Test stress & back ache.
⇒ I'm right in the middle of my final week of tests before summer vacation finally starts here in Japan. The heat is perfectly unbearable, a typical Japanese moist summer (since Kyoto is located in a valley there's rarely any cool breeze either), and what's worse is that I have absolutely zero motivation to get any studying for the tests done. Not even for the one class that I really love.
⇒ Another thing that factors into this equation is surely my back pains... I started having severe back pains a couple of months ago, a remnant of something I had a couple of years ago I figured, but it persisted and suddenly there was searing pain down my leg as well. I was worried that it could be a spinal disc herniation as my sister suffered from this and had a operation for the same, but since the pain only reached my knee at that point I figured a bit of massage and work out could take care of it. Also doing tennis & softball four times a week kept me busy enough not to check it more closely.
But then it just got past the point of 'manageable' and I went to the orthopedics. Turns out that there is a overhanging risk that I have spinal disc herniation (and/or sciatica) judging by the signs, when the doctor did a physical examination. This basically means:
▻ No tennis or softball (although I go to the gym instead, building supportive muscles in stomach etc.)
▻ A corset to support my back.
▻ Medication; two pills after meals 3/day.
▻ Treatments two-three times/week.
The treatments themselves are pretty chill as they put me on a bed, with a corset emitting comfortable heat on my lower back, and then use 20~22kg weight to straighten my back and relieve my back of the pressure on the disc for 10 min.
The shitty part is that I have to deal with a searing pain (also called 'electric shock pain') all the way up my leg and a sort of symptomatic exhaustion caused by being in constant pain. I also have to relieve the amount of burden I put on my back by staying away from certain exercises, but since working out is the only time I don't feel like shit that'll be the last thing I stop doing!
And the most difficult thing to accept is the fact that there is no one easy way of dealing with and ultimately being rid of this except taking care of your back and hoping that the inflammation heals. So you can either bare with it until the disc heals itself, with the help of medication, stretching, and other such methods... or in the worst case you have to get a surgery. Which really is the last resort if it gets worse. And I desperately want to avoid that bleak and sucky prospect. But the idea of living like this, at 50%, is slowly driving me up the wall. Well for the time being I'll just have to suck it up. Going back to the doctor tomorrow so we'll see what the verdict on the last two weeks development is.
⇒ In completely different news my friend got me Magicka for Steam! Which is a super addictive parody-Action/Adventure computer game based on Norse mythology (coupled with bullshit 'Swedish' :D "Rembra, säkerordet är bananer!") wherein you play Wizards with no mana/magic limits(!!), developed by the Swedish Arrowhead Game Studios. Check out the hilarious trailer for their PVP here! Seriously it's awesome!
⇒ My parents have finally fixed the pool!! After... well forever considering the fact that it was never fully functional even when we moved in, almost 20 years ago! They are now proceeding to fill it with water again. That's 8x4 m of pool, which is approx 67.000 liters, and a looot of gallons, that needs to be filled with water when you're only using a garden hose. Actually it's a fuck load of water even if you're using other methods as well. But all that aside, it's gonna be awesome to come home and actually be able to swim in that mother-f--king pool!! It'll be great workout & rehab for my back for sure!
⇒ Also lastly; I CHOPPED OFF MY HAIR DUDES! It's closely cropped in the back with short shaggy bangs. It's perfect since it's so warm right now (35°C) and I really like the style! Will post pictures this weekend.
⇒ Another thing that factors into this equation is surely my back pains... I started having severe back pains a couple of months ago, a remnant of something I had a couple of years ago I figured, but it persisted and suddenly there was searing pain down my leg as well. I was worried that it could be a spinal disc herniation as my sister suffered from this and had a operation for the same, but since the pain only reached my knee at that point I figured a bit of massage and work out could take care of it. Also doing tennis & softball four times a week kept me busy enough not to check it more closely.
But then it just got past the point of 'manageable' and I went to the orthopedics. Turns out that there is a overhanging risk that I have spinal disc herniation (and/or sciatica) judging by the signs, when the doctor did a physical examination. This basically means:
▻ No tennis or softball (although I go to the gym instead, building supportive muscles in stomach etc.)
▻ A corset to support my back.
▻ Medication; two pills after meals 3/day.
▻ Treatments two-three times/week.
The treatments themselves are pretty chill as they put me on a bed, with a corset emitting comfortable heat on my lower back, and then use 20~22kg weight to straighten my back and relieve my back of the pressure on the disc for 10 min.
The shitty part is that I have to deal with a searing pain (also called 'electric shock pain') all the way up my leg and a sort of symptomatic exhaustion caused by being in constant pain. I also have to relieve the amount of burden I put on my back by staying away from certain exercises, but since working out is the only time I don't feel like shit that'll be the last thing I stop doing!
And the most difficult thing to accept is the fact that there is no one easy way of dealing with and ultimately being rid of this except taking care of your back and hoping that the inflammation heals. So you can either bare with it until the disc heals itself, with the help of medication, stretching, and other such methods... or in the worst case you have to get a surgery. Which really is the last resort if it gets worse. And I desperately want to avoid that bleak and sucky prospect. But the idea of living like this, at 50%, is slowly driving me up the wall. Well for the time being I'll just have to suck it up. Going back to the doctor tomorrow so we'll see what the verdict on the last two weeks development is.
⇒ In completely different news my friend got me Magicka for Steam! Which is a super addictive parody-Action/Adventure computer game based on Norse mythology (coupled with bullshit 'Swedish' :D "Rembra, säkerordet är bananer!") wherein you play Wizards with no mana/magic limits(!!), developed by the Swedish Arrowhead Game Studios. Check out the hilarious trailer for their PVP here! Seriously it's awesome!
⇒ My parents have finally fixed the pool!! After... well forever considering the fact that it was never fully functional even when we moved in, almost 20 years ago! They are now proceeding to fill it with water again. That's 8x4 m of pool, which is approx 67.000 liters, and a looot of gallons, that needs to be filled with water when you're only using a garden hose. Actually it's a fuck load of water even if you're using other methods as well. But all that aside, it's gonna be awesome to come home and actually be able to swim in that mother-f--king pool!! It'll be great workout & rehab for my back for sure!
⇒ Also lastly; I CHOPPED OFF MY HAIR DUDES! It's closely cropped in the back with short shaggy bangs. It's perfect since it's so warm right now (35°C) and I really like the style! Will post pictures this weekend.