Progress?

Last week I went to the pool and spent two hours each day of the week.  Seven days!!!  In a row!!!  That is phenomenal for me.  I have been using the, "Spinal Stretch" twice a day as well, plus the e-cises every day.  Optimally, doing the e-cises in the morning  followed by the rest is my goal.  This is difficult because of the difficulty in sleeping and the pool hours being early.  Often I have to jump up and go to the pool right away to be able to get a lane.  


Night time hours are much more crowded due to the Pirrouettes practicing; but they are fun to watch, even though their style is not the same as when I did water ballet in my youth.  Also I find mixing it up to be a good way to avoid the doldrums, like Sunday when Mark accompanied me to Heritage pool, even though he spent the whole time in the hot tub.


Now if I could only sleep after a full exercise schedule~it would be the cat's meow.  I have ordered some powered calcium magnesium with zinc that you drink at night like tea, so we'll see if that helps.


I do recommend the Spinal Stretch machine.  At first when using it, I could feel some pain in the knees.  But now it doesn't hurt, so I am able to relax and let it do its job.  This is after only one week of using it.  We'll see how much more progress it brings after two more weeks.  People say it takes about two or three weeks to feel the difference.


Often when I feel a tiny bit encouraged, it is not long before the pain returns with a vengeance.  But I am free to hope at this point, that the Lord has finally provided some optimal tools to get my spine healed.  The hip rotation is another story.  I can feel a difference when I do the two e-cises, and although it does not last long, it is contributing immensely if I only remain faithful to doing them. 


I would like to believe the angels will just come and zap me into shape, and I would so love that!  But I also know the Lord has a reason for healing me in a, "Non-miraculous" mode this time.  Bottom line is I trust him to do the job and thank him for it in advance.  He is the one in control, and that is all I need to rest confidently in peace from day to day.

Day One with Spinal Stretch

Mark helped me get hooked up to the new gizmo, the Spinal Stretch.  I came across it on Amazon while pricing those Teeter Inversion thingamabobs.  It looked a whole lot more inviting than going upside down on the inversion gadget.  It was a hundred bucks, whereas the Teeter Inversion Tables were at least twice that.  It also had really good reviews.  I saw only a few where peeps had sent it back or it didn't help.


We set the pull at a low weight to start.  I could tell a difference immediately upon standing up.  Not a huge difference, but I walked without the leg pinching for at least a half hour.  I proceeded to go downstairs, piddle in the kitchen, fix something to eat (Mark has been fixing my meals for the most part, at least dinners) and went out to cut Rylie's hair.  


After all this activity, I went back and lay down.  Then I did my E-cises and promptly fell asleep.


All this after being awake most of the night with a very upset stomach.  I think I had too much Advil in my system and boy, never again!  I would rather stay awake with back/leg pain than feeling like I was gonna barf all night.


I am going to go see if I can hook it up and use it again before attempting another night's sleep.  Ho Hum.  Let's hope for the best.  I know, I know, it took 60 some odd years to get into this shape, and it won't go away overnight.  


Time and repetition is the old adage for this type of cure.