Merry Christmas

As Chevy Chase so wisely put it at the end of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, [paraphrasing here] each person defines Christmas in his or her own unique way.

For me, Christmas is a collage of memories and feelings. It’s also been a checkpoint in time; an opportunity to take stock of where I’ve been and where I want to go.

Thirty years ago, I celebrated my first Christmas of freedom from back braces and body casts. But even before that wonderful year – 1979 – there are many fond memories of Christmases past, spent with family and friends, that combine to create my definition of Christmas.

Time and circumstances have altered the how and where of the season. I no longer live near extended family, and many of the relatives from my parents’ and grandparents’ generations have passed on. So, the focus is now on the next generation – my children – and helping them establish a foundation, rooted in tradition, upon which to build their own Christmas memories.

Traditions from my childhood -- like meatless Christmas Eve dinner and waiting until Dec. 24 to place the Holy Family in the manger – endure. And they join new customs like delivering Christmas cookies to our neighbors, and going to the movies between dinner and dessert on Christmas Day.

May you and yours create your own, special Christmas memories and enjoy peace, love and joy now and throughout the New Year.

From the hip -- redux

X-rays ordered by Dr. Kabir, my new rheumatologist, confirmed that I have severe osteoarthritis and loss of joint space in my right hip. No surprise, as I’ve noted in a previous post.

However, Dr. Kabir said I am “nowhere near” needing a hip replacement.

That was reaffirming – and good news to share with my family, especially my eight-year-old son who wants to know when I’m getting my new hip.

So, instead of contemplating surgery, I’ve started physical therapy. Dr. Kabir said she has heard good things about a place called Aquatic PT and Beyond, so I agreed to give it a try.

In the past, physical therapy meant reviewing my exercise regimen and tweaking it as needed. I pitied those poor souls who actually spent multiple appointments -- and precious time -- working out on the gym equipment during countless PT sessions. In contrast, I mastered my new moves in a few visits and was happily off doing my home program.

At Aquatic, though, I’m being treated to the full spectrum of traditional and aquatic therapy – and I like it! Gym and pool appointments alternate with a therapeutic massage every third visit. Imagine, a massage that’s covered by regular health insurance!

Bryan is my primary therapist. At my first visit, as he gathered my medical history, he asked when my spinal surgeries were.

“In 1975 and 1978. And let me guess, that’s before you were born, right?” I said.

“Uh, yeah, a bit!” he laughed.

Damn, it sucks getting old!

After examining me, Bryan declared my right quadricep one of the tightest he’s ever seen – and that’s “tight” in a bad (inflexible) way. Visually, imagine lying supine on a table and dangling your leg off the side. My right thigh remains parallel to the tabletop. Consequently, I receive an abbreviated massage at each gym appointment in an attempt to loosen some key trigger points.

These massage sessions can be very uncomfortable. At a recent visit, I told Bryan something he did hurt – and he kept doing it! But the results are worth it. Slowly, I’m feeling fractionally more flexible – something I didn’t think was possible. Bryan has even said he can help alleviate my flat-back syndrome. We’ll see…