As I get older, my body just isn't what it used to be. In 2006, I broke my back but have fully recovered. Occasionally my back still hurts from the injury, but I avoided the knife. I was in real bad shape for a while. Had numbness in my arm and couldn't make my calf muscle fire. But after lots of physical therapy, pilates, swimming, road biking and yoga, I got everything working again.

This summer I fell on my left shoulder, walking away with a level two AC joint sprain. It pretty much sucked, as I got taken out in the final minutes of a soccer game. Some dude took me out from behind, I flipped over, landing on my head and shoulder. It knocked my slightly unconscious, my shoulder was out of socket and I couldn't breath. I went to the Ballard hospital, got X-Rays, some painkillers and a sling.

Right when I was getting back to playing soccer again, BAM, I get taken out again, this time landing on my right shoulder. Same thing happens but not as bad. More of a slight AC joint shoulder sprain. I'm finally getting back to playing again but am doing so with pain. I just started physical therapy again to gain my strength back and try to keep the AC joint in the socket. My left shoulder has a rubbing and clicking to it that swells and hurts after skiing and playing soccer.

Sometimes it feels like I've been rehabbing my body my whole life. But the body continues to amaze me. It keeps healing and getting better. I have to slow down and take it easy to heal, where I usually gain weight and get fat, then I work myself back into shape. When I think back, to all my body has gone through, all the pounding and injuries, it is amazing I can even walk. The human body and what it can do...

So when the Bodies Exhibit came to Seattle, I thought I should check it out. If you go, you will be impressed by what you see and learn. The real life bodies that they have cut up and put on display are crazy. To think thats what's under our skin? Then as you go from body to body, you can read what different organs, glands and elements of the body do. If you pay $5 extra bucks, you can also get a audio handset that will tell you wants going on.

They have both male and female bodies, taking the viewer through the differences and functionality of each. There is also a breathtaking portion that goes over the miracle of life, how babies are conceived and shows fetuses in different stages. Appropriately, they have a warning posted before you enter this part of the exhibit. Some people could be offended with all the fetuses and babies in the womb.

Check out the website for when the exhibit comes to your town. You'll learn cool facts you can tell your friends like, "what's the biggest muscle in the body?" The buttocks. Oh, or "what muscle fires more often than any other?" The muscles in the eye. If you smoke, you can find inspiration to quit, as they show healthy lungs and lungs damaged by smoking. One pack of cigarettes takes three hours off your life.

Be good to your body and your body will be good to you.

Posted by Gary at 3:20 PM | Permalink