Thursday, May 10, 2007

Aches & Pains of Life

Well, I guess it had to happen sometime, and relatively speaking this is so minor compared to what could happen, and may happen in the future (live in the moment, plan for the future as my doula says...)

My 4 1/2 year old daughter tripped over a toy while running and broke her little arm. I don't have time to post the whole story, but needless to say this is the first "real" injury any of my kids have had. Boom and I took it harder than she did. She hardly cried, hasn't taken much medicine for any pain, and has been herself this whole time.

The hardest part is the whole "six weeks in a cast" thing. Especially with her being so small and the cast being so LARGE on her little frame. But these things happen, and my mother's heart knows she's okay, but having seen her little arm bent a little too much, and then knowing that her bones have been compromised, it just makes me wish I could keep all of my family safe forever. The wish of every mother, I know.

I am sleeping next to her on an air mattress to help her turn over and such, the first night to help keep her arm elevated. But it turns out the mattress is helping me in another way.

During each pregnancy, I have HORRIBLE hip pain. Not sciatic, but joint pain. My hips, mostly at night after laying sideways, when standing my hips literally go out on me and I have to support my weight by crawling along the side of the bed or sink, etc. After several steps it will finally start to support me, going out every few steps or so. And then as I start my day it will usually be okay until I go to bed again.

Well, this mattress seems to be helping me, as it hasn't been as bad these past couple of nights. Of course, the chiropractor has also been helping me, though more so in my ribs than my hips.

I wouldn't have thought about a rib out of place until someone on the internet mentioned it. I had been having aweful pain in my rib area, both from and back, and the midwives and I concluded it must be muscle pain from my expanding uterus and weight. But even with a belly support (which I wasted money on now) nothing helped. It was depressing me, making me irritated, and I didn't know how I'd make it the rest of this pregnancy, to be honest.

And then I tried the chiropractor. We have a wonderful woman who works local, doesn't take insurance but charges cheap and won't make you pay if you don't have the money, and she is all for homebirthing and such. So I went to her hoping for SOMETHING, and I can't believe the change. It doesn't stay for long (due to ever changing body from pregnancy) but the one day this past week I was in immense pain again, and immediately afterwards I felt so much better and have been since. I fear the weeks when I won't be able to go to her since I'll be "home" in Ohio and then in Indiana for a reunion. Maybe by then the number of adjustments I'll have had will help keep it in shape for that length of time...

Anyway, otherwise this pregnancy is okay, but due to all the pain we know it will be our last, and I'm at peace with that. I just can't do this again. Most people don't choose chronic pain, and in my case I'm such a wimp for CHOOSING pain, that I'd rather enjoy my family as it than expand it and be miserable for months on end, which makes me less of the person I want to be.

But I am walking 2 miles almost every day, which gets harder and harder as I am pushing my kids in the stroller, and they feel heavier and heavier each time. But at least I'm doing it, and I'm hoping that this along with the adjustments will make for an easier labor. One can hope, can't they?

One last thing before I go. Rugger is finally talking. He's using all the words he already knew but never spoke, and has even spoken in 3 word sentences, which puts him right on schedule. It's neat to finally hear what he's been thinking about all this time :)