Taking care of Things before it becomes an Emergency

The front load machine we were using had a bearing going out. It still operated OK, but the spin cycle was extremely loud. Even with the laundry room door closed, we were unable to hear the television or a conversation in the nearby rooms. The clothes came out clean and even with the noise the washer spun them fairly dry. The main problem was that we didn't know how long this would last.
We have an American Home Shield policy. (If you've never heard of this, I highly recommend that you check into home protection plans. There are several companies that offer this type of plan.) After procrastinating for longer than usual I called the 800 number and asked for service on our washer. The customer service at AHS set us up with a local repair company (SEARS) and scheduled a date and time frame (Mon. between noon and 5 pm) for a repairman to visit our home. The repairman called the night before to confirm and then again about 15 minutes before his arrival. He quickly diagnosed that it was a bearing. After a trip out to his truck, he reported that it would be at least a couple of weeks before they could get the parts and schedule a repair time. I paid the repairman our contracted repair fee, $75. He also reported back to AHS the problem and his recommendations. The following day AHS called with our options:

1. We could schedule the repair at no additional cost to us
2. We could choose a new washer model and AHS would ship it to us. We would pay them the difference above the repair cost. Depending on the model we chose this could be $0 to $$$$; and take several weeks
3. We could purchase a new washer locally and send AHS the proof of purchase. They would then send us the amount up to the repair cost (about $600)

My LH and I decided to do some online research first. We checked out different retailers and different manufacturers. We read a lot of reviews. We found out that the prices weren't much different between retailers. We also found that the bearing failing is a common problem among front load washers. I don't know if it is design problem or simply overloading of the machines, but if it happens once it is likely to happen again (my opinion).
My LH is a hands on kind of guy, so we next went to our favorite home improvement store (Lowe's). We opened & closed doors and lids, pushed buttons, turned knobs, and read descriptions. We compared prices, capacities, energy usage, and functions. We talked with fellow consumers and sales associates. We discussed what we needed, what we liked, and what we didn't like. We asked questions: Why is it on sale? Does it come in white? Is it in stock? When could it be delivered? Do you remove our old washer? Is that an extra charge?
We made our decision. Our new washer was delivered this morning:

New top load washer.

Now you may not think that other than clean sheets this has little to do with massage, but I'd like to point out the analogy for you. When an injury happens there isn't always a debilitating pain or loss of use. Sometimes it is merely an inconvenience. Someone may not be able sit or lay in a certain position. Sometimes there is pain, but procrastination results in 'getting used to it'. Maybe a person limps or can't reach as far or high, but still functions. The question then becomes, 'How long will this last?' or 'How long before this gets worse?'.

Using a sore or injured muscle can cause it to become worse and cause the supporting muscles to become sore or even injured as well. Taking care of the problem as soon as possible can result in a shorter recovery time and less pain. Most massage therapists will require a 72 hour wait after any injury before performing massage. During this time ICE (Ice, Compression, Elevation) is what I would do or my doctor's advise if different.  A severe injury does require a release from your doctor before massage may be performed.  

We don't get the option of a new body so we have to take care of the one we start with. Regular massage can help maintain a well functioning body. It takes longer and more effort to help repair a dysfunctional body.  

Thank you for stopping by today. If you liked what you read and would like to stop by again, enter your email address at the top of the page and I will let you know when the next entry is posted.