Wednesday, October 29, 2014

UnComfortably Numb

I went back to the dentist yesterday to get work done on the bottom teeth, several, one tooth on the left side, and four on the right.

Again, the Novocaine shot took effect quicker than I had ever experienced.  The shot on the left side for one tooth, was very quick.  The one on the right, done way in the back of the mouth meant to knock out the entire right bottom side, took longer.

I must regress

*     *     *     *     *

One aspect of the last trip to the dentist I don't think I went into, at least not in detail, was the post trip numbness.

My cheek, talking the skin around the cheek bone, not just the flabby stuff around the mouth, had been numb enough such that I could relax my face while meditating to a degree not before attained.  Not that I could tell what was happening on the right cheek, but the lack of muscle use aided relaxing the muscles that I could feel on the left.

The result was some most excellent jaw adjustments, though in truth I cannot recall any specifics regarding them, only that the slight jaw changes allowed neck and subsequent shoulder changes.

*     *     *     *     *

So, this past dental visit over at 10:50 and the pool's lap swim beginning at 11:30 and both my jaw and lower lip quite numb, I thought I'd take advantage and see what I could accomplish in the pool.

Of note, the biggest area of numbness was the right jaw, which even had left some of the upper neck a bit slack, muscles not under my control and very relaxed with the absence of stimuli.  This is also very close to at least part of the area I believe was injured in that fateful sled mishap of my youth, when Dad yanked my right arm out of socket while I had my stomach tucked seemingly into my lungs and my neck stretched to the breaking point.

This was not lost on me, and I meant to see what, if any, adjustments could be made in the right shoulder, neck and jaw.

*     *     *     *     *

I will not know the extent of my success for some time, I believe.  The jaw is sore as hell.

Yet, there was a great deal of shifting.  I felt something, a set of muscle perhaps, get from behind the shoulder to above the collar bone, and it felt new.

I felt my face slide slightly to the left after freeing some portion of the right.

Most importantly, in terms of tangible, non-subjective change (at least which I can eyeball from a mirror), the shoulder change mentioned above let my stomach fall a great deal.  I can almost create a pot belly when relaxed.  I can even sit with the belly hanging out!

*     *     *     *     *

This may be nothing to most, but I have never been able to do so, not without much force.  My resting position had my lungs tilted up and my midsection pulled up my torso with it.  I suspect it had been (still is somewhat) linked to the shoulder and neck being pulled up (thanks again, Dad).

So, at this time, my chest is smaller, a product of the lungs not tilted with organ pulled up under them.  My waist is smaller, my hips continuing to approach a better position, with a more forward tilt which turns both legs slightly inward.  All the while, still losing weight, my gut is getting huge.

I must embrace it, though it's not easy when the mirror reaction is, "Oh c'mon!"

*     *     *     *     *

There is more, but I am tired.  I spent an excruciating amount of time watching my beloved San Francisco Giants lose Game 6 of the World Series, badly, 10-0.  Though I must admit it stung nothing like when Dusty Baker blew Game 6 against the Angels, but still . . .

I'm gonna go take a nap, then swim, then prepare for Game 7.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

It's Filling

Two nights ago, I busted a filling, and some tooth, while eating a Skittle.

This morning, I had the dental appointment to fix the molar.

*     *     *     *     *

Now, there are a number of leaps I am going to take soon.  Just realize it is because, (a) I'm very happy to find something to be optimistic about, (b) it would confirm earlier hopes, and (c) I'm going with my thoughts from the remainder of my dental visit, without much time to digest things fully.

But that doesn't mean I am not correct!

*     *     *     *     *

Moments after getting a shot of Novocaine above the right molars, I could feel it taking effect.  Rather, I could notice losing sensation along the upper gum line, from where I got the shot towards the front of the mouth.

Exciting stuff, eh?

Well, it was to me.  I asked the dental assistant for a pen and paper to jot down notes, like
"I felt the Novocaine take effect very quickly after the shot, much quicker and more noticeable than ever."
*     *     *     *     *

Of note, Novocaine never came on the quickly or powerfully for me before.  A memory issue?  Perhaps.

However, it is also a characteristic of individuals suffering from Ehlers-Danlos, like the difficulty swallowing.

See where I am going?

*     *     *     *     *

I have been making great progress building muscle and changing my neck, throat, and jaw this past month.  My bite is looser than ever, all over the place (I've bitten my lip and/or the inside of my cheek more than enough to know this).

It could well be the first time my adjustments have actually lessened a symptom of my condition.

Now, this does not answer the Ehlers-Danlos v. Symptoms of Ehler-Danlos question.  But it certainly does imply (nothing more, sadly) that my postural changes may be a real factor in this symptom.

It could be for others, and it remains very possible I only possess the symptoms via injury.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Ill Communication

I'm having some significant discomfort, the right shoulder and right hip somehow both buckled, and I am unable to free one without the other, neither ready to move the amount needed.

It hurts, but an amount I can handle.  The problem is that the sharp, unhandleable pains come the moment I take my mind off keeping them in a certain position in relation to each other.  If I allow one to move as muscle memory wants, the other screams, loudly.

Basically, I can do little tasks, like type a sentence, with focus, but I do not have much intellectual processing capabilities regarding thought.

So, here is the scene from an hour ago (make that 1.5 hours as this took a long time to type):

*     *     *     *      *

I'm standing in the sun and high winds outside trying to find a way to unfold myself, when the wife comes out to ask if I can watch the kid while she goes out for a massage.

"Yes," I tell her, but then I wanted to explain more.  I wanted to let her know the above section, that I am clear headed mentally (not blinded by pain as is sometimes the case) and can do all the little tasks which supervising a seven year old can entail.

But I couldn't form the thoughts to then speak them, not without needing to refocus on the body to avoid the sharp pains.

She stood waiting for me to continue.

After a minute of false starts, my thoughts reached the point of realizing that I was not so capable of communicating, but could still watch the kid.  So, I raised a finger and said, "let me try to explain one thing," as we entered the house.

Then I was stuck again.

As she waited.

And waited.

At which point I busted out laughing.

"THIS!"  I motioned all around.  "I can do stuff.  I just can't communicate well."

*     *     *     *     *

I have no idea if she understands what I meant.  She's out getting a massage.  The kid is napping.

I am now left wondering if she, too, saw the humor in me trying to articulate that I was having trouble articulating anything.  I found the moment funny.

She likely just wanted to get going and get a massage.  Lord only knows what she thinks of me at this point.

Anyways, this was a snapshot of a moment, comically similar to many of my struggles with expressing myself.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Flappin' Them Wings And Makin' Waves!

A quick update on some serious progress, the butterfly stroke is paying real dividends.

Yesterday I totalled 500m of Butterfly (most just 25m with shoulder tweaking afterwards).

Today, I have no idea.  I was in a meditative zone with very little care for distances.  Had to be over 300m worth.

It is most definitely helping the muscle movement and building in my upper back.  Painful things do happen, afterwards, but so do some very good adjustments.

*     *     *     *     *

The coolest thing to happen with the butterfly happened a handful of times with my kick.  I'm guessing I finally did a few correctly.

As the hands enter the water in front of me, a wave of energy, begun by the arm stroke, goes down both sides of my back, into the legs and spike into a kick.  SMOOTH.  The two waves which travel down my back feel somewhat like a leaf closing in two curling waves.

Not just smooth, it's sleek, as in my swim suit drops an inch further down my hips then ever.

I was exhausted by the swim's end, but I can't wait to get back in the water.

If only this were the start of summer and not the end.  I am, no doubt, likely going to over do it a bit trying to accomplish all I can before the weather turns.