I don’t like to hire professionals for jobs that I can accomplish myself. I enjoy tackling all sorts of home improvement projects and feel proud of the results. I’ve replaced windows, installed light fixtures, replaced sinks, refinished wood floors and tiled the floors in my kitchen and bathrooms. I’ve also put up a lot of drywall. A few months ago, I gutted my laundry room down to the bare studs. I needed to make some updates to the plumbing and electrical wiring. I wanted to insulate, replace the floor and put up new walls and ceilings. Hanging drywall on the ceiling is a very labor-intensive job. I’m a smaller woman and holding the drywall in place while running the cordless drill was a challenge. Because I exercise regularly, I always feel I can push my body to the extreme. I workout every single day, combining strength training and stretching with high impact aerobics. I jump rope, run, bike, lift weights and do all sorts of abdominal crunches, push-ups, lunges and squats. I am very strong for my age and size and have a great deal of endurance. However, I am a 56 year-old woman and I went too far. I tore my trapezius muscle. The upper left side of my back swelled up, turned purple and the pain radiated all the way down my arm. I was forced to lie in a prone position on the couch for three weeks. I couldn’t make it up the stairs to my bedroom. I couldn’t even wash my own hair. Just getting up to go to the bathroom was torture. I kept ice on my back, took a double dose of Aleve every four hours and suffered tremendous discomfort.

Body Wellness Center

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