Hanging in there

Today I encountered two people with pinched nerves. The first was the girl who answered the phone at the optometrist's office when I called to cancel my appointment. After I explained, she said, "Honey, I understand. I've had one, too." She said had no relief from the usual treatments either but that ice and yoga stretches helped the most. Her pain lasted about a month. And later, while I was delicately pushing a cart around Harris Teeter, I saw a man with his left hand gripping his left shoulder while he reached for something with his right, and his face was wincing in pain. He looked like me! I said, "You look like you have a pinched nerve." Yes he did, poor fellow, and we began a conversation about the agony and what works and what doesn't. It helps me to know there are others, but I hate for anyone to have this problem.

Ouch!

There has been no art or fun the past week and a half.

Maybe it was when I tripped over a curb, or slept the wrong way, or maybe I just held up the iPad with my left hand for too long, but somehow I managed to get a pinched nerve in my neck. It affected muscles in my back and my left shoulder and whole left arm. My entire upper left side has been in pain! But today I am glad to say I feel like I am on the mend. So far I have had three visits with my wonderful chiropractor and two visits with an acupuncturist. As for acupuncture, it is something I thought I would try if I ever had pain. So now I have tried it, and I don't like it. 

One thing I learned is that when you are in severe pain, nothing else matters, and your mind can't go to its usual places. Today I had a thought that did not pertain to my predicament, and I realized I was getting better! I hope so, because I have a Thanksgiving dinner to prepare.