PTSD

     I‘ve had the honor of recently treating someone whose been diagnosed with PTSD, his bouts of therapy don’t seem to be giving him what he feels he needs and would strongly prefer not to go the drug route. He presents anxiety, fatigue, depression, insomnia, low motivation, failure to thrive as an adult. Physical symptoms are also just now showing as well.
     He’s grief stricken with his experiences and disillusioned with life, dwelling in the fall the winter energetically.
     In treatment, we are re-kindling his fire, metaphorically, and he’s now arrived at the place where he can just see glimmers of hope in the shadows of that fire (“shadow” still being the operative word); new possibilities in relationship with his wife, potential joy in the lives of his kids, a life that can be filled with learning about things he loves.


     I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

-George Bernard Shaw

Getting the House Ready

We’ve been getting the house ready to put on the market. Lots of projects, things we’ve put off for the past 6 years. Of course, now with everything completed, all the painting and repairs done, it seems like a place I’d like to live in! Isn’t that always the way?

Do you have projects you’d like to complete? Is it the same list as the one from last year? I have patients who are reluctant to “get off the mark.” Is that how it is with you? Still planning on exercising? On cleaning out that room? On losing that weight?

As they say, tomorrow is a disease. Starting now is the only time to start.

For a list of all the ways in which technology has failed you, please press three.
- Alice Kahn

Just Celebrated My 60th Birthday

     I recently celebrated the completion of my sixth decade along with many of my high school classmates. The family had an outdoor gathering on the hottest day of the year at the picnic area near Lake Elkhorn here in town. We had lots of swinging and sandbox play (the most fabulous grandson Tristan was in attendance) along with candles, singing and sweating.

The Circles

Think of Life as five circles in a big circles.

The Crayons quote

     See the crayons. They are lined up so nicely- white, blue, green, red, and yellow – just like the seasons. They’re all pointed in the right direction, they’re all about the same length, they’re all brand new – never used. It’s a simple enough analogy – balance, harmony, equalness of position, etc. They aren’t out of their sequence or facing the wrong way or of unequal size.
     Not too bad for home grown photography.

6,300/162

You must not know too much or be too precise or scientific about birds and trees and flowers and watercraft; a certain free-margin, and even vagueness - ignorance, credulity - helps your enjoyment of these things.- Walt Whitman

Piriformis Syndrome

     This particular condition occurs in women, 6 to 1 over men. It can literally be a pain in the butt. I am a sponsor for the Mid-Maryland Triathletes Club, MMTriClub, here in Columbia and that means that I get a lot email about races as well as the physical issues encountered by these runners, swimmers and bikers.
     The piriformis muscle is a smallish adductor connecting the front of the pelvis to the spine, more or less. And when you train at this level, it has a tendency to get overworked and compress the sciatic nerve leading to rear end discomfort or sciatic issues, that's the short version anyway. Massages, stretches, and pain relieving drugs are usual venues.
     In acupuncture parlance, it usually falls into one of three camps: Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis, Liver Depression or Liver-Kidney Yin Vacuity, if you're interesested in the jargon.
     The crayons in order, not so much.

4,000/162

When there is free flow, there is no pain and when there is no free flow, there is pain. - Alex Tiberi

Flying Cranes w/pic

     The cranes are back! I have had a mobile of cranes flying in my office since the beginning. When my former landlord moved she took the cranes, all the way to Oregon! And despite my best efforts and the internet, I haven't been able to find suitable replacements.
     So my very good friend Jen gave me these identical replacements on Sunday and I hung 'em up on Monday. I finally got the wings folded to suit them so they fly level now and don't just hang there, beak down.
     The mobile is from http://www.flensted-mobiles.com/ in Denmark with a supplier, Mr. Torben Nielsen in Highland,Village, TX at 888.664.3573.

5,500/161.5

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. - John F. Kennedy