April 2008

Little did we know!

by Cindy Rondberg

Let me share something my friend recently told me.

"It was 1990, and I was in the middle of nowhere, although Highway 1 outside of Cambria, California sounded vaguely familiar. It was late at night, and although my girlfriend and I were completely sober, the next few minutes seemed to take on a life of its own, turning into a blackout of the worst kind.

A drunk driver (I later learned) came out of the dark quickly and before we knew it we were pushed off the road into what seemed like a really dense forest, since the trees were many as we dodged in and out trying to avoid them.

I'm still not sure what we hit when we finally came to a stop but I could smell the pungent gas that spilled all over and I felt so much pain searing through my body I thought I would pass out at any minute. The next thing I knew there were paramedics and fireman trying to cut us out of the vehicle.

"In the hospital the next day, I realized that the next six months were going to be intense and I needed to find a way to cope with the pain. I had broken seven ribs, had major upper leg bone trauma and various injuries that seemed to reach out to every bone and muscle in my body. Since I had always been somewhat healthy, athletic and generally took it all for granted, I never thought about what I would do in a situation like this.

"Fortunately, I didn't have to do too much searching. My girlfriend took me to a chiropractor soon after we were discharged from the hospital, and I had my first adjustment. I was scared, almost reluctant to let anyone touch me after feeling so much pain.

The chiropractor was reassuring and explained what she was going to do, how it would be beneficial after the trauma I went through and how the healing process and the body worked. I soon felt relaxed enough to get x-rayed, examined and adjusted. I returned three times a week for at least the next six months until I had to move to another state. I remember the intense pain in my back, neck, chest and ribs before I entered her office, and how much better I felt after leaving her office, even though I never believed chiropractic could help me."

That's just one out of thousands of stories of recovery due to chiropractic care each year. So many of us take it for granted as we walk into the chiropractor's office for the first time and walk out knowing innately we not only feel better, but have a higher more efficient quality of life.

I was born and raised in the Midwest and never knew anything about health. My only knowledge of what was good for me, was having to sit at the dinner table until I ate all of my peas and carrots, which sometimes took all night. I was also bribed to behave and eventually dragged to the medical doctor's office once a year. I viewed this encounter as only a five-year-old child could comprehend facing the enemy.

I knew there would be a lot of pain with his poking and probing and ultimately getting those immunization shots. And how I hated trying to hide my fear while I sat shaking in his waiting room. As the nurse walked us down the hall and into a private room, I remember her voice trying to sound reassuring but that only angered me because I knew what was in store. He would walk into my room slowly and always say the same thing in a slow and frightening voice, "Hello, little girl. Are you ready for your shot today?!" Even at a young age I wondered why he didn't know my name.

Some of my friends were known to do the "kick and run," which basically meant when you saw the needle getting close, kick him in the shin, jump off the table… and run! That was always a consideration for me, and although I watched my older sister do it, I was a little intimidated to try the kick and run. The thought of the nurse jumping out from behind the curtain and catching me was so

frightening, and then not only would I get a scolding from my

mother (which I watched my sister endure) but the humiliation and giggles from the rest of the shaking kids in the waiting room would be more than I could bear.

So, I'd take a deep breath, tell myself it would be okay and it would be over in a minute. Being brave seemed like my only choice, so after much thought I just waited for the shot pretending I wasn't scared. The next thing I knew, I'd be letting out the scream that shocked even me, tears welling up in my eyes until they could hold no more and then spilled down my face.

Inevitably, the sympathy and attention made it all worthwhile so I worked it for a while… until I couldn't hold back the smile anymore after seeing those five-cent prizes in a basket and the bag of lollypops (my choice) waiting for me at the checkout counter!

Oh yes, visits to the MD were memorable. We were all so medically oriented when we were young, little did we know, we didn't realize that there were other choices and sometimes healthier ones. Reluctantly, and often out of desperation we made our way into the chiropractic office. Thankfully, we got there and have finally realized and appreciate the incredible painless healing benefits of chiropractic care.

(Cindy Rondberg worked in the chiropractic field for more than two decades, serving as a chiropractic assistant in St. Louis and Phoenix. Author of the popular "CA Advisor Training Manual," she has written numerous articles on chiropractic office management and CA functions. Her proven expertise in patient education, administration and training and motivating chiropractic staff members helped build efficient practices for many DCs.)