Good, nay, Fantastic news

I went to work today. It was pretty darn excruciating. As noted in my previous post, my muscles were aching from being electrocuted by spasms and I was favoring my left side which didn't help my muscles heal evenly. During every break time I would lie down on a cushion on the floor which would re-align things for a while. The other teachers treated me like china doll. The word spread like wild-fire between the Korean teachers and soon I was not allowed to carry my own lunch tray or even shuffle down the hall if it was not necessary. I have some very kind-hearted co-workers.

My new director-ish person, Kelly, has back problems as well, and she insisted that I go see the back therapists that she went to. I was hesitant at first, I don't like the idea of chiropractors in the US, so who knows what kind of crazy voodoo science Korea comes up with. Kelly was insistent and I was in pain, so after school Sarah teacher took me to the Spine doctor.

The man spoke almost perfect English. It was like finding a precious gem. I could talk to him about my back-ask him any questions about treatment, and he would ANSWER ME! No translation necessary. Sarah is the best translator, but I am always a little worried that parts of my concerns will be lost in translation.

So I got another shot in the butt. Ugh. I hate needles, and I probably would have been a lot more upset, but I was distracted by the fact that the nurse smacked my butt sharply like five times before she put the needle in. Seriously. When Sarah saw my face, she laughed so hard. Its like a thing in Korea. Nurses smack the area before they inject. I sort of liked it. Not for the smack, sickos, but for the fact that I was totally distracted by the weirdness of an asian woman smacking my butt - I didn't even have time to freak out about a piece of metal sliding into my skin.

The doctor gave me a lumbar corset (sort of like a brace for my back) which I am to wear only when in pain....which I was a little sad about because this sexy grandmother girdle with steel stays would have been the best accessory to all of my outfits. He was able to tell me what in the world all the little pills that the hospital gave me were (the two that I thought were unnecessary actually WERE unnecessary - the hospital had me on xanax for anxiety and some gastro pill for digestion).

But the best part. The very best part: He agrees with me. He said that I was right to assume that running was an important part of keeping my back healthy and that I should plan on continuing the marathon! Brilliant man. I am pleased with him. 40 minutes after my consultation, I had a laser light shone on my back, a hot pad, and an electrical stimulation massage. I walked out of there feeling much better than when I walked in. Not perfect, mind you, but maybe - just maybe- a little bit closer towards my goal of running that marathon.