On the Mend

Well, I don't want to jinx anything but I think we are on the mend here. Bill, Audrey and Luke seem to be doing fine. 
Today, I take Ben in for a second chiropractic appointment. We really thought he just had a pulled hamstring but when he woke up Friday morning hobbling again I just had no idea. So this is what I did: I booted him off to school. Sure, he was slowly limping but I couldn't see any point in keeping him home yet another day because he wasn't really sick. His brain was fine, just his leg hurt. And in the past, he will limp all day until about 4 or so and then be up and moving just fine after that. I sent a note to school excusing him from recess and PE so that he could rest more. But about 11, I got a call from the school and Ben said the pain hurt too much for him to concentrate on his studies. *sigh* So I picked him up and our chiropractor's office squeezed us in for an appointment. There we discovered that his hips were out of alignment just enough to have his hamstring pulled on leg and his groin pulled on the other leg- opposite effects.

I am so thankful for alternative care!! We have visited both the physical therapist and our chiropractor (Dr. Kurt VerHelst in Ames ;)) over the years and they have mended us without medication. 

This Saturday is also Ben's last basketball game and we're hoping with some time off between basketball, soccer and racing, we can give his legs a rest and completely heal.

I'm feeling pretty good except for some running ailments. My IT band gave me the fits last week at the end of a 12 miler. I was 10.3 miles into it and I had to pull up and walk. Let me just say, when you're that close to finishing your run, no matter how far or fast you've gone, and you can't finish it, it makes you mad. Thankfully I was able to walk it out and for some weird reason it stopped hurting and I could finish my miles running. I rested and recovered this past week, spending time with my foam roller for a good hour last night.

What's a foam roller?

It's a piece of foam compressed in a cylindrical shape that you roll your body over. I generally use it on my legs. Rolling over it is like a massage. It releases tension and all that bad stuff, allowing your muscles and tendons to loosen up and unglue themselves. It's good for you even though it hurts so much. Another plus side is a foam roller is way cheaper than visiting a massage therapist every week, though I would really like to get another massage sometime.

Lucy seems to be doing just fine now. After writing last week that I would probably take her back to the vet, we gave her another day to rest and then she was up and at 'em again.

 See, she's already giving me attitude again!

In case you haven't noticed, she's a big dog now. She just turned a year at the end of January and when she was weighed in at the vet's a couple weeks ago, she was 66 pounds.

I think I'll wait a while before I take her on another run with me though.