Wednesday Lunchtime

Good lunchtime,

Well this morning I had time to get the clothes laundered and put to dry and get the linen and towels wash on as well as clean the bathroom. I am obsessive about cleaning the bathroom, aren't I?

Then I left the linen wash washing itself and went to my spine and walking consultation.

Wow, it was thorough, we started with talking about what I did with my life -walking and writing, and what I used to do, gardening.
I was asked what kind of chair I sat on and how I sat and how I used the computer, and I was advised as to how I should change that, I was also asked if I sat on a sofa and watched tv at an angle, which I don't.
I tend to watch tv either from here, my office desk, or from the bed, where the tv is directly in front of me.
Anyway, I had to take my outer clothes off and put a gown on, you know how I hate that.

Immediately he found the quite severe misalignments in my head and neck bones, which no NHS doctor has ever even checked. He showed me how bad the misalignments were, and he said it is no wonder I get sick with pain.
No one has ever picked up on that, although the physiotherapist would tell me not to sleep on my backpack as it seizes the muscles, and the osteopath told me that the neck vertebrae are degenerated.

So, as I thought, it would be a bad idea for me to take up any of my old sports, he said so, but we discussed swimming and he told me swimming certain strokes, doing exercise in the water, and not too much until we start to mend the injuries a bit.
He looked at my lower back, damaged discs and again a severe misalignment, he said my pelvis is (again) very severely out, and it is going to take a lot of work to put right, (last time that was done I felt like I had been run over by a bus for days) But he said no wonder I can't walk easily, and it does make sense now he has said it, no wonder I kept falling off my hips.

He said that some of the muscles in my legs are trying to do the work of the ligaments because of misalignments, and that puts too much strain on them. Wow, it is wonderful to actually understand these things.

I really learned a lot today, I had no idea about it all, because the NHS are just too pushed and under-resourced, in all that time not walking well, the NHS just said nothing could be wrong because my reflexes were good, and they said I had leg length syndrome and gave me uncomfortable blocks to put in my boots, which I eventually threw away.
Today the consultant asked about all that, and he said that the orthotics that my private walking therapist had recommended, which I still use, are just right, and that blocks for leg length syndrome are useless and had the NHS podiatrist ever measured the leg length discrepancy? No, he never did, and the consultant said that leg lengths should each be measured three times to get an accurate measurement.

I am all for the NHS because they provide free treatment, but due to their lack of resources and time, they have let me down over and over again.

So, my pelvis is seriously out, no wonder I can't walk very well, my head and neck are seriously screwed and my lower spine needs attention, and even the examination has set my head and neck off again.

The consultant laughed and laughed when I told him about Jersey, about pulling the tractor out of where it was stuck, even when I told him it was a little horticultural tractor, he laughed and laughed, he didn't say 'you idiot no wonder you've done your discs in!' but at that time in Jersey, I wasn't thinking straight any more, that is very probably when I did the hernia too.
But he thought it was hilarious so I was laughing too.

He asked about injuries and illnesses in childhood, and I explained as best I could that my medical history is patchy and it is still 50:50 whether I had polio when I was 8 years old and not able to walk without pain etc. I told him about the head injuries from my young childhood, because he said it is important that he knows everything because his own experience is that he broke his back when he was a child and years later was in pain and it was after quite some treatment that his consultant found out about the broken back and told him his troubles stemmed from the broken back.
My injured head and neck has a number of possible causes, but it has been troubling me severely for years, and the thought that it may be treatable brings me to tears.

I am instructed to sort out my computer and keyboard to ensure I am reducing strain, use a pillow for my back when I sit, drink plenty of warm water, none of my old sports until or unless therapy improves the condition of my spine, limited swimming and water exercises, and think about what position I sit in, no slumping.
Next week the torturous job of repairing or improving spine and pelvis will start :( bump.

Anyway, I came home, put the linens and towels out to dry in the garden as it is a nice day, threw a pizza in the oven for lunch, and went to the shop for folders for paperwork, some cards to send to people, some white tack to pin interesting things to the walls, and more loo rolls in case I run out.
I am dead domesticated, me.
Can't find that Houdini hoover though, it has obviously taken itself off for a walk again, maybe the neighbour's hoover is on heat.

I need to go and sort out my swim card when I have written in these cards and posted them.