If you think about it, it’s pretty disappointing. Best not to think about it.

In Alabama… the HVAC kills us, circulating dry, allergin ridden, cigarette-smoke filled air throughout the house. James and I always suffer while staying there, and are often more suceptible to our own house allergins from the cats that we usually can tolerate.  To avoid the cat allergin overload when we got back, we immediately aired out the house with open windows overnight and the attic fan. It did wonders, and I’m a huge fan of this procedure — so long as the weather is cool enough.

Problem is, somehow this trip managed to be one where I came home with a tweaked neck again. It’s the right side, down my neck, across my shoulder — and it makes just holding the weight of my own head up increasingly painful over the course of a day and leads to a throbbing, tear-causing headache that just makes me want to crawl in a hole and die, if only I could figure out a way to hold my head where it wouldn’t hurt so much. This is, no doubt, the result of some extended bouts of driving on my part again — since the last time was after a trip up to mom’s. Stress and driving don’t mix so much for me, and every few years — this is my result.

Dr. Strange, my chiropractor, I’m sure would love to see me again, but last time I saw her she encouraged me to seek some massage therapy for my shoulder to help with her process. When I’m this tight, she just can’t do much to adjust things.  Then, of course, the last time this happened I was in Bristol with the task of driving home in front of me — so I had to make do. That’s when I bought the awesome little hot/cold horseshoe-shaped neck pillow which helps so much. At least, when I wake up having used it, I feel good for a while. It’s the being up and around and using it that wears it out again.

Anywho, heat, ice, pillow, some sweet MrT massage efforts, stretching, and some reminders to be more conscious of my posture have been helping this get better this week. After feeling better and going for lunch solo yesterday, then coming back with tears in my eyes, James convinced me that trying to go climbing would be a bad idea. As such, I haven’t ran over to Curves this week at all. I think the exercise would help, but the driving would be bad.

Unfortunately, I stepped on the scale Monday and it’s only.2 pounds down from where I started… months ago. Major backsliding has ensued, and I am anxious to start working forward again — but I have to tell you, sometimes I feel really old and worn out in this body and wonder if any effort is enough to really change it.