VERY LONG. The problem -
I was sick often as a kid, and with being military was seen by military ENT docs. Had many, many operations done for tubes in my ears - to drain fluid that wouldn't drain on their own. Ear infections, sore throats, stuffed nose, un-able to breathe, headaches... Had an eardrum "blowout" when I was 15 and had it replaced (that was pretty cool!)... Hate getting water in myears, don't particually like to swim. Have a hard time with mouth rinse - have had issues with my teeth (however, I'm closing in on 50 and still have most of my own teeth - my mom had full dentures at 30).
I was tired of being sick all the time - and of being tired. My parents "put their foot down" - and I received a series of Gammu-globulin shots (not sure that's right?) - at 17 (? I think). Drs argued that it wouldn't work, and one flat out said that it was a waste of money and time. Also insisted that it was a "placebo" - not a "cure". Turned out -it's a basic immune booster. For the first time - I wasn't sick 9 months out of the year... Then I joined the Army when I was 21 and got all those shots before Basic Training and then MORE when I went to Korea... I got sick... and stayed "sick" - upper respiratory and flu. Not Strep (tho always tested for it), not anything really that could be pin-pointed. Painful over the sinus's, constant drainage that I could neither "spit" nor blow into a kleenex or handkerchief. Then the stomach would start - from the constant nasal drainage. Sometimes would get a really bad cough... Was always treating the symptoms - didn't seem to be finding the problems. Sometimes anti-biotics worked - sometimes they'd seem to start working, then they would "stop" and I never seemed to get completely over anything.
After my hubby got out of the Army - 9 months out of the year of meds got pretty darn expensive, especially when we didn't have the best medical coverage. Got better medical coverage - seemed to stay on drugs - Z pacs seemed to work best, but not always! Sometimes Amoxicillian worked, sometimes straight Penn. More and more - turned to sulphur drugs rather than anti-biotics (think that's right?). Long before hubby out of the Army - our 3rd daughter was born with a collapsed lung. After getting out of the hospital, she also was always "sick" - constant drainage from her nose - mostly clear, but then wuld get infected. NO daycare would take her and I became a stay at home mom. I always dreaded the start of school - I was healthiest between May and September. Once the kids "brought something home" - I just stayed sick all fall, winter and early spring.
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After our move to Lillington, I started having issues with my neck - usually everytime I was sick, getting steadily worse until I got over being sick . A friend recommended that I see a chiropractor. I was scared to (my family is SSSOOOO not hands on, and my dad insisted that a Chiropractic Dr "ruined" his back... It was a heavy influence thruout my childhood). Then one day, my neck "locked". 1st -it was EXCRUCIATING and 2nd it happened while I was driving to work. I couldn't move to see when I got to a stop sign. It "locked" slightly to the right. To see to my left at an angled road, I had to back up and angle my car, then rotate my body from the hips to see out the window and down the road. Made it to work, but by then the head ache had kicked in along with the pain of the "lock" and I was miserable. Between clients (one of the few busy days) and phone calls, I laid my face down on my glass topped desk. It was cool and it supported my head w/o pulling on anything. w/i a couple of hours, I couldn't work anymore.
The "FIX" -
I was very thankful to get into a local chiropractic office but scared almost spitless, too. Being "scared" added to the tension - which created more problems while working on the body. She (!) did some hands-on tests, was very gentle, and her assistants also worked with me when she did exrays.
It was decided that it was a combination of factors creating thr problem - going all the way back to my childhood when I had a couple of bike, then rollerskating, then riding then driving car accidents. Then Army - PT and active duty.. Gym - even when doing leg raises and situps in my early 20s I had a hard time and my hips would pop (now I know it is kinda like locking stifles but not... or arthritis). PLUS add in tension and since I'm "funny" about being touched - massage and hands on manipulation not the easiest or best option to start with...
They studied the exrays and then used a Pro-Adjustor on my neck and shoulders. The machine graphs how the back looks both before and after the treatment. Had some electro-stim to help with loosening ligaments and joints. Moist heat was applied while I was in the office. Later I was given instructions to switch back/forth with hot and cold packs on my neck, shoulders and upper arms. W/i 40 minutes, the neck was movable - tho sore and tender. I looked like I had mumps (didn't)... They "thumped" my face - using a hand-held "actuator" over my cheek bones, temples and forehead. The Dr asked if I got "sick a lot" - with sinus issues, headaches, toothaches. Surprised, I asked - how do you know? Seems nerves in the neck affect your head and sinus's. They were ... not "pinched" but "comprimised"??... I had 3 apptmts w/i the first week - each time getting better. It seems that it's a round circle issue... each thing tieing back into another - making a loop of things that made me "out of whack"... The 2nd week - "cold" issues started not being as serious. Less drainage from nose, fewer headaches. No throat issues, ears not completely plugged anymore. The movement of the vertabrae is opening up the spinal cord & nervous system - making the "symptoms" of the colds I was having constantly, a thing of the past.
We worked from 3x week, to 2x a week to 1x week - to 1x every 2 weeks, to 1x month... Took a couple of years (for me) to get to that point - in the meantime - I'm no longer getting sick like I had and when I did - did not spend weeks on antibiotics or OTC products for symptoms. Took our youngest daughter in - she was 14. After the first adjustment - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE - she had NO drainage from her nose (not dripping nor having to blow it). It was amazing. Since she started college 2 years ago (ITT - part time? - 3 classes per week) and then added in a full time, "grave yard" shift job she's not had many appointments. The difference is noticable - this year allergies have hit her hard. Her face has been swollen, her nose is constantly "drippy" and she's spending a tremendous amount on OTC drugs. So far, she hasn't gotten a sinus infection but I recommended that if she can't see our chiro Dr, she "find" one nearer to where she goes to school and works...
I'm learning about more holistic medicines and natural remedies (tho some are way more expensive than anti-biotics). I'm learning about the use of Theraputic Oils. I haven't jumped on the "all-natural only" bandwagon - but am learning about some of it. It's taking work to learn - some natural, plant products are just as dangerous as drugs (most are made from plants aftrer all) and I"M NOT A DOCTOR, nor have I found a doctor that deals only with western medicine or care (even if our insurance would accept it - it does not)...
To this day, I can't stand nasal spray "thingys" and I gag (nasty!!) when trying to use a Neti Pot (my hubby loves the Netti Pot but doesn't got to see a Chiropractic Dr). I used to live on Nyquil & Dayquil, Tylenol or Ibuprofen, Psuedophedrine (the "real" stuff - when they went to synthetic I quit using OTC products with it in them and I regularly "cuss" the folks that make Psuedophedrine harder to get. The synthetic makes me very, very ill - almost instant, debilitating headaches, severe stomach cramps and vomitting, icey chills - shaking so hard my body feels like it's vibrating apart.), cough syrups, throat loungenges - couldn't tell you how many OTC allergy meds I tried - most left me sicker than the allergy symptoms (Zyrtec works better than Clariton for me), and prescription drugs going thru lots of different levels of antibiotics. I DO still use those products - but few and far between. Dr visits and Dr bills have gone to almost non-existant
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I know when it's been a while since I've been to the chiropractor. Sometimes I "stop in" just to get my face "thumped". I think I asked once if it was possible to use one on onself - I would have invested in one. I have also now had massage - upper back, neck and arms - have not gone to full body yet. My skin is "sensitive" since I'm not used to having it rubbed/handled (not right verbiage, but...). Swedish massage leaves my neck, shoulders, back looking like I've got a severe sunburn and makes me very sore (I've learned to drink nothing but water the day of a massage - to flush toxins released by the manipulation of muscles). Sometimes I will also go back to an icepack - especially on my neck. But when I do both chiro and massage on a regular basis (at least once a month, now), I see the difference in my posture and feel it in my body (I don't limp, my neck doesn't lock up, the pain in my lower back disappears, hips don't hurt as much and I overall feel better) and my health is "clearer". Seasonal allergies are still around - but are SOOOO much lessened that it still amazes me.
It's now been 6 years since that first chiro appointment. The differences are noticable and make my life better. They now alternate using the Pro-Adjuster and doing physical manipulation. I regularly have my right side "shorten up" - she alternates working on loosening and lengthening on my right side and using the Pro-Adjuster over my neck and shoulders. I also have what is known as a "Dowager's Hump" - on the back of my neck and shoulders (genetic from my mothers side of the family) and every massage and adjustment makes it a little smaller/less noticable. When I go too long between appointments (I have), it "grows")...
A chiropractic visit might be something you want to check into... if you don't already have chiropractic appointments.
I am sorry to have made this so long. I wanted to give you my health background and some of my "hang ups" to understand where/how this worked... Plus I seen to like to "write",
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