Thanks for Stopping By

It's been a few years since I have written about my chronic pelvic pain.  Life has been very good and my pain is well managed these days.  If you are visiting to get some information and read about my experience when my pain was at it's worst, please look at the archives and visit my earlier posts. You'll find many stories about my journey as well as resources.  In the near future, I may re-post some of the "best of" that might be of interest and help.

I wish you healing, recovered health, and peace.

Cora

Post-Partum Training for you and your Vagina

I saw this post on the Facebook page of my physical therapist. It was first released on Slate Magazine.  The article is very general, but the idea of getting your pelvic floor into shape pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy make so much sense. Many athletic trainers attempt to train women to strengthen the pelvic floor through kegels, which can create a very unhappy and painful vagina. So, my bias would be to find a PT who works exclusively with woman and pelvic health.  Keep that pelvis, happy!  




http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2012/02/postnatal_care_in_france_vagina_exercises_and_video_g




Peace, Healing, Humor,


Cora

Forced Sabbatical

Cora here,
back after several months of being very... much... away.   The last post was in May of 2011 and that seems like lifetimes ago.  I was going along with life- living each day in what I thought was the "moment", as those of us with chronic pain learn to do so well.  Doing the things that keep me balanced- tai chi, walks in nature, eating healthy, nurturing myself and family and taking care of the things you have to take care of with pain as your companion.  Living a rearranged but full life, keeping it simple but also full of challenge.


In Aug of 2011, life changed again for us, in one of those proverbial "instants" we hear about. I am including a link to a post about what happened.  I am going to tell you that for now, there is a very happy ending.  The ending says that right now, Keith is cancer free as in NED. No. Evidence of. Disease.


Here is the beginning of the story and why I have been away from blogging at the haiku.  I'm happy to be back and I think there are things I want to write about since cancer barged into our life with pain.  Dare I say it was a very daring move on cancer's part, but you know that truth: Cancer doesn't care.  Cancer doesn't discriminate.  Cancer doesn't pencil you in. 


I originally started a blog about the cancer, but I am going to continue that writing in my new blog called Universe Willing.  So, I'll be writing between Universe Willing and Vagina Haiku.  In the meantime, here is Chapter 1 of that crazy cancer episode that stole six months of our life, and a slice of our sanity.  It offered up more lessons learned.  I'm a little tired of being in this kind of real life boot camp of a classroom,  but as they often say "It is what it Is".  Introducing my first post- Cora and the Cancer that Came to visit Keith.  I'll be cross posting between my two blogs. It's good to be back and I hope and pray that there are no big interruptions on the horizon.   Universe Willing. 
Peace, Healing, Humor,


http://cancerhaiku.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-instant.html

Ted Talk on Chronic Pain

A Wonderful 8 minute talk on chronic pain as a disease in itself.  Please share with those whom you wish to educate on the disease of chronic pain. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elliot_krane_the_mystery_of_chronic_pain.html

Lady Creaky

There is a song in my head called Lady Creaky.  I changed the words and sing it to the tune of Lady Madonna.  When I wake up each morning, singing Lady Creaky, my bones feel relentlessly stiff, but somehow the humorous lyrics allow me to shuffle off to the bathroom and get the hot soothing water going to fill up the tub.  As I soak, Lady Creaky leaves for a time, a nag in the shadow of my day.  The warm nurturing water un-creaks me, lubricates me.

This is the time of the day that I feel temporarily old. This is a fragile hour.  I coach myself out of my dusty state of mind, and pursue the ritual of the day. I avoid the urge to connect with information. I engage in the ritual of feeding my dog Cowboy, who patiently waits by his food dish.  His patience inspires me. He is just shy of seven years old, and he shows signs of living with his own creakiness.  We're in it together.

I surround myself in tokens of inspiration. My home looks like a gallery of co-exist propaganda.  It happened insidiously; a few Buddhist prayer flags here and there, Quan Yin figures, medicine Buddhas, and chimes and bells everywhere.  We just added another Mezuzah to the doorway.  My collection of Dios Los Muertos figures grows.  My fireplace mantel has turned into a shrine, that contains gems of inspiration and memories. Mars and Tapper, two old Border Collies rest in jars at the center.  Close friends and family have built that shrine with me, and although crowded, I find little spots for more tokens of strength. It's a little out of control these days, as the bells and Buddhas are also outdoors now.  I laugh as my devout atheism is surrounded by icons.  'Just in case."   Dawn tells me it's an "Aquarian thing", the urge to hang shit around the house.

I know Lady Creaky will be back for another visit. I don't believe in the "war vocabulary" when it comes to chronic pain, or any other disease, or life.  It's more my nature these days to hang out with Lady Creaky part of the day and then I ask her to back off a bit. Her presence might explain other choices these days.  Technology fasts. Long meditations, tai chi and hikes.  Very girlie clothes- embroidered t-shirts, and pink Dansko clogs. Which reminds me, have you seen the lavender Chuck Purcell sneakers this spring?  To die for.

http://www.converse.com/?CSID=397#/products/shoes/jackpurcell/121574

Peace, healing, humor,
Cora


Feed the fish. Feed the fish.  Please.

LONG NIGHT

It is 03:30 and for some reason, I am still awake.  I'm not in pain, just awake.  I am  
reminded of a fortune from a cookie that I saved for years.  My husband found it in a cookie during the years he was a resident in medicine, often sleep deprived.  I am also listening to the BBC, and they are discussing nursing in the NHS.  I am happy to hear such strong advocacy for nurses.  Usually, with the soft voices of the BBC, I can fall asleep to the late night BBC broadcast. With such proper accents, bad news sounds less bad.

Well, here is the fortune:

Long is the night, to those who lie awake.

Sov Gott,
Sleep Well,
Guten Nacht,
Catch some ZZZzzzzzz

I'll be singing "Here comes the Sun," shortly

Peace, Healing, Humor

Cora

Feed the little fishies please
kind thanks.
❁❁

Fire

I read this poem today on the Writer's Almanac


Peace, Healing, Humor


Cora


Fire


by Wyatt Townley

It's only the body
It's only a hip joint
It's just a bulging disc
It's only weather
It's only your heart
It's a shoulder who needs it
This happens all the time
It's very common
It's unusual
For people your age
For people your age
You're in great shape
Remarkable shape
It's nothing you did
The main thing is
It's temporary
It's only a doll
In a house that's burning