Book Review: Hope for Your Heart

I hadn’t planned on making a book review my first post back from my unintentional holiday, but here it is.  This book can be a real resource for those of us in pain.  This review was written for LibraryThing.com as part of an agreement I have with their Early Reviewers Program.  If it is not available now, it should be anywhere that sells Crossway books soon.

Hope for Your Heart: Finding Strength in Life’s Storms by June Hunt

I did not have very high hopes for this book because hope is one of those words that seems almost impossible to describe on its own. June Hunt has proven me wrong! I found her writing to be completely engaging, informative, and imaginative. Hunt uses anchors as a metaphor for hope and then goes into a deep study of the types and use of anchors; showing each anchor as a particular level of hope. In this book you will find theology, history, story-telling, nautical lessons, and one of the best examinations of hope I have ever come across. A great "how-to" for anyone who needs to grab onto the True anchor and have hope for the future. The book is broken into three major categories; the Reasons of hope, the Sources of hope, and the Benefits of hope, reminding us that this hope is Guaranteed. Using Scripture, hymns, personal experience (her own and from her radio show, which I have not heard), and other stories to bring out these three concepts of this otherwise ethereal word "hope". Hunt also uses this opportunity to go over forgiveness and reconciliation, showing how to have hope in securing a potential mend for a broken relationship.

One of the reasons I believe I was so blown away by this book is because I have been physically disabled for the past six years from an injury to my back. During this time, I have met many men who are ill or injured and they have told me of their lack of hope. Hope for Your Heart gives "real meat" answers to questions and concerns many of them have expressed to me over the years. She accomplishes this without pontificating or platitudes; just a true spirit of faith and her passion to come along side and support her brothers and sisters. I have already recommended this book to people I know and will continue to do so.

**I hope this helps.  Depending on how this goes over with everyone, I’ll start to add books that have helped me over the years accept and grow in my pain.  Granted, depending on your level of pain or suffering it may help to have audiobooks for a while; we’ll make a note of those books that are available this way also.  The above book is not yet available via audiobook yet, but I’ll post if it gets that way.  What do you think?  Do you want to see book reviews here?  Do you have books that you have found helpful and others may enjoy also?    I’d really like to know what you think about this.

Technorati Tags: Books,Hope

Medication: A Love/Hate Thing

**This post is a day late because of medication changes, which is also the subject of the posting.  Sorry for not getting this out, I can only pray that the next two days go well.  Tom

This week we’re looking at my own issues with chronic pain.  Today, that would be my wonderful relationship with my pain medication.  I know we’ve talked about medication before, but I can honestly say, I wasn’t completely honest before.  I mean, I didn’t lie, unless you count lying by omission.  So, it’s time to come clean about me, my chronic pain, and the medicine that’s suppose to keep it at bay.

I tried several types of medication early on in my quest to vanquish my chronic pain, but there was not a pill that was up to the task.  The morphine pills put me to sleep for 23 hours a day.  The oxycodone wasn’t as harsh on my wakefulness, but the pills had a terrible side effect on my stomach.  My upper stomach turned raw and my lower intestines stopped working completely.  I know how much you want to hear this, but it’s full disclosure time. On a normal day now, I have to use a powder laxative (I use Metamucil, although Mirilax is also good) and a stool softener.  Even then, it’s not always, well, pleasant.  With the pills, I used the powder twice a day and three laxatives, but it didn’t work at all.   No, the only thing that covered my pain was a patch; Duragesic to be precise.  I tried the generic form, fentanyl transdermal, but that was not the real thing; I needed the brand name.  The generic would fall off before the 72 hours was up and it didn’t give the relief the brand name did.  I must use Provigil (Modafinil) to combat any lethargy from the narcotics in the patch, but I need it.

The two main drugs that I use today, not only help with my pain, but also have joint side effects that include:  nausea, constipation, gas, heartburn, dry mouth, flushing, sweating, confusion, mood swings, and back pain.  That’s right, back pain is a side effect, brilliant.  The sweating doesn’t help the patch stay on either.  In the last few months, the effectiveness of the patch isn’t the same as it had been at the start.  I need to change my patch every 48 hours, but that’s not protocol which is strange because I know several people who have found the same problem, but you would think I was the only one who has ever asked for this.  After two and a half months of dealing with the doctor and the insurance company, and the pharmacy; I finally was able to get a prescription for my patches to change every 48 hours.  Of course, that’s not the end of the story, the pharmacy doesn’t carry enough of the patches on hand, won’t hold my prescription for more than a day or two, but takes a week to get the other box of patches.  Brilliant…again.  Whether insurance will pay for this is also up in the air.   My medication is needed, but isn’t easy; it’s a love/hate thing.  How about you?  Do you have medications you use for your pain?  Is it an easy path?  What kind of problems have come up?  I have yet to meet someone that has had an easy go of things when it come to medication.

Technorati Tags: Chronic Pain,Suffering,Medication,Duragesic,Fentanyl. Provigil

It’s All About Me! It’s My Pain, Ain’t It?

This week, I’ve decided to share the five areas of my life that have been most effected by my chronic pain and whether I’m dealing with them.  This actually come from that old joke that says, “The old man looked at his grandson and said, ‘I’m old enough to know only two things for certain.  There is a God, and I’m not Him.’”  I have found blessings in my pain, but that doesn’t mean I’ve got it made; I still battle certain issues. 

To start off with, I want to discuss the loss of my manhood.  Now, my disability is a low back problem and not some kind of castration mind you; but not being able to do those manly things still bothers me.  I have come to believe that when God really wants our attention, he strikes us where we keep our reserves.  For me, I could always rely on my body.  I loved being physical, I used to go to karate class two to three nights a week and Saturday mornings days before I became injured. As a younger man, I would go rappelling, white water rafting, scuba diving, and thoroughly enjoyed a number of different ways of working out.  I remember how I used to be the jungle Jim climbing apparatus, first for our eldest, and then for our second daughter.  I could flip them around, toss them up, and let them climb all over me.  I was excited at all the things we would be able to do when they became older.  My wife loves the beach and I love the mountains, and the girls would be able to enjoy both.  As long as Stef and I earned a living, the girls could enjoy going places with us.  In truth, I did spend a period of time not working, that was when our first daughter was born.  I had gone from the medical field to working in restaurants and wasn’t making as much as Stefanie was, and she was travelling most of the time.  I stayed home for just under two years, but I always knew I could go back to work, and I did.  

Now, however, I can’t go out for a job even though I want to.  Those people that do not have chronic pain like we do may say, “So, you can still do something!  You write a blog, have some mental faculties left, what’s the problem?”  The problem is I take medicine for this chromic pain and I can’t always say it’s working.  I still can’t sit for more than twenty minutes, and can only stand for a short amount of time without doing more damage and increasing my pain and the numbness in my legs.  What do I do then?  I have lost the ability to do; to provide, to fight, to lift, to fix, to push, to dance, to run (okay, I hated running and didn’t do much of that since I left the Army!), to be a man in my own eyes.  There’s the rub in all this, though.  I am no longer a man in my own eyes because of what I can’t do.  In many ways, I need to learn to equate this with being a Christian.  In Christianity, it is not what we can do for our own salvation, but what Christ has done for us.  As long as you can accept that Jesus died for your sins, repent of what you have done, and ask Jesus into your heart, then God accepts you as His own.  It should be the same for my own manhood.  If my wife and daughters can accept me for who I am, and not for what I can or cannot do, then I should accept it as well.  After more than six years, I still have a problem with this.  I can go along for a while, but then I see my wife putting in long hours at the office, or my oldest working on a dance or even when she was learning how to drive, or my youngest working on her gymnastics; all I can do is sit on the sideline and watch.  It makes me hurt, frustrated, angry, and bitter.  I may try and help in some way, but it usually doesn’t work out well.  It won’t until I accept my current position and learn to support them by my words and prayer.  I have a feeling this will be a lesson I struggle with for a long time to come.  How about you?  Do you struggle with not being able to do?  Does your disability end what had been large parts of your life?  I hope that this week we enter into some discussion, as last week was a more informative posting, not as much for discussion.

Technorati Tags: Chronic Pain,Suffering,Manhood,Christian

Who’s Who in Asian Movement?

The final look at our movement week is in the Asian styles of getting chronic pain patients back on their feet.  I have had the opportunity to partake in both of these disciplines and I may be a little too close to the subject matter.  The fact is, I thoroughly enjoyed both of these methods.  I would recommend either of these methods gladly, if only insurance would recognize their benefits as well and pay for them!  Se la vie.  Here’s the information on our Asian methods:

Acupuncture/Traditional Chinese Medicine: I put these two together because, although many people think of acupuncture as a therapy by itself, it is actually just a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  TCM and Acupuncture are over 5,000 years old and they work with the body’s qi (chi) or vital energy/life force.  The FDA did not move acupuncture from the experimental to “medical device” until 1997, but it has been used in the US since the first Chinese immigrants arrived.  For Westerners, we can only speculate about how acupuncture works.  We do know that practitioners use blunted needles that are placed along the meridian lines and this causes the qi to flow more optimally.  Acupuncture has been used successfully for pain relief, nausea and vomiting reduction, and other problems including smoking and weight loss help.  As we said, acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and should be used as such, not by itself.  TCM is based on the concepts of yin-yang (direct opposites) and the five elements theory; fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.  A practitioner of TCM has a master’s degree with 2,175 hours of TCM specific studies and clinical internship.  They are tested by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's (NCCAOM). Many students go on to receive further studies in Herbal Medicine.  A session with a TCM will start off with the practitioner evaluation.  They will observe (especially the tongue), use hearing & smelling, interviewing the patient, and palpating (touching).  The treatment can offer heat (via lamps and pads), Chinese massage, cupping, moxibustion,  acupuncture, Qigong (meditative movement), and herbal medicine. On a personal note.  I have never been more cared for than when I was being treated by my TCM. Now if it was only covered by insurance.

Tai Chi & Qigong:  I was a practitioner, or player, of Tai Chi Chuan years before my disability.  The name means “Grand Ultimate Fist (or Boxing)”, and is a martial art that has been found to have great health benefits above and beyond the martial aspect.  There are three family styles of Tai Chi, but all have the same principle.  They go through postures, very slowly and never really stopping at each one, but moving through them fluidly. It focuses on the proper shapes for the transmission of energy, the methods of single weightedness, and techniques of breath control and relaxation.  Practiced regularly, one becomes supple, calm, and has increased balance. One of the key problems of Tai Chi today is finding a proper teacher.  Too many people today have taken only a year or so of practice and only focus on the meditative qualities, which means they miss the proper movements.  A good practitioner should have spent a minimum of five years practice, know the family history of their style, understand the martial application of Tai Chi, and be calm but firm in their training.  I was quite blessed, my teacher was already 75 years old, had spent his whole life as a martial arts teacher in China and Taiwan before moving to the US, and had a wonderful way of teaching; even if it was only in his native Mandarin!

Qigong is much the same.  The translation is loosely read as “energy cultivation”.  It is attributed to the Yellow Emperor, c. 168BC, and his classic work, Book of Internal Medicine.  The original meditative practice of breathing and gymnastic movements.  Although there can be different types of Qi Gong, the term today normally means the static training; those are standing exercises done individually.  Each exercise is done slowly and with specific breathing, based on the same concepts as all TCM.  This method is also one that would require the patient to be able to concentrate for long periods of time.  The forms can be tiring, although not exactly taxing upon the body.  Working with a proper teacher is essential, but like it’s brother Tai Chi, difficult to find.  Look at the Qi Gong Institute on the web to hopefully find a teacher in your area.

I have enjoyed my time with these therapies.  How about you?  Have you tried any of these movement therapies?  Do you have concerns about using something you don’t understand?  My hope is that I’ve given you some ways to get moving that you may not have thought of before.  That will also wrap up our week related to getting moving again.  Is there anything I missed?  Do you have a favorite?  I pray you have a safe and relatively pain free weekend.  God bless.

Technorati Tags: Chronic Pain,Suffering,Tai Chi,TCM. Qi Gong,Movement

Who’s Who in Movement? pt.2

Yesterday we went over Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Yoga Teachers, Alexander Technique, and the Feldenkrais Method.  Today, we will continue with a few more of these movement therapies.

Trager Approach:  We’ll start with another method named for its developer.  This one is named for a native Chicagoan, Milton Trager (1908-1997) who was born with a congenital spinal deformity.  He worked with different forms of exercise and when he felt healthy, he turned to boxing.  After his sparring, his trainer would give Trager a rub down.  Once, when it was the trainer who felt low, Trager offered to rub down his mentor.  His trainer felt so good, Trager started to rub down and manipulate anyone he could find.  Most reported that he was doing something that was different than anyone else.  It wasn’t until after WWII Trager tried to move ahead in his own training.  Fifty medical schools turned him down because of his age, so he found a way into a medical school in Mexico and six years later received his MD.  In 1980, he and Betty Fuller (who knew and helped Milton Feldenkrais) opened the Trager Institute.  Apparently the first part of the method is passive where the practitioner moves you, never to a painful point.  Then, you move onto a second point in which you are taught to move yourself; this is called Mentastics.  Practitioners are certified by Trager International after 226 hours of instruction. 

Dance Therapy:  According to the American Dance Therapy Association, dance therapy is “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of individuals”.  It focuses on movement behavior and has been practiced for the past fifty years.  The ADTA certifies practitioners with two levels.  The first is the Registered Dance Movement Therapist (R-DMT) after achieving a master’s degree and 700 hours of supervised clinical internship.  Then, a practitioner can move on towards a Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist (BC-DMT) attains an additional 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work and an examination.  There are also state licenses and a possible doctorate.  This type of therapy is most definitely for those patients who have more of a depressive or emotional issue, and their pain is not rooted in the physical. 

Pilates:  This will conclude our movement method based on the originators name.  Joseph Pilates (1883-1967) was a German living in Britain during WWI.  He was a circus performer and a boxer, and was placed in an interment camp during the war.  While there, he continued to exercise and also began working with rehabilitating detainees who were ill or injured.  His exercises proved to be of great help to his fellow Germans.  He started using things that were available to him there, like bed springs and barrels to help certain problem areas.  These were later perfected and became his apparatus.  After the war, he returned to Germany for a time and his reputation for healing and training preceded him.  He briefly taught the Hamburg Police Department in health and combat, but left in 1925 when he was asked to train the German Army.  He landed in New York City, and while on the boat he met his future wife who was a nurse named Clara.  Together, they opened up a studio in Manhattan and continued to evolve the Pilate’s Method.  His main clientele were dancers and some worked with Joseph to become the very first teachers trained by Joseph himself.  Even today, teachers will work back to show they are from a direct lineage of teachers of some of these early elders.  When looking for a Pilates teacher, look for the proper certification which requires many months of training, roughly 500 hours.  This will include anatomy, mat work, and apparatus that is quite special to Pilates.  I have taken Pilates mat classes and have found it to be the absolute best abdominal workout I have ever taken.  It also works towards making your posture better as well as increasing general flexibility. 

Well, that’s all for today.  I hope I have been able to introduce some different methods to get moving.  How about you?  Have you tried any of these?  Is there one that you have really received relief from?  Tomorrow, I will go over the Asian methods; Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Tai Chi/Qigong.  I hope to see you then.

Technorati Tags: chronic Pain,Movement,Pilates

Who’s Who in Movement?

This week we’ve been discussing movement therapy to get chronic pain patients moving again, at least hopefully.  Today I want to go over some of the practitioners and what their specialty is about.  If you haven’t heard of some of these, you may want to try them out; with your doctor’s permission, of course. 

• Physical Therapist:  A physical therapist is probably one of the first technicians you’ll come in contact with to get you moving again.  This practitioner must have a masters degree (some go on for their doctorate) and pass a national and state qualifications test.  Beware of PT assistants or techs, they are not the same, but work under a full PT.  The PT is concerned with strength, range of motion, and your balance.  With their education and lab work, a PT learns to deal with a wide variety of patients and conditions, and each patient receives a personal care plan.  The PT will also use a wide variety of modalities, so if one type is not working, talk to your therapist and see if there is a different method they can try.
• Occupational Therapist:  These therapists also must have a masters degree or better and pass a national examination.  Whereas the PT works on movement in general, the OT works with patients on very specific tasks related to employment or your activities of daily living (ADL’s), which would included bathing, brushing your teeth, dressing, etc..  A patient may very well see a PT, then an OT for more specific or specialty training for a desired outcome.
• Yoga:  If you want to use yoga to help get you moving, you have to be very careful about the teacher you use.  There is no “requirement” for teaching yoga today.  Currently, the Yoga Alliance has both a 200 hour and a 500 hour training program for certification.  After a person completes the 200 hour program, they may use the initials, RYT, for Registered Yoga Trainer after their name.  Also, there are different styles or yoga; Bikram, Hatha, Sivananda, and others.  Ask if the teacher has time to describe their style to you, and if you can sit in on a class without actually doing the movements.  Let them know what condition you have, limitations put on you by that condition or your doctor, and any medications that could complicate things.  I use a pain patch, the type of yoga that is done in very hot rooms would not be good for me!
• Alexander Technique:  Named for Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) who was an Australian actor.  Having no luck finding help for his persistent laryngitis, he decided his body held too much tension and developed a way to hold better posture and movement.  Said to be simple and practical, AT teaches a person how to move with better balance and ease.  During a class, one can expect about 30 to 45 minutes of a teacher watching your posture and using their hands, the teacher will find and correct any improper movement.  The number of classes you will need are individual, but usually around 20 to 40 lessons over a period of a few months is normal.  If you want to explore this avenue, real teachers of AT should have a three year, full-time study program, roughly 1500-1600 hours of study and apprentice with an experienced teacher.  This is done through a few professional societies, but not a federal license at this time.  It is practiced within the US, UK, Canada, and many other countries.
• Feldenkrais Method:  Also named for its founder, Moshe Pinhas Feldenkrais (1904-1984), was a Ukrainian who was a truly remarkable man.  Having many interests, he was a martial artist, a cartographer, graduated with a degree in mechanical and electrical engineering, worked on atomic fission, conducted submarine research for Britain during WWII, published many works, and worked for the Israeli Army Department of Physics.  After that, he made his living teaching judo and his method of movement.  With all of his work and interests, he worked on functional integration and over the years developed a unique mind/body awareness method.  More precise, it has both private classes in functional integration and group classes in awareness through movement.   A practitioner must have 740-800 hours of education, and in North America be a member of the Feldenkrais Guild.  Again, there is no current federal licensing for this method.  It can be of great benefit for someone who can concentrate for an hour at at time, and wishes to have a better understanding of how and why they move; looking for the most effective means of movement.

How about you?  Have you had experience with any of these practitioners?  Have you found some relief or benefit from your time?  Tomorrow, I will continue with a few more methods available.

Technorati Tags: Chronic Pain,Movement,Physical Therapy,Occupational Therapry,Alexander Technique,Feldenkrais Method

Finding the One That Moves You

After all my time in the medical field and now as a patient for over six years. I have found that too often patients take the first medical professional that comes along without asking any questions.  However, I know women who will go through a platoon of hair stylists before settling for the right one.  Why is that? 

If your doctor prescribes either physical therapy or another type of movement therapy, ask who they recommend and why.  Then, ask for a day or two to find out more about that professional.  Google them, call friends who have used a physical therapist or whomever, and interview the therapist on the first visit—before they start putting their hands on you and telling you what to do.  Remember, ultimately you are the one paying their fees.  It will be you who is the recipient of their handiwork, good and bad.  You should know something about them, you should feel comfortable with them, and you should have a good idea about what they believe they can, and can’t, do for you.  A good PT should be a tough coach and an excellent teacher.  You must be able to leave their care knowing how to do your exercises, and also why you are doing them.

There is, as with all things in this world, another side to the coin regarding finding the right person.  If you were to Google “back pain therapies” or “back pain help”, the listings would be almost endless.  Many of them will be legit, many more will not be.  Even ones with professional sounding names and “Institutes” will be nothing but black holes for your money.  You can have great therapists at second rate clinics, and terrible therapists at some of the most expensive and exclusive universities.  All I ask is that you do more than go to where you are sent, do what you are told, and in the end have no idea what or why you’re doing things.  That’s not getting better, that’s just moving around. 

Finding the best person for you is a very personal matter, and you may make a mistake.  It is for that reason I ask fellow patients to pray, have an anam cara (soul friend), and to keep a journal.  All of this will help you, and your friend, to see when something your doing isn’t working or is making things worse.  And always be open and honest with your PT, if you’re not giving them feedback they won’t change course; even if it’s hurting you because they can’t read your mind!  Working with all medical personnel is a relationship, this one even more so; wouldn’t you agree?  How about you?  Have you had good experiences with physical therapy or other movement therapy?  Did you do something that hurt, but didn’t say anything?  Do you know why you do this but not that?  Tomorrow, I’ll go into some specifics on the different disciplines.

Technorati Tags: Chronic Pain,Suffering,Physical Therapy,Movement