Healing Signs

I may be done with chemo, but I'm not done visiting the chemo clinic. For the next year or more I will continue to get a monthly dose of Zometa - a drug designed to stop bone loss. That's where I am this morning. Back at the clinic. On the drip.

It has now been about 8 months since my cancer diagnosis. Yesterday I was reviewing my back pain symptoms with my physical therapist and I realized that I have really come a long way! My PET scans may be inconclusive, but my symptom "scans" are looking very positive.

Previously (P) vs. Now (N):

• (P) My back pain kept me from being comfortable at the end of the day or when trying to sleep. I super heated a rice bag and wore that around the house during the day and couldn't sleep without it at night.
  (N) My back pain has been slowly improving. Now I can often get through the day without needing to apply heat and I have found myself forgetting my rice bag when I go to bed (though I often still use it because it helps my muscles relax and feels like good therapy).
• (P) My chiropractor performs a thermal analysis on each visit that electronically measures muscle strain on either side of the spine. If the analysis shows much deviation from a central alignment, he does an adjustment, otherwise he does not. I've been visiting him for about 2 years, needing an adjustment every 1-3 weeks.
  (N) I am going on 8 weeks of holding my alignment (with checks every 2 weeks) and previous to this went 4 weeks holding my alignment.
• (P) I have been told by multiple physical therapists and chiropractors that my left hip is higher than my right. I've attempted to correct this with shoe lifts to no avail.
  (N) After several weeks with my current physical therapist, my left hip is only marginally higher than my right and showing continual improvement.
• (P) For years and years when I have walked on my treadmill, I have always drifted to the right. In fact, it felt uncomfortable to walk with my feet spaced evenly from the center point.
  (N) I've recently noticed that I am walking evenly and without drifting.
• (P) 3 months ago I couldn't sit for more than 5 minutes without significant pain. I couldn't make it through dinner, or a movie or church without needing to lie down.
  (N) I can sit for a couple hours, though I still use a U-shaped cushion to help. Anthony and I have recently started going to movies again and just last week I made it through the entire church block without having to bail for a rest at home.

When I look at these results I just think, "How can I not be healing? Something is working right here!"

I'm still not where I was a year ago. My back pain has prevented me from running. Someday I'd like to run a 5K again. Someday I'd like to do a mini triathlon again like I did before I had kids. Someday I'd like to sit for an extended time again without any pain. We'll see. I'll do my best. And I'll hopefully remember how grateful I am to be here with my family and to have such a functional body as it is.