Feeling better????

I hardly dare to say it, but for the last couple of days I have been feeling better. Less pain, and I'm not taking more medications.

Rebecca, the chiropractor, was brisk but helpful. She talked about my kidneys and toxins (red flag) and suggested they might be the source of my pain (red flag). She also commented on how weird my ribs look on x-ray. It IS true that I've had a lot of rib pain since the PT marathon. It feels like I'm crushing them when I lie on mh side. Now, that's not normally the case. Normally, when you lie down you don't even feel your ribs. But I have points of soreness on both sides.

Rebecca did suggest some exercises to strengthen my core muscles and also the small muscles down my spine (e.g. by pressing my head against my hand). This may be what has helped. But also, strangely, the day before I felt better I had to get down on my hands and knees twice to pick up stuff from the floor. Ordinarily I'd think that would flare me up, if anything, since it would seem to bend my spine the wrong way, but who knows?

Today Marla had me get on my hands and knees briefly and stretch by putting my bottom down towards my heels. I couldn't hold myself up on my arms for long, so I put my head down. That's when she had me stretch. It didn't hurt.

Chris and I even went shopping last night at Staples. I keep knocking on wood, and God knows the pain is still there, but (as before) it's somehow more bearable again.

We'll see what happens. Marla did say that my shoulders were very tight again today, unlike the first day of feeilng better.

I got the most wonderful present from Julia Jacques in my Altered stArt Yahoo group -- a little accordion book with pockets for important sayings like "If it itches, don't wear it" and "Always ask for sprinklse". All very lighthearted and cute. She made those ATCs, too. I think I've figured out her technique for that, but I cannot see how she made the book. It has ten pages and would require 30 inche wide paper! It's the size of a maze book, but it has the pockets too. And it's bigger than a maze book made from scrapbook paper (3x3) since the cards are ATC size.

It was such a lift to get that book. I'm going to ask her for the directions.

Also, regarding my last post about mail art, I submitted a call for mail art at the site mail-art.de calling for submissions. I asked for Gridded Squares. So far I've only received one -- a preprinted postcard, which looks like the side of a basket but has a pretentious title. "Tan Lattice Klick-Klack". The artist mailed it the very next day, so he must have had it lying around. Anyone who is interested in mail art, check it out!

I'm also working on my litle books for the Creative Lenna swap and can't wait to get them. We are also having a maze swap on one of my Yahoo groups, but sadly the group has decided not to decorate their submissions. People want to add their own pictures and things. NOT ME! I'd so much rather get something already fabulous.

That's all for now. I have another shopping trip planned for tonight! And Andrew is comoing over on the weekend, with Sam at least. (Daniela is sick.) He sent the cutest video of Sam on his play mat mostly looking at Andrew, but you could see how much he must enjoy batting at the toys hanging overhead. Andrew says it keeps him entertained for an hour or so.