Back From Cleveland

Hello Gentle Reader, Sorry for the over 3 week delay in posting. I was sent last minute to Cleveland to work on a movie. Here's proof: Unfortunately I didn't get to go to an Indians game, but a friend got me a hat. It came in handy for standing in the sun all day. I didn't get to read much either since we were working long hours, as you do on a movie set. 14 hour days plus I was moonlighting a bit and doing a budget on another project. I figured, hey, if I'm busy and away from home, might as well be even busier and make a few more bucks. The euro is pretty brutal against the dollar right now, we need all the help we can get before we go to Paris (Next week!). I did take a couple of books with me, but the only one I ever cracked was The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. And I barely cracked it every night. I would read about 2 pages and fall asleep. I have mentioned this book in early posts as it is on my re-read often/never give away shelf. I do loan it out from time to time and love to buy it as a gift for people. Fascinating stuff that somehow never gets old to me. I got home late on Sunday night and a few days later my husband went to the book store and bought a few things for himself. (Research on current scripts he's writing so I'm not at liberty to say what they are...) He kindly bought a book for me as well Mind over Back Pain: A Radically New Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Back Pain by John E. Sarno. I have been annoyed by back spasms about once or twice a year for the last ten years. It's painful and scary and annoying and frustrating. I have seen MDs and Chiropractors and acupuncturists and physical therapists. No one can do or say anything that will cure what ails me. I had an MRI last September and have a herniated disk at L4/L5. You start asking around and suddenly you find out: Who doesn't have a herniated disk?! NPR had a series of stories on the back and they also said things this man says in his book. They key thing being that even though a back spasm hurts, it is not doing any harm. (It's only serious when your bowels begin to be effected, then you have to get your herniated ass into the hospital.) The premise that Dr. Sarno presents is that most back (and neck and shoulder) pain is caused by tension and stress. The physical manifestations are real, of course, but not because your spine is mis-aligned or there is a disk bulging. Many people live their whole lives with herniated disks and never know it, never feel pain. It has given me great food for thought and I am going to look into his theory even more. Does that mean I will stop exercising and doing core work? Heck no because my stomach muscles are looking good. Now, I just need to lose about 30 pounds so you can see them....