Out of Balance, Out of Whack

Despite this misleading header photo (a throwback from maybe March or April), my adventures have come to a temporary standstill here in Seattle city, Planet Earth.

For the first time in my young and mostly sedentary life, I am struggling with shin splints. Nay, shin splinT, as it's literally just my right leg.

This damn right side, I tell you what....... Every issue I have in my body is always on the right side. My chi must be so low or blocked on this side of my body. My back and knee injuries were on the right side. Both kidney infections I've had in my lifetime were in my right kidney. I used to suffer from pretty bad TMJ on the right side of my jaw, which vanished mysteriously one day. Not to mention the crazy rash I had on my right cheek for months on end!! The migraines I started developing this past year always emanate from the right side of my cabeza. Etc. Etc.

If you're reading this and nodding in agreement from a similar experience, please don't bother Googling anything along the lines of "why are all my health issues on one side of my body?"

You will reap a few thousand pages of results concerning fibromyalgia, MS, and other debilitating diseases. Fucking WebMD!; The crutch and crucifix of hypochondriacs everywhere.

Perhaps stress, and therefore immune deficiency, manifests on one side more than the other. The google underworld doesn't seem to have any realistic answers to this imbalance, and neither do any of the medical professionals I have seen recently. So far I have treated the irate shin with acupuncture, massage, hot bath soaks with epsom salt, and compresses. I'm also taking a bunch of magnesium and calcium and eating plenty of (ba)nanners to treat my aching muscle cramps.

Ugh, as a stubborn and hard headed person, its no surprise that my physical body is just as stubborn as my mind. I have always been prone to sickness and injury, and at times it feels like I am in the midst of a constant battle against one part of my body as it revolts against the rest: be it limb, organ, or other. These fuckers will simply not cooperate peacefully.

In this instance, I'm simply hoping for the best and not letting my anxiety take over the forefront of my mind as it tends to do in times of dire stress or pain. I leave for Utah in 6 days, and I'll be damned if this stupid injury gets between me and Zion or Bryce. I plan to drive straight to the infamous Mystic Hot Springs after I fly into Salt Lake City. These healing thermal waters should set the tone for happy shins and happy trails.

Although I have spent a pretty good amount of time in the Southwest over the years, I have never been to Utah. I am so incredibly excited to experience the skeletal beauty of the desert once again, not to mention the painted hills and red rock canyons that the great Mormon state has to offer.