Monday again - another week

Last week I had my first three days on the Restore Pain Management Program. It was great!

I was really impressed with the wonderful women who make up I M Concepts.

They are very professional, excellent in their specialties, highly skilled teachers and very nice people.

I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to benefit from the experience of these very special people by having a place in the Restore program.

Last week, I learnt about the science of pain, ie what pain is. I learnt about the chemicals released by signals to the brain and the effect these chemicals have.

I also learnt skills for stimulating release of pain-relieving chemicals, tricks to lessen the negative impact pain has on me and relaxation and physiotherapy techniques.

Plus a whole heap of other stuff.

It was tiring; we were there on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8-30am to 4pm and only stopped working for brief morning and afternoon teas and lunch. But, I believe it was really worth it.

I met some new people and it's likely I will continue to keep in contact with at least two of the women I met in the workshop.

I think that the skills and techniques the I M Concept team is teaching will be very beneficial to my general physical, menatal and emotional health, not just in making my pain easier to deal with.

I have a textbook to study, a relaxation CD to bliss out to and a whole heap of physio, stress, sleep, activity etc pages to fill out daily until my next day at IM Concepts on 5 April.

Then I have one day a week in at the I M Concepts premises over the following 3 weeks to complete the program. I'll keep you posted!

Today, Monday 27 March, I went to the Darwin Magistrates Court as 'court support' for Stuart Highway.

I try to get to court as often as possible with any NAP members who have to appear. It's scary standing up there, all alone, in front of "Hizonor" or "Yourwership", surrounded by hostiles - I try to give a little support.

Stuart was there to hear whether he would have to pay costs in a case he, the applicant, had just lost. The respondent was asking that Stuart be ordered to pay 100% of his (the respondent's) costs.

But, in this instance, justice prevailed. Magistrate Vince Luppino ordered that both parties were to pay their own costs.

Basically, Magistrate Luppino said that the respondent, a police officer, was able to call a large number of police witnesses whereas the applicant, Mr Highway, could only call a few witnesses.

"The respondent was able to call a vast quantity of police witnesses, all well practiced at being witnesses in court, while the applicant was not able to produce as many, and he was unable even to cross-examine the police witnesses."

Magistrate Luppino made a point of saying that he was referring to the greater quantity of witnesses and not quality.

He said that he didn't think that fair. And ordered the respondent to pay his own costs.

Which, I think, is only fair.