I had my follow-up appointment with the chiropractor today, who carefully took me through my x-rays. Turns out I have an extra vertebra - "not uncommon", said the doctor, so out of curiosity I looked it up: apparently about 10% of adults have a sixth lumbar verterbra. The chiropractor didn't seem to think it was problematic, though I see people online blaming their back pain on that extra vertebra. Who knows?
There was visible scar tissue from scleroderma around the spine, but not, the doctor said, as much as he'd expected. I was surprised it was there at all: it's the first visible confirmation I've ever had of scarring inside my body, though I've always suspected it was there.
And there's a slipped disc, and one somewhat degenerated bone, and some scoliosis - I was aware of that, too, and knew my shoulders were uneven, but had no idea my pelvis was. Not far off. All of this together is obviously enough to cause pain, because it's doing so, and it's time (or past time) to do something about it, so here I am, getting treatments.
Turns out the magic bed doesn't just turn and twist and stand up, it also does spine readjustment. So very cool.
On doctor's orders, I lay this evening for two hours with my knees raised on pillows, icing my lower back for fifteen-minute intervals. For amusement while doing this,
maaseru visited and we watched
Our Mutual Friend, the 1998 BBC miniseries based on my favourite Dickens novel, with Paul McGann in the role of my favourite character, Eugene Wrayburn.
Before my appointment was over, the doctor asked me if I had further questions. "Yes," I said - I always do. "I thought you'd say I ought to loose weight."
"I never say that until I know a patient better," he said. "But yes, you should lose weight."
So this afternoon I joined Weight Watchers. Erk. Will this work?