Second job

[cjsmith]

Yesterday afternoon I was trying to work out a schedule for applying all my lotions and oils, the PT exercises from each place, the visits to the PTs, the chiropractor, and the odd doctor's appointment or two. It doesn't leave much room for things like taking the cats to the vet or getting down to REI to look for better gloves.

Physical therapy and chiropractic alone are about seven hours a week. Exercises assigned by those folks are easily another hour a day if I do 'em all. I can skip exercises assigned by one PT place if I am visiting that one that day, though. Four times a day I should be applying some sort of goo, and I should ice (5mins to 15mins) as often as I think of it (up to once an hour). That doesn't count actual doctor visits or wheeling around the building or swimming.

No wonder I feel like I have a second, part-time job. I do. (Except I pay it.)

This is what I wanted to address when I said I was "giving up". I haven't cut any of these things yet, and I'm reluctant to let go of something that might be doing some good, but this can't continue.

Comments

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I imagine letting go of one allegedly helping thing at a time might be the best way to make sense of the confusion caused by doing multiple "helping" things. It's tricky to know which are helpful and which are not, and the one-at-a-time method takes a long time but might be the best to identify which bits might be genuinely working.

It does sound like you're doing quite the load of things, and that cutting back could help out a lot.

*HUGS* *CHEEEEEEEESE* *KITTY-PURRRRRRRRRS*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, an "elimination diet" of sorts would be good science. One problem I have is that I'm insufficiently tuned in to what's going on -- how bad is the pain *today* versus the last day that wasn't a really good day? -- to make a good observer. Naturally no one else can do that part for me, so becoming more observant of subtle changes is a good first step.

Hugs and cheese and kitty-purrs right back atcha!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I thought I was the only person who found one-person trials to be almost completely confusing! It seems that nearly all my friends can say what food caused what symptom, or what pollutant caused something, or whatever -- it drives me nuts! I'm way too easily confused, and especially poor at discriminating even moderate analog differences. Tough thing.