Amazingly enough I did not die

The part of the adjustment that seemed strikingly like when people are killed in movies by having their necks broken did have me doubting my survival. There was lots of strange noises, pressure, and twisting. He said I was nice and relaxed, which is far from how I felt, but certainly what I was aiming for. He wants to see me three times a week to deal with a variety of things including uneven hips and curvature in my lower spine. I have reservations about the cost but not about chiropractic care. In some ways I wish I'd never gone because then I wouldn't have to decide between money and health.

Really, what happened to common courtesy?

Dear Neighbor,

If I put out some orange traffic cones, will that stop your daily guest from parking on my lawn?

Sincerely yours,
Assuming Your Mama Didn't Teach You Any Manners

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Dear Neighbor,

Couldn't you at least carry some plastic bags to give the appearance that you intend to pick up the dog poop?

Sincerely yours,
Next Time I'm Flinging the Sh!t Across the Street and Into Your Yard

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Dear Neighbor,

Must you give me the hairy eyeball every time we cross paths?

Sincerely yours,
Trust Me I Have No Desire to Speak With You Either

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**inspired by the wonderings of Jenny F. Scientist

Definitely Not Female

I broke my own rule of female-only medical staff today. After losing sleep last night due to my continuing back pain, I decided to call a chiropractor. The older brother of a high school classmate practices in Hometown near where I live, so I called his office and they got me in late this afternoon. Today was just about background information and x-rays. I'll go back next Monday to review the x-rays and set up a plan of attack. In the meantime I'm supposed to be icing my back and not sleeping on the couch. Er, I'll try. I don't have an ice pack (I know, I should've just bought one while I was there) and I hate anything cold. And I sleep on the couch EVERY night for at least 2-3 hours.

I've never been to a chiropractor before, and I don't know how I feel about this. It seems like a bit of a racket. He'll say I need this and that just so I'll have to come every week. That doesn't sound cheap. Plus, he's hot. Let's all imagine how red my face must've been when I told him about the IBS. Maybe I would've been better off with an anonymous woman doctor in the city.

Frustration

I made an appointment to give blood this afternoon before I knew that today would be our only day of summer weather. I made sure to get outside for a hike yesterday because I'm often too weak after donating to do much at all. The donation experience was pretty wretched. It took almost two hours, most of which was waiting for open beds. The staff just stood around doing nothing. Why didn't they bring more beds? Apparently they also had different bags than I've ever encountered, which drain twice as slowly as the regular bags. So even after I finally got the needle in my arm, I was still there longer than I should've been. I try to donate blood regularly because I know it's important, but they don't make it easy for donors. They call me almost daily, even on holidays and Sundays, at any hour of the day. And then the blood mobiles often appear to be the most disorganized events imaginable. It does not make me anxious to sit through that again any time soon. Plus, now I'm hungry for dinner and lack the motivation to go out and get some food.

Le Tour

I think I've mentioned my love of Le Tour de France at some point in the past. I love the drama and dynamics of the peloton. I love seeing the countryside and villages that they race through. I love the bunch sprints at the finish line. The mountain climbing amazes me. I have so much respect for the riders. I watch each and every stage year in and year out. It's one of my favorite things about July.

I'm not a bike rider myself, but watching the race still inspires me to get up and outside. To get active and aim for a higher level of fitness. So far I've been doing a good job of meeting my 4 walk minimum per week goal. Next up, I'm going to try adding some free weights. I will aim to incorporate those a minimum of 3 days a week. Hopefully, that will help speed up my metabolism, which I fear may be slowing as I near my mid-30s.

On Yoga and Friendship

This morning I went to my first ever yoga class. I went with a woman that was one of my temps this past busy season. She and I have been slowly developing a friendship. We were chatty at work, but it's different translating that into a real bond of friendship. I find her a fascinating, generous, and intelligent person and hope that we continue to get closer.

I was a little nervous and anxious at the start of class. I was perhaps overly concerned with getting the poses "right," but it was a beginners class in the first week of a new session so there were other novices present. I liked it quite a bit! I wasn't sure if I would, so I'd paid the drop-in fee as opposed to signing up for the entire six-week session. Of course now I'm quite tempted to go buy my own mat and sign up for the whole thing.

Becoming a Doula

I have long been interested in midwifery and natural birth. I love reading birth stories of any kind and can't wait to be present at my first birth. The medical side of being a midwife never appealed to me, but as I learned more about the role a doula can play in birth it felt right for me.

These three books helped to lead me to my decision to start the certification process to become a doula:

A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong & Sheryl Feldman
Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent
Adventures in Natural Childbirth edited by Janet Schwegel

As well as this documentary:

The Business of Being Born

Yesterday I finished the first of my required readings:

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin

In a couple weeks I'll be participating in a DONA approved training workshop for birth doulas. I'm going to try to read at least one more of the required reading before then. I'm very excited about this process. I feel like after the last few years of being in grad school and not having time for myself and my interests that now I can breathe again. Come alive. I knew that I hated being in grad school, but I hadn't been fully aware of how miserable I was and how I barely existed outside of it. It wasn't healthy and it wasn't living. Now it's time to do what I want.