I really don’t know where I would be without some great people I met this past summer listening to music on the streets in downtown Issaquah. Just over a year ago I moved here from Nashville and have been totally charmed by this area.
Susan Brewer of Good Energy Massage and I had seen each other grooving to some blues, but ran in to each other shopping and struck up a friendship. Through her I met Michael Johnson who I had seen taking photos of the bands, but I had no idea that he was an licensed massage practitioner and the maestro of the music I had been enjoying.
Then one day I found myself walking out of a season of pain that landed me in the Swedish ER thinking I may be having my ninth kidney stone attack. A CAT scan showed that while I did have a stone on the left side, it didn’t help as all my pain was on the right side. So out I walked out of there into the land of western medicine with the diagnosis of “pain of unknown etiology.”
Eight doctors, four specialists, two MRI’s, an Endoscopy, a bone scan and many tests later, that was still all I knew. I was in pain, no one could figure it out and all anyone could do to help was to write me prescriptions for pain medicine.
In walk angels and, in the strangest ways, destiny takes a hand.
Susan had given me several massages, but it seemed to have no effect to this red hot poker that was stuck in my back and wouldn’t go away. She had been mentored by Michael seven years ago when she got out of massage school, so she conferred with him about my case.
He agreed to see me and by a miracle said he had a pretty good idea that it might be something called the “devil’s pinch.” The muscles between the ribs had clamped down causing intercostal neuralgia and problems along the erectile muscles. I don’t know who else would have known that what I needed was some serious deep-tissue massage on my right rib cage, but all I know is Michael was right and that it is working.
Add to that the kindness of strangers at Tiger Mountain Acupuncture, Sue Foss and Christina Jackson who have been helping me with pain management that doesn’t involve pills; I am finally able to return to my work and my life.
Everyone has been so amazingly kind and fitting me into their busy schedules and working with my special circumstances as I have been drowning in medical bills which didn’t do me one bit of good. In addition many people at Eastridge Church, especially Steve and Cheryl Jamison have encouraged, supported and prayed for me during this time of darkness.
I have truly been blessed by the kind folks here in the Pacific Northwest. Down South we call it hospitality, here it seems you invite people in as family and you take care of your own. Thanks for including me, y’all!
CJ Jackson, Sammamish
