Archive for the “health” Category
I have officially lost my mind
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007I have now put something that looks like a cross between a bong and a magic lantern up my nose and would even recommend it. It’s called a neti pot and this is how you use it. Why? I have a cold. A very, very sore throat. Swollen glands that feel like pebbles in my neck. I can only breathe through one nostril.A yoga teacher once convinced me to buy one. But this cold I just decided I won’t tolerate. And time, along with the Internet and all of the neti pot rave reviews, convinced me to try it. So it looks wacky. It has a name that sounds like a cult in Marin named it during a 4th step in a weekend encounter group. But, it seems to be working. Yesterday I was so blocked nothing came out the other side. Today, I can breathe some. And that is  practical and very satisfying. I only wish I felt well enough to video blog the hilarity of this thing.  Â
ulnar nerve palsy update
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007photo taken 12/3/07
accident 10/06
2nd surgery 3/07
Original post +  photo  6/13/07 Â
The nerve is regenerating some! My doctor was amazed. Some sensation in parts back. Still major loss of strength + agility. Thanks to those others with UNP who have posted. It *can* grow back. Don’t know how/if belief and good vibes affected this but it didn’t hurt and helped my mood a lot. Â
New kind of doctor
Friday, October 26th, 2007This guy lives in Williamsburg NY, and has set up his practice to deal with the insanity that is the US health care system. He makes house calls. He focuses on prevention. He knows fonts.
He does not appear to be an “anal tool” as so many professional school students are, as so many families and schools encourage us to be. What do I mean by this term of art? Someone who has so focused their attention on what is called achievement and approval that they are identified with it to the point that they have forgotten their own nature as a human being and thus, the nature of others. This completes the the tail chasing.
Let’s flow chart this shall we since I don’t have an index card on hand:
desire to help others>
desire to become doctor><social mirroring says “achieve” thus achieve>become doctor>
desire to achieve>
become doctor>become anal tool>treat diseases> achieve treatment/forget patient+healing>
Of course this is a dynamic, like all things are. So the patients/business of the anal tool doctors generally go like this:
forget self>become ill>become patient>look for solution>find achieving anal tool doctor
My sweetie is in med school and Dr. Jay gives me hope for possibility. Stacey wants to have a balanced, healthy life and help others to do so as a physician. Unfortunately, the medical education system doesn’t make it possible to have one while you’re in it. Interesting system that implies “We must make you sick to help you learn to assist others in getting well.”
Thanks cheesebikini.
Getting some nerve back: nature + faith
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 ulnar nerve palsyEver since my accident last October, I haven’t been able to feel my pinky finger on my left hand, or part of the ring finger, or the front and back of the hand below those fingers.How big a deal is a pinky finger you might ask?I might have thought it wasn’t that big a deal before I lost the ability to feel and really use mine.You’d be amazed at how often you use that finger. Among other things, I now know I would use it to:cutting your foodholding a wineglassrock climbingplaying hockeydriving the carputting on a ponytailclappingholding handsholding anythingquality lesbian sexkeyboardingWestern medicine calls what I have ulnar nerve palsy. Turns out that our nerves supply the charge to your muscles. Without that charge, the muscles atrophy (check out the big scoop between my thumb and forefinger and then look at your own). All this means that after months and months of therapy I now have a left hand that’s about half as strong as my right hand and nowhere near as delft or agile.So what do the doctors have to say about all this Will it come back to normal?They’re quite succinct: “we don’t know.”Other than physically manipulating my fingers every day so that they don’t stay too “clawed” (as you can see) when the nerve comes back, there’s not much to do.Not having anything to do or any knowledge if I’m going to get this back has been difficult. i’ve seen a holistic chiropractor who has encouraged me to hum to send energy down the fluid around the nerve. I’ve also been encouraged to imagine / visualize using my left hand normally as well as my right hand to keep the neural pathways open and healing. One energy healer at a party did reiki on it and another friend prayed for it.Energy healing is a frickin hilarious punchline, until you need it (ok, even if you need it, it’s still pretty funny).Basically I’ve stepped into the large void in which science has not yet given us answers. And so what is there? Faith. Faith that it will come back, that my attitude and belief can help make that happen.I have chosen that for the very rational reason that it’s the only thing I can do and I very much wish to do something. Holding the attitude of “we’ll see whatever the hell happens to my hand happens” is not so comforting.In the off chance there is some yet-to-be-charted quantum affect of my attitude and mental decision affecting my body’s healing, then I certainly have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing it.I suppose that goes for the prayer and the energy healing too.The great news is that this week’s EMG revealed that my nerve has regenerated some. Why this has happened I don’t know. Medicine doesn’t seem to know either. They conjecture that the surgery relieved some pressure on the nerve. But do I now look to science and faith to encourage the rest of whatever healing I’ll get.All science has to say to me at the moment is, “I don’t know” and “You’ll get whatever you’re going to get within 18 months of the surgery” which was last March.Is faith just a way of approaching what science can’t yet explain?My belief and mind can say whatever I choose to have them say.I choose full recovery.What do you think?
new scar
Thursday, March 8th, 2007lotsa yolks
Monday, March 5th, 2007
Many thanks for all the good wishes and all the lovely friends who have been cooking + visiting. The surgery went well and my arm is in a cast. Healing makes you hungry! I’m resting up for the SXSW show next Monday: Continuous Partial Attention.
Help my hand. Virtual laugh in->send me good vibes, or a :-D
Friday, January 19th, 2007Send me a :-D at 1-3PST today
My funny bone was broken a few months ago. I have an important medical appointment today and I’m nervous. Please send me good vibes for my hand and a smiley face or joke for the rest of me today between 1-3 PST. California has gotten to me. This is really proving that everything I mock, I become.
AIM = scoobyfox
(use ichat, or aol.com. it will get sent to my phone)