Dr. Michael Magichands

To set up this story, let me take you back five years, to the summer Jeremy and I were first married. We were more adventurous then (and lacking wisdom) and would often go bridge-jumping. On one occasion, Jeremy decided to swing from a rope off the bridge, which broke and threw him (15 ft or more?) to land on his back in just inches of water. That summer marked the beginning of chronic back pain for him. His job as an auto detailer never helped things, but he managed to survive.

Fast forward to this spring, 2009. We bought our first house to accomodate our growing family and moved in mid-March. One evening Jeremy spent countless hours moving boxes from our 3rd story apartment to the new house (I told him to wait until more people could help, but he wanted to get as much done on as his own as possible). And by the way, if you've had chronic back pain for nearly five years, it's ok to let other people help you move. Needless to say, the move was horrible for his back, and his health took a pretty big nosedive. He finally went to a doctor when just getting out of bed was a major struggle. They took x-rays, told him his muscles had seized up and sent him home with painkillers and muscle relaxants. The drugs started making him really sick, to the point that he couldn't eat anything (or keep anything in) for over a week. He couldn't stay at work, if he could go at all. And the pain was unbearable. It was one of the most helpless times I've ever had in my life. The worst night was when I came out of the bathroom to find Jeremy on the floor in the hallway, eyes rolled back, sweating profusely, and mumbling. I really wondered if I was watching him die (and I'm about as optimistic as they come...)

Five weeks ago, Jeremy finally agreed to try a chiropractor as a last resort. He had been VERY anti-chiropractor up until that point, but traditional medicine had been a total bust. So, with a dear friend's referral, we headed to see Dr. Michael Jorgenson, a chiropractor in Ames. Now, I don't mean to be overly dramatic about it, but seriously, he saved our life. He took the time to really get to know Jeremy and hear all about his history. He gave an in-depth exam and took the time to go over all the x-rays with us, which by the way, CLEARLY show a bulging disc and misaligned vertebrae, among other issues (thanks for nothing traditional medicine?). And then gave us HOPE. Hope that he could help. Hope that Jeremy would be feeling significantly better in 6-8 weeks. Hope that Jeremy could be feeling as good as "pre-rope-swing" days by the end of this summer!

After visiting Dr. Michael (who we now call Dr. Michael Magichands...) two times a week for the last five weeks, I have seen such a change in my husband. He's probably the healthiest that I've ever seen him. He bought a season pass to Ames' pools so he can swim laps after work. And then after dinner, he takes Jack on a 30-45 minute bike ride. He's changed his diet a lot and eats things like grilled chicken salads, apples, gluten-free pasta, and he drinks Smart Water instead of soda. Seriously, WHO IS THIS GUY??

This summer is shaping up to be so much different than what I was prepping myself for. I'm so thankful for Dr. Michael. I'm so thankful that we've been given a second chance. I'm so thankful that Jeremy can play with his son (and in less than 6 months, second child!). And I'm so thankful that the despair we felt just five weeks ago has been replaced with hope for our future.