Monday 1/10/2011

Woke up this morning, again feeling horrible. Sat around for a while, doing nothing, until it was time for me to get ready to go to the chiropractor. I got to the chiropractor at 10:15, and it was a follow-up appointment, which meant that there were a lot of tests and such that needed to be done.

So there were flexibility tests, muscle tension tests, X-rays done to see my progress. In the X-rays, which were the only tests that the chiropractor looked at immediately, he was very happy to see the my atlas, or my C1 vertebrae, my very first spinal bone, which was at a 30 degree angle when I first went in, is now at a fifteen degree angle. So there is only fifteen more degrees left to make it at the proper angle it should be at. (http://www.upcspine.com/anatomy2.htm)

I had a regular adjustment after doing my exercises. A lot of extending my neck and getting pressure off of my neck; decompressing my neck I believe he said. I did feel a little bit better after going to the chiropractor. We were there for quite a while through all the tests and the exercises and the adjustments though.

I filled out forms for the update exam for the chiropractor, and in a lot of ways, it just reinforces in your mind how much life, even small things, can be taken over. For example, "Dressing" "Unaffected...Painful... Limited... Not Able." Break this down; I once was a relatively vain person who put a fair amount of time and effort into what I was wearing, my hair, my makeup, just my look and wardrobe for the day. Now, I essentially live in sweatpants, never have makeup on, and barely comb my hair. It's not necessarily because its too painful to get dressed, although, I am in pain and if I can be comfortable in one area I feel like I should be so the sweatpants are a help there. But also, I think to myself, "what's the point? I feel like hell, why bother not looking like hell too?" So really, the pain has limited dressing. I am able, but not unaffected. So I check the limited box.

We went to the apartment to pick some stuff up to stay at my parents house for a majority of the week, until my sister's wedding.

We came back to the house, and tried on everything that we needed to try on for the wedding.

My mom's friend came over in the evening, and everyone sat around and talked.

Ate oatmeal at the apartment for lunch, pizza at the house for dinner. Pain was at a fairly constant 7 all day, both head and body all over.

Took AM vitamins, afternoon vitamins, and PM meds, with no other pain meds taken throughout the day.