Advice from a small town girl

This week my brain has been more like “Wheel of Fortune” than a pinball machine.

The wheel spins ‘round and ‘round and stops on an idea, but before I can get a firm enough grasp on it to actually squeeze a column out of it, the wheel is spinning again.

A few weeks ago, I addressed some problems I was having with my sciatic nerve, which was causing quite a bit of pain, as well as numbness and weakness in my right leg.

The last time I had sciatic issues, I went with traditional medical advice, which included eight weeks (I think – it was a while ago, and I don’t remember so well anymore) of physical therapy. That translated to something like $800 of out-of-pocket expense, since we had not met our deductible on our health insurance.

The treatment was wonderful, and it worked. The marvelous therapists at the OMHC Physical Therapy department taught me some exercises to stretch the piriformis muscle that was causing the trouble.

Of course, I don’t do those exercises any more. Unfortunately, no one seems to be able to teach me to keep doing anything that might help me get or remain healthy.

At any rate, this time I opted to try the chiropractic route, just for kicks.

After about a month of treatment, the pain is almost completely gone, and the numbness seems to be subsiding as well.

Of course, the chiropractor has advised exercise and the modification of eating habits as a long-term approach to health and fitness, but so far I’ve managed to resist.

Then, at lunch today, an acquaintance (maybe a friend, I’m rethinking that right now) said to me, “Maybe you should just not eat for a month.”

Hmmm.

Actually, that’s not too far off of what I’ve been contemplating.

Here’s why.

I pry myself out of bed most mornings at about 7:30. Now, every sensible farmer out there knows that by 7:30 the best part of the day for getting things done is gone.

I drink approximately 3/4 of a pot of coffee to wake myself up.

Then I have to eat something because the coffee has upset my tummy.

Then I shower and get dressed and drive to work, where I promptly SIT DOWN.

I work at a computer most of the day, and I get so tired that when I get home, I SIT DOWN.

I open a bottle of wine while I’m fixing dinner, because I believe in cooking with wine. And then, since the bottle’s open, I have some more.

Somewhere along the line, the TV gets turned on, and/or I pick up my Nook. I don’t actually read anything on my Nook, but I’ve downloaded a bunch of games, so I play those until I suddenly realize that it’s way past bedtime.

So I brush my teeth and go to bed.

Then I pry myself out of bed at about 7:30 . . . .

Gosh, this little loop is depressing.

So I promised the chiropractor that I will walk this week. It might not be far. It might not be fast. But I will walk.

And while I’m walking, I’ll think about what I’m going to do about some of those other habits.