January 29, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Dr. Whitehead was, again, the main presenter. We started with a half hour of meditation and breathing, this time imagining we are on a beach. She seemed to be talking a little louder and I got 90% of what she said (instead of missing 90%!). The “gentle movement” was another…
Author: Jacquie
I am a wife, mother, grandmother, pet co-parent, web designer, copy editor, type 2 diabetic, migraineur, and chronic pain warrior. In seeking to reverse diabetes, I have become in search of healing for myself and my family.
Office Visit with Dr. Whitehead
January 29, 2018, 9:00 a.m. Nine o’clock seemed way too early to be up and doing anything! But it was a good session, casual and comfortable. It was mostly giving an overview of my current neck pain history and what else was going on in my life during the past year. I was relieved that…
Things I’ve tried and things I haven’t tried
January 28, 2018, 1:55 p.m. These are the thoughts that come to mind today as I think about what I have been doing over the past year to relieve what was first discomfort in my neck and then became painful enough to interfere with my normal, everyday life. These things that I’ve listed here are…
acupressure, acupuncture, anti-inflammatory, aroma therapy, biofeedback, CBD/THC, codeine, cold, ergonomics, essential oils, Flexeril, gabapentin, heat, kratom, medical cannabis, meditation, mindful breathing, NSAIDs, Pain Management Program, physical therapy, pillow, prednisone, reflexology, reiki, shiatsu massager, spinal decompression, tapping (EFT), TENS unit, traction Day 4 Pain Management
January 26, 2018 End of the first full week. Dr. Whitehead started the session with a half hour of meditation. Again, she was so soft-spoken that I could barely hear her and couldn’t understand most of it, but she seemed to be wanting us to imagine we are in a forest. The music that was…
Pain Medications
Thursday, January 25, 2018 After spending the last three years getting off prescription medications (Paxil, simvastatin, glipizide, metformin, atenolol, nortriptyline, and even sumatriptan if the CBD/THCA tinctures keep working to prevent migraines!), I’m majorly bummed right now to be even considering more pharmaceuticals to deal with my chronic neck pain. But I just can’t handle…
Phone appointment with Dr. Kalra
January 25, 2018, 8:15 a.m. I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m. to make sure I could wake up to be coherent by 8:15a for my phone appointment with Dr. Kalra, Medical Director of the Pain Clinic. I was actually out at my desk, waiting by the phone from 7:30a until 9:30a, when he finally…
Day 3 Pain Management
January 24, 2018 Today’s session started out with Lisa, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She continued with the concept of the “Biopsychosocial Model of Pain” to show the relationship of physical pain to emotional responses. She also facilitated the meditation exercise and relaxation breathing. She wasn’t nearly as soft-spoken as Dr. Whitehead, so I had…
Day 2 Pain Management
January 22, 2018 First “real” session (no more paperwork to fill out!). Francis is gone for 10 days on some kind of “mission trip” so Dr. Whitehead was the primary presenter. She showed a video of a TED talk by a woman who had had massive body injuries and accompanying pain and told her story…
Day 1 Pain Management Orientation
Friday, January 19, 2018 Francis and Dr. Whitehead facilitated this orientation session. There was a little more paperwork to fill out, but the “samples” of relaxation strategies with the breathing and mediation were longer. There was a lot of emphasis on the importance of attending every session (unless you are ill and contagious!), and required…
Group Acupuncture #3
Jan 17, 2018 Another two weeks have passed, and this is my third group acupuncture session. Today I reported a pain level of 6. I took this picture inside the group room, showing what I had to look at during this acupuncture session. All the other patients were behind me. This week, the acupuncturist was…