The neck and back of it all

Friday's physio appointment was pretty exciting - much like a scene from ER, well, maybe a tamer version of it. My physio was teaching me some new exercises to strengthen my neck, when he had an unexpected patient. This man, who looked like he was in his 50s, had asked a kind soul to wheel him up to the physio clinic on a roller chair, which I don't know where the kind soul got from! From the security guard downstairs, I suspect.

The man (who turned out to be my physio's golf kaki) had earlier on come for his scheduled appointment with my physio, then left, and was chasing for the bus downstairs when he suddenly twisted his kneecap! So he returned on the roller chair, and limped really badly with an umbrella as support into one of the rooms in the clinic.

Next door, I shuddered as I heard him groan in pain as my physio hooked him up to some device to treat the pain. As in, he really groaned loudly. Damn scary man! In that same time, I saw a really old man hobble into another room to be hooked up to the pain relief machine - a device with nodes that sends warm electric pulses to parts of your body to relieve pain. And I thought to myself, growing old really is scary. I must make my body strong!!!

So anyways, since my physio sessions started, I've kinda made some changes to my everyday lifestyle. Such as:

1. Dumping my old pillow for this new firm support pillow

It was a little difficult getting used to it in the first week (even now I sometimes feel it is hard), but it has cured me of the shoulder pains I used to suffer every morning when I woke up. My previous pillows, though they felt firm, just couldn't support the weight of my head properly.

2. Getting an inclined notebook stand for my macbook

One of the big reasons for neck and shoulder aches is having to bend our heads downwards to see the laptop/notebook screen. The screen should always be at eye level so that you don't have to strain your neck/shoulders unnecessarily. At work, I use a desktop, and I've put my PC screen on a pile of past annual reports belonging to my organisation. You must also always lean back against your chair as you view the screen. With these changes, plus some neck-extension exercises that I'm supposed to do every 30 min (well, I don't do them so religiously lah), my shoulder aches have disappeared! I now only experience tension in the left side of my neck. I used to have to ask for shoulder rubs ALL THE TIME. But now, I don't need them. Super happy man.

3. Doing my stretching and strengthening almost everyday

During Friday's visit, the physio was teaching me new exercises (above) with the tube, to strengthen my neck muscles. Hopefully, they will help me alleviate the tension in the left side of my neck. My neck muscles are really weak - carrying shoulder bags make my shoulders ache real fast. I'm supposed to carry a haversack to distribute the weight evenly, but I'm vain and need to find a beautiful haversack. Then again, how to carry haversack when you wear office clothes right?

Before learning the above exercise, I was doing stretching on the thigh muscles (including hamstring), as well as doing basic pilates to strengthen the back and abs. And you know what! I can now touch the toes of one foot when I sit on the bed to stretch. You imagine a sit-and-reach position and me stretching to touch the toes of one foot. This is amazing lor, for someone who could NEVER do sit-and-reach in sec sch, and always had to settle for a bronze for NAPFA despite aceing the rest of the exercise tests. Frankly, the stretching exercises that our PE teachers used to teach us are wrong lor. Doing the gradual stretching that my physio taught me has loosened up muscles other than the hamstring, making it much easier to stretch the hamstring. I'm really happy. Apparently, my tight hamstring and other muscles near there (whose names I can't pronounce) need to be loosened, so that my body doesn't put all the weight and stress on my lower back, and hurt it further. In other words, the weight needs to be distributed among the thighs and back.

After seeing the physio, I've begun to realise how many people around me have similar problems! It's crazy because it's mostly due to our lifestyle. Eg. sitting in front of the tv and pc most times, playing guitar, carrying bags etc... My ex-cell group leader, who also used to see a physio, decided to go a step further and solve his problems altogether with his own traction device. Every time he gets aches, he lies on this device for a few minutes, somewhat like Batman hanging upside down. I tried it (see below), but was too nervous to hang completely upside down!

Christmas Eve

I was really looking forward to Christmas Eve because Mich had booked a table for a bunch of us at Timbre@Old School, to catch Alarice singing. She's an Australian-based singer who has some roots in Singapore, and she was touring together with fellow Australian-based singer Deb Fung. These people are just so talented lah. If I'm not wrong, Alarice is only 21 (right Mich?). The Timbre there has a nice vibe to it, pretty peaceful and away from the crazy crowd. Just a little peeved that Timbre didn't have our reservation, even tho' Mich booked one month ago! My friend, who also reserved a table a little later than us, didn't have her reservation registered too! Ah well, Timbre's service has never been very good, but they can afford to be proud cos their music acts draw crowds. Anyways, I still had a good time. Hoping to catch more of Alarice-type acts in 2009. She's good :)

Here's to Health

FY recently found 5 lumps in her breast, and when I read about them on her blog, I was really quite taken aback. Thoughts that ran through my mind: should I call her? But maybe she doesn't want to be disturbed cos she's anxious enough already... so I thought I'd send her an SMS. What a relief it was to know, a few days later (actually just earlier in the day), that they were non-malignant. Yes, she can live and she can watch her son grow. This is my friend from sec sch, who is the same age as me this year - 29.

That night when I had read her blog, I started going through my list of good friends, and wondering what I would do if they died. And I couldn't sleep. I logged online, found Mich (yes dear old Mich whom I can trust to be online at that time of the night), and asked her how many people she knew had women's problems. I mean, a few people I know around my age have fibroids, funny hormonal issues and now, breast lumps. And I told Mich, in jest, I felt left out. She immediately berated me and said I was to celebrate my health. And I really agree.

For 2009, I am going to be healthy. By effort.
- I am going to continue to take good care of my neck and back.
- I am going to eat more fruits and vegetables. This means at least one fruit every morning for breakfast.
- I am going to make sure I swim every Monday. And if I can, briskwalk every Sunday.
- I am NOT going to let work take control of me. It's my life that I'm living.

I really really want to celebrate my health.

physio

I had Session 4 of physiotherapy today. And I am feeling better.
No more shoulder aches, just the left side of my neck that's a bit problematic.
My flexibility in the thighs have improved. Woohoo!!! (Not being able to do sit-and-reach in sec sch and forever is linked to my bad lower back.)
Next two purchases to make my neck and back better?
New mattress - firm one. And, inclined laptop stand.
So far, the first purchase - my wonderful pillow - is working well.
Yay.

I like physiotherapy.

卢广仲 <100种生活>

I was just jio-ing people to go watch 卢广仲 (Lu Guang Zhong) at the Huayi Festival in Feb next year, when I found out that both shows were sold out!!! Oh man. So sad. I won't say I know this quirky, dorky indie Taiwanese singer very well, but I thought he was fab at the guitar and vocals. And a lot of personality too. James Porn would be disappointed at not being to watch him live. Oh well, here's an MTV of his <100种生活>...

I missed Mayday live, at dinner

Last night, SH calls me on my mobile and exclaims: "Ms D, they are REALLY here leh!!!" I was like, huh, what??? Crisis case ah??? My youth, what happened??? And then it dawned on me. Mayday was having dinner at Sin Hoi Sun, the eatery where she was having dinner that night!!! OMG. I. NEARLY. DIED. I mean, I was just joking with her before she left the office that she might so luckily bump into them. But really, I thought they'd have left Singapore after their show on Sat night. To still be in the country on Tuesday night? What are the chances??? Can die. Can die.

So, she started describing what they were doing. Obviously, she couldn't recognise all of them, cos she's not a fan (tsk tsk). But she could count. And there were only 3, with my 老公 (yes I'm known as Mrs Shin in office, ie wife of Ashin the lead singer) absent, and another one absent. Stone was seen playing with his little son (should be abt 3 years old now)...awww so sweet right? I like these father types.

This morning, I came into the office and saw all the post-it notes stuck on my Mayday poster, and I burst out laughing. Yar, so apparently, Mayday missed me at their dinner last night. Awww....so sweet.

But of course SH had to add, a little later, to me: "They all look sooooo ah beng. But then again, you like."

Haha. Yes I do.