Lesson Learned.

I keep meaning to write about my experience at the chiropractor 2 weeks ago (For the rib I injured, like, last July and has been hurting like holy crap for the past 3 or 4 weeks).  First of all, this is the person that amanda pointed me to.  Very nice guy.  I liked him.  But he was a little odd. 

My experience began with a phone call.  When I talked to him on the phone, there was a dog (a beagle, I later discovered) barking loudly in the background, which he kept apologizing for.  And I know he was trying to get a good feel of my background, how I hurt my rib, etc.  But instead of asking "What's your date of birth?"  or "How much do you exercise?" 
He said "So... how did you hear about me?" 
and I said "my friend, Amanda.  We have been doing this running clinic together." 
"Oh, a runner, huh?" 
"Uh, yeah." 
"So... if you're friends with Amanda, you must be pretty young, huh?"
"Um.  We graduated college together, yeah."
"And what is it that you do for a living?"
"I teach horseback riding"
"A rider and a runner?  All right."

I mean, I felt like he was trying to pick me up in a bar.

So, I go to the clinic, expecting to walk in and find a receptionist or something.  No indeed.  I couldn't tell if he lived there, but he certainly could have... his exam room looked like a spare bedroom. And he and I were alone in the house.  When I walk up to the door, I heard the dog barking.  I can't remember the dog's name, but from in side i hear "MAGGIE! (or whatever her name was) QUIET!  QUIET MAGGIE!"  (Maggie did not get quiet.)  He (the chiropractor) let me in, and we had a very similar conversation to the one above, and he kept saying "oh, that's right, that's right" when he remembered that we had already talked about that.  I told myself "oh, that explains it!  He was high the last time we talked.... I wonder if he's high now?"

I did soon realize that my general fear of men, especially strangers, and being alone with them was going to be a challenge.  But I was a big girl, and the dog's presence helped a little, though I can't tell you why.  So, not only did I have to be near this strange man, but as to be expected, I had to lift my shirt, and he had to do lots of poking around on me, and then it proceeded into the twisting and jerking and body slamming--there's really no other word for it, as he picked his body up (the man probably weighs a touch over 200 lbs) and dropped it forcebly onto my body, which was turned half sideways with his arm holding down my arm.  I did nearly scream and run away at that point.

And, it was all to no avail.  He couldn't fix it.  He said it was not were he was expecting it to be, and he's never seen a floating rib out of place before, so it was really hard to get to.  He also said he couldn't think of a single chiropractor who could help with my unique problem.

And thus ends my short experience with going to the chiropractor.  I left with my rib hurting worse than it had, emotionally scarred, and am not planning on returning to see one again.  ever.