This year I've decided to fast during Lent. Kelly has been doing it for awhile and thought I should do it too. I'm fasting french fries and sweets this year. Kelly said he'll fast light beer...lol (I wouldn't put it past him either) He'll probably do french fries again, but who knows.
We're also giving up meat on Fridays. I guess we'll be going to lots of fish fry's again. This place is infested with them.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
My Back-e-otomy
Like many people I have lower back pain. It comes from years of wearing issued boots and doing the physical labor that cannot be done by a machine. Loading cargo on airplanes is pretty demanding. You have to climb up on the plane, push pallets that can weigh up to 10,000 lbs, and contort your body to fit underneath vehicles and other cargo that needs to be chained down. Another part of my job is passenger service. We have to load the passengers onto aircraft and do the paperwork that comes with it. Baggage also comes with passengers. People like their stuff. Most bags are heavy, and when you're in the belly of a commercial plane throwing bags while bent over it can take a toll on your body.
I mentioned all of that because as a young Airman, you're expected to do more of the physical work. I now know that it's because once you've been doing this for a while, you cannot do as much of the grunt work. Now that I'm older I don't want to be the guy that makes the young'ns do the hard work exclusively. So, after years of back problems I started getting more proactive.
At Hurlburt Field I started traction. If you don't know what it is, I'll explain. It's where you're hooked up to a machine that stretches you. Your upper body is anchored to a table and your lower body is connected via a harness to a machine that pulls your spine in varying degrees of weight and time. My pulls were usually around 125 lbs and there was a 45 second pull with a 15 second let off to about 25% of the weight. It worked wonders at first, but eventually it was just a way to relieve discomfort.
I got to Sheppard and discontinued because I was in an office environment. It got better, but after four years of marching and running with Airmen, the pain started to come back. I went to get an x-ray and MRI done and got a call stating that I had degenerative disc disease and that the discs around two vertebrae were compressed and bulging. It caused pressure on my right sciatic nerve. They did a nerve test with electricity and determined that the signal is degraded. I had an epidural to inject steroids and pain meds into my spine but I hated it. I felt like I had to take a dump for about 4 weeks. Knowing that I had reached my last resort and that I don't want another needle in my back unless absolutely necessary I made an appointment once we moved to IL.
I told the new Doc that I didn't want pills and that I'd try anything short of surgery and the needle. He suggested chiropractic treatment and possibly acupuncture. Honestly when I think of acupuncture, I have visions of a witch doctor with a bone through his nose and chicken blood on his face dancing around me sticking flaming needles in my body. Chiropractors on the other hand actually wear clothes so I went that route.
I made the appointment and had the pre-interview. They said I was a great candidate for the treatment and I sat in the waiting room. I went in with the Doctor and he asked about my pain and had me sit on the table. He tested my reflexes and muscle resistance. He contorted me to see where I had problems with mobility. My neck was stiff as well as my upper back. This was from trying to keep my lower back from moving too much. He felt my lower back and touched a lump right above my butt. He asked if that was a problem and I told him it was the main problem. His tone got excited and he said "I'm going to help you today!". I was skeptical. For about nine years I've had that lump and no other doctor seemed to give a damn. I thought it was a deformity or something. It turns out that it was a muscle that got pinched in my sacroiliac joint (SI). This is the joint between your pelvis, tailbone and spine. I laid on my back and he said that I looked crooked. He put me on my left side and popped my left SI joint. Then he popped my right one, the one with the lump. I immediately felt relief. He put me on my back and adjusted my cervical vertebrae and almost all of my spine. I even felt my sternum pop. He stood the bed up and told me to bend at the waist. I felt 100% better. Then I reached back to feel the lump.
It was gone!
After nine years, the lump was gone. The lump that was a misplaced muscle, that was as hard as bone had disappeared. I looked at the Doc and he was grinning from ear to ear. I really was impressed. It's great to have someone treat you that truly loves what they do. I then went to have ultrasonic muscle stimulation. At first I couldn't feel anything. Then slowly I started to feel the "zapping" sensation. Apparently it contracts and relaxes your muscles faster than your body can on it's own. I wasn't feeling anything at first because the nerve and muscle hadn't been working for years. The joint was completely locked up.
Now I'm officially a believer. This stuff works. I can turn my head all the way to each side and I don't have the small "hitch" in my step. My posture is better and I have new pain in other parts of my back because I'm not used to using it all. It's great though. It's way better than a needle in the back or surgery. I've been told that because of my age I'll probably need the surgery, but as long as I can get chiropractic treatment I'll put it off as long as possible. I can see how this can be addicting. Although today's treatment was more intense than last weeks and I am slightly sore, I can tell it worked. The Doc had the same proud smile. That's something that's missing with people today.
This Doctor really does this to help people. We talked about his practice and stuff and he said he made more money in private practice than on base but he does it for fun and really enjoys his work.
He's one of the few people in this world that "gets it". For that, I'm thankful.
I mentioned all of that because as a young Airman, you're expected to do more of the physical work. I now know that it's because once you've been doing this for a while, you cannot do as much of the grunt work. Now that I'm older I don't want to be the guy that makes the young'ns do the hard work exclusively. So, after years of back problems I started getting more proactive.
At Hurlburt Field I started traction. If you don't know what it is, I'll explain. It's where you're hooked up to a machine that stretches you. Your upper body is anchored to a table and your lower body is connected via a harness to a machine that pulls your spine in varying degrees of weight and time. My pulls were usually around 125 lbs and there was a 45 second pull with a 15 second let off to about 25% of the weight. It worked wonders at first, but eventually it was just a way to relieve discomfort.
I got to Sheppard and discontinued because I was in an office environment. It got better, but after four years of marching and running with Airmen, the pain started to come back. I went to get an x-ray and MRI done and got a call stating that I had degenerative disc disease and that the discs around two vertebrae were compressed and bulging. It caused pressure on my right sciatic nerve. They did a nerve test with electricity and determined that the signal is degraded. I had an epidural to inject steroids and pain meds into my spine but I hated it. I felt like I had to take a dump for about 4 weeks. Knowing that I had reached my last resort and that I don't want another needle in my back unless absolutely necessary I made an appointment once we moved to IL.
I told the new Doc that I didn't want pills and that I'd try anything short of surgery and the needle. He suggested chiropractic treatment and possibly acupuncture. Honestly when I think of acupuncture, I have visions of a witch doctor with a bone through his nose and chicken blood on his face dancing around me sticking flaming needles in my body. Chiropractors on the other hand actually wear clothes so I went that route.
I made the appointment and had the pre-interview. They said I was a great candidate for the treatment and I sat in the waiting room. I went in with the Doctor and he asked about my pain and had me sit on the table. He tested my reflexes and muscle resistance. He contorted me to see where I had problems with mobility. My neck was stiff as well as my upper back. This was from trying to keep my lower back from moving too much. He felt my lower back and touched a lump right above my butt. He asked if that was a problem and I told him it was the main problem. His tone got excited and he said "I'm going to help you today!". I was skeptical. For about nine years I've had that lump and no other doctor seemed to give a damn. I thought it was a deformity or something. It turns out that it was a muscle that got pinched in my sacroiliac joint (SI). This is the joint between your pelvis, tailbone and spine. I laid on my back and he said that I looked crooked. He put me on my left side and popped my left SI joint. Then he popped my right one, the one with the lump. I immediately felt relief. He put me on my back and adjusted my cervical vertebrae and almost all of my spine. I even felt my sternum pop. He stood the bed up and told me to bend at the waist. I felt 100% better. Then I reached back to feel the lump.
It was gone!
After nine years, the lump was gone. The lump that was a misplaced muscle, that was as hard as bone had disappeared. I looked at the Doc and he was grinning from ear to ear. I really was impressed. It's great to have someone treat you that truly loves what they do. I then went to have ultrasonic muscle stimulation. At first I couldn't feel anything. Then slowly I started to feel the "zapping" sensation. Apparently it contracts and relaxes your muscles faster than your body can on it's own. I wasn't feeling anything at first because the nerve and muscle hadn't been working for years. The joint was completely locked up.
Now I'm officially a believer. This stuff works. I can turn my head all the way to each side and I don't have the small "hitch" in my step. My posture is better and I have new pain in other parts of my back because I'm not used to using it all. It's great though. It's way better than a needle in the back or surgery. I've been told that because of my age I'll probably need the surgery, but as long as I can get chiropractic treatment I'll put it off as long as possible. I can see how this can be addicting. Although today's treatment was more intense than last weeks and I am slightly sore, I can tell it worked. The Doc had the same proud smile. That's something that's missing with people today.
This Doctor really does this to help people. We talked about his practice and stuff and he said he made more money in private practice than on base but he does it for fun and really enjoys his work.
He's one of the few people in this world that "gets it". For that, I'm thankful.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another Thought
We've lost the last true bit of entertainment for a while. Governor Blagojevich was removed from office today and also was prohibited from EVER holding public office in IL again. If you havent seen them, google his recent interviews on Glenn Beck, The View, Rachel Maddow and with Geraldo. I chuckled at each one. This guy is a nut case. He thinks that he's not guilty because he was "just talking". So I guess it's not illegal if I just started "talking" about carrying a b0mb (yes, that's a zero) on a plane?
Who would have thought that we'd have an impromptu reality show in the IL state government?
*side note- when spell check caught Blagojevich's name, the only alternative spelling was archipelago. I guess that could be worse than being a guy named Kelly.
Who would have thought that we'd have an impromptu reality show in the IL state government?
*side note- when spell check caught Blagojevich's name, the only alternative spelling was archipelago. I guess that could be worse than being a guy named Kelly.
Seriously?
So I had to leave work early on Tuesday. Is the suspense killing you? Why on earth would this nearly perfect human specimen have to leave work? Pinkeye. Yep. I'm days away from my 32nd birthday and I get friggin' pinkeye. Seriously?
Ok, leaving work wasnt that big of a deal. Again, why... on a Tuesday on the AMC, USTRANSCOM, and Army SDDC Headquarters base? We should be swamped what with the 60 or so Generals and hundreds of Colonels running around. Yep, not so much. It seems that 2 to 2.5" of snow can cripple the Air Force. Seriously? Only mission essential personnel (ME) were to report to work. It was mission essential for me to tell retirees that they couldnt fly for free that day (with goop in my eye), while most people were snug in bed, safe and warm. It's not like the storm didnt give advance notice. This is Illinois. The midwest is known for snow and ice, not to mention cold winters. The base has been here since the days when Airships were cutting edge. The base closed... seriously.
So, I called the hospital to tell them that I needed to be seen at sick call. I got a recording. It seems that medical personnel are not mission essential. I dialed the nurse line and they told me to go to the EMERGENCY ROOM. For PINKEYE! Seriously? I asked just to make sure, "the emergency room, for pinkeye?" She said do not go to urgent care. I called the emergency room and they said to come on down... for pinkeye. C'mon!
So, after my eyeball was pressure washed with what had to be iodine and citric acid, and following the light around the room, I sat back up. Dont worry about the yellow stain running down the side of my face, it'll wash off... someday. She said Yep, it's conjunctivitis. That's Pinkeye for us lay people. I needed all of that just to be sure. The fact that my normally white eyeball was RED and covered in mucus. The iodine, the acid, the 10 days of antibiotics and drops four times daily... all for pinkeye. Seriously?
I'm glad to say that I'm back to normal though. Well except for the "side effects" of the antibiotics. I'm sure most of you know what that means. Supposedly yogurt helps. Not for me.
So, I'm off to bed. We're going to pick up my mom tomorrow evening and then we're headed up to Joliet to see family and celebrate Ian's birthday. If you get the chance to ask him, he's "free" and his "birfday" is "janrary six". He's so excited to go to Chuck E. Cheese he cant contain himself. We're excited too.
Ok, leaving work wasnt that big of a deal. Again, why... on a Tuesday on the AMC, USTRANSCOM, and Army SDDC Headquarters base? We should be swamped what with the 60 or so Generals and hundreds of Colonels running around. Yep, not so much. It seems that 2 to 2.5" of snow can cripple the Air Force. Seriously? Only mission essential personnel (ME) were to report to work. It was mission essential for me to tell retirees that they couldnt fly for free that day (with goop in my eye), while most people were snug in bed, safe and warm. It's not like the storm didnt give advance notice. This is Illinois. The midwest is known for snow and ice, not to mention cold winters. The base has been here since the days when Airships were cutting edge. The base closed... seriously.
So, I called the hospital to tell them that I needed to be seen at sick call. I got a recording. It seems that medical personnel are not mission essential. I dialed the nurse line and they told me to go to the EMERGENCY ROOM. For PINKEYE! Seriously? I asked just to make sure, "the emergency room, for pinkeye?" She said do not go to urgent care. I called the emergency room and they said to come on down... for pinkeye. C'mon!
So, after my eyeball was pressure washed with what had to be iodine and citric acid, and following the light around the room, I sat back up. Dont worry about the yellow stain running down the side of my face, it'll wash off... someday. She said Yep, it's conjunctivitis. That's Pinkeye for us lay people. I needed all of that just to be sure. The fact that my normally white eyeball was RED and covered in mucus. The iodine, the acid, the 10 days of antibiotics and drops four times daily... all for pinkeye. Seriously?
I'm glad to say that I'm back to normal though. Well except for the "side effects" of the antibiotics. I'm sure most of you know what that means. Supposedly yogurt helps. Not for me.
So, I'm off to bed. We're going to pick up my mom tomorrow evening and then we're headed up to Joliet to see family and celebrate Ian's birthday. If you get the chance to ask him, he's "free" and his "birfday" is "janrary six". He's so excited to go to Chuck E. Cheese he cant contain himself. We're excited too.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Winter Wonderland!
We are in a Winter Wonderland here in southern IL. I didn't think we would get a real snow fall this year, but we finally did starting Monday night! I think in all we got 6 inches or so. Ian loves the snow. He especially loves to "help" shovel. We took him sledding this afternoon and he wasn't too sure of it. He only ended up going down 3 times, twice with me and once with Kelly. I haven't been sledding in YEARS and I don't remember it hurting so bad when you go over the jump at the end (thanks to the neighborhood kids). I can't believe I actually loved going off the jumps. Here are some pictures from yesterday and today. I might make 'snow cream' tomorrow, but that depends on how many dogs decide to color my snow.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Color Blind
I realized yesterday when I got home that I'm more color blind than most. All day at work I heard on the news that this is a "historic" inauguration, blah, blah, blah. I finally asked a few people what the big deal is and they looked at me like I wasnt wearing pants. One of them finally said "he's black".
I said "oh" and turned around. I realized that it's never been an issue to me. When I got home I told Erin about it and she said that it wasnt a big deal to her.
Today there was a comment made on msn.com from a woman in MD that more has been said about what color he is but not what kind of leader he'll be. Hopefully it's out of everyone's system because President Obama has a long, arduous task at hand. Israel vs. Gaza, N. Korea is acting stupid again, Russia has made comments that they'll bow up on us. Ok, I know that "Russia" and "N. Korea" havent said things, but you know what I mean. The whack jobs in charge of them have shown that they'll try us.
Hopefully Obama reniegs on half of his promises. His past rhetoric has bordered socialist. With Hillary on his team and Feinstein foaming at the mouth we need to be prepared for a fight. Communism has failed in every instance except Cuba, and who cares about them? Communism wants the people to be dependent on the state to provide but ultimately the people have nothing. What's the first thing they need to take? Guns. If we are armed, we can rise up. It's hard to fight the army with pitch forks and such.
I really do hope for change. I'm not bitter that a republican didnt win because honestly I'm fairly even keeled. I dont care about gays in the military or gay marriage. I figure if gay people want to be married, let them. Right now they have it easy. They can start and end relationships arbitrarily, but with marriage comes work. If you want to end a marriage, it's a pain in the rectum. No pun intended. Ha. Anyway, I dont care about that. It's not my fight. I do care about being a good person. You can be a good person and be gay. Ok, so I guess my point is that I dont care about that, but a lot of people do. Obama went on the record stating that he supported gay marriage. Now that he's been elected he has changed his tune. He said that Marriage is a union between a "man and a woman". I bet that chaps some people's asses. (strange that when gay comes up, chaps and asses are mentioned).
Ok, this was supposed to be a short thing about how I dont care that Obama's black. I'm actually glad. It's about time. It could have been worse... Hillary. We dont know what the hell she is!
The biggest loser is on. We're going to watch it and talk about how we need to lose weight.
I said "oh" and turned around. I realized that it's never been an issue to me. When I got home I told Erin about it and she said that it wasnt a big deal to her.
Today there was a comment made on msn.com from a woman in MD that more has been said about what color he is but not what kind of leader he'll be. Hopefully it's out of everyone's system because President Obama has a long, arduous task at hand. Israel vs. Gaza, N. Korea is acting stupid again, Russia has made comments that they'll bow up on us. Ok, I know that "Russia" and "N. Korea" havent said things, but you know what I mean. The whack jobs in charge of them have shown that they'll try us.
Hopefully Obama reniegs on half of his promises. His past rhetoric has bordered socialist. With Hillary on his team and Feinstein foaming at the mouth we need to be prepared for a fight. Communism has failed in every instance except Cuba, and who cares about them? Communism wants the people to be dependent on the state to provide but ultimately the people have nothing. What's the first thing they need to take? Guns. If we are armed, we can rise up. It's hard to fight the army with pitch forks and such.
I really do hope for change. I'm not bitter that a republican didnt win because honestly I'm fairly even keeled. I dont care about gays in the military or gay marriage. I figure if gay people want to be married, let them. Right now they have it easy. They can start and end relationships arbitrarily, but with marriage comes work. If you want to end a marriage, it's a pain in the rectum. No pun intended. Ha. Anyway, I dont care about that. It's not my fight. I do care about being a good person. You can be a good person and be gay. Ok, so I guess my point is that I dont care about that, but a lot of people do. Obama went on the record stating that he supported gay marriage. Now that he's been elected he has changed his tune. He said that Marriage is a union between a "man and a woman". I bet that chaps some people's asses. (strange that when gay comes up, chaps and asses are mentioned).
Ok, this was supposed to be a short thing about how I dont care that Obama's black. I'm actually glad. It's about time. It could have been worse... Hillary. We dont know what the hell she is!
The biggest loser is on. We're going to watch it and talk about how we need to lose weight.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
5:30 AM at Philadelphia International Airport
I got here at 4:40 after turning the rental car in. I checked my bags outside because the line inside was ridiculous. I'll let it be known to those that dont know me that I dont like flying. One of my favorite things is watching people in the Airport. It's hilarious. Especially this early in the morning.
Here are the notable performers from this morning's visit.
To my 10 O'clock there is a man with a mowhawk. He's wearing a lambskin coat with the wool lining, ripped jeans and crocs. He's about 50, so the mowhawk is just a tad pathetic. His traveling "partner" is also wearing crocs, the same color. If you didnt catch it by now, they are gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just strange what kind of people are attracted to each other. The non-mowhawk guy has the requisite mustache.
Directly across from me, about 2 feet away is an old man. He looks like Ernest Hemmingway. He smells like him too. He keeps discreatly raising his leg and about 30 seconds after each leg raise, he fidgets. Guess what follows? Yep, the smell of prune juice and grape nuts. It's strange. He just got up. Oh my God! My eyes are watering. That wasnt obvious. He's back. He must not like the smell of himself. His crocs are grey. I'm not kidding. Three grown men within 15 feet of me are wearing plastic/rubber shoes.
Behind me is an obnoxious family from New York. I know that they are from NY because every 45 seconds or so I hear something mentioned about how much better it is there. The dad is loud and the mom is constantly asking him for a straw. The kids are in their pajamas, the boy in Sponge Bob and the girl in pink. The pajamas are too small. The dad is a bit slow. He hasnt picked up on my subtle hints that he should stop moving the chair. In case you cant hear him, he'd like everyone in the tri-state area to know that he doesnt feel well and that he's moving slow this morning. The mom wants him to take charge of the kids while she walks around. She was going to get an egg and cheese panini but didnt want to wait in line. Again, he doesnt feel well. He asked what a panini is, and says that he hasnt heard of one in NY. They are seriously the loudest people in gate A9.
Mowhawk guy is sleeping on mustache man's shoulder.
To my nine O'clock there is a man with his thumb up his nose.
Spongebob's name is Kyle. I've heard that name enough this morning to know that I dont like it anymore.
They are calling for passengers now.
Bye.
Here are the notable performers from this morning's visit.
To my 10 O'clock there is a man with a mowhawk. He's wearing a lambskin coat with the wool lining, ripped jeans and crocs. He's about 50, so the mowhawk is just a tad pathetic. His traveling "partner" is also wearing crocs, the same color. If you didnt catch it by now, they are gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just strange what kind of people are attracted to each other. The non-mowhawk guy has the requisite mustache.
Directly across from me, about 2 feet away is an old man. He looks like Ernest Hemmingway. He smells like him too. He keeps discreatly raising his leg and about 30 seconds after each leg raise, he fidgets. Guess what follows? Yep, the smell of prune juice and grape nuts. It's strange. He just got up. Oh my God! My eyes are watering. That wasnt obvious. He's back. He must not like the smell of himself. His crocs are grey. I'm not kidding. Three grown men within 15 feet of me are wearing plastic/rubber shoes.
Behind me is an obnoxious family from New York. I know that they are from NY because every 45 seconds or so I hear something mentioned about how much better it is there. The dad is loud and the mom is constantly asking him for a straw. The kids are in their pajamas, the boy in Sponge Bob and the girl in pink. The pajamas are too small. The dad is a bit slow. He hasnt picked up on my subtle hints that he should stop moving the chair. In case you cant hear him, he'd like everyone in the tri-state area to know that he doesnt feel well and that he's moving slow this morning. The mom wants him to take charge of the kids while she walks around. She was going to get an egg and cheese panini but didnt want to wait in line. Again, he doesnt feel well. He asked what a panini is, and says that he hasnt heard of one in NY. They are seriously the loudest people in gate A9.
Mowhawk guy is sleeping on mustache man's shoulder.
To my nine O'clock there is a man with his thumb up his nose.
Spongebob's name is Kyle. I've heard that name enough this morning to know that I dont like it anymore.
They are calling for passengers now.
Bye.
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