Thanks be to God, I found the solution to my neck problems at Pure Alignment Chiropractic!
Dr. Katherine Burtis, D.C. (“Dr. Kat”) uses a chiropractic method called Torque Release Technique, or TRT. Her adjustments, traction devices, stretches, and exercises have brought about tremendous improvement in my neck pain and flexibility.
On my initial visit to the office, they took a set of x-rays, did an exam of the range of motion in my neck, and asked me many questions about my medical history and health goals. One of the x-rays astounded me when I saw it! It was a full-length view of the bones of my entire spine, and I was shocked at how crooked and twisted it looked!
Now that I have been under Dr. Kat’s care for almost three months, receiving spinal adjustments three times a week, she said I am due for another set of x-rays in just three more visits. I can hardly wait to see the improvement!
If you are experiencing aches and pains, I highly recommend that you give Pure Alignment Chiropractic a try! Here’s the link, so that you can learn about TRT directly from their website: PureAlignmentChiro.com
Today on the one-year anniversary of the car wreck that broke my pelvis in two places, my sacrum, and my right leg, I am happy to report that my body has healed!
I am able to walk, drive, garden, swim, and even go boogie boarding… everything that I could do before the accident. To me, this is nothing short of miracle, and I am grateful to God and to everyone who helped me on the road to recovery. The journey was not easy, for sure, but if you are suffering right now from similar injuries, I hope you will be encouraged by reading my story.
Day 1
Feb. 23, 2022 – On the morning of the accident, I was transported by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, rather than the local hospital. The reason? HHMC has the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, and the paramedics at the scene suspected that I might have severe internal bleeding.
The ride to the hospital was extremely uncomfortable, as bumps and turns along the road caused sharp, agonizing pains.
Once there, I spent more than 12 hours in the ER because there were no rooms available upstairs. Much of the time I was mercifully asleep from the medication given me.
My husband, George, was eventually allowed to come back to the ER to be with me. My daughter, Julie, who is a registered nurse, was also allowed to relieve George and stay with me. My hours in the ER are pretty much a blur, but I remember at one point “playing” with the oxygen level on my monitor, noticing that if I breathed more deeply, I could make the oxygen level rise to 100%.
Around 3 a.m., a room became available at last. Julie accompanied the hospital staff as they rolled my gurney to my room. As they prepared to move me from the gurney to the bed, Julie told them to make it a quick transfer. As a medical-surgical nurse with ten years’ experience, she knew the transfer would be excruciating. It was quick, but I still screamed in pain. I don’t remember much of the night after that, but I know that they made me as comfortable as possible.
The staff encouraged me to use a PureWick™ device, fondly called a “banana”, which is an external catheter. Use of this device meant I was spared the discomfort of using a bedpan or of having to get up out of bed to urinate. What a blessing it was!
Day 2
Feb. 24, 2022 – That day I had several visitors. My pastor, Father Gilbert Medina of St. Peter Catholic Church came and administered the Sacrament of the Sick, anointing me and praying for my healing. My husband, my sister, and five of our daughters also came: Mary, who is a massage therapist and who managed to deliver a healing massage while I lay on my back; Julie, who returned after getting some sleep; Kelly, who was in nursing school at the time; Jacquie, who brought me yarn for crocheting so I would have something productive to do; and Maeve, who organized a food chain through GrubHub of family and friends who brought us suppers for two months!
The strange thing was that I didn’t remember for months afterwards much of what transpired that day. My family tells me that I was quite perky and talkative because I had so much pain medication in me, but I don’t remember that. When my memory of that day eventually returned, what I remembered most was their overwhelming love and concern.
Also on that day, the doctors gave me their diagnosis. “The good news,” the doctor began, “is that you don’t need surgery.” I was thrilled! “The bad news is,” he continued, “it’s going to hurt like hell.” He wasn’t kidding! The position of the breaks made it impossible to employ surgery to secure the bones, but I would have to move. In fact, movement was essential! So, I would simply have to put up with the pain that resulted from every movement. It wasn’t long before the hospital staff had me out of bed and using a walker to take care of toileting and move around the room.
Sometimes the pain wasn’t too bad, but at other times it was rough. A problem came up when my usual low blood pressure plummeted from a dose of morphine. It took some fancy footwork on the part of Erin, the charge nurse, to keep me both alive and comfortable. God bless Erin!
Day 5
Feb. 28, 2022 – After five days, my insurance company said it was time to leave the hospital. The social worker tried to find a suitable rehab center in the DeLand area with an opening, but there was none available. Because my daughters, Julie and Kelly, were in the medical field, the decision was made to allow me to go home under their care. Meanwhile, George had a hospital bed delivered to our home from a local medical supply, so that I would be able to rest as comfortably as possible.
The trip home was not by ambulance, but a medical delivery van. I had to sit up in a wheel chair that was secured to the floor during the ride. Once in our driveway, there was no way to get the wheelchair up the stairs and there was no ramp available. So, believe it or not, the driver carried me in the wheelchair up the stairs! It was a little frightening, but there was nothing else to be done… and thank God, we made it!
The First Month
Julie immediately set to work making sure her “patient” took her various meds on time. She bought this darling daisy pill box…actually three of them… to keep my morning, noon, and evening meds separated and scheduled.
She also got me used to using a bedside commode, as well as using a walker to get to the bathroom. My daughter, Kelly, who was then a nursing student, also helped with patient care. They really had their hands full because my husband had to have abdominal surgery the very next week! My heartfelt thanks for your love and care of both of us!
Since George and I were pretty much grounded, my parish family from St. Peter’s Catholic Church brought George and me Holy Communion after Morning Mass. What a blessing to have such devoted, holy friends!
My orthopedic medical care was transferred to Dr. Watts of Florida Orthopaedic Associates. At first, the hardest part of going to see Dr. Watts was in getting up on the x-ray table, but that got better with time.
The next change consisted of at-home occupation therapy and physical therapy. The physical therapists introduced home health equipment, such as a shower seat and a clamp for the shower cord. Meanwhile, the physical therapist, taught me how to go up and down the stairs using a walker, as well as how to properly use a cane when the time was right.
The Second Month
March 2022 – Some days I would get so discouraged! I wanted to make progress faster than my body could produce it. Thank goodness my husband kept encouraging me. He would say, “You’re making great progress. Just look back at where you were last week!” He was right, of course, and I needed to develop the virtue of patience.
And at the end of the month when it was time to send back the hospital bed, he made sure we were both able to find comfortable sleep positions by buying us a set of Ghost Beds®!
The Next Six Months
April 2022 – Eventually, I was ready to graduate from at-home therapy to more intensive physical therapy at an out-patient facility. Zach at Advent Health Sports Med and Rehab took me from walking with a cane to being able to walk with strength and balance. Zach also encouraged me to start driving again, even if only up and down the driveway.
Driving was a frightening proposition for me at that time. Even now, I find myself flinching when other cars get close. One day, however, I decided to go driving on the relatively vacant roads by the airport. That that got me over the hump, so that on July 13, 2022, we bought a new vehicle for me to drive–a Dodge Grand Caravan.
Chiropractic care from Dr. Bethany Raudenbush of Focus Forward Chiropractic kept my spine in alignment, and Dr. Steven D’Antonio of Whole Family Healthcare made sure I took the proper nutrients to rebuild my bones and joints. Massage therapy helped relieve tension during the healing process.
At the Eight-Month Mark
October 2022 – By this time, I could engage in many of the activities that I did before the accident, but not all. I still could not kneel to garden, and I often woke up during sleep from stiffness and achy discomfort. Seeing Derrick Brantley of Enbalance Body Work in Lake Mary, Florida, for neurofacial reset therapy netted the final victory. How wonderful it is to be able to garden once again, to walk 2 to 4 miles per day, and to get a good night’s sleep most nights!
One Year After the Accident
February 23, 2023 – Are there any remaining problems from the accident? Yes. My neck often hurts from injuries sustained in the wreck…whiplash, they called it. When I cough, knife pains grab my skull and shoot out my eyes. Pains like these from a single cough can last for minutes, while a nagging neckache from an awkward sleep position can last for hours or even days. In addition, sitting can become uncomfortable, too, when the healed “breaks” in my pelvis become swollen or irritated. At moments like these, I am grateful for skilled health practitioners, my husband’s encouragement, and Ibuprofen.
Reflections
When this accident first happened, I wondered if my body would heal. After all, I am almost 70 years old, and I had been diagnosed for 20 years with osteoporosis. Would my broken bones and messed-up joints heal from the injuries sustained in this car wreck? I had my doubts.
Furthermore, I was upset with God for allowing this to happen to me. One day in the hospital, I fussed at Him through gritted teeth, “You didn’t have to do this to me!” What I heard back was, “Didn’t I?”
Another day when I was reaching up for the pull chain to a fan, I pulled a muscle in my chest. I had just gotten good at getting around with the walker, but this new injury made it difficult again. “I wanted to be independent!” I yelled at God in prayer. I heard back a gentle reply, “I wanted to draw you closer.”
In the end, Our Lord did draw me closer to Him during this healing journey. I learned not to be quite as independent as before and to respond better to the leading of Divine Providence. There were other blessings, too, that echoed throughout my family. Through it all, my spiritual director, Fr. Jeffry Moore, helped me to hang tight and learn ever more deeply that God is faithful and that Our Lord can be trusted to bring good out of the most distressing circumstances. If you call out to God, He will help you, too!
Tags: bone health, osteoporosis
For years I had wondered what would happen if I ever broke a hip or fractured my pelvis. Could I recover from such serious skeletal injuries? Little did know that when I woke up on February 23, 2022, I was about to find out!
Here’s what happened…
Early that Wednesday morning as I drove my granddaughter to school, I was in a terrible car wreck! I happened in an instant. Apparently, the other driver didn’t see me as I started into the intersection, and she slammed full force into my front end, T-bone style. The EMT on the scene told my husband that the other driver must have been going at least 40 miles per hour when the cars collided. The police noted that there was no skid mark left on the pavement, so the other driver did not attempt to stop.
Thank God, my granddaughter sustained only bruises! However, I was rushed by ambulance to Halifax Hospital’s Trauma Center in Daytona Beach. There, my x-rays revealed a pelvic ring fracture, with the pelvis broken in two places, as well as a broken sacrum, a broken right fibula, and assorted bruises and cuts. I was in agony every time medical personnel had to move me.
My daughter, Julie, who is a registered nurse, stayed with me until 2:30 a.m., when I was finally settled into a room on the sixth floor. Her expert care and encouragement made such a difference! My husband and other family members also supported me during my five-day hospital stay. My pastor even came to the hospital to anoint me for healing.
The good news, the bad news…and the best news!
The good news? None of my injuries required surgery. The bad news? The doctors said to expect a lot of pain. They weren’t kidding! Despite the breaks, the hospital staff had me up and using a walker the next day. Every step required the choice to endure pain.
As I write this article, three months have passed since that fateful day. The worst is over. I’m here to tell you that serious injuries such as these can and do heal. I am still in physical therapy and am receiving regular chiropractic care and PEMF treatments. I also take supplements, homeopathic remedies, bioidentical hormones, and NES Infoceuticals customized for my body’s needs. Day by day my situation is improving. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting several articles about my journey back to wholeness, so that if any of you suffer similar injuries, you will be encouraged.
God bless you all,
~Kathleen
Tags: bone healing, Dr. Bethany Raudenbush, Dr. Steven D'Antonio, Nanette Wilson, NES Infoceuticals, pelvic ring fracture, PEMF
It’s been 5 years since I last posted on this website and 15 years since my initial diagnosis… and I’m here to tell you that an osteoporosis diagnosis is NOT a death sentence!
Do I Still Have Light Bones?
Do I still have light bones? Yup. But do my light bones affect my lifestyle? Only in the most positive of ways! Knowing the importance of taking care of my bones and my overall health provides motivation toward optimum nutrition and daily exercise. Furthermore, this serious diagnosis put me in touch with my own mortality, pushing me to make the most of my limited time on earth. I knew that I needed to live each day according to my deepest values and ultimate goals. Unfortunately, “knowing” and “doing” are two different things! Consistency in taking care of my health had never been my strong point until something happened to change my health regimen from fickle to faithful.
What Has Changed?
In February of 2017, I traveled to Costa Rica with my husband, George, who is an avid surfer. One night George arranged for us to have dinner in Tamarindo with a Catholic priest that he had met the previous year, saying that I simply must meet Father Jeffry Moore. I made up my mind to be friendly and conversational during dinner despite my inner awkwardness at meeting new people in social situations. I need not have worried. It turned out that Father Jeffry was outgoing and genial enough for both of us! Indeed, the talk and camaraderie during dinner was so relaxed and interesting that I barely noticed what we were eating.
To make a long story short, Father Jeffry eventually became my spiritual director. In one of our early meetings, I asked him, “Father, can you teach me how to live?” The words spilled out as I explained how I couldn’t seem to find a way to balance work and family life. I didn’t know where to draw the line between taking care of other people and taking care of myself. I couldn’t ever seem to get enough sleep. I never seemed to have enough time to split between my husband, my children, my tutoring business, and the ministries I was involved in at church. I took a breath and summed it up: “I just don’t know how to make life work.”
I thought Father Jeffry would start fixing my life by calling me to deeper prayer, or something like that. To my surprise, he started by establishing regular sleep. I was to set regular hours for sleep, go to bed on time, and STAY in bed. In a few weeks, I was rewarded with my first full night of seven straight hours of restful sleep. He also highly recommended an afternoon nap…just a half hour, or I wouldn’t sleep well at night. For the first time in my life, an afternoon nap became part of my schedule.
What does all this have to do with bone density? Everything! According to Andrea Singer, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “Adequate sleep and good sleep habits are important for our overall health. This suggests that the same may be important for bone health.” She suggested that more data is needed to determine if positive changes in sleep patterns (i.e., increased sleep time, improved quality of sleep) can improve bone density.
In addition setting a sleep routine, Father Jeffry helped me to end my “yo-yo” coffee addiction. Always before, I would swear off coffee for a while, then drink “just one”, then a double. Before I knew it, I was drinking six or more cups of coffee a day, wired but tired. So, I would have to go cold turkey and suffer the inevitable headache from caffeine withdrawal. But then the cycle would start all over again. Now, I thought Father Jeffry would make me stop drinking coffee, but no. He said coffee in the morning and after nap time would be good for me…and he was right. We agreed that I could have two cups in the morning and one after my nap, but that’s all…except on Sunday, when I could have an extra cup in celebration of the Lord’s Day.
This amount of coffee seems to be perfect for my system. It keeps me energized and alert during waking hours, and allows me to fall asleep easily when it’s time for rest. What’s more, researcher Chad Deal, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic has stated that, according to their research, “Coffee, in general, probably good for bone health.” Dr. Deal added that a potential benefit of the clinic’s research comes from identifying three specific metabolites in coffee that are good for bone health.
October Dexascan Results
So, this October I decided to get a Dexascan after nearly a decade of avoiding bone scans… just to see. I wanted to see if three years of regular sleep was resulting in rebuilding bone and thereby increasing my bone density. This scan was going to serve as a sort of “baseline data,” but already I found out that over the last 10 years, I lost bone density at a lower rate than other women my age. That was a major surprise from this scan! So, now I am looking forward to seeing what next October’s scan shows!
The deeper question, of course, beneath the improvement in my maintaining the habit of regular sleep and a healthy limit on coffee is: Why now? I knew I needed less stress and a full night’s sleep every night. Doctors had drilled it into my head to no avail. So, what happened during spiritual direction that made changes that had previously been impossible to achieve to come about and remain steady?
The Amazing Benefits of Spiritual Direction
Answer: In his latest book, Life Is Messy, Matthew Kelly writes, “You are a spiritual being. Life is not just a physical experience. It’s clear that it is also an emotional experience and an intellectual experience, but we neglect the reality that it is also a spiritual experience. We are obsessed with the physical aspect of self, while ignoring the spiritual aspect. You cannot live life to the fullest if you ignore your spiritual self…The greatest threat to your happiness and wholeness is your unrecognized spiritual needs.”
You see, that’s what happened! Over the last four years, Father Jeffry has dealt gently, steadily, and firmly with the unmet spiritual needs that had undermined my physical and emotional health. Sleep and coffee were just the beginning! Meeting periodically either in person or online, Father Jeffry discussed all sort of things, from caring for children -to- dealing with an elderly parent -to- fear of rejection -to- trusting God -to- sex in marriage -to- defeating procrastination…and much more. As a result of growing deep spiritual roots, my life is flourishing above ground in all directions!
I pray the same will be true for you! In my desire to share Father Jeffry’s teachings with you and others, I wrote a book entitled, Father, Can You Teach Me How to Live?, as well as a companion study guide, Yes, Live in Joy and Happiness!” To read Father Jeffry’s healing prescriptions for living a joyful life, you can order my books in paperback, eBook, or audiobook format by clicking on this link: https://kathleenalfordauthor.com/.
Happy reading!
Questions? Ideas? Please leave me a message in the comments below.
Tags: Osteoporosis and Coffee, Osteoporosis and Sleep, Progress Reports
I’ve been a bit hesitant to write what I actually eat these days. Why? you may ask. Because in my continuing research about nutrition, I have discovered that much I what I used to believed about the effect of eating fat was wrong! Some time ago I concluded that it is highly unlikely that fat consumption had anything to do with my previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the consumption of fat does not seem to affect my pH level negatively the way that sugar does. Nor does consuming healthy fat negatively affect weight gain for me the way sugar does.
So, what do I eat now? Here’s what I ate today:
Before Breakfast weight in: 123.4
Breakfast:
Probiotics + 8 oz. water
Thomas’ English muffin + 1 tbsp strawberry cream cheese
Coffee + half -n- half
Mid-morning snack:
Banana
10 Raw Almonds
8 oz. water
Lunch:
Cup of Vermont Cheddar Broccoli Soup (Publix)
Walnut Apple Mixed Greens Salad (Publix)
4 oz. Burger made with Publix Greenwise Ground Chuck (20% fat) + 1 slice of Colby Jack cheese
8 oz. water
Afternoon snack:
Watermelon
8 oz. water
Before Supper Check of pH level: 7.4 (Perfect!)
Supper:
Sliced chicken (leftover from Publix Rotisserie Chicken), green beans, mushrooms, and onions, sauteed together with 1 tbsp of olive oil, water for steaming, McCormick’s Grillmates brand “Roasted Garlic & Herb” spice, salt & pepper
Sliced tomato
8 oz. water
After-Dinner snack:
3 cups Orville Redenbacher’s brand “Naturals” (Simply Salted) popcorn
12 oz. water
Bedtime:
12 oz. water + Supplements, including 1) Emerald Laboratories “CoEnzymated Adrenal Health” capsules; 2) Integrative Therapeutics “Similase GFCF” capsules; 3) Blended Fruit & Vegetable Powder capsules; 4) Garden of Life brand”Organic Plant Calcium” tablets; 5) Nature’s Plus brand “Egg Yolk Lecithin” capsules; 6) OilSmart brand “Omega-3.6.9 Formula” capsule; 7) Natural Max brand”Apple Cider Vinegar” capsule; 8) NOW brand “Glucosamine & Chondroitin with MSM” capsules; 9) BioIdentical hormones; 10) 2 drops of J. Crow’s brand “Lugol’s Solution 2%”; and KAL brand “Melatonin 5 mg. Lozenge (Natural Lemon Flavor)”.
Tags: Daily Diet, Osteoporosis diet; benefits of fat consumption
Does a “low-carb” recipe mean we must give up our 80-20, alkaline-acid balance? Nope! The trick is to include a variety of vegetables and healthy fats in the mix! Try this recipe for a delicious breakfast that promotes strong bones while pampering the pancreas.
You will need:
A bowl, fork, skillet, and spatula
1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of “3-pepper and onion” blend frozen vegetables
1/2 tsp of McCormick’s Grill Mates brand Roasted Garlic and Herb spice
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
In a skillet, saute vegetables in oil until soft and slightly browned. While the vegetables cook, break eggs in a bowl, and whisk until blended. When vegetables are done, pour eggs into the skillet with the vegetables and stir with spatula until the eggs are fluffy and no liquid remains. Add a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, stir, and serve.
Delicious served with turkey bacon and sliced tomatoes!
Note: Substitute coconut oil for olive oil for a more tropical flavor.
Over the past few months, my husband and I been using a new app on our Android phones: MyNetDiary. This app keeps track of calories, yes, but it does so much more! Important to me is the fact that MyNetDiary keeps track of my daily calcium intake, as well as my intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. It also figures out the effect of various exercises on my calorie usage and helps me keep my weight in check. It’s easy to use and…it was free!
I’m wondering…Do any of you use MyNetDiary or a similar app? Have a blessed day! Kathy
Tags: calcium, exercise, osteoporosis
