Okay! This has been long due, but I'm finally writing my review! First, I want to highlight that my initial trip to the chiropractor was specifically scheduled for my girlfriend, Katelyn. We've welcomed our first child about four months ago, and it was about time for Katelyn to return to work. The appointment was my gift to her but ended up being significantly more rewarding for me.
Pre-Rice Crispy hits the milk, I remember Katelyn entering the waiting room with the brightest smile she'd had in years, a brief conversation about my colorful fish face mask, and a brief overview of how Katelyn's session went. A subtle "Okay, come on back", signaled the final time I would hide the pain when standing up from a seated position.
When I first got into the operating theatre (yes, the operating theatre, because Dr. Lim is THAT surgical with her craft), we went over a few important things in my life that I hadn't tended to. Three years as a loader/ supervisor at UPS, a shoulder injury from my teenaged rugby days, and the history of sciatica issues that were all compiled into a saggy, aging, old fart of a 24 year old wallowing away within the walls of a coronavirus catastrophe were all presented before a young, hopeful Doctor.
I'm 6'0", 320lbs, and scarily bigger than Dr. Lim. Let's just say that I haven't been manhandled like this since I accidentally twisted my older brother's arm during a weekly showing of "Commercial Wrestling Break". If you've ever watched Animal Planet, and have seen an ant carrying a beetle, that's how I felt. I was a dying beetle, bleeding out on the backbones of an ant, sent off to its eternal doom. For the first time in my entire life my back was adjusted. I'll avoid going into details of that experience. Enjoy it for yourself.
Now when I change my daughter's diaper I'm not aching in pain and hovering over her like a soggy churro trying to find my balance. My relationship with my dad has significantly improved because I'm more willing and able to help him with tasks around the house instead of fearing for the safety of my shoulder. I'm not calling on Katelyn to stand on my back, or step on my butt to relieve pressure from my sciatic nerve before I start waddling around. However, every experience has its pros and cons.
Now when my back starts to tighten, I feel it. Like I REALLY feel it. When I rotate my shoulder a bit too much, and my butt feels a little pinch, I notice it. Like I REALLY notice it. However, that's the beauty of my visit. I rarely feel, nor notice the pains from before.
Previously, the pain I was experiencing was so frequent that I hadn't noticed the damage it was doing. I've gained almost 80 pounds since leaving UPS, and I hadn't really noticed because my aching back masked the ever growing number on the scale (great excuse, I know), but now that I've gotten this reset I've been more conscious of my decisions and have been more active around the house. I get up to grab my phone off the charger instead of waiting for prey to walk past it to ask them. It's only a matter of time until I find the confidence to fight my way back out into the world.
All in all, if you want that YouTube neck crack euphoria, this isn't the place for you. Sure, Dr. Lim can perform adjustments and get you going on your feet, but the experience of the session runs much deeper. This isn't a one stop shop where you lay in one of four beds in a room and hope the guy standing on your back knows what he's doing; this is a safe space for you to express everything that's holding you back, and to dig for more afterward.
I'm sincerely grateful, and hope to continue aligning my life with Dr. Lim in my corner. Even though I feel like a wet noodle that sleeps comfortably all day, I'm a wet noodle that wakes up to replace the sprinkler line, reinforce the dining benches, and clean the entire house at three in the morning after a Netflix binge. The world has never felt this level before. Thank you, Dr. Lim!
Edit: Katelyn says "What he said".
Edit Edit: you'll come for the chiropractor, you'll stay for the pupperoni read more