Our House, Our 1 Year Anniversary, and PT Progress

Whew! So much to catch up on. Like I said in the last post, the VERY NEXT DAY, Tyson and I went to our home to check it out, and they had dry walled it. We no longer could walk through the frame of the house to get to another room. We now have WALLS! It's looking more like a house on the inside:

Tyson HATES being in front of the camera, so I had to shoo him away to let him know I was coming! Hope he doesn't mind he was in it for two seconds. ;) Love you hunny!

Yay for walls!

Now on to the update on my physical therapy, and there's quite a bit to update. So, last Wednesday, my PT admits to me that she's been "feeling me out" for about a week and a half to see how I respond to the exercises she's given me, and if my back is improving. She also wanted to really solidify her hypothesis. She knew there was a back problem but also wanted to check on my pelvic floor muscles for any sign of bladder issues. From the mental notes she's made from my feedback to her, she told me that she is now EVEN MORE sure it's just my back. Basically, she sees no need to go on up and work on my pelvic floor because that is not the real issue, and my bladder is not the issue either.....................it's my back.

She explained to me what exactly she think has happened to me. She said that from all of my years dancing, it caused too much flexibility in this part of my back and hips. My spine has slowly shifted out of place, and what was probably the trigger was all of the running I did that finally let that one disc go and pinch on the nerve around the S1-L5 spine area, that this is what controls bladder function. My nerves are wigging out which is causing my bladder to have a mind of its own. My spine is moderately arched to where it's pushing towards my tummy (when you look at it from my back) and it's pushing my pelvis forward.

Do you see how the discs on the right side are squeezing together? Since the discs are going that way, there is a disc that is pinching the nerves that control the bladder. This has led to inflammation, which thus has sent me on a 9th month struggle to figure out this enigma. Once I was told this by my PT, a lot more stuff about my history came together for me. Not only did I used to complain of my lower back hurting while kneading my fists in the my back, but I ALSO used to complain how my arch was so prominent that it caused my butt stick out and my lower tummy to pooch/push out in the front. Little did I know, that was not normal and a warning sign. We're trying to get rid of my large arch in my back by all of the exercises I've been doing.

Now, here's the catch. The PT said that there is a possibility that this thing may rear its ugly head again around maybe the 8th month in my pregnancy once Tyson and I decide we want kids. It's kind scary if you ask me.......the part where I will run this risk if I get pregnant. I'm so devastated to hear this news. I would LOVE to get pregnant one day, but the pain is so TERRIBLE and I don't want to go through it again. It's bad enough for me to just say it wasn't meant to be, and it wasn't in my plan. She also said that if it does happen, I need to, "RUN, not walk to the neurosurgeon." and she seemed pretty serious. She had also mentioned that had I come in and had seen her back in July when this thing happened, she would have quicly referred me to a neurosurgeon for surgery on my back. She said it's probably kind of a good thing that I didn't think to see a PT at the beginning because she feels confident I will not need surgery since I've been living with this problem since July of last year (JEEZ!...That's too long to be in discomfort). She said that since I haven't gone numb or lost bladder control, she sees no need for surgery, and that we're going to do everything we can so I don't have to go that route. She told me that I was, "A very lucky lady," because this could have led to some serious problems. Now, I AM improving, but if I plateau, I will be referred to a neurosurgeon.

We have altered my exercises. I am no longer doing that yoga pose, and I'm now having to do lower abdomen crunches that tighten my lower tummy, and I'm having to do, what I think are called pelvic drops. For the past few days, she's been rocking my back white I lie down in a sideways fetal position. When her and her intern pressed on a part in my low back, it felt so tender. It was supposed to happen because she was stretching it out. It was neat. Now, they hook me up in a harness that kind of lifts me from pelvis up while I walk at a comfortable pace on a treadmill. Think of standing in between two counters holding yourself up while your legs dangle underneath you and you feel that stretch in your back. On this, I'm still able to touch the treadmill with my feet and walk. It is the WEIRDEST thing I've ever felt, but OH BOY could I tell the whole left side of my hips/back and down were SO weak, and this just so happens to be where I feel my severe issues. So, that's it so far. My PT seems to think that my back might be fixed, and now the nerves need to settle down which could take 6 weeks, or maybe less or more. There's no right answer. All I know is that I'm noticing a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference and improvement. More than all the modern medicine I've been taking has done for me.

Okay, enough of that! Tyson and I celebrated our one year anniversary yesterday. We can't believe it's been a year! We didn't do much except relax, take the dogs for a walk, and eat the top tier of our cake.

Slightly a mess, but HEY! Not a big deal. The hole in the top of the cake is where we had a mini bouquet of pink roses! :)

It actually didn't taste so bad! I was afraid we would crunch in to some freezer burn! There were a few spots where you could taste it, but overall, we were impressed!

So, that's it for the updates! We will continue to update everyone on the house and the progress of my physical therapy. We're definitely feeling that the glass is half full these days!

Moving Right Along!

*Note: THE BUILDERS ARE SERIOUSLY MOVING FAST! This blog was started yesterday (3/24) and was officially posted today. Tyson and I stopped by the house today, and the dry wall is up! I have a video and pictures that I'll put up within the next couple of days. At this rate.....who knows! There might be something new tomorrow!

Tyson and I LOVE stopping by our house (our house......SO COOL!) and seeing the progression. Over a two day span, the brick has come in, the insulation is up on the walls, the A/C unit is getting all put together, they have our electrical outlets and the pipes for the house set up, etc. etc. etc.!!! Who would have thought I'd get that giddy over seeing insulation and electrical outlets put up in our home?!?!?! Below are a series of videos and photos of the progress. Forgive me. I sound a little nasally. Houstons' roads and cars are practically painted in yellowish-green pollen, and we're having some up and down, crazy weather lately.......temperature wise that is. That's Texas for ya!

Our Brick is Here! We can't wait to see it on the house!

Recessed Lighting is Put in, wiring for surround sound, A/C......Etc.!

Master bath and shower is starting to be put in. Thanks to the rain, we have some lovely things floating in them.

We have a roof!

The brick is officially in! I can't wait to see it on our house!

The house is covered in insulation. Do you see all of our electrical outlets?!? :)

A/C thingy-ma-jig. Also, they've put in our recessed lighting up on the ceiling, as well as the wiring for Tyson's surround sound!

There's part of our tub and shower with some yummy things floating in them thanks to the rain.

I always love walking into our garage and seeing that the inspection guy has come through our house and written notes to construction on what to "fix." It makes us feel good to know that they're building us a quality house!

So that's it so far. If you read my note above, Tyson and I went back to the house today, and the dry wall was getting put up and pretty much finished! We didn't have it yesterday! It's looking more and more like it will be finished by the end of April!!!! YAY! Get us out of this apartment!

I Told You So!

I had my first PT appointment yesterday on my bladder and pelvic pain issue, and the physical therapist thoroughly examined me. But, let me start from the beginning because this is interesting. So, she walks in and I tell her about my 9 month battle with this thing. I told her my entire history all the way from docs, to all tests I've done that ALL have came out negative, to meds, and to my symptoms. I also told her about me being a dancer and that I think this is where it all stemmed from. BEFORE even examining me, she confidently already knew what was wrong. I can't remember the name of the diagnosis she hypothesized, but she basically hypothesized that it's a lower spine issue mixed with a neuromuscular issue, but it probably pretty much started with my back. When it came down to it, her hypothesis was EXACTLY what I've felt was wrong with me all along. She then examined me, and sure enough, both her hypothesis and my theory were right on the money! But, there is ONE detail that I didn't even take into account, and that was my flexibility. Who knew?!

Basically, I'm apparently OVER flexible from my history of dance. I'm too flexible in my hips, so this has caused my lower back to have too much range of motion. As you move up my back, I'm really tight. This combo has caused my lower discs in my spine to shift out of place and probably compressing nerves. The ones she found that weren't how they were supposed to be are the discs that contain the nerves that control bladder function. My nerves have become inflammed and irritated, and this has caused tension in my pelvic floor which is creating a vicious cycle of inflammation which prevents my body from healing. That is why 9 months later, I still feel pain and the CONSTANT need to go. My body is unable to heal because the tightness is restricting bloodflow to my nerves, and they need that oxygen from the bloodflow for them to calm down. Sound familiar from my last posts?????!!! Also, my back needs to be put back into the right place. Apparently, she said that the problem that she was feeling and seeing with my back is quite typical of a dancer. I'm not surprised because I was required to do some heavy duty stuff back in high school, and my lower back has ALWAYS hurt me so badly after standing and walking for a while. It also would hurt after I'd wake up. I used to blame it on the matress. I would complain to Tyson how sore my back would feel and that we needed a new matress. I have this habit of kneading my fists into my lower back after walking and standing for long periods of time. I used to think this was normal, but I guess not.

The PT did numerous exams and we found that I was tight in the left side of my body from pelvis on down. Sure enough, that is where I feel most of my bladder symptoms. She had me do numerous exercises, and we found that my range of motion and other physical aspects IMPROVED! Once she did all of her exams on my back, she basically told me that she wasn't even going to do a pelvic exam. She told me that she can pretty much already tell I'm VERY tight in my pelvic floor, and there's no reason for her to go poking and prodding and making my symptoms worse when she already knows what's wrong from the few simple tests she had done already. My PT said that we're going to work on the back problem before we start hunting for trigger points in my pelvis. We need to take care of the problem that started it all FIRST, and then work out the "injuries" I've gotten from this. Trigger points are bascially painful muscle knots in the deep tissue. I have already found TONS in the past 3 months, and the tennis ball has become my new best friend. Oh how it hurts so good when I put pressure on the trigger point with the tennis ball! All of this lower back problems my PT found would explain why putting pressure with the ball in my lower back causes my bladder symptoms to dissipate!

My PT is allowing me to use the tennis ball if it's working for me, but I need to be careful not to aggravate the nerves more than they already are. She's given me exercises I need to do at home. One is a breathing one that relaxes everything, but at the same time, is core work that strengthens the core.......I'm guessing to strengthen my lower back??? I also have to do this yoga-ish push up that you wouldn't think would do a thing, but sure enough, after I did ten, she turned me on my back, and a lot of my tension was released. My range of motion was also better. CRAZY STUFF! Even Tyson was able to see the difference. I got a "Wooooowwww..." from him and I blurted out "Wooooooow..." as well because I felt the difference! It's AMAZING to see how our bodies work, and what controls this and what controls that! The pose looks like this, but I don't hold it. I do like an army push up 10 times but without lifting my hips off the ground:

My PT told me that doctors never think to take a look at the spine for the source of "mystery" illnesses. When we go to the doctors, we tell what hurts, and the Dr. is trained to treat the part that hurts. In my case, I was complaining of bladder problems, so EVERY doctor I saw focused on the bladder and prescribed meds for it. This is why NOT A SINGLE bladder medication did ANYTHING for me because the real issue isn't coming from the bladder. The issue is my lower part of the spine that controls my bladder. She basically said what I've said in a past post; they don't think to think outside of the box. Actually, she put it as, "They use the gold standard methods in examining, but they don't think to look at the platinum lining that surrounds the gold standard." She also brought up an interesting point and that was that doctors are not trained the way PT's are in examining the DETAILS of the whole body. Docs take a more holistic approach. She then said, "I bet you got a lot of people telling you it's all in your head and that you're crazy?" I said yes (wanting to almost cry), and she said, "Well, you're not, and you are right. There is definitely something going on."

It's been one day into my exercises, and I'm already telling a difference both good and bad. There have been times when my symptoms increase and times where they're almost completely gone. My symptoms will usually fade after I do my exercises and I can relax, but they slowly creep in within 5 minutes and I get sad again. It's just going to take time because nerves take time to heal. She has me doing that breathing thing every other hour, so I guess this a constant way of keeping my muscles from tensing around the nerves.

I go back tomorrow, and I'm going to pretty much be going 3 days a week for now. I will continue to update everyone on my progress, as I'm SO MUCH MORE optimistic and hopeful.

The house is still moving along quite nicely. They got the roof on a couple of days ago. It looked like they were starting to put the A/C unit in today. The sales guy says that it looks like it'll be finished by the end of April. Tyson and I say HALLELUJAH!!!! :)

Perry Doesn't Mess Around

And I'm serious! When they get going, they get going! It's looking like the house might be finished in April. There is a strong possibility Tyson and I will close and move in at the beginning of May, which is one month sooner than we planned. We originally were going to let it sit for one month before we close so we weren't paying one month's rent on our apartment AS WELL as a mortgage. We wanted to close in June, and we would finish paying rent that June, and then start paying the mortgage in July. After thinking about it, we'd rather pay one extra month's rent along with the mortage instead of just waiting. We don't want to stay any longer in this apartment while we watch our finished home just sit on its lot. We figured it is very do-able for us, and we can afford to do that. I know I want to get into our home as soon as possible, as well as Tyson.

Below are some videos of the different stages our house has gone through in THREE DAYS! Tyson and I went and took a look on Wednesday, March 10th, and they were pretty much finished with the framing. The very next day, we had the framing for the roof, siding, windows getting put in, pipes....you name it! And all of this over the course of ONE DAY! I apologize ahead of time. Some of these videos might be repeating some things because, unfortunately, my camera only video tapes in one minute intervals, so I tried to pick up where I left off as best as possible.



March 10th-Framing is complete and walls are starting to get put up.






March 11th-Framing of roof complete, some piping put in, and the windows were getting put in.




March 11th




March 11th




March 11th





March 11th-As we were talking to our next door neighbor, we found out that the workers worked on our house up until about 11 at night! Then! We discovered that our siding was put up! We didn't realize it until we were leaving.

If you can't view the videos, here are some overall pictures of the stage our home is currently in:

March 8th- Getting the frame of the house finished.

This is what was complete late afternoon on March 10th.

The VERY NEXT DAY, frame for the roof is up, windows are up, black tarppy things (don't make fun! :) around house and getting ready for insulation.

Back of the house with the siding put up. Windows are up.

Our side/backyard. It's nice and wide!

Our covered patio....the BEST decision we made!

They started on the piping throughout our house. The water heater is already set up.

Living room view.

Kitchen/Morning Room.

Looking down the hall from our front door.

Dining room.

That's it so far! They're working hard and moving right along! We got an email from our sales person, and he said that they should starting putting the roof up within the next few days.

Anyways, Tyson and I hope all is well with everyone. Today was my last day of work until the 22nd. It's Spring Break for my school district! ....YAY! Tyson's working, as usual, but, I'll at least be home all day on his two days off so that will be nice. I don't know when everyone else's Spring Break is, but we hope everyone has a good one! Enjoy the weekend!

Progress of Our Home

Tyson and I drove by our lot right when I got home from work. Tyson had seen it earlier this morning, and they had already put the slab down. Low and behold, he goes back with me, and they're already starting to frame the house! The video is below. I say we're looking from our back porch when I meant to say back patio, but you understand what I mean. :)

We have upgraded to a covered back patio.

Here's a picture below if you can't view the video. This is actually the view from the front of the house:

The Perry Sales Office moved into a new model home. Below are pictures. The home just happens to be the same floor plan as ours. If you notice in these pictures, the dining room, kitchen, breakfast area, and living room are all set off to the right of the home. Ours will be opposite. We're having a right side garage, so everything will be set off to the left, except for the hallway leading towards the utility room, extra bath and bedrooms. Master will flow to the right of the home. I did not take any pictures going down the hall and into the bedrooms. Too much sales stuff, and we all know what a bedroom looks like.

This is starting from the front door, looking into our house. Love the lighting!

Off to the right is the dining room. Ours will be off to the left.

As you continue walking down the front entry way, you walk into the kitchen area.

That's the breakfast/morning area. I love the windows, and I love the break up of the living room and breakfast room with the arched wall and mini window. Loving our island!!!!! The sink is in the island.

Standing under the arch looking into the kitchen.

Still standing under arch, but now looking into the living room. I LOVE the windows. I'm thinking of getting 108 drapery panels and setting it all the way up above the little windows. This will emphasize the nice ceiling height this home has.

Standing in on corner of the living room by the windows. That back wall in the kitchen that's set off to the right of that door (garage door), I'm going to put a buffet/wine table. There's a nice gap between the island and the wall, and I would like to make some use of that space.

Another corner of living room.

Sitting on the couch, looking into the kitchen.

Walking towards the master bedroom. The door on the right is the door leading to the back patio.

In the doorway of the master. You can't see it from this angle, but there is A LOT of extra space in the right hand corner of those windows. I hope to put a nice, comfy chair there.

Standing up against the widows, looking at a different angle of our master bedroom.

Panning a little more towards the right.

Standing in the bathroom doorway looking into master bedroom.

Looking into master bath. Yay for a separate tub and shower!!!!

Double vanity is an upgrade that we got. Short, Korean girl's reflection in the mirror comes standard.

Here are a few pictures of the master walk-in closet. As you walk into the closet, to the right is this nice shelving area that will most likely hold my abundant shoe stash.

Walking into our walk-in.

Turning the corner...and HELLO!....more closet. This is good since I usually have many retail therapy sessions at the mall.

Walking back out of our master and looking down the walk way of our house. STILL IN LOVE WITH THAT LIGHTING!

Guest bathroom. The tile in the shower almost goes all the way up to the ceiling. I'm going to get 96 or 108 drapery panels and raise the rod at the shower's highest point to add more height and drama to the bathroom. I have a few great framed art pieces that might go well against that back wall that's reflecting off of the mirror.

This is the style doors we chose for our garage. They call it Sanoma hardware. This is not our brick color, nor our garage door and trim color. Also, our elavation will be different. We WILL have the two separate garage doors and coach lights.

We hope you enjoyed! Stay posted! More progress to come! Have a great weekend!