April 12, 2011: Reflexology, Reiki, and Myofascial Release, Oh My!

Yesterday's  food:

Sunday, 04/11/11: Bed at 10:30 pm/up at 6:30 am

God time? Nope

[P] Jumbo egg white 

[P] Chili (beans)

[V] Mixed veggies

[V] Mixed veggies

[V] Broccoli

[F] Cantaloupe

*+[F] Uncrustable PB&J sandwich

[F] Strawberry jam (Uncrustable)

[St] Kashi Go Lean Crunch Honey Almond Flax

[St] Chili (beans)

[St] Tostitos 

[St] Popcorn

[D] Daisy Light Sour Cream

[D] Skim milk

*+[Sn] Donut

*+[Sn] Uncrustable PB&J sandwich

[Nightfood bar] Yes

[W] Two cups

Hi, everyone :-) Today I'm going to tell you about a great experience I had with reflexology regarding the debilitating foot pain that has put me in a wheelchair since 2006. I've searched since then first for a diagnosis for the pain and then to find a surgeon who would make the surgical correction needed. I went to two surgeons who were too wimpy to take on my problem, bu the third -- Dr. Joseph Eremus with Temple Sports Medicine -- manned up, rendered a diagnosis, performed the surgery, and cared for me through the healing process. Fine man he is.

However, I've had new pain in the same foot since I was cleared to start walking on it about a year ago. The pain in my inner ankle, which had been the result of massive arthritis degeneration and for which I underwent the surgery, is fine. This new pain runs along the perimeter of the sole of my foot and along the very outside edge about halfway to my toes, and it also runs up my Achilles tendon. If it were in the middle of my foot, I would think it was plantar fasciitis. The pain is great enough to send me to the floor (or flagstone or concrete) any time I'm standing or attempting to walk and has done so a number of times. Remember, I'm on Coumadin (bleeding risk), plus I can't get up once I've fallen, so this pain is a serious issue for me.

The only thing that gives me a little bit of temporary relief is sitting on the floor, with my foot against the wall, and stretching my calf. This calf stretch points again to plantar faciitis. I do plan to have this checked out with a podiatrist, but I have been trying alternative treatments first. My doctor also found that increasing my prednisone dosage pretty much obliterated the pain, indicating some sort of inflammatory process, yet no inflammation was shown on a subsequent MRI scan.

So, to make a long story short, I ask my massage therapist, Susan, with whom I have a massage nearly every month and who also know reflexology and is a Reiki master, if she will try reflexology, which I've never had before. I figured that maybe my foot was hurting because some of my other bodily systems were out of whack. She gives me the treatment, which is way more relaxing than I had thought it would be, but the real  interesting part came the next day and throughout the week: I had very little pain while trying to get down the first step out of the house into what we call the "lobby." Now, this step is my nemesis, one over which I am most likely to fall. The fact that I could get down it without much pain is joy-inducing and gave me hope that I may have some clues now as to the nature of the pain, i.e., muscular rather than skeletal. The pain relief lasted all week but is beginning to subside. I'm negotiating with Susan to give me a treatment once a week for a month and see where that takes me. I will also look into myofascial release if I get good results form the reflexology!

I have been praying since 2006 to be able to get back to my previous level of handicap, in which I was able to walk with only one arm crutch, and I would like to think that God has seen fit to begin answering my prayer. What do you think?