Hello Brothas and Sistas……
How fun to get to write y’all a fixin! I miss ya sore, and wish we could all fex up a nace summers naght where we stir up some homemade ice cream and sit on the porch and jaw. Maybe in heaven, that would be heaven to me.

I want to share with you some things I’ve learned in the last little while, not by choice, but glad to be “all learned up” on it now. I’ve had this letter on my list for weeks, but as soon as I was off bedrest and up and going (thought minimally) I was so behind on everything I almost could see mine. Seth pulled a real live trumpet off the changing table and sliced his head open, and hit his head again and slammed his own fingers in the door all that same day, and after getting his head stapled back together we’ve had our disposal go out, a fire in the dryer, the lining of the dishwasher fall out, the blender explode, the magnificent Temple celebration at the conference center, play practices, recitals, planting hundreds of plants, Joseph’s radio job, orchestra concerts and Mary Poppins, and allergies have hit me so hard I’ve lost half my vision in one eye (I hope it’s temporary J), and just as I started this letter Macy is emptying the contents of her diaper and handing it to Seth, JUST A MINUTE, and the house needed so much catching up on, anyway, what’s life for if not having fun?

As you are all aware, I was weeding in the front yard and I got a terrible pain in my back, it went away so I kept weeding and suddenly I was on the ground and I couldn’t move for a million dollars. After 9 hours in the emergency room and an MRI, the diagnosis; a slipped disk. I wasn’t even really aware that we enjoy the benefits of a wonderful gelatinous substance inbetween the vertebrae, protected by several layers of protective coating. This makes it possible for the spine to move and bend. It is such a wondrous system, and my learning has deepened my gratitude for our magnificent Creator.

Gratefully, my slipped disk was not severe enough for surgery. In the worst case scenario that disk would have been so badly damaged that a false disk would have been put in it’s place, or the vertebrae would have had to have been fused together, severely limiting my activity for the rest of my life. It the disk had ruptured or burst open, there probably would have been surgery. In my case, it is still intact, it has just moved out of it’s place. The pain comes from the fact that the lower back is a major nerve center for the entire body, and when the disk is misplaced it touches, leans on, or in worst case damages the nerves running through this area. Why did this happen? I wish I knew. I have my suspicions. I tried SO HARD to get the doctor to blame it completely on the fact that I’ve carried 4 babies over 9 pounds and that my back hurt so bad in the pregnancies I could only sleep on the couch the last month, but he WOULD NOT SAY IT.

I don’t want to admit it, but I think the main part of the problem is lack of exercise, and body abuse. I get up in the morning and I just expect my body to do whatever I want it to do in whatever way I want it to. I have been humbled a lot, and realized that I have not cherished the temple that the Lord has so generously given me to house my spirit and teach me both disclipline and gratitude. The fact that it is my CORE muscles that need strengthening and attention is a lesson not lost on me. I need to put myself together, and graciously, gratefully, humbly revere my body as the gift that it is, and take care of it. As everything is created spiritually first, I am sure you’re ahead of me, but it goes into all areas. This experience has caused me to stop and rearrange some priorities. I have been arrogant, marching around doing whatever I wanted to do, building garden boxes, hauling compost, carrying wheat bags, reorganizing the basement, all with little investment in the tool that makes it possible. I kind of assumed that I was okay because I am not overweight, I am active, and I eat well. It is not enough. . I have hurt in my lower back my whole married life. I don’t know if exercise without the education I have received would really have prevented it. Ginger Bowman Garn just had a ruptured disk, and she had been going to the gym for a year, but I think in my case, even though motherhood can literally be back breaking, I still believe it would only have helped

I have been blessed to be able to go to a very wonderful physical therapist who has worked with me on exercises that will strengthen my core muscles. Though my spine will never ever be the same again, I can hope for a point where I am relying on muscle strength to bend and lift, cautious always of twisting, and I should be able to return to full function and if I do it right, not have a lot of problems for a long time.

What I want to share with you (and sorry it’s taking so long) is
how important it is to include in your lifestyle and exercise regiment weight resistant exercise that strengthen the core muscles.
When lifting you should be facing the object, bend at the hips keeping your back straight and keep the object as close as possible to your core
Sit-ups or exercises that continually bend the spine are not ideal. The spine disks begin to degenerate at about 25, and most 80-90% of people will have some back problems in their lifetime. You need muscle strength to combat this degeneration.
All that is needed to have the core of an Olympian is a resistance band and an exercise ball, and it can all be done at home.
Cherish the body as a temple, we only get one.

Now, I feel kind of funny even sharing this, as most of you are better at exercising than I have been, but if I can say or do anything that would help you not to suffer the same pain that I have had then that is what I want to do because I love each of you so much. I am including a copy of the exercises. The core muscles should be flexed the entire time when doing any of these.

I love all of you so much. I long to be better at keeping in touch, but please know that you are in my heart and in my prayers, especially in my prayers of gratitude that I am so blessed to be in a family with you and learn from you, and rejoice in the hope that situations may provide us at some time more time together.

If you have any questions on these, please call me. LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!