Jun 22 Joy Came Always After Pain.” ~Apollinaire

Prolotherapy day.  It was a quick trip this time around.  We got up at the crack of dawn.  Drove to Mishawaka.  Got gas.  Ate Subway.  And went to my appointment.

I was weighed.  My blood pressure and heart rate were taken.  I filled out the pain scales.  And then waited for Dr. Cantieri.

Speaking of the pain scales, I hate, hate, hate the question:  “How would you rate your pain?” I understand why they have to ask me, but I always cringe inside when I have to answer…Today I said, “3~ribs.  4~neck.  7~hip. ”

Yes, my stupid hip.

Or so I thought.

Since school got out I have been all gung-ho about exercising.  I want to get as strong as I possibly can this summer.  I have more energy to put into my work-outs since I am not working.  Exercise in general puts me in a good mood and clears my mind.  And, I am preparing to hopefully take some dance classes that require some serious endurance, as well as preparing to go to South Bend to work out with Dr. Lavallee.  I want to make sure I can hang, since he told me when we planned this whole thing, “to prepare to be sore.”

This would be all well and great, except my hip has become more flared up, the more I have increased my work-outs.

Anyways, after Dr. Cantieri came and got me and we caught up about life in general, I told him that I wanted to get to the bottom of my hip issue.  I showed him where I was having the majority of my pain.  As he examined me, it became more and more clear that my pain was not from my hip.

Disclaimer: The rest may be TMI, but I want to make sure I have the whole appointment documented.

As he pushed and prodded, the pain I was feeling became more and more intense the lower he pushed.

Now, I know basic anatomy, and I am smart enough to know that the places that were making me jump off of the table, were definitely NOT my hip.

I asked in a panicked voice, “So I have to get shots DOWN THERE?”  Brad’s eyes got really big.

I know Dr. Cantieri tried to hide it, but he let out a laugh.

I was not laughing.

Dr. Cantieri said to me, “You don’t have to do anything” but he recommended injecting the tendons that attach to my pubic bone and groin area.  He told me he thought I flared up an old injury, and it was a matter of letting it heal with prolotherapy, backing off some of the exercises that are making it flare, strengthening, and making sure I am using good form when I am exercising.

I said fine, let’s just do it quickly and get on it with it.  So that is what he did.  We made conversation the best you can while someone is injecting your lady parts.  I made sure that Brad knew that no pictures were allowed, and just kept thinking to myself, Why in the world did you wear those underwear.

Anyways, after that fun was over, Dr. Cantieri mapped out and injected many of the usual spots~the front of my ribs, back of my ribs, my upper neck, and upper back…When it was time to get dressed, he commented that my neck felt much more supple to him (That’s good when you have EDS), and that he was encouraged by the progress I have made in my chest.  We decided that I would come back in 6 weeks, unless down there “my hip” was still giving me fits.  Then I would come back in 3 weeks.

So I am home now, comfy as I can possibly be, laying low.

I’m moving slow but am definitely thankful that I have a doctor who is willing to figure out the many “challenges” I present to him, and he is willing to go after them aggressively.

Even if it is in places I would rather not go.