Recovering in Spain: Finally, treatment!

Last week it was finally time to start my treatment here in Spain! On Monday it started with one and half hours and it will build up to 4 hours per day, 3 times a week. I had an hour and half on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with additional acupuncture and extra time in the gym on Friday.

So far each session starts with some very gentle manipulation of my spine and then neck. The neck part causes all kinds of strange sensations in my nose, eyes and ears but also feels sooo good - like something that should have been done long ago, a big relief – especially the stretching (pulling on my head). After the being bounced around in the car last weekend in England my neck really needed some TLC.

After the spine manipulation I get to do some easy sounding but very difficult to do neck exercises. So far they’ve made me feel quite dizzy. The goal is to strengthen certain small muscles in my neck to stabilize my head. I have to do these exercises at home too. Every day, building up slowly. I also have to follow a wriggly line on the wall with a laser attached to my head. VERY difficult!

Then more manipulation, which usually makes me feel even more dizzy and sort of disoriented. After that it’s gym time (they have a gym in the clinic) and more exercises. All highly frustrating because the exercises look so easy but are difficult to do properly.

The first 2 sessions ended with a massage to loosen things up after all this exercising. It felt like I hadn’t really done much because the exercises we so subtle. At the same time it felt like I couldn’t move my head at all and that it might fall off.

The vertigo, dizziness, head and neck aches and sleeping problems got much worse this week, especially after the very first treatment. The therapist had said things might get worse at first and they did! When I came home after the second treatment it was around 1:30 and I was so tired and my head so sore that I decided to have a siesta. I thought I’d sleep for an hour but woke up 5 hours later! And still didn’t feel much better.

The third and last treatment this week was a little different. More exercises, added acupuncture and no massage afterwards. I felt like a rag for 2 days.

Today I took my Dad and Cassey out for a walk to show them a path I had discovered earlier. I thought I’d do three mild kilometres with them but as always my Dad had to drag his 120 kilos of stubbornness along and went way overboard. Seven kilometres return and some steep hills - no stopping this guy!

After seven kilometres he looked 20 years older and of course slipped and fell over out of tiredness (no no, just lost my balance, I’m not tired at all!!). Blood on face and both arms. Once we got home he admitted he might need more training and even managed to do some stretches to loosen the old knees!

Tomorrow morning I will have MRIs and X-rays made and then more physio in the afternoon. I’m hoping to also do some easy biking and maybe kayaking next week, depending on if the therapist thinks that is OK or not. So far the regular walking is making me feel a lot better.