More hearts and flowers on Valentine's Day.

    Once again, it's Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day. It doesn't take much to make me happy, and just knowing that I am appreciated is good enough for me. But, for some people, Valentine's Day is even more stressful than Christmas. Expectations are high and the pressure is on.

    I have a friend who has been known to give her husband the cold shoulder for weeks if he doesn't come through with just the perfect gift for her on Valentine's Day. The problem is, she never gives him any hints of what she might want, and every year he disappoints her. You'd think one of them would figure it out by now.

    My single friends either ignore the holiday or try to live vicariously through those of us who are happily married. Even my married friends wistfully wonder what they will get and then compare notes later. Sheesh! Is this really what Valentine's Day is about?

    My husband and I celebrate this day dedicated to love and romance by doing special things for each other. Last year we spent Valentine's Day looking at toilets. It might not sound terribly romantic to the average person, but we got to spend a long afternoon together. This year we celebrated by buying each other a new garage door. We plan on spending a quiet evening at home sitting in the garage and taking turns playing with the remote before I fix dinner.

    The point is, it's not about what you get; it's about what you already have that's important. As far as I'm concerned, wandering around a hardware store or admiring a new garage door with my husband beside me is more romantic and precious than any gift I could receive.  Happy Valentine's Day, and don't forget to share the love!



Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Louie and his special shoes....

    Several weeks ago I was touched by the story of a young policeman in NYC and his act of kindness and compassion when he bought a pair of shoes for a barefoot homeless man on a freezing cold night. It triggered a memory for me that I just had to share.

    I was in my early 20's, and working at a local hospital in ICU. One of my patients was an elderly gentleman who had been on a ventilator during his entire stay in ICU. He really touched my heart, mostly because he never had any visitors. No one. No family, no friends, no pastor, no neighbors. Nobody. His only human contact came from the hospital staff that took care of him.

   He was unable to speak because of the ventilator and his trach tube, but the day came when he was finally weaned off of the ventilator and I was able to cap his trach. I encouraged him to talk to me, anxious to hear what he would say after being unable to communicate for so long. He surprised me. He said, "I have no shoes!"

    He continued, "What am I going to do? I don't even have any shoes!" I tried to reassure him that he didn't have to worry about shoes right now. But he couldn't stop worrying. Which got me worrying, and really upset.

    I worried about Louie and his shoeless state. But what could I possibly do about it?  I had a sudden inspiration. I went back to my department, told my colleagues about Louie's first words, and said, "Let's get him some shoes!"

    Dollar bills started piling up on the table. Two of my colleagues ran upstairs to measure Louie's feet. Heaven only knows what he thought about that!  Our secretaries took the money, the measurements and left the building. An hour later they returned with a brand new pair of tennis shoes. There was even enough money left over for a few pair of socks.

    As a group, we all trooped up to ICU to give Louie his shoes. When he opened the box, his eyes filled with tears as he stared at his shoes. I asked him if he wanted to try them on, but he declined, and held his shoes to his chest as he thanked us for the gift.

    Our story (and Louie's) spread through the hospital like wildfire. The PR department was contacted. Eveyone was deeply touched by our act of kindness and compassion for this man who was alone and destitute.

    I got a call a few days later from the head of the PR department. He thanked me and my colleagues for what we did for Louie. However, he informed me, we didn't need to buy Louie shoes. Louie had enough money to but our entire department new shoes.

    Apparently Louie owned a large ranch about five hours outside of Denver. He and his wife were quite wealthy and had a huge family. His sons worked the ranch, it was their busy season, and that's why no one had come to visit him. Oooops! We took a lot of good natured teasing about buying such a wealthy man tennis shoes, but we took it in stride, so to speak.

    I still had a special place in my heart for Louie, and I often visited him after he was transferred to the general floor. His shoes were always on the bedside table, on the window sill, and even in the bed next to him. Obviously, those shoes meant a lot to him, and they sure did mean a lot to me and my colleagues. Our PR director said that we didn't need to buy Louie shoes. I disagree; I think we did. What do you think?

   
Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

From low back pain to no back pain....

    It amazes me how many people suffer from low back pain when they simply do not have to. By using a combination of gentle therapeutic exercise, core strengthening, postural awareness and movement exploration you can transition from low back pain to no back pain. It's actually easier than you may think.

    First, let's address sitting. Most of us sit for long periods at a time, and I have never met a chair that is comfortable and provides proper support for anyone, let alone everyone. And don't even get me started on airplane seats. You can't change the chair, but you can make a few easy adjustments to support yourself and reduce unnecessary strain on your back by following these easy steps:

      1). Make sure your spine is properly supported by using a small towel roll behind your lumbar spine.
      2). Make sure your feet are always flat on the floor. I know, sometimes we like to tuck our feet under our chair, but it's not good for your back.
      3). Most of all, get up and move as often as possible.

    Next, it's important to pay attention to how you stand, especially if you have to stand for prolonged periods of time. Notice if your knees are locked and stiff, and how your back feels. Now relax and slightly bend your knees, and notice how your back feels. Key points:

       1). Keep your knees relaxed and slightly bent when standing. This reduces excess stress on your lumbar spine.
       2). Whenever possible, place one foot on a small step to decrease the pressure on your back. You can use a small step stool, a phone book or a small trash can on it's side. Switch your feet often.
       3). With your knees relaxed, slowly sway and shift your weight side to side. This helps decrease stress and strain on your low back, distributes your weight more evenly, and it feels good. As an added bonus it makes people wonder what you're up to.

    Now, find your core muscles. No, I don't mean by doing sit ups. Sit ups and crunches are often done incorrectly, resulting in stress and strain on your neck and spine with ab-solutely no benefit to your abdominals. Try this easy exercise to activate your abdominals, specifically your transverse abdominus, the muscle responsible for stabilizing your low back.

      1). Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your attention to your lower abs. Breathe in, and as you breathe out gently but firmly pull your lower abdominals in toward your spine. Yes, it really is that easy, but I highly recommend that you get some professional help with that one.

    Finally, really pay attention to how you move. Slow yourself down and notice how you move in and out of the car; up and down stairs; picking up objects; unloading groceries, etc. You may find that you are actually aggravating you back with certain movement patterns. Changing these movement patterns can cause a huge relief for your back.

    The most important point is that you are not at the mercy of low back pain. Rather, you have the power to help yourself and heal your own back. Even if you have been given a strange and scary name for the cause of your low back pain (a diagnosis), you can still go from low back pain to no back pain. And now you know that it's actually much easier than you previously thought.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Sisters, cereal and B-B-BATS.....

    When I was a little girl, my mother used to take us grocery shopping with her. I had two older sisters, and my Mom was smart enough not to take all of us with her at the same time. She had us on a rotating schedule, which meant that each child had her turn to accompany her to the A&P while the other two stayed home.

    The child of the week had the honor of selecting the cereal and a bag of candy for the week. We didn't often get candy, but my mother would always have a small bag on hand tucked up in the highest kitchen cabinet that we couldn't possibly reach even if the three of us collaborated all of our efforts.

    The cereal of the week was no problem. The sister on deck would usually select a variety pack, so everyone was happy, more or less. But the candy was a different story. Every three weeks, when it was my turn, I would come home from the store with my favorite candy on the face of the earth....B B BATS! And, every three weeks, my sisters would pull the bag of B B BATS out of the grocery bag and groan out loud. I guess they didn't like them as much as I did. Since they always came home with something different, I didn't see what the problem was.

    My two older sisters tried every trick in the book to get me to bring home something, anything , but B B BATS. They reasoned with me. They teased me. They bribed me. Finally, they threatened me. One day, when I was waiting to leave for the A&P with my mother, my siblings cornered me. The older one kept a lookout for parental units while the eldest grabbed me by the shirt and said, "If you come home with B B BATS again, I'm gonna kick your butt!" I told you they didn't like them.

    Just a few minutes later I was in the candy aisle at the A&P with my mother encouraging me to take my time selecting a candy. She pointed out the Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Hershey kisses, gum drops, licorice whips and more. Hunh, maybe she was in on the conspiracy as well. I never thought of that before. I took my time looking at all of those tempting treats. As I considered my options, I remembered my sister's threat and the crazed look in her pretty green eyes. It was scary. I made my choice.

    When we got home, my sisters were waiting to help unload the bags, another family ritual. But, they seemed even more enthusiastic as they waited to see what their threat had delivered in the way of a sugar high. As for myself, I waited with eager anticipation to see their reaction when the discovered their treat for the week. One sister pulled out the bag of candy, and the two of the stared at it in disbelief as I gave them a great big grin. There it was....a nice big bag of B B BATS!

    There are several life lessons in  this fun little story. First of all, sometimes threats just don't work, even with a younger sibling who is much smaller than you. Second, never underestimate the incomparable stubbornness of that same sibling. It's important to remember that some of us have (as my father used to say) "more guts then brains." Keep in mind that occasionally it's okay to take a chance and disregard the consequences, but I'd be careful with that one. Finally, and most importantly, sometimes a girl just has to have her B B BATS! 

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

A different kind of family Christmas....

  Everyone has their Christmas traditions and time they spend with friends and family. Our Christmas tradition is simple; my husband and I spend a quiet Christmas together. But when my husband had to abruptly leave town on the 23rd, my plans for Christmas suddenly and dramatically changed. No quiet Christmas Eve dinner at home. No Christmas Day champagne brunch at the Brown Palace. My Christmas just got thrown a curve ball.

    I knew I would be bombarded with invitations if my friends knew I would be alone on Christmas. However, I really didn't want to be pulled into someone else's dysfunctional family Christmas. Nor did I want to go to a movie and go out for Chinese food. I figured sitting at home watching old movies sounded like my best choice. Then I remembered that there was a special edition Christmas morning ballet class scheduled this year. When I first heard about it, I was astonished that anyone would consider taking a ballet class on Christmas Day. Suddenly it sounded like a brilliant idea.

    I woke up to a freezing cold morning with a few inches of snow on the ground. You just have to be in a good mood on a morning like that. It was glorious! I listened to Christmas music and sang along as I maneuvered the slippery roads to the studio. When I got there, Christmas music was playing in the studio. The front desk was transformed into a beautiful and festive buffet table laden with food for after class. Dancers were bubbling with greetings and laughter, as well as a spirit of joy and camaraderie.

    Sometimes things don't always go the way we plan. We can either fight against the change or go with the flow and find another option. I didn't get to spend my traditional family Christmas with my husband. But, I did get to spend it with my ballet family. Like all families, we certainly have our level of dysfunction. I sure am grateful for them; they made a difficult Christmas a whole lot easier. And that is what family is about.    

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Does a bear sit in the woods?

    While my husband and I were packing up our SUV to return home from Thanksgiving in the mountains, we were greeted with quite a surprise. Our vehicle was covered with dirt and dust, but there appeared to be a pattern or some sort of order to the dirty smudges. We looked closer and noted that the smudges were actually paw prints. Fairly large paw prints. Incredulous, we looked at  each other....BEAR!

    We walked around the SUV and saw how carefully the little guy had gone around the vehicle and looked in the windows. There were prints on the back bumper where he must have raised himself up to look in the back window. There was another print on the passenger side window where he supported himself to look inside. There were even nose prints on the window where he must have pressed in even closer to get a better look.

    At first I felt a little creeped out that this guy was all over our car as we slept in the cabin just a few feet away. And then I was filled with wonder that this beautiful animal had been so close to us, and I wished I could have seen him. I asked my husband not to wash the car so I could admire the prints for a while. The bear was so careful and meticulous in his exploration, he never left even a small scratch with his claws on the paint.

    It's funny, just the previous evening we watched a documentary about black bears in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was surprised to learn that the adult females were only 150 pounds, and the males were about 250. The documentary also described their habits, their patterns, their behaviour, and most importantly, what to do if you happen to come across a bear in the woods. I think that bears get a bad rap for being vicious, blood thirsty aggressive creatures.

    I used to be afraid of bears and the possibility that I might come across one while hiking. Now that I understand them a little better, I'm no longer afraid. Instead, I have come to appreciate them, and if I came across one in the woods, I think I would be overwhelmed with the honor of such a rare opportunity and privilege. And then I might wet my pants, but I suppose that's another fear I have to conquer!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

The power of graciousness and the gift of friendship...

   
    While preparing our Thanksgiving dinner at our favorite mountain hangout, I heard a bit of commotion outside. I stepped outside to see what all the excitement was about. Across the street several cars were slamming on their brakes, tires squealing, and pulling over onto the side of the road. Car doors opened and people started pouring out of the cars with their cameras ready. Wondering what caught their attention, I noticed two huge bull elk standing in the grass, grazing, and minding their own business.

    The tourists seemed to be getting dangerously close to the elk trying to get their pictures. The basic rules of wildlife etiquette, so to speak, is to admire them from a distance, and do not invade their personal space. You do not approach them, you do not feed them, and if the animal changes it's behaviour, you are way too close for comfort. Apparently this group of shutterbugs either never learned the rules or chose to ignore them. One of the elk abruptly stopped grazing, lifted his head and stomped his feet.

    The tourists backed off, but when the huge elk lowered his head and started grazing again they pressed in even closer. I guess they figured that the elk was just bluffing. He wasn't. He abruptly lifted his head, snorted and jumped effortlessly over the fence, scattering tourists everywhere. I found it very amusing and highly entertaining, especially since no one got hurt, particularly the elk.

    The huge beast stood in the middle of the road, looking annoyed, when he suddenly saw me watching him. He caught my eye and we looked at each other for a long moment. Finally, he tossed his head in the direction of the departing cars as if to say, "morons!" I giggled and agreed wholeheartedly. Satisfied that we shared a common bond, he gracefully trotted across street, up the short driveway to just a few feet from where I sat on the porch railing. We sat together in quiet companionship for a few minutes.

     He must have felt comfortable with me, because he lowered his head and began grazing again.  He was so close that I could hear him pulling the grass from the earth. I could hear him chewing. As a matter of fact, he was so close that I could smell him. His scent was a little wild and game-y, but not unpleasant. I could see how it would appeal to his own kind. He must have read my mind, because at that precise moment he lifted his head and looked at me, as if to say, "You're not so bad yourself." I swear he winked at me as we shared our private joke.

    He returned to his breakfast, and I returned to admiring him. I admired his size and strength, grace and flexibility. I was honored that he was comfortable in my presence, when just a few moments earlier, other members of my species behaved in such a rude and barbaric manner. Maybe he figured that these unusual two legged creatures were more agreeable when they weren't encased in their hard metal shells that they had to break out of just to enjoy the great outdoors.

    Eventually he finished his breakfast and looked off into the woods where a few of his buddies were waiting. He looked at me one last time as if to say, "I have to go....the guys are waiting for me." I understood. He bowed his magnificent head, and I thanked him for his time, adding that he was not only good company, he was a gentleman as well. As I watched him leave, I remembered a phrase that I had recently heard. "Never underestimate the strength and the power of graciousness."

    There are so many lessons in this little story. But the most important one is obvious to me. Treating someone with dignity and respecting their boundaries is a lot more effective than trying to run them down. They may return the favor and reward you with a gift of friendship. That certainly is something to be grateful for, not only on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP