The Road to Recovery: Massage After Major Surgery

Let's face it, in life, we tend to go after sports and leisure activities with a vengeance.  We play extreme sports with no thought at how this can and does effect our bodies.  Until, that is, we have an injury.  Injuries can range from a small cut or bruise to breaking bones, tearing ligaments and muscles to needing things to be replaced with surgery.  We have so much fun, that it can and does hurt.  A lot of the time, it hurts.  This begs the question, what do we do when it hurts?

 

 

First and foremost, most injuries are not going to require a lot of down time, physical therapy and the likes thereof.  For the sake of you, dear reader, I will tackle a few kinds of recovery in this series, but for today, I will hit mostly on how massage can help you after you have had to go through the most extreme kind of recovery.  It begins with having to go through surgery.


Surgery.  There is a scary word.  The first time I had surgery was when I had all four wisdom teeth removed at the same time.  Because I was 19 at the time, I got to sign a waiver that stated I could die.  That was a risk I was willing to take at the time, due to the amount of pain I was in.  There are usually two ways it can go, very good, or not so good at all.


In either case, here are some things to think about before getting a massage.  Have you been released from your doctor for massage?  The reason this is so important is because when there are complications, there is a big risk to be taken when giving a massage.  Blood clots often form and through massage, they can be knocked loose and travel through your body.  These little guys can relocate to a new and exciting place, such as your heart or lungs or worse yet, your brain.  We, as therapists, do not, under any circumstance wish for this to happen.  An embolism, or clot, can be very deadly.  There is also the risk of infection after going through surgery.  Massage, helps to get the fluids in your body moving.  Moving the infection, is again, not something we want to do.  As a therapist, anytime you have surgery, I personally, always get a doctors release for massage.  It's in your best interest, as well as my own.  Every person, every time, even my own mother.

In the case of the most common kinds of surgery, there are a lot of good reasons to consider going with massage to help recover, many of which are backed by science and research.  I, however, don't know all of the exact details of these studies, but I will link the information that I got for this here, here and here.  I will be using my own personal experience as a therapist as backing to this as well.  You don't work for years at a doctor's office and not learn a whole lot about the body and how it heals, or doesn't as the case may be for some.  


Massage helps to reduce pain.  In a study done in Ann Arbor, Dr. Daniel Hinshaw states that getting a massage can be equivalent to getting a shot of morphine. Massage also seems to help the body heal faster due to the blood and oxygen moving through the body.  The area that was operated on is getting more fluids and oxygen moved helping the healing process move more quickly.  And who doesn't want to heal faster? 


Massage can also help aid in relieving stress associated with going through a major surgery.  For one, when you're not up to par, you are unable to do the things that are normal for everyone else, such as buttoning a pair of pants, or zipping your coat.  This can be so frustrating.  Massage helps to ease the stress of not being able to do all the things that you're used to being able to do.  Massage will also help you sleep, which, aids in the recovery process tremendously.  In fact, while sleeping, your body is a recovery process.  Better sleep makes for an easier, better recovery.


Another fantastic benefit of massage is it can help lessen the amount of scar tissue around the surgical sight.  I love to tell folks that chicks dig scars, but, really, we are more worried about how bad the scar will look then we want to admit to.  Scared tissue can feel like it's stuck and often hard to move around.  Take for instance the replacement of a knee joint.  There is a huge scar running the length of the knee area.  By using simple techniques, massage can help lessen that scar and also keep the scar tissue underneath from becoming to bound up.  Which will lead me to my next point of massage will help to gain mobility as well as range of motion and flexibility of this joint.


Still dealing with that knee joint, the massage will help to get that joint to move the full 120 degrees that is needed to get back on the bike.  For other activities that will require a greater range of motion, massage helps to loosen the muscles so you can get further into that kick, deeper into that squat and more power when jumping.


Keep in mind, most surgeries will require some kind of physical therapy.  They will push you hard to get you to move the proper way again.  And that will hurt, and it will test you, but after it's done, and you're at your massage, and the therapist is working the pain out of it, and you relax, you're able to focus on something other than the pain.  You're able to see that you will get through this and that even though it's a set back in your plans, (no one thinks about surgery as something to do at age whatever to have a replacement part put in, or taken out, or grafted or any thing like that.  It's part of being alive here on our earth.) you can take comfort in knowing that there are ways to help deal with the recovery process of being out for surgery.


Why is this important you may ask.  For one, at some point, we will all be in the company of another who is going through, has gone through, or about to have surgery.  If there is a way to help ease the fear, the tension, and the anxiety of going through surgery, wouldn't you want to relay the message to them?  I can't say that it will be right for everyone, that's a silly gross negligent comment.  It's not always going to be the right choice, but, that being said, at least you now know that it's an option and can help even the most stubborn of people.

The split vote

There is so much going on with politics these days that I realize that I can no longer stay away and I must say something. 

We have two options and I since it's my blog and my opinion, I am going to tell you what I think... besides, if you're reading this now, you already want to know.  But for me, it's more than just what I think, it's about why I feel this way. 

So, we have a woman running.  In my opinion, I think our country could use a little female influence in our political arena.  However, as my step dad says, I just don't think she's the right one for the job.  But, since my other option is the Donald, I am looking more and more like a supporter of Hilary. 

Here is why I am feeling this.  For a lot of reasons, I can very vehemently say that I will NOT be voting for this man.  I find his words to be inflammatory in nature and insulting to me.  And not just me personally, I find him to be highly offensive in nature and have the manners of a spoiled child.  Ok.. To the actual reasons.  First and foremost, I find his comments about women in general to be sexist and misogynistic and I can't abide that in a leader.  Women make up more than half the population and when a man says that he won't participle in a debate because there is a girl there that he doesn't like, I find it to the equivalent to listening to my 9 year old tell me that she doesn't to go somewhere because she doesn't like them.  I also find his blatant regard for women as objects to be stared at and not taken seriously as something of a problem as well. 
I see him talking about how we need to deal with the illegal immigration problem in our country and while, I thought at one time a wall would be a great idea, it's not feasible, or practical, and it made me think of another wall that was built, in the not so distant past, that was meant to keep out all the undesirables out.   It kept people in, and became one of the most formidable and hated symbols of the communist era.  And when that wall was torn down, the relief that those who lived within it's confines felt, must have been overwhelming as well as relieving.  They celebrated with the new neighbors who had been kept out for 30 years.  This doesn't mean that building a wall to keep Mexicans out is going to work.  It doesn't mean that it will work, but, it puts a great deal of unnecessary stress on the relations with have with our neighbors to the south.  Most of the citizens of Mexico that I have met or spoken with are not drug addicts or rapists.  They just want a chance to have a better life for themselves and their families.  I think they should go about becoming a citizen of our country the legal way that so many others before  them have done.  Going through Ellis Island isn't going to happen for them, but the process that it takes to become a citizen needs to revamped, no matter who is elected. 
The Donald's running mate is of great concern to me.  He is a man who made it legal to discriminate others based on their sexual preference.  I don't understand so much about that, that I can't even begin to describe how I feel about that.  What a man or woman does in the bedroom is no reason for anyone to say that they won't provide a service to another person.  I am deeply disturbed by this for so many reasons, and that is something I will have to go into later, just not tonight.  I find it absolutely disgusting and horrific that we are so willing to abolish people's rights that are guaranteed under the Constitution because of a belief system.  If you're going to take away rights because you think it's gross and a book told you so, then, while I can't change your mind, maybe should reread what is in our Constitution about our rights.  Just because the first amendment says that we have a freedom to assemble in any religious group and worship as we have been taught, it doesn't say that we can use these groups to take away the rights and freedoms that have been granted to us in  The Constitution. Here is what is says " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  I have gotten out of this that we aren't going to make everyone join the country's church, such as Church of England, or you have to be Orthodox or Jewish to live here.  I have never understood it to mean that it's ok to say that well, my book says you shouldn't be doing that, so I'm not going to help you because I disagree with your lifestyle. 
We are all going to disagree with everyone at one time or another.  But to make it legal to deny is just as bad as discriminating based on the color of your skin.  Who you love, and what color your skin is, is not something you have control over... But I digress...
Now, if you've stayed with me this far, I will tell you about my last reason for not voting for The Donald, and while I wish I could say it was because of his hair, which is horrible at best, it has to do with what he said in regards to Mr. John McCain.  I was a huge fan and supporter of this man for a lot of years, he's an elected senator in my home state, and I loved that he was in the Navy... To me it always meant that he joined before being drafted.  However, he's old and somewhat senile and I no longer think of him as this wonderful many.  But Donald made a comment about his service in the military.  He said that John McCain must be an idiot because he was a POW.  He was caught, so he must be an idiot.  Now, I have never been a Prisoner of War, and I certainly don't envy those who have been.  In fact, they are hero's in my eyes.  They survived and they made it home when all odds were stacked against them.  I can't fathom the pain and suffering that any POW has gone through.  But to make a comment about how if he was caught he must be an idiot, I cannot allow that to slide.  Coming from a man who has never surrendered himself to anything greater than himself, I can't... I just can't. 

Now, I am sure, if you're still here, dear reader, that you're screaming about the fiasco that happened with Benghazi and all that tragedy.  It was a tragedy.  Lives were lost and no apologizing can bring back those men to their families.  But here is the thing about that.  In war, there are always causalities of a collateral nature.  True, deaths didn't' need to happen.  But, in a war torn country, anything can happen.  There have been so many needless deaths in war that have happened, but, those are all wars of the past you say.  Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan... all wars that we could have stayed out of.  And yet, we didn't.  Those who went knew what they were doing, they knew they may never come back.  Many didn't come home.  And that's gut-wrenching and sickening all at the same time.  In my reading and understand of the country of Libya, and this is very limited I'm sad to say, it's a country that in recent years has undergone some large changes.  The year before the attacks on our Embassy, the country went through radical changes in their government through some very serious attacks and bombings that were perpetrated by the United States.  I can't say that I am a war advisor nor would I say that I know any of why we did this.  But I know, that, given what limited information that I have, I can say that it seems to be to be a type of retaliation.  I can only think, in my pea brain, that if I was a diplomat in the country at that time, I would have thought that there is a possibility of death.  It doesn't make it right.  The truth, is never going to be revealed I think.  No one will truly know why the events unfolded this way.  There is a movie out right now, called 13 hours about what happened, and I can't say that any film, done in this manner is true to life.  It's been done up for Hollywood and there are likely bits of truth in it.  But, when we only hear about the 10% of the situation, and it's only reported on from a certain point of view, I can't believe it.  There were mistakes made, and I'm sure, someone is regretting making a call or not making a call.  Anyway you look at it, it's sad and tragic. 

Hilary has experience in the political arena.  She has dealt with foreign heads of state and knows how to not say well fuck you to any president of another country.  She has more tact and for that, I have to think that she would make some better choices.  Every country has a bad time with the elections and whose who are running.  Ours is no different.  We have many things that are making it hard to get and keep good paying jobs.  We are in debt just coming out of college, we think that living  paycheck to paycheck is the only way to get by and it's not... but it doesn't make us special.  Every country in the modern world has the same problems. 

I fear for our country.  I fear for those who pander to the weak and the downtrodden and spew hate and anger.  I fear for what may come.  But, only time will tell.  I honestly see the decision as going between Joffrey and Ramsey... Neither are good choices...

More Facts

Last night, I started to feel the pressure of what is going on in my professional life.  I was given some good advice by a few and all of it I have taken into consideration.  I know that to make me happy, it starts with me.  I know that if I really set my mind to something I can do it.  I also know that once I really set my mind to something I will make every effort to be the very best one of whatever it is I am doing.  The hardest thing for me is deciding what it is that I love and what do I want to do. 

I have given this a lot of thought and I want to dance....  Ok so that's not exactly going to be the next career move but, it's something that makes me happy.  I was thinking about this last night before bed and this morning on the way to work.  What do I want?  What makes me happy?  What can I do to better the rest of the world?  Or at least those around me.  I think I have it.  I love to talk to people and see how they are doing and what kind of things make them happy.  If there is a job out there for a person to work for a company and their sole job was to talk to others and make them smile, that's what I want to do.  Like a social director or something.  But by social I mean in the context of socializing with others.  Not like social worker who has a very important job to children and parents and stuff like that.  Nope.  I want to just talk and have fun and dance when I can and sing when I can and tell funny stories.

So, I have decided to finish writing my book.  Not only that, I think I may be able to publish one next month.  Like March of this year.  I am excited about it.  There is much editing to go on, but, I think it's going to be awesome.  And I am sure that once I get that one finished, the next one will be coming along.  Followed by another and another.  I have this planned out for the year.  May be a little pre-emptive but, it's what I love and what I have always wanted to do.  I keep saying that I want to be a writer, so, that's what I am going to do.  No, it's not going to be some sweet love story, I like real life a whole lot better.  Makes for some funny jokes and laughs and some good times. 

How did I figure this out?  I just did.  I know that my passion is to write, so that's what I am going to do and follow that dream.  I want to write for myself and I want to write for the enjoyment of others.  It's time for me to really follow a dream.  Just wait, it's going to be good, and sometimes not so good, and sometimes sad and sometimes funny, but always, it's going to be me and life.  Maybe I will be able to travel to new and exciting places or maybe not.  I look forward to this new adventure.  Stay tuned, don't change that dial, big things are coming your way. 

To Women... Stop being offeneded!!

At my house, we have a lot of discussions about the world and politics these days.  Some things we agree on, and other things, we each have our own ideas about it and whether or not we agree on it, it's always a good topic for discussion here.  Last night was no exception to this rule.  Last night, however, we completely disagreed on the general topic, but I am learning that there are some instances where he may be right.

In the news lately, is a lot of breastfeeding in public.  I nursed my daughter, I loved that time that we were able to have together.  I never fed her in public.  I had a hard time with nursing, so when I saw a woman who was able to nurse in public, I am somewhat jealous.  Now, here's the debate part.  Should a woman have to cover herself while in public while nursing.  I think it's really up to the woman, however, there seems to be a lot of women who think that no matter where they go, they should be permitted to nurse uncovered and then get upset when someone stares or says something to them about it. 

As a mother, I did start to understand my child's feeding schedule, and as such, I would try not to push the issue too hard and keep to the house around her feeding time.  I also pumped, so when I was somewhere I felt uncomfortable, I could take care of my little one without worry.  That was my thing with it, which is not to say that every woman will feel this way. 

I'm not saying that one shouldn't breast feed in public.  Just stop being so offended when a person stares at you.  There are some who don't think it's appropriate to just whip your breasts out in public, regardless of what they are doing.  In a professional world, you need to be a little professional well.

Which really brings me to the point of today's topic.  Women shout for equal rights and equal pay, yet you never hear them say that they are willing to take equal responsibility for their actions.  In our world now, in this country, if a man takes his penis out, he can be fined, arrested, and labeled a sex offender for merely taking it out of his drawers.  And this happens, a lot.  A women can take out her breast, in a court of law, to feed, not cover herself, and then get upset when people stare at her.. She actually tried to sue LA county for asking her to leave the courtroom.  Come on sisters!!! Wake the fuck up! You want to have all the same benefits as men, start taking responsibility for some of the actions that are deemed inappropriate for men, and maybe think that, hey, we shouldn't be allowed to do that as well. 

Now is where I can hear you saying to yourself, it's our bodies, we need to feed our children when they are hungry and no one can tell me otherwise.  You're right.  No one should tell you otherwise.  You should have the common sense to know when and where it is appropriate to feed your child.  At a food court, that's where everyone eats, of course, feed your kid.  But also realize that if you choose to feed your child at that time, there are plenty of others around who have little kids that may stare and ask questions and be shocked.  Little kids are funny like that, they have no filter on their mouths when they ask questions of their parent about why is some lady pulling out her breasts while they are eating. 

I am so surprised with women who are crying out for breastfeeding rights and how they shouldn't be asked to leave or have to hide what they are doing while out in a public setting.  I know that we as a country have been sending out mixed messages about boobs.  They have been turned into an advertising dream.  In the movies, on TV, all over the internet, boobs are the coolest thing, and they used to sell everything there is.  I can't help that that's what's happened.  But we let it happen too.  We want others to see us, so we post pictures of us in bikinis and tiny shorts or V-neck shirts.  We want others to see them.  Why?  Why the fuck not?  I loved the old saying, if you've got it, flaunt it.  If not, pretend.  Wow.  If you have boobs, use them.  So now, anytime one poops out we are all over it, saying oh my gosh, her boob is out.  And now, when you take them out, for any reason, for any thing, people stare.  There are those women out there who are trying to take back the mystery of being feminine.  We want to leave things to the imagination now.  We want them to wonder.. (And by them, I mean those who love boobs... man or woman, it doesn't really matter at that point.)  I know that for me, I no longer really want to see women with their chests hanging out.  I'm personally fed up with the advertising that completely sexualizes our bodies, men or women, it happens to both.  I don't really care to deal with advertising at this point anyway, due to the fact that the truth no longer matters and it's all about making money.  I don't want my young daughter to have to see it.  I don't want her to look around at all there is about sex and how we should or shouldn't look or dress or what have you.  So for me, I really don't care to see you breast feed.  While it doesn't really bother me, and I won't stare at you or ask you to leave or cover yourself, I'll just be the one to get up and leave.  Why don't I say something, because that's what these women want.  They want the attention.  They seem to want the opportunity  to get offended about it.  That however doesn't mean that others won't say something.  And you know what, it's their freedom of speech that you are trying to take away from them.  He offended me by asking me to cover myself while I was feeding my kid, how dare he do that.  This kind of thinking is where the problem lies.  Sure it's your right to feed.  I hope you do.  But it's their rights to say something.  Stop being so dammed offended by it.  Get a grip on reality people! 

I say, if you want to feed your kid, do so.  Remember that there are times that I would advise against just whipping it out and giving it your child.  A court of law is one of those places, so is the front seat of your car while driving.  Yes, this has happened before.  And yes, both women were shocked to find that they were asked to cease and desist.  I don't understand why they were so upset about it.  A court of law is never the place to bring small children, ever.  In fact, they tell you, not to bring your kids, and yet, we still have those who do that.  Driving is also not the time to decide that it can 't wait.  Wow, thank you for putting so many other lives at risk while driving a 2000-6000 pound projectile and feeding your kid...  But it couldn't wait right?     

Maybe I am one of those crazy women who think that I probably would be totally ok with feeding your kid anywhere if you covered yourself and the child while doing so.  Maybe I am the only woman who thinks that maybe, just maybe, I'm not really ready to talk to my daughter about sex and breasts.  Maybe I don't care what you think about it.  I think nursing is beautiful and wonderful and amazing.  I am so glad that I was able to do that for Piper.  She is such a great kid.  I just no longer really want to have to see you doing it.  Ugh....!  When did I get old?  Anyhow....

We as women shout from the rooftops that we want equal rights, we want equal pay we want to be considered equal to the men in the world.  We are rarely paid the same as a man for the same job.  We work twice as hard to get the same amount of respect as a man.  We push the boundaries because we want to do more and be thought of as equals.  Would you like equal treatment in life?  You want equal pay for the same jobs that men have and are grossly overpaid for?  How about taking some of that equal ideas, and start putting in the same kind of responsibility that men do.  We are equal, just so different.  We, as women, think differently then men do, we act and react very differently then men do.  And yet, here we are talking about how we want the same benefits, but we are going backwards ladies.  To prove who great we are and that we are not going to take this discrimination we take photos of ourselves in public places defying laws and rules... why should we be given more leeway for this?  This is blatant and totally irresponsible.  We want to be take seriously, then fucking act serious about it. 

We, women, are the ones who say that which female in Hollywood isn't pretty enough or skinny enough.  We, women, are the ones who make comments about other women, we judge more harshly our sisters, than most men ever dream of.  You know what they think when see those scarcely clad women in bikinis who, are having all the flaws pointed out on the cover of The Enquirer, Oh my god, there is side boob, and I saw it!!  Yes, men think like this.  We see every flaw in ourselves and others, and really all men see are boobs.  Sad but true. 

We have taken something that is natural and totally normal and turned it into a hot topic because there are women out there who are offended by being asked to cover themselves.  As I said before, I am probably the only woman I know who thinks that breast feeding should be allowed everywhere, but, please cover yourself.  And if you don't, which is totally your right, don't get all up and arms over being spoken to about it.  Again, it's still their right to say something to you as well.  Stop acting like you're being treated poorly and inhumanly because of it.  They are speaking their minds, just like you are. 

I know that this is not the popular view, but, really, I'm no longer really trying to be popular.  So if you like what I say, cool, and if not, cool.  I'm not that worried.  Apparently with age comes some wisdom and for me, life is no longer about making sure everyone likes me or what I have to say.  But that's the beauty of it, I no longer care if you do or not.  (Well, I might care a little but no where near the same amount that I have before.)

The question of Allegiance

The other day, we watched Air Force One. Love that movie. So much fun to watch, but it got me thinking about those who say they are loyal to one country and are loyal to two. Dual Citizens. There are so many from different countries that it's pretty awesome when you think about it. But with the election approaching, I wonder, why do we continue to elect officials who are dual citizens? I'm not saying that belonging to another country is a bad thing, but, how can you swe...ar to uphold the Constitution of The United States, when you have swore allegiance to another country as well? In my mind, it's bullshit that we have anyone in office who is a dual citizen. In the back of my mind I would constantly wonder if they really had the American people in mind or are they trying to do what they can for their other country as well. It's shady and it's a practice that needs to stop! Why would we elect anyone that isn't completely committed to our country?! I ran across a petition the other day, fresh out of the box about making this an illegal thing. No more dual citizens in our elected or appointed officials. Please friends, all you flag waving, fun loving, beer drinking people, this is a big thing that all of us can get behind. Let's make sure that our country is run by people who have sworn to uphold ONLY OUR Constitution. No more saying you love America and running for office when you are still a citizen of any other country. Please, sign this... it could mean the difference between doing what's best for us as a nation and doing what's best for us and some other country.