The QL muscle, quadratus lumborum

This is for those of you with hip & back pain that are not aware of the QL muscle. I first became aware of this when my wife and I took the ferry to Bull Island, South Carolina to go on a nature walk. I was walking 3 miles in a hour flat in the parking lot next door every day at that time, so I wasn't anticipating having any trouble on our hike. Well, the ferry dock to the beach was over 2 miles, then up the beach, and then back. We walked over 6 miles. Between mile 4 and mile 5, I noticed I was not walking well, too much of what I call "hip dip". I felt like I was leaning, and my back above my affected hip had pain. I asked my wife if I was leaning and to take pictures. Those are the first three in this post. I had a heck of a time making it the last mile. I had run into this same leaning and pain thing a few times early in my recovery, but didn't ask about it. Hell, there was no one to ask. This time I sent the pictures to my neuro PT and she told me about the QL. I got some stretches to help prevent it, but it was more than 2 years before I found this release, shown in the last 4 pictures. This fall I had the same thing happen when we walked 5 miles at a botanical garden. This time, I tried something that actually worked! I leaned back towards my affected side and walked as straight up and as tall as I could. I walked towards my wife and had her verify that my position looked correct. We had discussed it and I had had her look at my leaning walking just prior. Anyway, the pain pretty much went away and so did most of the hip dip. I tried to help with the hip dip by walking tall and slightly exaggerating my heel toe pronation and cross-patterning hand movements - sort of half way to slow power walking. That also helped. I'll put comments on each picture. If you plan on doing the lazy dog, be sure to read about what it took me to relax into it and get it to release. Added: I mentioned this post to my PT today and she seemed familiar with it all. In talking about why you lean away from your affected side, she pointed out the obvious. You lean away to get weight off that hip / leg. Duh!  Click the pictures for a larger view.

This is when I first noticed I my back hurt and I was leaning.

This shot really shows it.  As a photographer, I want pictures of things.  I'm glad I had my wife take these.

Half a mile to go and I'm not a happy camper.  I chose not to post the picture with the grimace.

  

Information on the QL muscle.

Here's the release.  The key sentence here is, Be sure that your hips, shoulders, and head are in a straight line.  I had / have a tendency to have my head too far forward.  I had my wife take a look and tell me when I had pulled my head back far enough that I was aligned.  How to get the release to happen and other key information is on the next picture.

I positioned the chair like it is in the picture with the edge closest to me right under the back of my knee.  It was further down in my first attempt, but it was too far down and I didn't get the support I wanted to be able to relax.  Your affect butt cheek will be slightly off the ground it you are doing this correctly.  I found the first time I did this, it didn't do much.  I tried it for a few minutes but never totally relaxed into it.  I wasn't aware of that until my second attempt where I did intentionally relax into it.  That process took about 15 minutes the first time.  As I've learned, it has gotten shorter.  I relaxed like you do in yoga.  I started with my feet, my leg, my arms, my face, my shoulders, working my way towards the QL.  Right before I had everything relaxed and I felt the release, I had spasms in the muscles covering my ribs, just about the QL on my affected side.  When they quieted down, I felt totally relaxed and felt the QL release.  I don't think I can put in words what that felt like, because , in a sense it felt like nothing.  It felt like I was totally relaxed.  It worked that time and most of the times that I've tried it since.

Here are some exercises you can do to keep your QL loose and stretched.

Home Again  

Current Amount Raised 

Lets get the momentum going!  I have kicked off the fundraising with a $100 contribution.  I will match the first $1,000 donated and then hope to have other donors that match donations.

There are other ways to donate.  You go into any one of the 2,100 BB&T branches and make a deposit to The Starfish Project’s account.  If you use electronic bill pay the information for that account is bank routing number 053201607 and account number 5225362140.  Checks can be made out to The Starfish Project and mailed to 1758 Wachesaw Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576.  All of the account information is set to The Starfish Project, which we did a couple of years ago.  I don't want to change it all over a name.

A mutual friend, George Barr, who knew that we both had suffered strokes introduced me to Deborah Dorland three years ago.  Since that time, I have watched a series of events unfold in her life.  

I watched her rebound from her stroke.  I have a good idea what it took to do that.  I’m happy to have played a small part in it, but the credit is all hers!  I watched her learn how to draw again and do her art with her left hand, no small feat.  I watched her grow amazing things in pots in a parking lot that look like they came out of the finest vegetable garden, and I have learned to love her indomitable spirit!  I watched her rally the other nursing home residents in good times and when they were up to their knees in floodwater in their wheelchairs, and I learned of her big heart.

I watched her suffer at the hands of Mother Nature during a 1,000-year flood.  I watched as circumstances put her life out of her control.  I watched as she failed to qualify for some assistance, was hours away when most of the flood relief help took place and passed her by, and was offered solutions that don’t meet her needs.  I watched her handle all this with grace.

You can read her story here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/ralph-preston/home-again/1762758330412605/

Recently, she expressed a desire to get back into her house and I’ve decided it is time for me to stop watching and help her get her life back.  So, I’m going to raise the money necessary to fix her house. I will work with a contractor to insure that licensed professionals due the plumbing and electrical work and anything else that should be done by contractors.  I will coordinate any local volunteers and her friends that want to help her by working on her house.  I will do whatever it takes to help Deborah get home again. I would like to ask you to help me.  The simplest way to do that is to donate. 

If you would like to participate, contact Ralph Preston at 843.947.0010 or email ralph.preston@sc.rr.com

Project Tasks (coming soon along with total budget)

The Starfish Project

I let WPDE channel 15 know about the Starfish Project. They came out and did a story and we were the lead story on the news. To me, it is every bit as important to model this kind of behavior as it is to do the actual work. Think about the way the world would be if more people did what we did yesterday. I'd like to send a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers and contributors - you rock! We'll be over there Thursday at 10 am to finish up the landscaping and painting - join us if you can.

WPDE story on The Starfish Project

Current Amount Raised 

Lets keep the momentum going!  We are only a few hundred dollars away from of our goal of $2,500 and we are going to need $2,700 to do everything we want to do.  We had to replace all the fascia boards on the house.

On Saturday, October 25, 2014 we are going to fix up a stroke survivor’s house in Murrells Inlet, SC.  I hope you can join us.  Please Like The Starfish Project Facebook page, so that your FaceBook friends become aware of it.  Also, we’d appreciate it if you’d spread the word to your co-workers and friends.  You can email them the link to this page. 

The stroke survivor “lives small” on a disability income, so anything we raise is money she doesn’t have to spend. 

We’ve set a goal of $2,500.  Materials for the roof alone will be almost half of that.  All it takes is 125 people giving $20 or 25 people giving $100.  This is a great way to help if you can’t make it on October 25^th.  If you have $20 you can contribute, that would be great.  All donations large and small are welcome.  We don't have 501(c)3, or official nonprofit status, so you won’t get a tax deduction – just the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone.  She currently has a small window air conditioner and an electric space heater.  When we exceed our goal, we’d love to install a mini split heat / air conditioner.  

There are 3 ways you can donate.  You can use the PayPal link above to donate using your credit card.  Checks can be made out to The Starfish Project and mailed to 1758 Wachesaw Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576. Or, you can go to any BB&T and ask to make a deposit to The Starfish Project's account.

If you would like to participate, contact Ralph Preston at 843.947.0010 or email ralph.preston@sc.rr.com

Myrtle Beach Building Supply is helping us out with materials by offering us a 10% discount.  Please support them and buy local!  

It is serendipitous that her house is named The Starfish.

I end all of my speeches to stroke professional and stroke survivors with The Starfish Story.

the starfish story

There was once a wise old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. One day as he walked along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man, and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead was reaching down to the shore, picking up starfish, and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

“Good morning! What are you doing?” asked the wise man.  The young man paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The sun is rising, and the tide is out. And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles of beach and thousands of starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man, listening politely, bent down and picked up another starfish, throwing it into the sea past the breaking waves. Turning to the old man, he modestly replied, “It made a difference for that one.”

Project Tasks 

Roof – John Thomas, lead.  We need several people to help him, roofing experience is a plus.  We probably will strip the roof on Friday, so we can get the roof done on Saturday and so we can get all the old roofing off and down without dropping it on everyone on Saturday.  We’ll also need a whole house tarp.

Painting – Helen Thomas Romano, lead. We need several people to help her, painting experience is a plus.  We probably will caulk and prep on Friday, so we can get all the painting done on Saturday.

Yard – Deborah Thomas, lead. We need several people to help her, knowledge of plants is a plus.  Restore the planting off the deck; restore the front fence line – lantana, rose of Sharon; all sticks and branches to be removed; weeds removed; bushes properly trimmed under the homeowner’s direction; what to do about the treehouse?

Deck – We currently don't have a lead.  We need someone familiar with pressure washing and deck sealing.  There is one deck board that was never installed that I will get the carpenter to install.  The paint crew can help with the sealing, if they are done.

Ramp / Pavers / Gate – We currently don't have a lead.  We want to paint the handicap ramp to preserve it and we want to add sand to the paint so it is less slippery.  The paint crew and deck supervisor can help with this after the painting is done and the deck sealed.  The survivor will need access throughout unless she stays inside.  The gate needs fixing so it will close.  We'd also like to put pavers from the end of the ramp out to a small pad for wheelchair access to cars.  Currently, there are roots that make rolling a wheelchair very difficult.

Bathroom / Exterior door / carpenter – We currently don't have a lead.  We need someone who is knowledgeable in general carpentry to do several simple projects and probably some that will come up.  One is to install a couple of grab bars, probably right through the bathroom tile.  Some trim around the newly-widened bathroom door would also be nice.  The main entry door also needs attention – maybe we can get a used door that fits as a replacement.  Otherwise, it needs to be cut down and shored up.  There is one board on the deck that needs to be cut and added.

Sheetrock ceiling – We currently don’t have a lead.   We need someone knowledgeable in sheetrock repair to take this on.  There is a small soft spot that could be patched.  We don’t think the entire ceiling needs to be done.  We’d do a walkthrough prior to the 25^th, so we can have the proper materials on hand.  The carpenter could possibly do this if he has the knowledge and time.

Security System – We currently don’t have a lead.  She gets people knocking on her door unannounced.  We would like to put a simple camera aimed at the door and displayed inside.  Nothing fancy.  If someone with CCTV and security experience wants to do more, that would be great.

Logistics, Lunch, Drinks, Fill in – Can’t hammer a nail to save your life and don’t know flowers from weeds?  No problem.  We’ll need people to run to Home Depot for unexpected supplies, get or prepare lunch, and handle drinks to name just a few things. 

Caregiver Tips

These Caregiver Tips were emailed to me by Cameron Von St. James who is a caregiver for his wife.  He wrote:

"My name is Cameron Von St. James and I was thrown into the role of caregiver when my wife, Heather, was diagnosed with a very rare and deadly cancer called mesothelioma.  It was just three months after the birth of our only child.  We were initially told that she could have less than 15 months to live, but she was able to defy the odds and eventually beat the cancer.  During her treatment, I had to learn quickly to be an effective caregiver, and there were many times when I became overwhelmed by the role.  Together, we managed to fight through it. "

Caregiving is the same regardless of whether your loved one is battling cancer or coming back from a stroke.  It's a good list and no caregivers I've asked have been able to add to it.  The only thing I can add is don't think what the doctors tell you is set in stone.  They often underestimate the power of the human spirit.  

Caregiver Tips

1. Accept all offers of help
2. Take time for yourself
3. Make your own health a priority
4. Know your limits
5. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, family or even strangers if you feel overwhelmed
6. Be clear and direct when asking for help
7. Become an expert on the condition – Learn all you can
8. Make lists
9. Prioritize
10. Get organized
11. Join a support group
12. Talk to other caregivers
13. Budget
14. Make use of technology
15. Ask questions
16. Carry a notebook everywhere
17. Make use of any and all resources available to you
18. Know your employment/compensation rights
19. Try to maintain a normal schedule
20. Always hold on to Hope!

Here are links to their blogs:

http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/cameron/

http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather/

Videos from the Inaugural YoungStroke Expo

I recorded 3 beakout sessions at the Inaugural YoungStroke Expo in Litchfield, SC, on May 21, 2011.

Ellen Debenham, MUSC REACH
Ellen Debenham, RN, CCRC, from MUSC's Stroke Center talks about their REACH program which delivers stroke care to rural spoke hospitals.

Watch MUSC REACH
Click it, it's a hyperlink.


Tina Cronin, Young Stroke in South Carolina
Tina Cronin, APRN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN, CNRN, from Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, SC, talks about the causes of stroke in young adults and their impact.

Watch Young Stroke in South Carolina

Click it, it's a hyperlink.

Jan Harper, Getting Back to Work After Stroke
Jan Harper, HR Director for Georgetown Hospital System, talks about the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) and everything you need to know to get back to work after a stroke.

Watch Getting Back to Work After Stroke, Part 1

Click it, it's a hyperlink.

Watch Getting Back to Work After Stroke, Part 2

Click it, it's a hyperlink.