Hah! So I got the new x-ray, and the doctor did some calculations and it turns out that my atlas (the top vertebra of the cervical spine, on which the head rests and by virtue of which the head is able to nod) is eight degrees out of alignment! He said he's seen only a few misaligned as badly, and only one worse, in his decades of practice. My atlas is #2! That's why I feel like #2!
Wow. Eight degrees. No wonder it hurts! This is probably going to take quite a while to correct. I don't know if I'm looking at weeks or at months of headaches and other bad stuff. Each adjustment of the atlas back toward normal is traumatic, too, so it's going to be a bit like having a serious accident twice a week for however long it takes to get it fixed. In the meantime, I have to be careful not to do things that could aggravate the condition, such as lifting stuff and bending my head too much and (rats!) sitting at the computer.
Well, crap. At least I probably won't need surgery (which I wouldn't get in any case, since I'm not insured and couldn't afford it.) I just know I'm going to be totally grumpy the whole time this is going on.
I got to see lots of nice cirrus clouds today, though. Not here, where I'd have to tilt my head up to see above the trees, but while I was out. Going downhill, there's a nice view of the valley and the sky above it to be seen without excessive tilting of the head. (I could go out and lie flat on my back in the yard, of course, but I'd most likely end up being bitten by deer ticks and end up with Lyme disease-- assuming I don't already have Lyme disease from all the times I've already been bitten by ticks.) The clouds are still up there, and might make a nice sunset. I could probably see that while upright.
Feh. My middle back is starting to hurt from sitting here. I'm going to go walk around for a while.
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