things on tuesday :: pilates

Yes, Pilates is my newest passion!  I am alternating Pilates with cardio at the gym and feelin' so much better!  

loves 
  • that the Pilates DVD I bought is amazing!
  • finding these amazing little Moravian Cookies at the Fresh Market
  • fun new adventures in the city - dîner en blanc
  • catching up
  • my hair after a day at the salon - it always looks and feels so great
  • that raising my monitor at work seems to have helped some of my neck/shoulder pain - it's the little things I tell you.

loathes
  • finding the perfect bag... that's not so perfect
  • when people don't listen to what I have to say
  • Lucy's hairballs - damn long hair cats!
  • that the new gym locker room is as messy as my high school gym locker room - people are pigs!
  • that I never seem to get enough sleep
  • my new glasses are not super cute ... but they do work!
  • that summer is almost over

quick update

Today, for the first time in MONTHS I felt the pain going away in my neck and shoulders - Hooray!!! One acupuncture treatment and one massage, that's it ... Don't get me wrong, it's still there but very mild!

I have to say I'm a little shocked, but extremely happy! I would have thought it would be months of treatment... Now let's just hope it stays this way without a whole lot of maintenance visits! AND, let's hope she can work some miracles on my side pain too!! That one might be a toughie, I've recently heard other stories about right side pain post gallbladder removal ... And they don't paint great picture for the future. *frown*

... via iPad ...

acupuncture

Since western medicine is unable to determine why I have pain and how to make it go away I am turing to the eastern world for some acupuncture. I tried acupuncture once before, but it was pre gallbladder/stone removal and I suspect the treatment was telling me that something was wrong inside the body, but I didn't stick with it long enough to really see.

Now that I have a clean bill of health - by the numbers - I am giving it another go.

I don't like filling out the little form about all the ailments, but I will say that the woman that I met with tonight walked through each and every one and really took the time to understand my aches and pains. She put needles in my ears, arms, stomach, face, knees and feet. I laid on the table and tried to relax and let the magic happen. When I was done she put cinnamon oil on my neck and shoulders and did a treatment called gua sha where she rubbed my neck and shoulders with the edge of a chinese soup spoon - wow did that hurt and feel good at the same time. I have a ton of sub-cutaneous blemishing that will keep me in scarves and turtlenecks for a few days.

Photo

Aside from the physical treatment she suggested I drink more water (I am terrible with this) and cut out dairy. ACK! How will I ever do that??? No milk. No cheese. No butter. No chocolate. No ice cream. No ravioli. No. No. No. I have no idea how I will ever do it.