Spring is here!
Clean out your office to make way for new growth. Spring is a time of renewal. Just as we do a “Spring Cleaning” at home, during these months we should get rid of the emotional clutter, so we can move forward in a more positive way. New beginnings are represented by the element of wood. Spring is also associated with the liver and gallbladders organs. They help with decision making and following through with them.
Green, the color of the wood element, the liver and the gallbladder, is emerging everywhere. Things are moving up and out with strong yang energy, which is different to the dark slow moving yin energy of winter. Consider what you want to achieve this year and start taking the steps to make them happen. Spring is a time of growth in nature as well as personal growth and so we must encourage the springing up of goals. Anger, the emotion associated with wood, moves up and out clearing the way for things to get done. However, when anger is out of balance and not released, it can manifest in several ways such as in the wood related organs, the joints, as fatigue, in decision making, and creating digestive issues to name a few. Like a healthy tree branch, the wood element is flexible. Be flexible in life.
Essential oils are great for the wood element. They can help with depression, insomnia and other conditions created by liver qi imbalance. Some of the oils for wood imbalances include lavender, orange, lemon, and ylang ylang. Young Living’s “Peace & Calming” blend is great for this time of year and is one of my personal favorites. It helps reduce anxiety and has a wonderful uplifting scent. Try this blend for the spring season. To order “Peace and Calming” go to youngliving.com, sign up, enter 945233 in the sponsor id field, and have fun exploring the world of therapeutic grade essential oils!
I’m Back!
As there is only two weeks left of therapy, I am able to start seeing patients again. It has been a slow journey and although my wrist still has some weakness and pain, my surgeon gave me the go ahead to start seeing patients again. Thank you for all of you patience and I look forward to helping all of you with your pain issues. My appointments are booking up quickly, so reserve your appointments. I have some openings, but there are those people already booking into December! See you soon.
Rehab 8/17/10
Went to Rehab today and it was much more rough than last time. There was definitely more stretching and my wrist was pushed further than I thought it would be. It was a bit uncomfortable I must admit. I also got to do some hand grip and wrist strengthening. Those 1 lb. weights were much heavier than I remember. lol. Going back tomorrow for more.
Starting Rehab 8/12/10
Hello Everyone,
I had my first real rehab session with the therapy assistant Beth. She was very nice and friendly. I was there for only about 30 minutes and we did some light passive and active stretching. It seemed anti-climatic since I am used to having people attack me with swords. I did see something which I found amusing though. They were making one woman walk around the room with a pail of water. I was thinking “Gunga din, bring water!” Then I saw they were making her hold a brush and scrub the table as part of her therapy. I was waiting for the therapist to make her clean the windows too! hmmmm, was this therapy or a chance to save from hiring a janitor? Anyway, things went well and will be returning next week.
Rehab begins 8/10/10
I went to my first appointment at St. Lukes for wrist rehab. They tested my range of motion, which was obviously limited and wrist strength was also lacking. My hand therapist, Joan seemed very nice and a fellow martial artist as well. We really didn’t do much today, but I got a soothing heating pad which was relaxing. I was also given a couple of basic stretches. I was happy about that because I feel that it is a step forward. I was told to do them for 10 minutes, six times a day. I am also supposed to go to therapy three times a week. Lets pray it goes well.
my journey through wrist surgery 8/8/10
After seeing my wrist, my surgeon was extremely happy, telling me that things are healing better than expected. She still does not want me to lift things, however I get to start rehab on Tuesday the 10th! On occasion my dorsal medial wrist gets achy, so I have been trying to move it less than before. It seems to help some. Getting lots of interest in craniosacral therapy lately and I cannot wait until I can start seeing patients again. Thank you everyone for your patience.
My Journey Through Wrist Surgery-7/29/10
My wrist is slowly coming along. I am in a removable cast. My wrist is stiff and I still cannot lift anything. I am beginning to get range of motion, about 10 degrees. Some days it is sore, but overall not too bad. Tomorrow I go back to the city to see Dr. Kang. Hopefully, she gives me a good report and I can start rehab. I miss all of my patients and look forward to when I can work with you again. On a positive note, I was given permission to ride my bike as long as my wrist brace was on.
My Journey through Wrist Surgery – 7/17/10
With a removable cast, I am able to see what my wrist looks like. Overall, it looks pretty good. My scar is fairly minimal looking and the holes where the pins were sticking out have closed. the wrist is very stiff with not a lot of movement, but I am trying to move it little by little each day.
My journey through wrist surgery-7/15/10
Yesterday I went back to New York City to get the pins removed from my wrist. There were some small mishaps along the way, but nothing major. We stopped for a great Chinese lunch at a place called “Pig heaven” and it is ironic that both my wife and I had vegetarian meals. On the way to the doctor’s office, after lunch, we stopped by a drugstore to pick some tic tacs, and they cost me $2.50! boy, have prices gone up. we walked over to the doctor’s office and they took me very quickly. They brought me in the room to first remove my cast. The nurse brought in this big machine which was a combination of a table saw and a shop vac. I thought she was going to suck the cast right off my arm. It was not a huge blade, but I asked her if we needed safety goggles to you that. I told it reminded me of my shop class days In high school. Before she started cutting, she slid a small plastic board between my arm in a cast as an extra precaution so I wouldn’t get cut. After she did that, I asked if she had done this before. She said she’s done this for 15 years and it was more for the patient and for her. I replied, “I would imagine.” After cutting the cast in half, she used a device similar to what firemen use called the Jaws of life. Basically, this pried open and separated the plaster. After the cast was totally removed, they took me for x-rays to see if my bones were aligned. Thankfully, they were and my doctor said I was a model patient pertaining to my healing. My wife asked my surgeon if I could start running with her again, and the doctor said sure. Then my wife asked if I could take out the garbage and she just laughed. I am taking that as a “no.” next, my surgeon yelled out to an assistant to get some pliers to pull out the pins. At this point I was debating filming it with my cell phone, but decided it was more important to focus on relaxing as she pulled metal spikes out of my wrist instead of getting a good shot. She grabbed the first pin and started to twist. I felt mostly pressure except for one time when she grazed a nerve. in the second pin came out much easier and was fairly painless. She then covered up the holes with a Band-Aid and examined the wrist again. Unfortunately, she told me she that I had to wait another two weeks before I could start my rehabilitation. She said that I was the come back in two weeks for a checkup and then I can start rehab afterwards. We then left to explore the city and have a good dinner.
My wrist surgery – 7/8/10
things have been status quo over the last couple of weeks. the pain has been minimal with only a little bit of soreness in my left thumb and fore arm. Although, there was one day when a storm was coming and I felt it in my wrist. I guess it’s the onset of barometric fever, so apparently I have taken on a new job as a weatherman. The good news is that my pins come out in nine days! Rehab starts on the 19th.