitation, rinse and spin. I should get some results in about 48 hours.

Being unable to bend means certain lifestyle adjustments. I turned a long box sideways and put the cat’s bowl on the inner bottom side and grasp the top side to lower it to the floor. Getting into my clothes is a form of aerobic exercise and requires extra time. And my house is a mess. If I drop it, I literally can’t bend over to pick it up unless I grab a countertop and execute an Arabesque penchée. Surprisingly, that ballet move adjusts the weight on my lower back (especially my sacrum) so I can bend over. Otherwise, not a chance.

But whenever God shuts a door, he always opens a window. Now I have a great excuse for hiring someone to clean out my gutters!

Gratitude

A Second Blessing, and a Third

AuntGem3 Comments

Today I’m grateful for an in-house gym at work. All I have to do is ride the elevator to “B” and card-swipe my way in to the gym. No extra driving, no finding a parking spot. 

This year the company is pushing physical fitness like never before: they’re lowering the price of the gym memberships which were already a ridiculous $10 per pay period ($260 a year.) This year it’s $8 a pay period. And if you manage to make it 10 times in a four week period, then you get 50 percent off the price for the next month.

I’ve been to the gym 15 times this year. That’s roughly 14 times more than I’ve been in the past five years.

No. 3: Driving home from work (after working out) the sunset was the color of peach slices laid against a baby blue and white background.

me · Toastmasters

Procrastination

AuntGem2 Comments

This is part of a speech I gave to my Blue Streak Toastmasters club March 3. Note the dated reference to Charlie Sheen.

Procrastination and I go way back. We have a long-standing relationship – probably one of the longest of my life. I’ve procrastinated over things as small as buying a DVD player (so many choices!) to as large as finishing a work project.

I’ve been concerned about my tendency to procrastinate for a long time as well. In fact, to prepare this speech, I consulted a fantastic book “The Procrastinators’ Handbook – Mastering the Art of Doing it Now” by Rita Emmett. The book is packed with useful tips. Trouble is, I bought the book in May 2003. And I didn’t read it until this week.

The book has lots of funny bits too. Like the Procrastinators’ Club “Top Ten” list: Continue reading “Procrastination” →