Relieving pain

So, the doctor has cleared me to "resume normal activity" on Monday. This means I go back to work in my office. :::sigh::: I'll miss working from my little laptop, on my comfy couch, with the kitchen only steps away. Amazingly enough, I've managed to not gain weight during the last three weeks away from the office buzz, which I'm pathetically proud of!

I tried to take it easy on Friday, and enjoy the last day to work at home. However, the last few days have not been all the restful. Son needs another root canal. He also needed to see a chiropractor about his back. Yep -- sixteen years old and he has back trouble.

Thank you, Texas Football.

As Son's back has started to hurt more, and he's walking more and more like an 80-year-old, a few things have come to light that I didn't know. Things his coaches in Texas told him he'd be punished for letting anyone know.

This particular back pain started four years ago. Four years ago! The coaches pushed him to lift more than his body was capable of handling, and he hurt himself. Through his first year of high school, the pushing continued, including threats if a boy complained, showed pain, or was injured. All of these were considered signs of weakness, and would not be tolerated.

I didn't know about all of this at the time. Son has been telling me more details lately of other things that went on. The most alarming story he's told me lately is about a large unmarked bottle of pills in the coaches' office. He says the pills were also large, and uncoated for faster absorption. Players with any pain were given these before a game, and 10 minutes later the pain was gone. They boys were told, "If anyone asks, we just gave you ibuprofen."

I don't know what my son was given and that scares me. How do things get so askew with these coaches? I don't get this!

But the issue in the present is Son's pain. I have a wonderful chiropractor, so I took him in for an assessment. They did a multitude of x-rays and scans that showed the misalignment of his hips, legs, and spine. I had no idea his range of motion was so restricted until I saw him in action during these tests. The results really surprised my son, and it seemed to shock him into taking his treatment seriously.

Having the chiropractor work on him freaked him out at first. He had trouble relaxing. So, the doctor had him do some breathing and it helped. When he heard his body popping, he was shocked by the sound. But then he stood up. He felt talled. He stood straight. He could move his neck. He could walk without stooping. Instant relief.

And his attitude has improved greatly since that day. He actually wants to help with school shopping. My son? Shopping? Never thought I'd see the day. He's been more cooperative and pleasant, too. All I can say is....wow.

He and Drama Queen are leaving on a church-sponsored hiking trip next week. They are assigned to different groups on the trail, thank goodness. They must dress in pioneer clothing and hike a 14-mile stretch of pioneer trail in Wyoming, recreating a point in history. Some will actually pull handcarts on the trail, too. They each also have a name of someone who really make that trek, including their personal history.

It'll be a great experience, but not if he's in pain. Thursday, we made a step towards making sure he can have this experience.