It’s funny, earlier someone said I must be an employee of Bay Recovery due to my praise of Dr. Rand and Bay recovery because I sound like a traveling advertisment for them. I wish I were, the longer I deal with Dr. Rand and his staff, the more like family they have become. If I have a problem or need to speak to someone, I can call, or even just drop by and I know I will be taken care of even if I have to wait awhile on a drop in.
I have also been accused I guess of being a pussy as I tell everyone my wife saved my life by getting me to Dr. Rand, I owe her everything and love her unconditionally.
I have been in chronic pain since October of 2003 when I was rear ended while stopped. I have needed surgery, but it is complicated by having damage at 4 levels in my cervical vertebrate. Until June of 2008, when I just about went nuts and my wife got me into Bay Recovery, I spent almost 5 years undergoing “Pain Management”, which has become in America a euphemism for legal drug pushers. I have no problem with the drug companies or even with opiates or other pain medicines. We as a society need ongoing health care, medicine and research. We are supposed to however, look to and trust our doctors and medical system to do the right thing for all of us. Yes, I know, I realize how niave this now sounds, but I did believe in the system and hoped I would be treated properly. After getting into Bay Recovery and getting to know Dr. Rand, I really started looking at the system differently. Dr Rand seems to have this uncanny ability to see through the symptons and treats all of the root problems and uses whatever tools are available to solve all your problems. An example, I had always been a good sleeper until after the accident, and due to the pain, I didn’t sleep well, was groggy and irritable all day, couldn’t focus, etc.. Dr. Rand looked at the underlying problem from the accident and after, had studies done and because of the neck pain and the opiates compounding it, I had developed severe sleep apnea to the point where I was getting less than 15% of normal oxygen intake during the night. How did Dr. Rand get from neck pain to opiates to sleep apnea? By looking at correcting the total problem you have and applying good medicine, diagnostics and a way to correct a problem without more harmful medicine.
Enough about Dr. Rand and Bay Recovery.
I spent almost 5 years in “pain management” destroying my body. All I wanted was to feel no pain and the “pain management specialists” just kept putting more and more drugs down my system. Little did I know the medicine was doing more damage than the pain in my neck. I spoke before, that I now have overall less pain than when on opiates. I have been told that is impossible, but its not. As explained to me, the opiates and the mental and physical need for them actually stimulate the receptors and increase the pain levels. At least in my case this is true. I am sitting here writing this in nasty pain, but Bay Recovery has taught me how to control and block some of it.
I give my wife and Dr. Rand a lot of the credit for saving my life and I also wanted to share with you a book I read while recovering.
During my years on drugs, I didn’t realize how bad shape I had gotten into physically and mentally. Late last year my brother gave me a book, “YOUNGER NEXT YEAR” written by Chris Crowley and Dr. Harry Lodge. I read it, thought about it, and ended up reading it again. There is really nothing new or astounding or amazing about it, but it hits you right between the eyes as it explains simply about the aging process and how to slow it down in a simple, very funny format. I was 58 last year when I thought I was going nuts, I was overweight, out of shape, had all kinds of physical ailments due to the neck problem and had become sedentary due to fear of pain. I was 58 and thought I was ready to croak, I looked and felt like an old man.
I started taking the book by heart and though I utilize swimming as my primary activity now, the basic concepts of “YOUNGER NEXT YEAR” are incredible. I think that Chris Crowley goes a little overboard on some things like the heart rate monitor and calculations, I think all the ideas make sense. I now have his little list plasted around the house to remind me whats important.
If you are over about 50 years old and want to lead a good life, please read this book.
