Elisha

Yeah, softball injuries happen a lot - and for such little exertion!

Visit several and develop your own comfort level. Ask people and get their opinions, but the final choice is yours of course.

Do it! Do it ! Do it!

And has your doctor really said much more than this general statement? Has he prescribed anything specific or just left you to your own?

Saaaweeeeeeeeet.... What, are they removable and you weighed them?

My Tony is all Nylon/spandex. I jumped with a guy around an inch or two taller and probably had 10-20 pounds on me. He was the first person I jumped with who fell slower. I wore weight during one AFF, but that was it. I can arch hard if needed.

Did my first recently and had the same experience - not sure if I was low, probably hi since I float. I felt like an idiot since everyone was way up ahead by the end and I was way behind. Just had to laugh at myself.

sucks - you wasted your money. No, just kidding. Looks great! I like the "Plan B" on your reserve handle.

Well geeeeesh! Beggers can't be choosers, there, E! -or- Don't look a gift horse(sky-chica) in the mouth! -or- Take what you can get... -or- I'VE never been kiss-passed so NOBODY shall ever be kiss-passed from this day on! (Oh, oopsy! Did my lil' ole' world domination side come out on this post or what? ) Well....you read what Thanatos said about being obvious.

...and it applies to the doctor as well. Go back and read the quote by WESTERN MEDICINE MD Andrew Weil that I quoted as well as susanjumps response. Besides actual practice, it is the whole outlook that is the problem as well.

Don't like Tony's? What about if you are a floater? I'm around 5'6" and only 135 (I'm a male too!).

Actually, acupuncturists are required to have extensive knowledge on chinese herbs. I would expect him to know a lot more than me, who has absolutely none, but is at least willing to have an open mind. This is a short quote from the doctor (not my uncle) who I previously mentioned. I'll see if I can add more tonight when I get home. This partly addresses my point: "The whole medical curriculum is about disease. There's nothing about health, nothing about healing. Why isn't there a course in remission to balance the course in pathology? There's nothing. Furthermore, when doctors get into hospitals, their actual experience of sick people is with a very skewed sample. They see the very sick, many of whom do not recover."

No clue. I think he practices General Medicine and does a lot of research. He might be somewhat of a cardiology specialist, but that is a complete guess.

Western medicine has the complex that they know everything there is to know about every sort of ailment that can affect the human body. You compound this arrogance, human judgment and the fallacy that western medicine just man NOT have the best answers for certain ailments and you have a vast spectrum of possible outcomes. As for pap smears, what little I know, western medicine knows how to diagnose them pretty well.

Depends on the problem! Again, we know that we can interview riggers, DZs, etc. per se and go where we feel comfortable. With medicine and insurance, we frequently don't have the freedom/option to do this. And I got news for ya Vallerina - there are M.D.s that have eastern medicinal training as well and would completely agree with me! I have an excellent article from a Dr. Andrew Weil (bushy beard guy) that explains it!

I'm a male - I don't get pap smears, but I would obviously see a doctor for them. Additionally, it's also about specialists - why they have the. Problem is, your primary physician in many places is the 'gateway' and that gate frequently wants to make decisions for you.

Btw, if anyone of you nice chicky skydivers want to help me get over my shyness and kiss me at Byron, you're more than welcome (e.g. not JUST a kisspass). (it's much easier to be outgoing on the internet)

I have had the opportunity to meet many doctors both professionally and socially. Almost universally, they try to address "lifestyle" issues first. Usually, the are quite frustrated by patients who just want a "magic pill" to fix the problem. I can't count the number of times I've heard "if they'd just lose 50 pounds, they wouldn't need any medication..." Doctors are very cognizant of other contributing factors, and generally try to address those factors first. It's just that we patients are often too lazy to do our PT exercises, or just get some exercise, or lose weight, or whatever, because we think it's easier to just take that magic pill that will cure whatever ails us. My uncle is an M.D. and sees patients, but I would not want him as my personal physician. I think he is probably fine for many (more disease related) ailments, but most western M.D.s are very close minded regarding muscular-skeletal issues and eastern/alternative treatments. This has been a changing trend, thank God, in the medical field over the past few years (places like Kaiser are wising up by offering Yoga classes, for example on site!). My uncle refers to massage, chiropractic and even something like Yoga as, "I suppose it's like a good back rub." A back rub?!?! He really doesn't know shit with an attitude like that. When my grandfather (his dad) died of hear disease 20 years ago, he was able to see the heart attack happening on the machine (he was either in medical school or a new doctor back then) and mad that the doctor/nurse in the hospital at the time wasn't giving proper care, but still doesn't mean my uncle isn't defficient in other practice areas. Val, Yes, as demonstrated above, I definitely agree with what missg8tordiver is saying - some doctors just suck and aren't doing there job! Why is it that I have to emphatically request an x-ray or an MRI while the doctor is reluctant? Wouldn't they really be doing their job if they could actually see if there is some damage under there? Even if it is some inhibiting scar tissue where surgery would be optional or maybe other physical therapies could help, wouldn't that be useful information? Many doctors aren't willing to even do this though unless you have bone and blood sticking out, can't walk or move an appendage. I think you give them too much credit sometimes. Just because they've had the training doesn't mean they may competently practice with it.

Most (not all) Dr.s will do that same thing, give meds to cover up the symptoms and not deal with what the real problem is. Wouldn't it be smarter to try and find what the cause of the pain and fix that instead?! Just seems like better practice to me. Of course there are things that can't be fixed where meds might be the only way to get through day to day life. If that is the case, then fine...give me the pain killers.

The $2.4K I spent on my first rig.

You lost over half your body weight? Wow! Congrats!

They may try to extort you (money-wise), but I admire them for NOT building another fckin casino, which is an economic drain.

A little story: A few years ago, I planned to ride my (hybrid-ish old crappy mountain bike) about 35 miles round trip to this small town in NorCal and back (Ukiah to Hopland and back via Eastside road). Because it was summer and I lazily didn't get up early, I ended up starting at around noon when it was already around 90 degrees. I brought two bottles of water, partially frozen. about two thirds of the way to Hopland (slightly downhill there, uphill back) I bit into tis Met-Rx bar I bought. OMG! It was sooooo dry I had to use the rest of my water on the first half just to swallow the friggin thing! When I got to Hopland, I had to beg the convenience store clerk for a small gatorade so I could make it back (didn't have money - wearing lycra shorts) and gave him my phone number and promised to pay him back (I did a couple of days later). This is what I buy - at Costco. So why do you say "tough to come by in bulk" when you just mentioned where to get them? I like the peanut butter the best, but all three in the bulk box are ok by me. On the dryness of the bars in general, I hear PowerGel by Powerbar is the answer (for endurance sports though).

Definitely agree here. I've had scoliosis since I was a teen and most doctors don't seem to have much worthwhile advice. "Oh, I can prescribe some muscle relaxers if you want." Some would recommend a physical therapist, but then, some are good and some are full of crap. After a spasm in my lower neck a couple of years ago that left me barely able to move my head for a few days, this lame doctor recommended a PT. The PT was a former wrestler and seemed great! He seemed to understand what my difficulties were and could work with me. It turns out, this PT wasn't the regular guy, but some floater, subbing at different Kaiser's in the area. I went to another PT in a different location and he was useless! All he said was to get some tennis balls and rub your back against the well with them - as if that would magically cure everything! I've had deep tissue massage, rolfing, chiropractic, and practiced (and still do) Pilates and Yoga, and all of these give MUCH better results than anything doctors could advise. Practicing Yoga consistently seems to be the most effective physical therapy by far.

That is hilarious! It is so....Chapelle-ish.