Tacoma March 1st to March 4th, 2010
Traveled smoothly on Monday all set for an 8:00 am appointment on Tuesday morning…
First thing we started with the usual questions regarding have what I have been noticing in my body. What prompted my visit was an exceptional amount of spasticity or tightness in my left leg and a tendancy for it to lock up as I walk even with my AFO’s. I wore the AFO’s (leg braces) on Tuesday. Dr. Robson requested I not wear the braces on Wednesday. My Tuesday session went from 8 to 4:00. The observation was that my neck and jaw still have space to move. Jim Finn another dentist added length to my bars to extend my jaw and create more space for my tongue in the front of my mouth. After the Tuesday session I slept for nearly 10 hours. I was so exhausted I could hardly keep my eyes open.
When I arrived at 7:00 am sitting right next to the chair were a pair of cowboy boots. Dr. Robson went out after work a purchased a pair of cowboy boots for me to wear when I walk. He was correct in that when I walked in the boots I had better heal strike and I had the experience of being more stable on my legs. According to Jim Finn Dr. Robson hates to shop for anything. Dr. Robson suggested that when people ask what is going on in Tacoma I should tell them I needed a new pair of cowboy boots.
Wednesday we made great strides toward proper alignment but not quite there.
Thursday, from 7 to 11 which is when my cab came to take me to the airport we spent adjusting and tweaking the other two appliances.
Observations: My ankles swell when I don’t have the appliances in my mouth. It will require many more trips to Tacoma in order to see remarkable results. Since my autonomic system is out of balance it will take something to bring it back into balance.
Memories: I often tell people that it was my track coach freshman year in high school that told me if I could smooth out my gate I could improve my time. However, when I look back I remember being about 12 years old and Pat and I got hand me down bikes from the Sommerlath’s who were customers of my Dad’s. When Pat and I road the bikes I remember having a hitch when i was riding the bike long distances. One time we had ridden our bikes to Mrs. Sappington’s to pick up two dozen eggs for Mom (25 cents per dozen in 1961) on the way back Pat and I were racing and I expected to beat Pat and I noticed I had a difficult time keeping up with him and I thought there was something wrong with the left foot peddle. I think today it was the early expressions of my condition.
