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I Ar 8 | iY i hl > 13 - 14 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, October 10, 1990 [ Prisoner In My Body The author of the following arti- cle, Janice Holtby of Port Perry, has been plagued by back problems since early childhood. This week, "Part 3" of her story "Prisoner In My Body", a personal account of her on-going problems and how she and her family have learned to deal with them. Janice does not claim to be an ex- pert in the field of back pain, but this personal glimpse of how she has en- dured the pain and suffering of chroic back pain, may be an inspiration to others experiencing similar problems. Prisoner In My Body has been printed in three episodes. Following is the final episode. Reading the "Parent's Handbook STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting)' book (levels for youngster's and one for teens), may end some add- ed tension and frustration for you. Also this book is great for creating positive, situations and phrases for yourself. You will find some chapters great for en- couraging self-esteem. It can be ordered from a bookstore for around $17.00. There are work situations in this mannual, so | suggest buying it. Try getting out more, if your pain is at a tolerable level. | have a fully reclin- ing wheelchair (the handles for lower- ing it is in the back though which is a pain, ha ha), and since my last opera- tion, can tolerate some sitting time in the chair, so | get out more. With a hypnotic suggestion from Dr. Hunchak, | am able to live in a mess (| used to be immaculate - Type A per- sonality) and it drives my husband nuts, now. Dr. Hunchak warned that some suggestions can make your spouse sick. He smiled with his unique chuckle and said "h your spouse does get sick, just sent him to me." One important thing | learned in Oshawa General Hospital therapy, was the importance of getting dressed and putting on make-up, even if you're not going anywhere, or spending the day on "maintenance repair' (bedrest for a trade-off day). If you are unable to do this for yourself, ask your homemaker to help you. She/he can bring your make-up to your bedside and use a hand mirror. Have a beauty consultant (men use skin care products, too, after shaving etc.) visit to show you how to apply make-up and enjoy a facial at the same time. | also learned the phrase "That's great!" from the nurses and therapists. It sounded phony at first, but | have incorporated it into my vocabulary here. STEP Chapter 3 has excellent phrases, which | wrote out and keep on the fridge. Also "A minute on the lips - forever on the hips." (on T.V.). Its not been easy for my husband raising two children (seven years ago, Sandra was 4'2, and John was 14 months old), and having a physically challenged wife, but | give him awesome credit for sticking around the last seven years. Unfortunately, over half of C.P.S. spouses leave the physically challenged person-hence the importance of counseling early in C.P.S. My husband has taken on a radio con- trolled airplane hobby, and weekend and week nights he relaxes with a flip or a flop (just kidding sweetheart), although last summer 4 planes took a powder. Both sets of grandparents have been super in taking the children for holidays or visits, and we are very fortunate to be so richly blessed. Two years ago, a friend of ours turn- ed 40, and we attended her party. | was talking with her brother, from Toronto, about back problems and mentioned my surgeons' name. He said "l know him, he used to live in our building." | thought, I've probably been shooting my mouth off to a doctor, and wouldn't | look foolish, so | delicately asked his profession. He stated that he wasn't a doctor, but he is the Director of Research at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. | have always wondered about teflon discs, as when | worked for an ear, nose and throat specialist, he us- ed to use teflon to make vocal chords even, giving a person a stronger voice, after damage to their chords. Yes!! Teflon discs are on the drawing board. Yes, our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and there are still miracles on the way. Spiritually with C.P.S. you will be tried, no matter your religious values you hold dear to your heart, but wisdom comes with time. Anger and denial drift in and out. Our assistant Pastor in 1983, imparted great wisdom when | told him "I keep asking why God, why me?' His answer was "You can keep asking why, why, but only God knows the answer. The big step from here is going from why to trusting God." It took three years to wrestle with this and sometimes it still rears up its ugly head. This time of year is more difficult for me than the winter. Seeing couples tak- ing long walks, bicycling, golfing, roller skating and water skiing, my favourite sports, gets under my skin. As for the man | spoke with at the start of this article, | do have more in- formation for him, and his family, hop- ing that we can catch him, before he starts tunnelling down the C.P.S. lad- der. | know of two couples who may share support with him and his family. One couple lives in Cobourg, and the other in Nestleton (Ken and Gayle). For those that have recently injured their backs, see your doctor, as soon as possible. The newest trend (but | think | saw it in Judylaines' book or quarterly paper, on posture several years ago) is to keep a back injured person mobile with anti-inflammatories. Bedrest atrophies muscles, and weakens them, which in turn exacerbates the problem, and increases muscle spasms. Your body also looses calcium with complete bedrest. When | first worked in a Toronto hosp- ital, 15 yrs. ago, | remember back pa- tients lying on Stryker frames for about a month, flip-flopping them around and more time later in a regular bed. One man lasted 3 days on the Stryker frame and then decided to go for a walk, he had had enough after a major fusion. Things sure have changed for the bet- ter, | hope. At one point, | had thought about writing a book, and | would have called it 'Prisoner in my Body,' as that was how | felt for three years, and still feel after trade-offs, or overpacing. My fami- ly doctor felt that by the time a back in- jured person read my book, that they would already have slipped into C.P.S. Also | finally saw someone (Dr. Hall) describe C.P.S., which | wanted to have communicated to the public. Hopefully this article (long as it is) will reach so- meone before that happens. (slipping in C.P.S) Two humorous incidences would have been in that book. The first was when our Cobourg couple came over and they go down on the floor to play games for the night. They and Brian had stiff necks for a day, but | thought it was great that they cared enough to do that. The second incident was when | got caught turning over in our waterbed with my TENS unit on. The electrodes came apart, and my controls were hit in the turn and went to high frequency. | was paralyzed with shock, and a burning sensation where the electrodes were touching my skin. Do you know how long and how dif- ficult it is to turn over in a waterbed in shock? The unit is run by batteries, so you can't get electrocuted by it, but it sure smarted for a few days, especially sine my pads are lower down the back! If | can avoid one person, one family from having to join our exclusive "Back Support Group," then | would be ex- tremely happy and full of joy!! We have guest speakers, exchange information, have back puny jokes, and just plain fun, but we are fighting to win against C.P.S., and we are still in awe of each other. We are survivors! | will leave you with the second verses. 2nd Corinthians Chapter 1:3-7 "3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, 4 Who comfortéth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the en- during of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." With sincere thoughts, Janice Holtby Copyright Janice Holtby, July 1990 All rights reserved by Janice Holtby Another reason to get Invisible Fencing. 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