Rolfing

I know I've already written once today, but we don't get many days like this one...when changes happen within an hour! I recall the day Abbie was decannulated two years ago, and in an instant she went from a girl with a trach, to a girl with a band-aid. But, mostly this journey has been about celebrating incremental steps and patiently watching the miracle unfold.

Today we met a woman named Sally, who has been a Rolfer for 20 years. Rolfing involves working with the fascia, or connective tissue, in the body. I did't quite know what to expect, so just sat quietly on the opposite side of the table. Sally put her hands under Abbie's head and within a minute Abbie gave a big sigh of relief. We were off...


The session consisted mostly of Sally pressing, holding, or slightly rotating certain parts of Abbie. As Sally focused on Abbie's diaphragm, Abbie's breathing got deeper and more relaxed as the session progressed, and by the end of it her ribs, which had been concave and jutted out at the bottoms, were rounded and normal again. I couldn't believe it! Those ribs have vexed me for many, many months, wondering how we were going to get them back into proper shape, worrying about the commentary they were on Abbie's ability to draw in normal breaths. To look down and see a normal healthy chest almost took my breath away.

Sally also worked on the area between Abbie's hips and knees. Abbie has quite a bit of external rotation in her legs, despite the all the therapies and exercises. With a few minutes of "processing" Sally had Abbie's legs soft and at rest with both knees pointing to the ceiling.

The soft palate of Abbie's mouth is quite narrow, partially because she has not been eating and talking, and partially because she is taking after her brothers and ensuring at least one orthodontist's kids get their college funded by our family. Sally did some work inside Abbie's mouth, and I also saw changes there. I could not believe that I was watching things change right before my eyes!

I feel so blessed to have someone like Sally five minutes from our house! When she asked what drew me to Rolfing, I pulled out the "Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis" book and she smiled. The author was her physiology teacher. Small World...No Coincidences!

We have appointments scheduled for the next two Wednesdays, and I am very anxious to see what those session will bring. It is refreshing and joyful to have immediate gratification, I must admit! And, to see the solution for so many "unsolvable" problems, like shortened heel cords and diminished lung capacity. Can it really be this simple? I guess I've found that's the way God usually works, simple but profound.

One more partner in our journey, one more piece for our puzzle, and one more day for the scrapbook!