?So? said the orthopedic doctor, ?while you were enjoying an exciting ski day your mind was telling you something that your 62 year old body couldn?t accommodate eh?. That was the beginning of the bad news. ?Well? he said, ?the x-rays show that there is a possible rotator cuff tear. We will need to send you for an MRI dye test to make sure. As for your vertebrae, down around L5 S1 as you can see there are some definite contusions that some surgery, a couple of screws, pain meds, and a few months will take care of. As for the earlier knee injury only a new knee will cure that?.
This was from the respected head of surgery of the Seattle hospital I visited. And I believed him. I was in pain and the pain seemed to come from everywhere. No sleeping, no standing for long periods of time, terrible posture to alleviate the pain, limping, angry, scared, you know the score.
I had been to a chiropractor before in my life, sometimes to my relief, but generally short term. I went to Dr. Sharon Wagener DeWolf and it was the best thing I could have done not only for my health BUT ALSO MY WALLET.
Six month story short. After intense work, the spine was back in place, the shoulder no longer hurt and is back to its full range of motion, and the knee, though still in need of replacement, no longer limps. Every step of the way, through steady gaze and earnest care, I knew what was going on with my joints and bones, what was being done, and what progress we were making.
I am back to running the incline treadmill, hiking, and at least snowshoeing if not skiing. Avoiding the scalpel, thirty thousand dollars plus, and an agonizing bedridden convalescent time, I couldn?t recommend her more highly.
mac macdonald
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