Happy New Year Everyone!

Who needs a pacifier or formula when I have these tasty fingers!

Today was Andrew's turn to visit Urgent Care.  He has been feeling unwell for a while now.   We thought it was allergies, but it is worsening even with allergy meds and saline.  When the headache and sinus pressure started, he thought he should be seen before the long weekend.  Give how inept our PCP seems to be, Urgent Care seemed to be a better choice.  Diagnosis: Sinus Infection.  So now he is on a Z-Pak.

It's Girls Gone Wild!  

Ellie's hair just cracks me up.  It is like a muppet :-P

Yesterday I went to visit this Chiropractor.  He is awesome and who cannot trust a guy who name is Dr. Hamburger (He is from Austria and knows how to correctly pronounce my last name)?  I have always been a little skeptical of chiropractors.  Let's face it, one bad adjustment to the neck and your vessels can snap and then bam! stroke.  Yet Josh Tonnies educated me over the past few years and now I am sold.

Oh if only my PCP could be like Dr. H.  Dr. H asked me all sorts of questions, explained what he was looking for, and did a thorough exam yesterday.  During the exam he noticed that I had a lot of neck stiffness. He then did X-rays of my spine--a side view and frontal view.  After I quick glance of the X-rays he asked if I have ever fallen or been in an accident in the last 10-15 years.  This guy is clairvoyant! I was in a car wreck at age 14.

This morning I went in and he showed me a model of a normal spine.  He showed me what my spine looked like against a normal spine by setting my X-rays next to normal ones.  He then discussed how these finding affect your back and what needs to be done.  He is so thorough and just how a provider should be.

I think that I know why I have back pain--I have a compressed disc between the L5 (lumbar) and the tailbone.  I then have limited nerve movement at the L3 to L5 vertebrae.  The curvature of where my lumbar spine meets the tailbone is very off.  My neck vertebrae line up in almost a straight line.  There should be a 40-45 degree curve and mine is 7 degrees.

Dr.  H talked to me about the traction table, adjustments, and stretching.  He explained what they are, how they work, and what end goal is.  I never felt scared and he always told me what he was doing at the time.  It seems to me that the muscle relaxers and the pain meds just fix the symptoms as it flares up, but the realignment and stretching get to the root of the problem.

Nap time!

Andrew, Ellie, Tama, Sophie, Amelie, and I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year.  Try not to dwell on all of the bad things from 2009 unless it is to find a way to change them, but rather focus on the good.  I am looking back on all of the wonderful things this past year has brought--ie Ellie, Sophie, Laura & Marty + kids home to USA, many visits from friends & family, successful surgery for a family member, home, job, so forth and so on. . .

Happy New Year!!!