Corset Training - Part 1

I have scoliosis, it isn't noticeable and I only found out I had it after an x-ray to look for something unrelated. (they were checking my lungs)

I don't know if this may be related to my neuropathy (probably not), but I found that my spine and arm felt better when I was wearing a corset. (One I was wearing for a party).

If I can't trust one of you nerves, I CAN'T TRUST ANY OF YOU!

So, before we go any further: This is my body and if I want to be an idiot and do this to myself, then all bad outcomes are my own fault. DON'T COPY ME!
I won't be held responsible if someone tries to copy me and gets hurt! 
I repeat: DON'T COPY ME! I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYONE COPYING ME!
This may very well be the tale of how I messed up my spine real bad!

Ok, so let's get on with the story.

My starting waist size is x (A girl has to have her secrets). Any changes will be + or - x.

*In traditional me fashion, I did not take a before shot.
I guess my stomach is a sensitive area for me (I won't call it a problem area, because it isn't a problem, it does its job.)
It's a little weird, I don't worry about my stomach area when I am naked, but I worry about how it looks in clothes... perhaps it is because when I am naked, I'm distracted ;P

On the 25th of July (2016) I started wearing an exercise cincher.

This is to prepare myself for a proper corset (steel boning and all).
So I started on the widest setting and within a few days, I transitioned to the second set of hooks.

The material on this cincher is elastic and has holes so you don't overheat when you work out.

4/8/2016 - Nine days in, I noticed my spine was "cruncher". Instead of larger cracking that requires a fair bit of stretching, it was giving lots of little crackles with just general movement.
I personally take this to mean my spine is more stretched out (I am NOT a medical doctor) and decided to take this as a good thing.

5/8/2016 - On the tightest hooks now... really looking forward to my proper corset (will still be a few weeks).

9/8/2012 - Wearing a 'dress' corset (can lace up but doesn't have the proper steel boning or construction) today. I like how it goes further up my rib cage and holds my back straighter. I slept in it the night before without issue.

Similar to this

I wore the athletic cincher beneath to protect my body from any warping/breaking of the weak boning.
It was good in the sense that it gave a tighter compression on my body. It also helps me practice breathing higher (so my body doesn't panic in the proper corset which will be even tighter).

It felt a bit like an asthma attack during work, but because I knew I could reverse it at any time, so it didn't worry me.
Did I say don't try this at home? Don't try this at home!

11/8/16 - I find I walk around like Peg Bundy now XD

People in a certain group that I interact with (who don't realise the rudeness of the questions) keep asking if I have lost weight or joined a gym. I don't tell them that I am wearing a corset because I like to keep them guessing.

13/8/16 - Ma figured out I have a brace on because she couldn't get me away from her by tickling me. (I like to try and pick her up/ hug her but not let her go)

14/8/16 - I found that the top of my lacing was always wider than the bottom (my ribs were less tight than my abdomen). So I switched from one lace to two.

This way I could tighten the rib area without worry it would loosen over time.

15/8/16 - I wish the front would dip inwards as well as the back. At the moment, my corset is very straight at the front.
The back plastic boning was digging in too hard at one particular point, so I removed it, and you can see how warped it has become.

This is why I need a good boning (hur hur hur!).

16/8/16 - Ok, all the boning has been removed. It is all warped and was digging into me.
To make up for the loss in structural integrity, I moved from 2 to 4 laces.

I need to think of a way to keep the bust up (currently using a bralette but that isn't the best option).
Ok, I have sewn straps on.

And now Ma helps me lace it.

18/8/16 - New athletic cincher!!! Looks the same as the last one, just smaller. So lets start at the biggest setting and work our way down!

23/10/16 - my steel boned corset finally arrived! It is heavy, sturdy and well made.

Image from seller, this is what it looks like.

It is a size x-4 inch waist with room to tighten.
Tonight is my first night in it and it feels really good.
I'm glad I went with over-bust.

25/9/16 - I have never sat so straight in my life!

My house either has too much light or not enough,,,  this is the former.

I've started getting aches on the middle, right hand side of my back, where my back has spent so much time prior compressed.
But I don't care about a little pain, my body is just adjusting.
I can wait it out.
It is annoying that I have had very poor sleep since wearing it to bed, but I can't stay awake forever.
(Look up 'Peter Tripp' and see what he did in 1959!)
There are some points when wearing the corset is agonizing.
Just being honest, I sometimes think about ripping it off.
But I am going to wait it out. My body will adjust. 


27/9/16 - It is getting easier to put on post-shower, my back is conforming to it very quickly.

1/10/16 - Sleep is back to normal, the corset no longer disrupts it at all.
Movement in it is also getting easier and more normal.

2/10/16 - It is beginning to feel too big now! :O 
The back is almost completely closed, with the lacing panels almost touching.
My stomach doesn't even feel restricted (so my lumbar vertebrae are loosing support).
I placed an order for a x-8 size corset, which will arrive in about 6 weeks.

7/10/16 - Some points on my skin, at the end of my rib cage, are getting marked. Not heat rash, but patches of broken capillaries.
I imagine these will pass, I just have to wait it out, but I'll keep an eye on it.

It's either the corset or a demon who attacks me in my sleep.

It isn't glamorous but it is the truth and it makes you think about what women of days past went through. 

Don't put them on babies!!!! O.o

On the bright side, the neuropathic pain in my arm is virtually non-existent now! This alone makes it all worth it! That was a pain I sometimes thought I may never be free of.

14/10/16 - Ok, so I was at a party and (because my internal organs are shifting and I don't have that much control on my new arrangement yet) I accidentally produced an incredibly loud fart! Hahaha! 
Thankfully it did not smell (that is just awful) and I owned up to immediately. No one cared. 
But I mention this because it is a truth of this process.
You will need to relearn some things. 
It isn't glamorous but it is the truth.

16/10/16 - I have started treating the skin every second day with Selsun gold (love the stuff).
Another not so glamorous side effect is acid reflux.
I previously not had issues with acid reflux, but since being bound in steel, I use a lot of Gaviscon.
Not all food is made equal and it doesn't matter how much I eat, it comes on randomly.
For example, tonight I ate a brownie whilst working (I was starving) and it felt like Satan himself was trying to crawl up my throat.

I may need to start carrying Gaviscon with me.
This sounds awful but it is STILL better than neuropathy!

27/10/16 - my skin is getting used to it, the rash is going.
I do get really itchy at night before bed, because I have nothing else to occupy my mind.
This is remedied by the application of lotion (just normal lotion, not medicated).

The corset is really easy to put on and take off, my body has adjusted to its shape.
My abdomen feels like it is swimming in it, there is so much room.
This will be fixed with a tighter corset (that I have already ordered).

Movement has become more fluid, I feel more at ease with it on.

11/11/16 - So my skin has gone from blood bruises to wounds to dry/eczema. My newest approach is making it 3-4 days between showers.
My skin hates washing at the best of times, so perhaps I'm showering too much for the skin under the corset to be happy.
No, I don't smell. I clean myself each day with a cloth and basin. just not the skin under the torso.
I'm moisturising ever day.

My spine has not clicked/cracked in so long! It is no longer compressed!

16/11/16 - My skin is really appreciating the reduction in water contact.
This is probably TMI, but this is my dry skin that is flaking off.

And this is a great improvement!

21/11/16 - The skin dandruff is gone! It was just too much exposure to soap and water! :D

23/11/16 - I had my corset off for most of yesterday (for sexy reasons) and now that I am bound again, my lower ribs hurt a little.
Totally worth it though ;D

26/11/16 - Went to Sexpo and looked at some corsets there.
All of the brands there had metal spring boning, which provides greater flexibility. However, it also permits buckling.
The spring boning is better for the casual corset wearer, not for my spinal support reasons.
The metal boning in my current corset is rigid steel :)

This is S, not me... Although I will steal that cincher... XP

S purchased one of these spring boned corsets (cincher), more of a dress/outerwear piece.I'll check in with her occasionally and let you know how frequently she wears it.

29/11/16 - Day three of a cramp/ache on my left hand side.
It has been annoying, but I hope it passes soon.

Right on the lower ribs!

30/12/16 - I have also noticed that my breasts have changed shape a little.
I have a diagram, my breasts have been flattened a little and pushed up. I think they look good. 

Either way, my boobs are nice.

Don't start wearing a corset just to change your breasts though, that is a terrible reason to start corset training.

2/12/16 - The back pain is gone, it was just a virus.
Has anyone else found that their parents are just a constant source of illnesses entering their household? 
People call children 'germ bags' but I'm starting to think we have the wrong end of the stick here.

8/12/16 - Oh no! Some of the stitching tore (too much freedom in movement, methinks!)

Before the repair, nothing too major.

After! All better!

I am still waiting on the new corset. I didn't want to be one of 'those' customers and I allowed a lot of extra time for American Thanksgiving, but I will email the company.

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Stay tuned for Part 2!

Nerve Root Injection

So we left off on my arm story when I found out I surgery wasn't an option for me. 
I had cruddy Lyrica, Valium, and various topical creams.

The neurologist did not advise I go down the path of a nerve root injection.
It is when they inject a steroid/anesthetic combo into the fat surrounding the nerve root.
One of the possible side effects is nerve damage and pain. 
I laugh at your possible side effects! I already have them!

"All I have now is pain in a cup."

So I went ahead and organised the procedure. 
I had to stop taking any NSAIDs (to limit bleeding).

During the procedure, the site of the needle injection was determined using a CT scan and special grid, which was then replaced with a sharpie mark on my neck.
There wasn't anything to hold my head in place, I just had to keep still o.O 
It's a good thing I don't mind needles, can keep still, and have a high pain threshold (for the anesthetic they inject first).
They inserted the needle a bit, scanned to see where it was, then pushed it in a bit further. 
When it was in place, the steroid/anesthetic bolus was injected.

Afterwards, I could feel a little pressure where the bolus was injected but nothing too bad.

It has been ~3 weeks since the injection and I have experienced a notable improvement.
I have explicitly documented it, so I'm not just guessing.

I can sit at my computer and work, I can go for long walks, I can fist pump at a Rammstein concert, heck I can even hike up a damn mountain and still be okay.

I'll still complain the entire time, but not about my arm.

I couldn't do these things before without mind-numbing pain.

I made an educated choice to have this procedure and I am SO glad I did!

I hope I'm not talking too soon, but I feel hope again :)

And what happened

So, I did my exam (which I didn't ace because let's be honest, I haven't been great).
At least its over! (until I have to repeat the subject)

So, what was this super bad news I was referring to?

Well, as you may or may not know, I have had severe to moderate nerve pain since January-ish.

Electric blue is the damn nerve pain. Red is the subsequent muscle pain. Yellow is Hades' cat hair, he didn't cause the pain, he is just trying to help.

I went to a neurologist that my doctor recommended. This doctor foolishly said "They will be able to solve your problem. It will be run of the mill for them." and I like a damn fool believed him.

Through the neurologist, I found out:

1) I have an inflamed nerve originating from the C7 verterbrae.
2) I have muscular atrophy in my right arm.
3) I have lost the reflex in my right triceps tendon.
4) I had a MRI and it showed no compression/physical abnormality.

That last one sounds great... until you realise that means that surgery is not an option.

The medication doesn't work and my only hope for a real cure was surgery.

Like if Princess Leia's message never reached Obi Wan because he was dead and R2-D2 blew up.

There is nothing they can do for me. I only have pain ahead of me.
They say it usually resolves itself. But that could be months. That can mean years.

I was devastated. I stayed in bed for a week after that appointment and didn't go to work. (My work was really understanding about it.)

Now days I have tried to reset to a new 'normal'. I hate thinking about the future, I have to keep it to a week at a time or I get too sad (although something great is coming up for me in July). 
Some days are good, recently it has been playing up again.
I take Valium to ease the pain after my night walking (I can't live in a world without walking), but that can't be used too much without losing effectiveness.
I am currently covered in Deep Heat Arthritis strength.

My current plans for my gamy arm include:

- Acupuncture (first session today, it feels pretty good right now).
- Creating and proposing a pain medication cycle that will reduce the risk of addiction and loss of effectiveness. I don't know if my doctor would be open to that, but he is usually pretty receptive to new ideas.
- Find a muscular masseur (preferably brunette) and marry him.
- Trick people into rubbing my shoulders (dressing like a cat may help with this plan).

This post is long and sad, so lets cheer it up a bit:

This is Seamus and Angus. They are on Instagram and are amazing.

Better!

Also, if you want to help, post a comment of something that makes you happy :)

Endone

Nerve pain (at least in the case of my arm and shoulder) is like pressing on a tack and having that signal of pain travelling up your limb, over and over again. It cannot be ignored. No paracetamol or ibuprofen can reduce it. It works through a mostly unavoidable messenger pathway that is responsible for your motion and senses. 

The only thing that helped when the pain was at its worst was oxycodone (Endone).
It is a strong pain killer and came with it's own draw-backs. 
It made me tired and sleep a lot. 
It made me less useful, less active, and dulled my ambition.
It has been linked with addiction (not something I personally experienced  after a month of use and not something I want to experience). 
It gave me dull headaches in the frontal lobe (with constant use) which stopped me from ever getting the taste for it.

But all these negatives were fine, if only the pain stopped.

I have other management systems now and will see the neurologist soon, but this was an angel in a time of need.

Price: Controlled medicine ($16.92 for 20 tablets)
Effectiveness: 5/5
Warnings: Addictive (you don't want to get addicted to opiates! I have seen someone weaning off them, it isn't nice), looses effectiveness over time.