What is that... A therapeutic Xmas????

Christmas was a hit, but I’ll leave that for the end. (NOTE: Lots at the end and I couldn't upload all the vids, so there will be a second post with those tomorrow or next) Lots of pics and vids, not only of Xmas itself, but of Kiddo at her Xmas Concert at school. She was MC for the event for her class and loved the music and performance this year. She’s a little performer and singer. So much so that for Show and Tell a week ago, she did the song, Irish Eyes, for her class. Sang her little heart out.

The real fun was a few days before Xmas. We had a Pizza Night Sunday and watched Home Alone. Now, some context for this. We watch shows with her, I’ve mentioned that in the past, but she’s comfortable enough with our watching and the rhythms of that to ask for the show or movie to pause if she doesn’t get something or wants to share or clarify something. It happened twice during Home Alone. The first time was during the opening of the movie. She was SHOCKED that people were wearing shoes in the house. Yeah, we SE Asia and China ruined her with shoes in the house. It’s actually appalling to her to see it. Shocking. An actual affront to her sensibilities. The second was in the first act, when Kevin was first home alone and making himself ice cream for dinner and watching the movie that he used on the pizza delivery guy and the one robber. The “Keep the change, ya filthy animal” stuff. Kevin popped the movie in and we got a-

Can you pause it?
Sure. <Pause> What’s up?

What IS THAT?

J and I both realized that she was talking about the VCR and that she had no earthly idea what it was or how it actually worked. We explained it and she was confused. Shocked. Marveled by it.

Wait, so if you wanted to watch a movie, you needed to put it in the machine, not just find it on the iPad or AppleTV?

We laughed and that and told her that there was no such thing when we were growing up and that if you wanted to watch a movie, you either had to own it or go to a store and rent it and that Blockbuster was a thing. We then needed to explain what Blockbuster was. Her mind was BLOWN. HAHA

She loved the movie. Cracked up a couple of times. Was loving that Kevin did shopping and wondered why he’d get food and not just ice cream and candy. She’s not 8 at all.

There was also the Xmas concert at SMIC. Which Kiddo was MC for her Class with a friend of hers from class. A few pics from that.

We had a pizza night Sunday because I woke that morning with some pretty bad lower back pain. 8 out of 10 kind of bad, and that’s from someone who described my pain post-op after my colostomy at about the same. I could hardly walk and getting from standing to sitting or vice versa was sweat inducing. It was bad. Monday was no better and so I got an appointment at the ortho. The did imagine, both Xray and MRI, and found that I had a partially herniated disc at the L4/L5 joint, the doc thinks it’s about 10% protruding. I was put in a brace and giving PT. Thankfully, I could start the PT that same day, about 30 minutes after the doc appointment. They did some tests there, had me do some stretching and did some massage and chiropractic type twisting to help realign and to see if they couldn’t get the disc to relax and slip back into place. Then, I got some electro-stim on the muscles of the area (not painful at all… oh wait) which was a real joy. Then, they did Invisible Heating Massage (Ultrasound) and Pulsing Massage (Electro-stimulation massage) on the area which did actually feel nice and help.

I was sent home with instructions to care for the area, stretching and home exercises to do AT LEAST twice a day. Max is 5 times. If you know me, I do the max, because the more I put into PT, the more I get out of PT. Not only that, but the more I get out of doing PT. HAHA. I’ve also been soaking in a hot bath, J has been helping with Tiger Balm and the like, and I was put on a movement restriction by the doc and PT, not more than 500 meters walking before sitting for at least 10 minutes to rest. Also, no heavy lifting for the next week. I follow up tomorrow (26th) with PT and then 3 times next week and reevaluate things.

Kiddo had to go with J to school all week and she was ok with that, even if it was a half hour earlier start that usual. She got to flop into J's beanbags and read... her least favorite this. HAHA

I’m starting to feel better, is the good news. That I’ll need to work past this to continue to stretch, strengthen, and focus on core strength, not only belly muscles, but lower back as well. The stronger the muscles are, the less chance this repeats and that I need repeat PT or that I herniate and rupture the disc and need surgery. So, the good news is that I will be fine. The bad news is that I will need to spend the next 6m or so dong the slow climb of lower back and core strengthening and focus. Also, I think it’s time to reevaluate somethings. Like lifting Kiddo for hugs. Also, the bag I wear and how I wear it. Might be time to go with a more traditional broth shoulder backpack for my computer and carrying things instead of the bike messenger style I’ve used for the last 25 years. End of an era, I guess.

Other than that, I was able to make stock and soup for Xmas dinner, with the help of Kiddo, of course. It was nice to have my little sous chef and little Gail Simmons to help me make those. We had a great time doing that.

Then, of course, there was Christmas and presents. Her patience in opening presents amazes me. She woke, let us sleep, and then have breakfast and coffee before getting into things. Her reactions were priceless and perfect. I couldn’t love her more.

Let’s go, Kiddo… It was a great Xmas and a lot of fun watching movies and celebrating and cooking with you. You are the best Little Love of them all and I can’t wait to hear and see you sinking into all the gifts, the fun, and the new that you will get out of them. Merry Christmas to you, happiest New Years, and I wonder what the next Xmas will hold for you and us all. Thanks for being you, for being so sweet with my bad back, and for helping as much as you did.