Progress

I am very happy to share that I've needed a lot fewer of these lately, thanks to massage, acupuncture, and rest. The pain in the a$% is getting better!

As a matter of fact, this weekend, I was able to put on my own socks without lying on my back and winging my feet in the air, hoping that my arms could reach without making me howl in pain for having pulled at my hips.

I could put my jeans on - both legs! - without sitting on the edge of the bed. I can roll over in bed without yelping.

And I can now take Kane for short walks again. I really missed that, and am looking forward to longer walks.

Before I saw the massage therapist, I saw my doctor to get a prescription for massage, so I could claim the expense. The doc prescribed some anti-inflammatory pain reliever - which I am very glad I had - but which I haven't taken in almost a week. Yay!

Ingrid Viktorinova, the massage therapist I saw, is ah-mazing! I was a little daunted by her name as I pictured a no-nonsense toughie who would rip into my muscles like they were cottage cheese. (Hey, just because they look like cottage cheese doesn't mean they're that malleable!). While those adjectives do describe her, she was very sensitive to my pain.

She started gently, but everywhere she touched, not just the hip, produced a yelp from me: upper back, lower back, shoulders, knees, calves, thighs . . . but she focused on the primary complaint. For about 45 minutes. I'm serious: at least 45 minutes on my left buttock.

Then she inserted acupuncture needles in the key spots along the muscle and fascia. I was pleasantly surprised that the needles really didn't hurt going in; less than my glucose-metre lancets, even. When she hit juuuuust the right spot, I could feel a small spasm as the muscle grabbed the needle. That was a good sign, apparently.

While the needles did their thing, she massaged the other side of my back. While working, she talked about "cleanses" - enemas to remove toxins from my colon. Not sure I want to go that route, but I'm not closing my mind to the option.

At the end of my session, she told me that I should not go for long walks for two weeks. This was really disappointing because Kane and I both enjoy getting out together.

For one week, the kids all chipped in and took Kane for his mid-day walk, but after my second massage, the therapist gave the green light for me to go on gentle 30-minute walks with Kane.

By the end of the half hour, I can usually feel my hip complaining, so I know I'm not ready for longer treks yet, but I am also confident that we will get back to them sooner rather than later as my body seems to respond very well to the combination of massage and acupuncture.

And once I get the hip sorted out, we can work on the shoulder, the back, the feet, the hands . . .