Finals and Sick Family

OK, Finals are almost over with! Thank God, because Delaney has been sick since Saturday evening (it is now Wednesday and I have two more finals tomorrow-hard ones: Radiology I and Fundamentals of Pathology). She ran a fever of 102-103 degrees F on Sunday and Monday. Fever broke on Tuesday, & she was definitely on the recovery trail today.

I thankfully got through the PNS (Neuroanatomy II) final on Monday morning feeling pretty good about it, and the Instrumentation final yesterday feeling pretty good about it also. My best final experience so far was last Friday, my first final, in Endocrinology, which I felt great about. Right before the Endo final, I had just tried a yoga "boost camp" at Indigo Wellness: http://www.indigowellness.info/home/ and LOVED it! It is a 1.5 hour class, with 45 min. of cardio walking by the river (the Mississippi) in Moline and then 45 min. of yoga. I was really impressed by how challenging it was (it was my first instructor-led yoga class). My muscles were literally shaking with the effort of holding the poses. I have to say that my concentration was excellent after the class and that I felt a calm taking that test that I haven't felt since I started Palmer. That is definitely a recommendation for the yoga class!

I am not a person who loves to workout; I just know I feel better and it helps improve health, so I have tried to workout at least 3 times per week for at least 20 min. each time since I turned 25 (after reading about how our metabolism begins to slow each year after that age). I usually do the Activtrax (incorporating cardio, weights, and ab work) at Ultimate Fitness: http://www.qcultimatefitness.com/ which is a great way to have a well-rounded workout designed especially for you based on your goals, but felt like I needed to change it up a little. Now I am looking forward to break because I want to get back to the gym more and take Lani for walks and trike rides more.

Lani is a good girl: she has already learned to share. Sometimes things we'd like for her to NOT share: she gave Jon a version of what she has, so he is running a fever and has been chilled, dizzy, and exhausted today and most of yesterday.

The whole sharing when she shouldn't bit...I was thrilled that she finally sat on the potty chair and actually USED it last Friday night before her bath. Unfortunately, I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and she brought me the product of her "efforts." I was so happy that she actually pooped in the potty and was handing it to me: "Eew! Ukky!" she said, scrunching up her nose and puffing out her lips, that I had to share the great news with Jon, who was outside working, so I took it from her (I know, all this is totally gross, but I've kind of gotten over being grossed out easily since becoming a mom 14 years ago), and showed him out the back door. His face was hilarious; he deadpanned, "That is great...gross." I took it back to the bathroom, as Lani had run back in there as soon as I took the poo that had so offensively soiled her potty chair, and showed her that poo goes into the big potty and then we flush it and send it away. Then I cleaned us both up (I love soap and water!). Jon said that her OCD made her do it, because she couldn't stand that something was in her potty and getting it dirty. I suspect he is right. She really likes things to be a certain way...(a little like her Mommie).

So, I've had a little girl who just wanted to be held and coddled for the past 4 days, wouldn't sleep more than an hour or two at night without awakening and crying out: "Mommie, Mommie, Mommie!" and now a husband who can't stand up without getting so dizzy that he is in danger of passing out and hurting himself! I've been trying to get a little studying in here and there. It has been quite a challenge. But I should just expect that, as it seems that Finals tends to be the time that if something is going to hit the fan, then it will be at this time. Next term, my plan is to begin preparing for Finals earlier, so that I'm not feeling so short on time for the end reviewing.

Getting ready for the final I had this morning in Philosophy III, I was looking up some of the people who developed the various chiropractic techniques on the web. Found a nice list on http://www.chiro.org/ and went to the Activator Methods website: http://www.activator.com/. Very interested in this one for me. Want to take the Basic On-line course this summer or fall so that I can then go to a seminar and take the Intermediate level. Really like that it is a low-force technique and can be used for so many applications, including releasing tight tendons/ligaments. It is a great tool for pediatrics to geriatrics. Which leads me to a little story about Clinic:

Since Lani has been sick, I took her to the Clinic yesterday to be adjusted. Our Clinic doctor was not in, so we were seen by another doctor. I mentioned to her that Lani has only been adjusted with Activator (which is not entirely true; she has also had other very low force techniques done, but NEVER with techniques that are higher force). She proceeded to adjust Lani with a higher force technique, starting with her cervicals. Lani immediately began to cry because it scared her and I believe it hurt, as she cried out, "Owie, owie, owie, Mommie!" The doctor then adjusted Lani's thoracics and her pelvis while holding her in the air. Lani was nearly hysterical by the time she was through. I was furious. Please note: this is NOT a typical Clinic experience at Palmer.

Delaney was adjusted for the first time in her life one hour after her birth. She had only C1 out, which makes perfect sense based on how quickly she was born (only a 2.5 hour labor, and she was born on the bathroom floor of the hospital room, as we had only arrived at the hospital 6 minutes before). She has been adjusted by trusted friends and family members since, all excellent, gentle doctors. She LOVES to be adjusted and will climb right up on the adjusting table and put her face into the headrest. Well, I was furious at the doctor who handled her like a ragdoll yesterday, not only for how rough she was with Lani, especially when Lani wasn't feeling good, but for disrespecting me & Lani's regular provider by completely ignoring Lani's protocol of care, but also for instilling fear into Lani of receiving a chiropractic adjustment. The student extern accompanied me to the scheduling desk and asked if we'd like to come in Thursday. We checked the schedule with the receptionist and she said that only the doctor we had just seen would be available. I said I absolutely did not want Lani seen under her ever again. The student assured me that she would see Lani & would use the Activator to adjust her next visit. We found another doctor, who I think is really knowledgeable and is respectful to patients, his fellow doctors, and to the students he teaches, and we scheduled under him instead for today. At today's visit, he reviewed the student's findings, checked Lani, agreed with her findings and let the student proceed with adjusting. Much better experience today, although Lani was a little hesitant to let anyone touch her. Today's adjustment is typical of what the Clinic experience is like.

I also came across an interesting link while I was looking up some information on scrotal cancer for Fundamentals of Pathology that I'd like to look more into when I'm on break: http://www.wellsphere.com/autism-autism-spectrum-article/voluminous-research-proves-vaccines-are-deadly/736798 Many of the articles cited are older (1960's, 70's), but might be good reading. We are still torn on the entire vaccine issue and talking with our MD is not helpful, as they are taught that vaccines are safe, and that all children should be kept to a particular schedule. We have begun vaccinating Delaney (Dartagnan, my 14-year-old son, was completely vaccinated on schedule, which was not as many shots back in the mid-1990's), but slower than the recommended schedule. I know this is aggravating for our MD, as he feels it is his job to try to get her vaccinated "on schedule," however, we feel that the introduction of so many offensive elements to her immature immune system so early on, and so many different types of assault at once, is just asking for trouble. So we are going about it much slower...She's had all of the vaccines for up to 18 months. She is going to be receiving the shots that would bring her up to date with the 2-year-old calendar within the next 6 months. She will receive a shot in June, then we will wait at least 6-8 weeks before the next one, then another 6-8 weeks to the next one. She will then be "up to date."

I'm not totally convinced of the efficacy of vaccines: there was an outbreak of mumps about 1.5 years ago in this area and both Jon and his brother, Josh, got mumps. Both had been vaccinated against it as children. Josh's case was rather severe; he was very swollen in the face and neck & his signs and symptoms lasted about 2 weeks. Jon's was milder, but there was some facial and neck swelling and painful swallowing, and lasted about 1 wk. So how effective was the mumps vaccine for these two? Not very.

Over break, one of my friends has offered to lend me her Sacro-Occipital Technique books. (Find out more about SOT at: http://www.sorsi.com/ & http://www.sotousa.com/wp/) Very interested in reading more about that too. She also has the Activator info, so I'll probably borrow that too. We'll be in the car a lot, traveling, so it will be good to have something to read. We'll be traveling to Peoria, IL; Chattanooga, TN; Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN; & Washington Island, WI. Can't wait! Will be great to get away for a bit & to see Dartagnan as he and his cousin Thomas will be joining us for our trip to Washington Island.

OK, now I need to get back to reviewing Rad slides & reading about interesting congenital mutations (I like the weird, unusual stuff-I think it is easier to remember than the things that aren't so strange), so that I'm ready at 8:45 to take the Fund Path final and at 10:15 for the Rad final tomorrow morning. After that, a month-long break! Yea!