Back in early December, just days before I was to fly home to Dayton, OH for the holidays, my neck and upper back started to hurt and my range of motion became severely limited. I figured I had just slept on it funny but the severity forced me to go see the doc. She ordered some x-rays and told I had a hairline fracture of the exterior (aka spinous) process of my C7 vertebra. While I didn’t have any risk of spinal cord injury, I had damaged some muscle tissue and ligaments. She prescribed a horse pill of ibuprofen, Vicodin and a muscle relaxant which rocked my world whenever I took it. After about five days in Dayton, the pain subsided and I just forgot about it.

Then last Tuesday in the middle of the damn day, my upper body was nearly paralyzed. The pain was indescribable and it took all I had to drive home to get the pain meds at lunch. I immediately made another appointment where I was again forced to take some x-rays and was again told to just rest.

Amy’s sister suggested I try massage therapy. She had some back problems early in her pregnancy and highly recommended a particular therapist in Redmond. I reluctantly agreed to make an appointment as I have never really respected that profession. In fact if anything, I only agreed to go so as to not hurt her feelings. The whole way there, I kept trying to think of excuses to get out of it. I’m insanely ticklish and have this phobia about people touching (or even getting near) my neck. Amy wasn’t going to let me back out though.

The place was professional and I found the room to be incredibly relaxing (save for the cheese-filled Bette Midler music). Denise seemed shier than myself and it was a bit awkward getting naked for someone you’ve only known for 60 seconds or so. I walked in with my head tilted sharply to the left and a posture like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I walked out posture perfect without any pain at all. I also walked in in total amazement of what had just happened. On one hand, the hour seemed like mere minutes but on the otherhand I felt like an eternity had passed and that the world was a completely different place then from when I had went in.

Maybe it was just psychosomatic before. Perhaps it was the placebo effect after. Whatever, I don’t really care ’cause whatever she did just worked. It wasn’t the most relaxing thing ever and some of the things she did were quite painful but in the end it was worth it. I still have a little soreness in the center of my back but for the most part I’ve regained full range of motion. I also don’t have to take those damn pills or look like Lurch at work. One small side effect though was the way my legs reacted to the deep massage. So much lactic acid was released that I haven’t been able to ride on the trainer very long.

I’m going back next week (twist my arm) for a follow up appointment and I’m praying that I don’t become addicted.

I only have one blonde in my family (My sister Kelly) so I think it’s safe to share the best blonde joke in the world. Ever. For all time.

No I’m not talking about the rain again. The Seattle Seahawks finally ended their 22 year drought of playoff victories with a 20-10 win over the Washington Redskins in Seattle today. I’ll admit that I was pretty skeptical of their ability to pull it off because every time they were close to anything great, they’d blow it. And when Sean Alexander went down with a concussion in the first quarter, I almost turned off the TV. But they did it and it’s about time something goes our way. Now we just have to get through the NFC Championship which will be held in Seattle also.

Playing in I-Tunes: I Hope I Didn’t Just Give Away The Ending from the album “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed” by New Radicals

Docks under water on the shore of East Lake Sammamish

Sure, it’s kind of dreary but it will be nice to see snow on the mountains from the valley for the first time in a couple of years.

Playing in I-Tunes: Got You (Where I Want You) from the album “Disturbing Behavior Soundtrack” by The Flys