Friday, September 30, 2005

10:48 AM 9/26/05
     Okay ... loosened up ... getting around pretty well ... had breakfast ... took pills & aspirins, two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins.  Not hurting too much ... I think I'll start slow by going to get my shopping done.

8:06 PM 9/26/05

     Today, my back felt pretty good (comparatively speaking), with the worst problem area first my lower back, then my rib section.
     I took lots of breaks ... did some scraping, caulking on my paint project.
     When I quit for the day, I decided to have a few drinks to make sure my back didn't tighten up and start cramping.

3:38 AM 9/27/05
     Haven't been able to sleep for over an hour.  I tried doing some loosening up excercises, mostly for my neck & the top of my back.  I cannot walk upright.  Usually that is because of my lower back ... right now, it is my lower ribs again.  They keep kinking when I move.  I just now tried to look over my left shoulder; my neck did not cause bad pain, but, I got a severe twinge in my left lower ribs.  They haven't bothered me a lot for many weeks.
     I just took four more aspirins ... will try to get back to sleep.  Maybe I will putz at the computer a while.

8:11 AM 9/27/05
     I did sleep for several more hours ... taking three Ibuprophen.  There is only moderate discomfort.  Maybe it helped to get up and move around in the middle of the night ... and ... have a big hot milk & gin....

11:54 PM 9/27/05
    Four more aspirins ... been mostly working at the computer ...  put on lots of liniment again.  Now, I'm going outside to do some scraping/caulking.  Those activities mostly involve standing and not much walking or bending or heavy work. 

4:00 PM 9/27/05
     I needed an hour sofa time.  I just took two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins ... and am going back outside for an hour to paint & caulk.

8:07 AM 9/28/05
     I spent many hours on the computer last night ... hope to get back to sleep for a while.  My left side, especially my left hip is in real pain.  No way can I stand up straight!
      My neck area has pain ... esp on the left side.  I just about couldn't pick up something off the floor just now.
      I just took two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins ... and am going back to bed.   

5:12 PM 9/28/05
     Four more aspirins and retreat to the sofa for a while...  I just finished the dishes & cleaning the kitchen ... nothing strenuous.  My lower back really hurts, my ribs are aching slightly, and my neck area really hurts, too.

3:50 AM 9/29/05
     I hope that I can get back to sleep.  I just had three aspirins just to help me sleep.  I did spend a lot of time sitting or lying before bedtime ... had a stiff drink ... slept soundly for a while.  NOW, my back has only moderate discomfort instead of the pain that woke me up the previous night.

10:43 AM 9/29/05
     I DID IT ... got back to sleep ... several times, actually.  Finally got loosened up enough to GET UP about ten o'clock.
    I have a moderate amount of pain & stiffness in my lower back.  Again, I found out that I'd better not try to pick somethingup off the floor for a while yet.    I can roll my head around with practically no discomfort.
     I feel ambitious.  That's the signal that my back isn't as bad as usual.  I'll finish my breakfast and take three Ibuprophen and an aspirin.... that should get me off to a good start on the day! 

09:03 AM 9/29/05
     Going to bed early, with some aspirins and a hot gin drink ... my back doesn't really hurt much ... but, I definately overdid it ... wanted to work outside on caulking until dark.  I did rest on the sofa off & on ... but, now, my back is giving me the signals that it wants to start cramping up... thence the gin ... and lots of liniment, too!

                     

Thursday, September 29, 2005

OPTIMISTIC!

10:48 AM 9/26/05
     Okay ... loosened up ... getting around pretty well ... had breakfast ... took pills & aspirins, two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins.  Not hurting too much ... I think I'll start slow by going to get my shopping done.

8:06 PM 9/26/05

     Today, my back felt pretty good (comparatively speaking), with the worst problem area first my lower back, then my rib section.
     I took lots of breaks ... did some scraping, caulking on my paint project.
     When I quit for the day, I decided to have a few drinks to make sure my back didn't tighten up and start cramping.

3:38 AM 9/27/05
     Haven't been able to sleep for over an hour.  I tried doing some loosening up excercises, mostly for my neck & the top of my back.  I cannot walk upright.  Usually that is because of my lower back ... right now, it is my lower ribs again.  They keep kinking when I move.  I just now tried to look over my left shoulder; my neck did not cause bad pain, but, I got a severe twinge in my left lower ribs.  They haven't bothered me a lot for many weeks.
     I just took four more aspirins ... will try to get back to sleep.  Maybe I will putz at the computer a while.

8:11 AM 9/27/05
     I did sleep for several more hours ... taking three Ibuprophen.  There is only moderate discomfort.  Maybe it helped to get up and move around in the middle of the night ... and ... have a big hot milk & gin....

11:54 PM 9/27/05
    Four more aspirins ... been mostly working at the computer ...  put on lots of liniment again.  Now, I'm going outside to do some scraping/caulking.  Those activities mostly involve standing and not much walking or bending or heavy work. 

4:00 PM 9/27/05
     I needed an hour sofa time.  I just took two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins ... and am going back outside for an hour to paint & caulk.

8:07 AM 9/28/05
     I spent many hours on the computer last night ... hope to get back to sleep for a while.  My left side, especially my left hip is in real pain.  No way can I stand up straight!
      My neck area has pain ... esp on the left side.  I just about couldn't pick up something off the floor just now.
      I just took two extra strength Tylanol and two aspirins ... and am going back to bed.   

5:12 PM 9/28/05
     Four more aspirins and retreat to the sofa for a while...  I just finished the dishes & cleaning the kitchen ... nothing strenuous.  My lower back really hurts, my ribs are aching slightly, and my neck area really hurts, too.

3:50 AM 9/29/05
     I hope that I can get back to sleep.  I just had three aspirins just to help me sleep.  I did spend a lot of time sitting or lying before bedtime ... had a stiff drink ... slept soundly for a while.  NOW, my back has only moderate discomfort instead of the pain that woke me up the previous night.

10:43 AM 9/29/05
     I DID IT ... got back to sleep ... several times, actually.  Finally got loosened up enough to GET UP about ten o'clock.
    I have a moderate amount of pain & stiffness in my lower back.  Again, I found out that I'd better not try to pick something up off the floor for a while yet.    I can roll my head around with practically no discomfort.
     I feel ambitious.  That's the signal that my back isn't as bad as usual.  I'll finish my breakfast and take three Ibuprophen and an aspirin.... that should get me off to a good start on the day!  (I put my pills here, so that I can keep track of when I took what.....)


 Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond  <<<click here to see my painting project.

Monday, September 26, 2005

The Easy Solution!

9:28 PM 9/22/05
     PAIN ... with a capitol "P" ...  It's going to frost tonight, so I HAD to get my flowers covered, and my hanging baskets brought in.  I came in to take a break and four aspirins ... MUST  GO GET THE REST IN! 
     If I had some gin ... this is when I would take some ... when my back muscles hurt so much and need to be loosened up.

10:47 AM 9/23/05
     There, several hours of lying down, watching the T.V. news, and checking the internet does wonders for my back.  A few hours ago, my back, all over, was in various stages of agony ... I could not stand upright.
   I wanted to note that it felt good to use my walking stick then ... in my right hand ... and I would mostly be leaning to the left.
    Earlier ... I took two 12-hour Aleve, and two aspirins ... wishing I'd had the muscle-relaxant!
    Right now, my back has moderate pain in the lower back ... I can ALMOST stand up straight ... and my upper back has severe muscle aches/pains.   But, improved from several hours ago!

1:20 PM 9/23/05
     There now ... that's GREAT.... I didn't do much so far today .... just finished an hour's soak, lying in a nice hot bath ....
      My back feels GREAT ... I feel ambitious (that's a subconscious feeling I've learned to recognize) ... and I just put my painting shirt on.

11:01 PM 9/24/05

     Time for my last 12 hour Aleve and some aspirins...  Didn't do too much today so far ... am going to do some caulking & scraping.

4:23 PM 9/24/05
     After a couple of breaks, my lower back is still hurting a lot.  I just took my last two Extra Strength Excedrin and some aspirins ... time for another sofa break.

10:53 PM 9/25/05
     Here's the solution to the whole back problem ... just lay around on the sofa watching T.V. all day ... maybe spend some time on the computer ...  and do very little else ... not even much walking around ... MY BACK FEELS BETTER THAN I CAN REMEMBER FOR A LONG TIME!

8:38 AM 9/26/05
    I slept like a log last nite ... woke about six from the pain ... afraid to move.  Eventually, I changed positions and spent several hours gradually trying to get loosened up. That's the problem with a good nite's sleep.  I think I slept so well because I had a nitecap last evening.
     Now, it feels like I've been in a bad fight.  I'm moving around, even standing fairly erect ... but, severe aches & muscle pains ... even when not standing or walking.
     As usual ... now, I have some of yesterday's tasks to tend to besides today's tasks.  I had put off driving about a forty minute drive to do some shopping ... I will do that as soon as possible.

     Of course ... I haven't taken any aspirin yet ... I cannot take them on an empty stomach ...and I've got to feel good enough to make breakfast first.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

1:33 PM 9/20/05

1:33 PM 9/20/05

     Up'n Att'm; ... my back feels pretty good now, I'd been doing sitting-down stuff mostly so far today.  My sleep last night was restful. I had been hurting at bedtime and just wanted to go lie down.

5:50 PM 9/21/05
     It seems that if I just sit around and don't do too much ... then my back isn't as much of a problem.  I did do a lot of work on my computer.  It's been either raining, or threatening to ... so I  haven't done much on that.
     I did take a leisurely walk in the woods yesterday.  I did break down and take the Tylanol P.M. last night ... and slept pretty well.

     I do feel like "aches & pains" in my back as I move around ... a nuisance ... but, not too bad ... comparatively speaking.

9:56 AM 9/22/05
    After not having done much yesterday, and going to bed early (pooped out, actually), my back woke me up in the middle of the night for a while.
     I'm just getting loosened up now, did a few things around the house ... and can almost stand up straight now.  I just took four aspirins.
     My lower back has some pain; my rib section has a severe ache.  My upper back & neck have muscle-type ache & pain when I move around.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

"THE HURRIEDIER I GO, THE BEHINDER I GET"

11:48 AM 9/14/05
     I had a nice night's sleep; in spurts, but, feel rested.  My discomfort/pain level was more in the muscle-ache range.
     So far, I've just been tidying up for company, and am due for a "discomfort break".
    
2:02 PM 9/14/05
     Time for three extra-strenght Excedrin ... and rub on some hot liniment, and a break.

6:01 PM 9/14/05
    Owie ... four more aspirinsPillPillPillPill ... some more gin ... rub on some more liniment.
     I guess I'll have to call it a day.  I got a lot of caulking done for my painting project.

10:45 AM 9/16/05
        Yesterday had its good moments & BAD moments.  I tried to not "work" at too long at a time ... but, at the end of the day, I couldn't even eat all my supper (on the sofa) ... had a nitecap & fell asleep ... but, I woke myself up with my moaning & groaning with the pain.  Eventually, I got to sleep.
      So, I woke up at dawn .... took several hours to get in gear.  Just putzing ... nothing in particular, and my entire back hurts too much to want to stand up straight, or even walk around ... sitting is even uncomfortable.

11:50 AM 9/17/05
       "THE HURRIEDIER I GO, THE BEHINDER I GET" ... how true!  The more I try to keep up with my household chores ... the more I hurt, and the less I can get done.
     Last evening, how I wanted to do my dishes/kitchen ... I just couldn't.
     So ... this morning, I had to catch up on YESTERDAY's work ... leaving me behind on TODAY's adjenda!
     At first, this morning, I couldn't stand erect too well ... right now ... my back is mostly just severe aches/stiffness.
     I did have some gin to relax me last evening; I was in such agony.  I slept well ... started out slowly this morning ... doing some computer work.

12:07 PM 9/17/05
     Okay ... two 12 hour AlevePillPill ... two aspirinsPillPill.  I had my back "cracked" ... I had my neck "cracked". 
     Let's start upon TODAY .....