My February musings...

So, with February quickly drawing to a close, I am faced with the reality that we are well into 2011. Spring semester has started in school, the weather ought to be getting warmer soon, (though it is currently blizzarding outside my window,) and time is really flying by.

I want to start out by sharing some pretty snazzy stuff I got to do in the past few weeks, since my last appointment and post. All of these things have been important to me, because they are either things that I have avoided, or had difficulty, doing because of my back. They are also things that I want to keep doing well into the future, and as such, are part of my motivation for having surgery. As I have been getting into the gym, I've been feeling a zillion times better already, and I've kind of surprised myself with what I've been able to handle. It's quite exciting :D

    

Hiking Little Si, North Bend, WA

Playing in my first competitive soccer game in 7 YEARS! Hecks YES!!!

The following are pics from a camping trip I did with friends this past weekend, to Cape Disappointment, Wa, down on the Long Beach Peninsula. Please note the gorgeous views, nifty people, and my sense of humor with driftwood :)

   

   

My mom and I attended another appointment with Dr. Hanscom last Thursday, the 17th. It was mostly to review what we had gone over at the appointment in late January, and to see how I have been doing with some of the suggestions he gave me. I think Dr. Hanscom almost cried from joy, due to my quick compliance to treatment. He said he's never seen someone take to it faster than me. This kind of amazed me, because all I did was just DO what my doctor suggested. It seems simple enough.

First of all, I have been getting into the gym at least 3 days a week, and I've been getting outside and getting active on the weekends, hiking, playing some soccer, etc. This alone has made such a huge difference, in both my physical health and my mental/emotional state. Physically, I am feeling much better than I did in the fall. Overall, I am more fit, and my core strength has improved already, which has almost eliminated much of the back fatigue and soreness I had been experiencing as of late. Just knowing that I've been able to make a plan for working out, and then sticking with that schedule, has given me a much more positive attitude, as well. Not to mention, I really enjoy getting in the gym and swimming- who'da thunk it?

Secondly, I got on sleep aids. I'm taking a low does of Ambien each evening. It operates to help you fall asleep, and stay asleep for 5 to 6 hours. As Dr. Hanscom says, "No sleep is not an option." Let me tell you what; I was hardly sleeping before these drugs. Now, at least the time I am spending in bed is paying off. That's not to say that I shouldn't be spending more time in bed, but being a busy college student tends to cut into your sleep schedule. That's something I still need to work on.

Last, I have started (begrudgingly) to engage in some writing exercises and reading the book "Feeling Good"that Dr. Hanscom had recommended. Both of these undertakings have been interesting. The book is about personal thought patterns, and how to break out of negative cycles in these areas. The writing exercises go along with that. The concept is that if you "stuff" your negative or "crazy" thoughts instead of acknowledging them, the result is that the effort you put into ignoring them actually gives them more power over you. By simply writing down some negative thoughts each evening, reading through them, acknowledging them, and coming up with a healthier thought pattern to replace the negative one, you will effectively stop their ability to affect you. The last step is always to throw these papers away. (No, you may not dig through my trash.) I am not particularly digging this process, since acknowledging negativity in your life is never pleasant, but I'm committed to seeing it through.

An important part of this appointment, for me, was that we discussed the logistics of scheduling surgery. Apparently, we only have to get on Dr. Hanscom's calendar 6 weeks in advance. This surprised me. We are still concerned about insurance approval, though, so we are going to start looking into more concrete details very soon. My mom and I discussed the fact that we will probably want to schedule the surgery while at my next appointment, since the following appointment, in April, may be less than 6 weeks away from when we want to schedule for. Our aim is to have me in for surgery sometime in the first or second week of June. I am only slightly unsettled with how quickly all of this is approaching. Overall, I still feel very at peace with things.

Prayers for peace and guidance, (for myself and my family) as I go into the next few weeks, and look at setting an official date for the surgery, would be much appreciated :)