Today is the ‘official’ start of the Mercury Retrograde, but other than random weirdness, this week has been pretty good. I closed the new web client and he also decided to refresh his logo, so we got that, too! Yay! I got stuff worked out with the new agey site as well – there will be a quick stop put to the redesigns and I got a raise to do their updates. Again, Yay!

So, tonite is Caroline’s Halloween Party and we’re stoked. It’ll be nice to be THE people at the party rather than relegated to the B or C list at Jody’s. Overall, I’m really glad that we dropped that whole crowd of people. :-)

I had bizarro dreams last night. Must’ve been all the sleep drugs I took! LOL Today I feel like I am fighting off the weak cold bug that’s going around. Nick has been fighting it all week himself. I’ve had geeky things to do while Nick puts the downspouts on the new gutters. I think I’ll take a break and go hang the Halloween lights. :-)

Here is a pic of us at the Beer Festival last week:

I know, after the first time, can you believe I went back?? Well, I did and I’m damn glad of it.

This session was totally different than the first. 100x better! My doc did the same points as last time, but there was no pain. I felt a couple of sticks here and there, but nothing serious at all. Of course my body tried to pass out, which is normal for me, but this only lasted about 2 minutes – as opposed to the 10 minutes of cold sweats last time. There was no needle below the nose this time. When I asked about it, she told me that they only do that when a patient is freaking out – HA! Yep, I certainly was freaking out last time. Also, the session was much longer this time. What they do is put in the needles, give them a tweak, then you lay there, very still for about 20 minutes, with one or two tweaks in that time. This is for the back points and the front points. I am very sensitive, so while I was laying there, I could feel the chi buzzing around: first the right knee, then the upper spine then back to the knee. It is an odd sensation! It was also interesting to note how the same points felt different this time vs last time. For instance, the back of the knee was fine, but behind the ear was a little uncomfortable. And the eyebrows were sensitive this time whereas they were neglible last time. As a matter of fact, the right brow is still a little sore today! Weird! That is the bladder meridian. I should look that up… Yes, I also asked a ton of questions this time about the placement of needles, how deep they go, which meridians were being accessed. Here’s the list:
BACK
outer ankle: bladder meridian; shallow [.5in] BL60: KUN LUN
back of knee: bladder meridian; shallow BL40: WEI ZHONG
spine: there were several in the actual disks that are injured; deep [2 in (!!)] DU5: XUAN SHU back midline, DU9: ZHI YANG back midline, BL23: SHEN SHU bladder meridian. Not sure about these since I coulnd’t see them. There were 5 all together.
behind ears: gall bladder meridian; shallow GB20: FENG CHI
FRONT
outside of knee: gall bladder meridian; shallow, could not find chinese reference
outside of hand below pinky: small intestine meridian; shallow SI3: HOU XI
inside eyebrow: bladder meridian; shallow BL2: ZAN ZHU

I’m very happy to report that acupuncture seems to be all I’ve heard it would be. My back feels about 98% normal and I felt terrific after the session. I get an endorphin high that is pretty spiffy. Once we get the back to where she wants it, then we’re gonna try to alleviate some other issues I’ve been having (yes, those “female” ones). Yay!

My doc still hasn’t released me to start excercise yet, but I will be able to start something new soon – as well as claim my last 5 sessions at the moronic Sonz. Don’t EVER go there, people, I’m telling ya, it’s not appropriate for anyone who’s not already in shape.

When it’s just not worth chewing through the damn straps.

Sometimes I feel crappy and need support, too, you know.

I try really hard to do things for my friends and to help as best as I can, but sometimes it feels very one sided. I have a lot of support and I appreciate those of you who give it. I *really* appreciate it.

As for the rest of you who never call, never check in, never have a thing to say unless it’s to GET some support…

Well, I have noticed.

There’s some changing of the heirarchy around here. Those who give as well as receive are definitely moving up on my list. Those who don’t are moving down. I’m spread pretty thin as it is with my own shit. I’ve got no energy for half assed, squirrelly or unreliable people right this sec. If you can’t be bothered to call back, then don’t be surprised to get the same in return. Simple.

Never mind me, just a little stream of consciousness notation.

Carry on.

Or: Another one for the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished file.

So I call the owner/creator of Sonz today about my back issues, just to see what he’d say. I was gunning for a refund of my last 5 sessions ($150), but I knew he wouldn’t do it. It’s in the contract. The conversation was almost to the letter as I thought it’d be. It went like this:

I tell him that I’ve never had back problems before but now I have 3 compressed disks due to the program that they promote. The very first thing he says is, “Well, you’re overweight, of course you’re going to have back problems!” I say, “Yes I’m overweight, which is one of the reasons why I paid you $800 for a personal trainer at your facility. So, you’re saying if someone is too fat, they really shouldn’t come to Sonz, right?” To which he goes into a long marketing diatribe about why his method (the Sonz method) is precisely what I needed and it’s not the method’s fault that my back is out. It’s my being overweight that caused this and I should get back to the gym as soon as possible. I said, “Are you serious? I WILL NOT go back to those exercises with an injured back! You are out of your mind to suggest such a thing!” Then he says, no, he’s right and his method is proven and I should not quit “because of a little pain”.

Fucking jerk. So I then ask, “So, if my being overweight precludes doing your workouts without injury, then why should I do your workouts?” And THEN he says that I should lose weight first, before doing the workouts (the opposite of what he said before). I said that perhaps they shouldn’t take money from overweight people, then, since working out like they want can cause injury if you’re overweight. Then he goes back into marketing mode and proceeds to lecture me about how his workout method is the perfect workout method and it’s my fault for being overweight.

Hmm, anyone else see the circular argument there, or is it just me?

So, let me get this straight:
1. I’m too fat
2. the Sonz workout is perfect as long as your not too out of shape or too fat
3. I go to Sonz to try to regain my strength and begin losing weight
4. but the Sonz workout was too much for my fat ass, which is not their fault, it’s mine for going to Sonz while not in shape and too fat…

Yep, that’s the whole conversation in a nutshell.

My question remains:

Why the bloody hell do they take money from fat/out of shape people if their system probably won’t work for you or at least injure you if you’re too fat/out of shape?

The owner seems to think that he knows more than my doctors and CERTAINLY more than a fat girl. He wants me to send him what I eat for 5 days so he can “help me get control of my weight”. Uh-huh. Like I don’t know that eating less and exercising more works 100% of the time. Like I don’t know that eating chicken tenders and veggies 3x a day will make you lose weight. I know that. As I pointed out, I’m not a moron. A hedonist, not a moron. :-)

I paid $800 for a PERSONAL TRAINER. I expect that person to guide me and listen when I express concerns. The trainer I had was fine, but she didn’t change up the workouts to allow for my fat/out of shape ass. Therefore, I’m now gonna have disk issues for the rest of my life.

Thanks Sonz.

My advice: do NOT get a trainer if you’re fat/out of shape. First lose 30#, THEN get a trainer. These places have no concept of responsibility and certainly no regrets about fucking you up. I’m very sorry I spent that $800. I should have stayed my fat ass at home and just cut my calories and upped the cardio and weights myself. Live and learn, right?

Oh, my GODS!

Acupuncture is NOT for sissies! It’s not the needles that hurt – they are too small – it’s what they tap into that hurts like a MOFO! Oy!

The first one in the bend of my knee was like a nasty electrical shock down my leg. I jump and curse. The right one was somewhat better. The ones on my back were a little sticky but not too terrible. The ones at my achilles tendons were a little sticky, but not terrible. The ones behind the ear, negligible. My body tried valiantly to pass out while laying face down; while unsuccessful, I did break into a cold sweat and feel nauseous. THEN she goes back to twiddle the damn things! OY! I’m freaking out, so she checks my pulse and decides that I’ve had enough.

On THAT side! Gods!

So, I turn over and she goes at me again. Left leg, right beside knee, not too bad. Right leg beside knee: OW! Then she asks me to put my hands in loose fists. She puts a needle in the side under my pinky on the left – not horrible. The right one – OW! Then she puts one at each eyebrow which was nothing. THEN she puts one in that divot below the nose right above the lip. OW! Now I’m starting to cry.

She goes back and twiddles them and I’m about to jump off the table. Then she thankfully leaves me to whine and cry for a few minutes. She comes back in and twiddles the damn things AGAIN. More cursing and crying from me. I sit for about 5 more minutes and then she removes the vile things.

She asks me to sit up and I inform her that I will definitely pass out if she comes at me with more needles while I’m sitting up. She assured me that now she was going to put seeds on my ear. Yes, SEEDS. The pressure points on the ear are so tiny that you use seeds as activators. She applied the seeds with medical tape and told me to squeeze them a few times a day for a few minutes. They stay on for a few days.

Hookay, I lived through it. When I went out front to pay, the Dr told me that I’m not uncommon, lots of folks find it very painful especially when they are already in pain and the pain threshold is very low. Another chick there said that she cried the whole time, too. Well, at least it’s not just me. :-)

She gave me some teapills (those little round black pills) to take to ‘help with circulation for my back’. 8 BBs 3x/day. All rightey.

The good news: I think I do feel better, backwise. I got up with just a little stiffness today! Yay!
The bad news: the teapills have given me the trots.
The worse news: I’ve got to go through this a few more times. WAH!!

If I didn’t think it was worth it, I certainly wouldn’t do it again. I now have a new respect for acupuncture. It is some BAD ASS SHIT. I will do it again, despite my confirmed fear of it. I think it will help me quite a bit. She determined that I have three disks involved, which is very good to know.

Everyone always asks about the pain of tattoos. I can tell you straight up: tats are FAR LESS PAINFUL than your first acupuncture visit. Pussies need not apply!