Depression

[centralforce6661]

This topic seems to be coming up a bit in the main groups so I thought I might touch on it here lightly if I could:

Firstly what its important to understand is that the body and mind (and soul) are one functioning unit. So, if one part of the equation is not functioning correctly, then neither is the other. This gives us great opportunity to see into the mechanism behind depression and not only use the body to diagnose it, but also to cure it.

Secondly, many here are also meditating daily (if not all of you) and this can, in certain stages bring up periods of depression. It is important to distinguish between the source of the depression - that which is caused by meditation and energy transformation, that which originates organically from the body and that which has its origins in the mind (which can overlap somewhat with both of the other two).

Depression which is purely physical in nature often corresponds to a lack of bioelectricity - this is the most common form and will manifest as anxiety or sadness - long term grief can also cause the physical symptoms.

Some common patterns of this include Lung Qi Deficiency which manifests with a cough that is worse after exertion, fatigue, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating (sweating for no reason) and inhalation which is longer than expiration (breathing in feels easier than breathing out).

Another, more chronic pattern is Kidney Yang Deficiency which might manifest as feeling cold, lower back pain, frequent pale urination or the feeling of needing to go to the toilet even after having already been, early morning (4-5am) diarrhea with undigested food in it, loss or significant reduction in libido and fatigue.

Other syndromes which are similar will share some of the above symptoms along with abdominal bloating, poor appetite, loose stools (diarrhea) and possibly organ prolapse in advanced and chronic cases.

There are very effective treatments in the way of herbs for this and which herbs are for you depends on which syndrome you are presenting with.

Another manner by which depression can occur is through obstructed or improper flow of energy around the body. This tends to originate in the mind but can also have physical precursors. The typical presentations are as follows:

Liver Qi Stagnation - Irritability, feeling of something 'stuck' under the ribs, frequent sighing, abdominal pain, shoulder or hip pain, cold hands whilst the remainder of the body stays warm, headaches around the back of the neck and head area and alternating constipation and diarrhea are the principal manifestations here.

Dampness of any etiology/location - the symptoms vary depending on where the dampness is obstructing but it may present with numbness of the extremities, early morning headaches in the front of the head and behind the nose, sinus congestion with copious phlegm expectoration (may also be coughed up even in the absence of an infectious illness), often there is a tendency towards weight gain or fat deposits, there may be a heavy feeling or mental 'fogginess' which obstructs the concentration and there may be dark yellow urination or frequent pale urination.

Again these syndromes can very easily be treated. Note that there may be significant overlap betwene one or more of the above syndromes, additional physical signs (or less) and other factors (medications etc which obscure symptoms and the like).

I will touch on the meditation/soul related depression in another post, as I am low on time currently..

 

[chayce.martin]

I attempted emailing this to in private, but the message would not go through :/ I would appreciate any and all help you are willing to give ^_^


Hello! I saw your post on depression and looked up a few sights going further into detail about the Kidney Yang Deficiency you mentioned. I am fairly certain I have it and have had it most of my life.

I exhibit the cold hands and feet symptom nearly all the time, except for when I feel like I'm really connecting with someone or a group of people (my Indian friend thinks I just need to connect with people more to fix that, something about water hands and being disconnected?). I also have the frequent, pale urination color, which I assumed happened because I drink so much water. I also seem to have significantly softer stool in the morning than I do at any other time of the day, which one of the sites I looked at had stated was a symptom.

The reason I message you is because I am currently unable to go to the store frequently enough to be able to cook homemade food like they all say I should, and none of the websites I visited gave me any sort of herbal remedy I could take. I know you are very knowledgeable when it comes to Chinese herbal medicine/treatments and would like your expert opinion

(If I emailed the wrong person by accident I am terribly sorry)

Sincerely,
Chayce Edward Martin


Hail Satan!

 

[centralforce6661]

When you say you have had it all your life, do you experience Raynauds Phenomenon? This is when the cold makes your hands go white, then purple then bright red..

Do you get any lower back pain? Also, are you older than 18 or younger?

When you hands get cold is it also your arms an legs or just the hands an feet?

 

[chayce.martin]

I certainly exhibit some symptoms of Reynauds Phenomenon. My hands have never turned blue before though, and I believe the same can be said about my feet. They do the cold white thing and red tingly sensation when thrown into colder situations and red tingling sensation when taken out, respectively. Thus was under the symptoms, but when I apply pressure to parts of my hand (clenching a fist for example) parts that experienced the most pressure go white and the surrounding areas turn red for a few seconds.

I do experience some lower back pain, but it isn't constant. Usually when I'm in marching band rehearsal/performances or when I work out every now and then (towards the end) when I get to stretch adequately my lower back pain is either non existent or slight. My back also hurts when I sit for too long (like today). I know my body likes to move so I do try and give it what it wants. And I am 19 years old.

The cold only affects my hands and feet, some times my ankles too. No other parts of my appendages get cold.

 

[centralforce6661]

OK. Have you found that you have had recurring bronchitis attacks throughout childhood and teenage years? Any history of asthma?

Also do you find that you urinate frequently or have the feeling that you need to go to the toilet almost immediately after voiding urine?

The kidneys represent our genetic picture as well as a few other things so it is possible you were born with a predisposition to Kidney Yang Deficiency.

 

[chayce.martin]

I do have slight asthma which I'm sure transfers from my mother. I'm not entirely sure if you can call it asthma though. Since my mother has stopped drinking milk her cough is almost non-existent. I'm mine would stop too, and it certainly has gone down since I've cut back on milk. I rarely notice it anymore

I do notice that I urinate more frequently than others, but I don't have the urge to urinate immediately after I have already urinated. Unless I'm going to bed and I just went pee, but I was still walking around. Then I get the urge to go again as I like to be as empty as I can before I go to sleep, but I believe that to be more of a psychological problem.

Sorry about the huge delay in my response, I got insanely busy.

 

[centralforce6661]

No worries, I figured you would respond when you got a chance. Just out of curiosity, if you are a female, do you have or have you ever been diagnosed with any major medical things?

 

[chayce.martin]

I am male and (if still relevant) I have not been diagnosed with any major medical things.

I have had a continual problem with my lymph nodes though. I'm not sure how to describe it.... They usually flare up when I'm sick (which hasn't been for a long time since I started the aura of protection). Point is I would get swollen lymph nodes behind my ears and underneath my jaw and along my neck. At one point we thought I had appendicitis, but it turned out to be swollen lymph nodes in my abdomen. Which I was thrilled to not be losing a part of me.

My mother believes in the inniogram thing, if you've heard of it. Based off of that system she believes I am a 2 (personality trait thing). The system says that 2's deal with stress, on a physical level, within their lymph nodes. I hope that helps with any hunch you had.

 

[centralforce6661]

OK well it basically covers what I was looking for anyway. It's kidney yang deficiency with phlegm - the phlegm is what causes the swollen lymph nodes as phlegm is equivalent to dead water. Funnily enough (I've never heard of inniogram before) phlegm can also occur as a product of liver qi stagnation which is stress induced, but I would imagine that there would be other symptoms like alternating diarrhea and constipation, stuck feeling under your ribs, irritability and potentially others depending on you.

 

[chayce.martin]

I didn't even think about the alternating diarrhea and constipation, but you are absolutely right about that. I just figured I wasn't eating right or that my roommate was affecting me through his unhealthy aura.

I'm not sure what this stuck feeling under the ribs is. And people used to depend on me a good bit, but I've slowly cut that off since I went to college back in August. Also, I can get irritated easily at times, although I'm usually good at hiding it.

What do you suggest I do? Any advice is welcome. I appreciate your assistance and all the time you've given me and all the others I know you've helped.
Hail Satan! May he always watch over you

 

[thisisafalsealias]

Wow isn't this the group. This is awesome. I wish I knew more about chinese medicine. I've experienced random problems over the years that seem to come from nowhere and totally disappear as I change my perspective on life, and just breathing the right energy all through my body. I always knew this was happening and there were no doctors I could find that understood it. Right now I've been experiencing a bit of a lump feeling in my lungs which I think has something to do with a lack of qi in the lungs and also an attack on my 2nd chakra by a jewish "magician" (actually just a dope) which is being dealt with. I've noticed I can be feeling real bad for a while and then change my perspective and I feel like a kid again, like the change is unreal. I always affirm that I am healthy and protected everyday and get some exercise so I know I'm not in physically bad condition. In your opinion, is it hard to cure these problems of qi and yang just by willing your health to change? Thanks for this whole post

 

[thisisafalsealias]

How can you improve the health of the lungs, allow them to open wider and cause tightness in the pulmonary muscles from an alternative spiritual perspective?

 

[centralforce6661]

In my experience the most common condition which can be altered just by the state of mind is Qi Stagnation... This can manifest in lots of ways and a lump in the lungs is one of them.

Realistically of course, one can heal themselves of anything using spiritual means but this will always rely on the strength of your aura and your persistence with the healing working.

The throat and heart chakras rule the lungs so these are the best to work with in doing what you have asked to do...

 

[centralforce6661]

Does the stuck feeling under your ribs ever burn Chayce? Or is it just a dull feeling?

This is caused by mild liver inflammation typically... Exercise can help move the liver qi, and turmeric is a more gentle herb that assist in moving Qi and Blood.

There are other herbs for Kidney Yang and Phlegm as well but that depends on wether or not the Liver Qi stagnation has any other underlying Liver pathology such as Liver Blood deficiency (headaches on the vertex, tiredness (already present obviously), pale lips, dull sallow complexion, pale tongue and skin dryness) or Liver invading Stomach and Spleen (Tiredness when stressed, fatigue, spontaneous sweating (sweating for no reason) stomach cramps, reflux when stressed) as some of the herbs are contraindicated in this case and it would be best to start with something very mild and work from there.

Kidney Yang can be gently warmed by doing the step of the Magnum Opus which draws sexual energy up into the sacral chakra but this method may take some time.

 

[chayce.martin]

I'm not sure what this stuck feeling is. Sometimes I will feel like something is psychically attacking my 3rd chakra. Like, when you confess your love to someone and they reject you kind of feeling right on my solar plexus. That is the closest thing to the stuck feeling I think you are asking me about

Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night with a fair amount of sweat on my legs and feet, but that's the only thing I can really say about sweating randomly. It's also somewhat random, it won't occur every single night.

I believe I may have slight reflux, but I haven't consulted a doctor about it because it never posed a serious health risk. If I try to force a burp or try to "empty the air out of my stomach" (as I like to think to myself) then I feel some of my stomach acid come up my esophagus. That is my understanding of acid reflux.

I won't try anything until you are certain though. I'm trying to answer all your questions honestly, it's just hard when I don't know for sure what it is you are referring to or asking.

 

[centralforce6661]

From what you have described that is more like stomach pain - the stuck feeling would be to the sides of the rib cage and believe me if you were experiencing it you would know about it.

I think I'm pretty much there with what is going on but if you could describe your tongue for me?

What colour is it? Are there areas of the tongue of a different colour?

Does it have any coating? If so, is it thick, thin, white, yellow, some other colour? Are there cracks in the tongue? If so, where? Is the coating missing from part?

How wide is your tongue?

Is it wet/moist? Dry?

Are there teeth marks on the sides?

Anything else you can see that I haven't mentioned?

 

[chayce.martin]

A very light coating on the tongue, there are teeth marks on both sides, and it is moist/wet I would say.
Also, you may be right about the frequent urination. I never thought I peed a lot, but I began paying attention to my roommates and I seem to urinate significantly more than they do. Although, I believe I drink much more water too, so that's up to your discretion.

 

[centralforce6661]

What is your diet like Chayce? Do you eat a lot of salads, raw fruit and vegetables and other cold things?

Are there any particular spices and herbs which you consume frequently?

How much water in a day would you say you drink?

 

[chayce.martin]

I have cereal almost every morning. Lunch is either french toast with milk and 2 sausage patties or something warm from the Marketplace (name of a kitchen on campus, I'm in college). Dinner is usually at the Marketplace, again warm. I may have a salad WITH my warm meals, but rarely do I have anything just cold at the Marketplace. I do have tuna fish or peanut butter and honey sandwiches if I am hungry right around 930 or later, before I go to bed. I would say I need to eat more raw fruits and vegetables, based on the recommended daily values and stuff. I will also have a Marie Calendar Chickens Pot Pie every like 3 days or so. Weekends usually center around cold meals though.

I don't eat any herbs or spices on a daily basis, that I am aware of. The occasional spicy food will make its way to the Marketplace, but that's it.

I don't have a solid number on how much water I drink a day. I drink about 2 bottles worth of this 28 fl. Oz. Bottle a day along with normal sized cup at the Marketplace. And if you include the milk that may be an extra 12 Oz, total. The milk in no so sure about, but the water I'm more confident on.
So, not including the milk, maybe around 60 Oz. or so of plain water.

 

[centralforce6661]

When you say warm meals, what foods do they consist of? Foods have different energies and from what you have just described, you may be eating a lot of damp (possibly cold) foods which are creating your condition but I will go into more detail after you answer the above question..

 

[thanatos_sun144]

Wow, this one part seems to really relate to me:" Dampness of any etiology/location - the symptoms vary depending on where the dampness is obstructing but it may present with numbness of the extremities, early morning headaches in the front of the head and behind the nose, sinus congestion with copious phlegm expectoration (may also be coughed up even in the absence of an infectious illness), often there is a tendency towards weight gain or fat deposits, there may be a heavy feeling or mental 'fogginess' which obstructs the concentration and there may be dark yellow urination or frequent pale urination. "
Not all of it of course, but a good portion of it. Also the part of physical problems contributing to depression, one thing for sure is that I would like to lose weight and I have been constantly depressed about that, and lack of motivation to change it, but I seriously want it to change. I wonder what I might to do try and help that along? I still live at home with parents so I don't get too much say about changing my diet, which really sucks as well. And can't buy anything myself simply because I have been unemployed.

 

[Chayce Martin]

My hot meals aren't consistent with any single meal type. It's usually whatever they are serving at the cafeteria, or a chicken pot pie.

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[soutlaw92]

@thanatos

If you do not mind me asking, Do you have any health ailments such as Thyroid problems, lack of circulation, any kind of reproductive or hormonal disorders? Anything worth mentioning?

This is for help in diagnosis.

I find that if one cannot change their diet they can work with their own bodies to bring about change and you can start this with daily affirmations and your own working. You can begin to start exercising to get your blood circulating and moving within your cells.

Are you currently doing any yoga or exercise at all?

Thanks.

 

[centralforce6661]

Chayce - my guess is that you are likely consuming a lot of foods which are heavy and inhibit Yang and encourage damp and phlegm formation. Cafeteria food is probably far from being totally balanced and being mass produced it is probably bland and unspiced?

Here are a list of foods you should aim to increase in your diet:

Oats, roasted barley, sweet rice, spelt, parsnips, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, pumpkin, squash, carrots, yams, peas, turnips, stewed fruits, chick peas, black beans, walnuts, chestnuts, pistachios lamb and lamb hearts/kidneys, mackerel, tuna, anchovies, prawns, shrimp, salmon, mussels black pepper, fresh ginger, dry ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, rosemary, turmeric, star anise, nutmeg, fenugreek, chives, spring onions, fennel, molasses, rice syrup, barley malt, dates.

Foods which you might aim to restrict or avoid:

Raw fruits & vegetables, sprouts, spinach, salad, soybeans, tofu, soy milk, glutinous rice, seaweeds dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.), cold foods like ice cream or smoothies iced drinks including ice water, excessive salt, vinegar and refined sugars.

If you must consume dairy try to opt for butter instead of cheese (real butter not margarine or 'spreadable' butters and warm milk up before drinking it.

 

[thanatos_sun144]

I don't really have any serious conditions or anything terminal. I mean I guess if it matters, only thing that comes to mind is having a wacky circadian rhythm which causes insomnia more often than not, but the insomnia thing itself has calmed down, root problem of the messed up circadian rhythm hasn't for my whole life I think.
I have tried before to do a daily working for weight loss, and I still have it written down. I was doing it every day but something weird happens with stuff I try daily, I end up stopping for no reason. D: I have a feeling that maybe the enemy keeps catching me off-guard and makes me forget?
I have also tried daily yoga, but the same thing happened, I was doing 5-6 pretty easy poses and kept randomly stopping.
Thanks for taking the time to try and help me out ^_^

 

[centralforce6661]

Have you ever considered the timing which forms the foundations of your exercise working? Starting things when the moon is waning or void might not be helping your motivation to be maintained. Strengthening the sun in your chart can help with this. I'm sure HP Shannon would suggest similar, a Sun Planetary Square for health and *safe* (make sure you include that word in any affirmations to avoid a potential life threatening weight loss situation) weight loss would help to move things along in a positive direction.

Phlegm and dampness can be caused by stagnant qi flow (which exercise will help) due to inactivity, overeating or prolonged emotional upset. Consuming a diet rich in raw foods, fatty and fried foods or cold foods can also cause dampness as can a situation where you are overworked and thus lack the resources (Spleen qi) to transform food appropriately thus causing dampness.

 

[Chayce Martin]

Thank you very much, I am going to do my best to get those things from the cafeteria. Too bad about the spinach though, it always was a personal favorite. I wish you the best of luck in the future! ^_^

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[soutlaw92]

Thanatos, Im assuming you are a female?

Well, from what you are telling me, and  from what CentralForce has mentioned, it seems that you are just having problems in staying consistent and in a routine and with the health ailment you are stagnant mentally and physically. I'm hoping central force might add more to this regarding certain foods and such to help alleviate dampness and stagnant chi but I have listed some things that should help as a good start.

Do you know the planetary placements in your chart? Do you lack a lot of fire or earth?
From my experience when I balanced my elemental make up, I became more active and determined, it definitely increased my yang energy because I became more aggressive and active. The earth kept me focused and consistent. What you should try everyday is invoking a little bit of fire and earth everyday. Fire in the morning and earth at night. Try this as well because in order to get your goals done,you need an increase in your initiative to finish your projects or whatever your goals are.

Physically speaking, it would be ideal if you tried to adjust your diet as much as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect. Try yang foods and spices to increase your circulation and yang energy.
Ginger and pepper are my favorite amongst the spicy herbs. Try to have salads and more raw or wholesome foods and less processed and fatty. Coconut oil helps with weight loss and cleansing the system. This is a very good fat. When you adjust your diet, this will make you feel lighter and and energized.

It will also be in your best interest to exercise more, it will increase your blood flow and oxygen to your body to activate and detox your cells. Gets the blood pumping and fire up your metabolic system.

You have to get moving.

Just take it day by day and try to get into the routine. Use your strength of will. The invoking fire definitely helps. Go slow though.

Oh and try these exercises, they are vigorous and is a quick work out but will also stimulate your chakras.

http://www.lifeevents.org/5-tibetans-en ... rcises.htm

And this is for stagnant chi!

Zhan Zhuang - Chi Kung - Energy for a Healthy Body and a Happy Mind
Be well, Thanatos. We are always here to help.
  High Priestess Shannon

 

[thanatos_sun144]

Yes I'm a female lol
This is all very insightful! I am so, so thankful for this, for your help. I actually enjoy spicy foods a lot, so having that more will not be a problem. As for my chart and elements, I have a lot of fire actually, and a decent amount of water, but only two placements in earth and one in air, so I will definitely try invoking the two lacking to get myself on track. Knowing what my problem has been is such a good motivator, though, knowledge is power! I am hoping to get a new job soon and I always look for very active jobs, so that will definitely help with it, and I'll try to do some yoga and other exercises in my free time as well. 
Again, thank you so much, I sincerely appreciate it!

 

[centralforce6661]

Foods which can relieve qi stagnation are as follows:

onions, mustard greens, watercress, asparagus, taro root, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, artichokes, celery, small amounts of citrus, turmeric, basil, mint (except where night sweating is present) horseradish, pepper, cardamon, cumin, fennel, dill, ginger, small amounts of pickled vegetables. small quantities of wine, coffee (no more than 1/day w/ no milk or sugar) miso, soy sauce, rose and jasmine flowers, sprouted grains, sourdough breads, extra virgin olive oil, kumquats, tangerine peel, grapefruit.

Food best restricted or avoided/reduced:

cheese, eggs, cream, ice cream, excessive red meats, nuts, pizzas, lard, shortening, margarine, deep fried foods, chilies and excessively hot and spicy meals, beer and excessive intoxicants in general, raw vegetable juices, refined sugars.

Foods which help to resolve dampness and phlegm include:

cooked whole grains – esp. rice, toasted oats, barley, rye, millet, buckwheat, sourdough breads, asparagus, cucumber, celery, pumpkin, squash, carrots, corn, parsnips, onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, turnip, radish, mustard greens, chrysanthemum leaves, day lily bulbs, waterchestnuts, mushrooms including oyster & shitake, adzuki beans, chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, fava beans, cowpeas, chicken, Chinese black chicken, quail, lean meats, goose, rabbit, frog, clam, mackerel, tuna, anchovy, perch, eel, catfish, crab, black pepper, fresh ginger, mustard, nutmeg, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, thyme, basil, fennel, horseradish, chili peppers, jasmine, rose rice syrup, barley malt, dates, figs, sugar cane, stewed fruit- esp. pears, persimmons, kumquats, grapefruit, cherries, slippery elm bark, dried mandarin/tangerine peel.

Foods to restrict or avoid/reduce:

salads, raw fruits, citrus, wheat, sprouts, wheat grass, raw vegetables, avocados, tofu, dairy (except for goat milk products), nut butters, pork, duck and other fatty foods, eggs, soy milk, overly sweet foods, refined sugars, high doses of vitamin C, seaweeds, chocolate, cold foods like ice cream or smoothies, iced drinks including ice water.


Obviously there is a mild contradiction between HP Shannon's recommendation of increasing raw food and my saying avoid it. The reasoning behind the raw food diets is that it increases available nutrients and fibre, thus resulting in greater health. This may be true when the digestive energy of the Spleen is strong enough. When there is excessive dampness however, the spleen qi is impaired or the damp occurs because of the spleen qi impairment. Raw food which is often served cold (refrigerated) acts like ice cubes being thrown into the boiling pot (which is your digestion). When doing this you increase the burden on your digestion and worsen the situation. Additionally, most of the goodness in plants is contained within the cell wall - this cell wall is mad of cellulose which is impossible for the body to break down on its own but gently cooking it opens it up on at least the surface of the vegetable... the Chinese almost never traditionally eat anything raw for this reason it is always cooked at least briefly.

For someone who has a robust digestion raw food is fantastic and balancing however excessive weight gain is is symptom of insufficient digestive energy rather than robustness.

Another thing you can do is some daily acupressure on Stomach 40 the principal point for resolving bodily phlegm:

https://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.co ... 00A9F7.png

Spleen 9 for general dampness:

https://o.quizlet.com/vih55xBWVpVPZBxViKpe7Q_m.png

Ren 17 to clear dampness from the chest:

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... 338859485/

Ren 12 to clear damp from the stomach:

http://acupunctureschoolonline.com/wp-c ... ints-1.jpg

Lung 7 to assist the opening of the water passages to clear the lungs and benefit the nose:

https://o.quizlet.com/rmpn2190wSCXGXqrD5O1ug_m.png

Kidney 6 (immediately after Lung 7) to open the Conception vessel and resolve blockages in the flow of feminine energy to aid proper distribution of the Yin Fluids:

http://www.myhealthmycall.com/wp-conten ... dney-6.png

Massage these points twice per day, on both sides of the body (except those which are on the body's midline) for 1 minute each. Pushing Satanic white gold energy into the points if capable will amplify the effects tenfold.

 

[soutlaw92]

Thank you, CentralForce, which is why your knowledge is important here.
Many of my friends and family members never suffered from spleen problems and so the raw food approach worked for them and myself included.

Thank you.

I hope all this info assists Thanatos.

When you start working, you will then have the means to nivest in certain supplements and or to buy some of your own foods.

 

[thanatos_sun144]

Definitely, I can't stand not being able to have fruits and vegetables. As for supplements, I am not sure what would be good to get? I already take biotin daily, to help my hair grow and such. I'm hoping that's not a bad one, well, not one that contributes to the problems I've been having?

 

[thanatos_sun144]

Thank you so much for this information! I now see why it's actually bad I eat so much cheese ): I will definitely cut back on my cheese intake, and try putting hot sauce on everything I guess? It sucks that my family doesn't eat a lot of vegetables anyway, so that means I don't get to either. I am doing those massages you recommended though, I want to do all I can to fix this stuff. A million thanks for this!