Confessions Of An Old Mom (What I Wish I Knew Back When)
Sometimes it is hard being an “old mom”. I am in my sixties, my kids are long-grown, and I am an empty-nester. But my whole being still reacts as an “active” mom. I hear a random baby cry and my first instinct is to rush to console it. I see a grade school-age boy riding a bike on a cool, windy day and I want to run to put a hat on his head. I stand in the grocery store line behind a whiny toddler pulling on her ear and wonder if her parents take her to a chiropractor regularly.
Selfie of Me and My Daughter!
I admit that last part (about the chiropractor) was not always part of my original “mom-ness”. That came later. Quite a bit later. In fact, it was not until my youngest kids were in their teens. Before that, I knew very little about the benefits of receiving regular chiropractic adjustments. I had suffered with my own aches and pains while trying to keep up with the never-ending activities of my three daughters. I had also suffered through my daughters’ regular rounds of ear infections, bronchitis, and (in the case of our middle daughter Becky), repeated bouts of pneumonia. Late night trips to the ER for breathing treatments and courses of antibiotics became almost commonplace. We adopted Becky as an infant. We were told she was born prematurely and delivered with the help of forceps. We were also told that she had exceptionally small lungs and that was probably the reason for her frequent pneumonia episodes. For years, we just accepted that. We did not know any better.
My older (and smarter!) sister introduced me to chiropractic when Becky was 14. I was grateful when the chiropractic care helped my recurring back pain. But, I still had no inkling it could do more. At one of my regular appointments, I mentioned to Dr. Kevin that Becky had pneumonia yet again. He said, “Bring her in for an assessment!” Although skeptical, I followed his advice. His initial X-rays and assessment showed a misalignment in Becky’s spine. Dr. Kevin said such a misalignment was commonly seen in babies delivered with forceps. While this was interesting “trivia”, I did not see how that could be relevant to Becky 14 years later.
Becky was intrigued by the idea of chiropractic. She especially liked the idea that a properly aligned spine could lead to properly operating body systems that would allow the body to heal itself. Her interest, plus Becky’s immediate connection with Dr. Kevin, made her eager to keep her regular appointments. Soon, Becky started to generally feel better. Less frequent headaches, better sleep and an increase in energy meant a lot to Becky during her hectic high school years. And, as time went by, another advantage became evident. No more pneumonia! You read that right. In the 16 years since beginning chiropractic care, Becky has had zero recurrence of pneumonia.
I often feel sad that we were not aware of the benefits of chiropractic care earlier in Becky’s life. But, I am grateful to have learned and to have great care readily available. Hopefully, you can learn sooner than this “old mom”. I urge you to consider chiropractic care for your entire family. You will be thankful if you do. If you need a bit more convincing, just consult my daughter, Dr. Becky Klein. She, and her husband Dr. Joe Klein, will be eager to help you at Inspire Chiropractic!
By guest-blogger: Joy Johnson