I survived

  WOW ... yesterday, I sure ruined my back ... mostly all I did was to walk around a lot outside.  When the evening came ... I said ... "Somebody else is gunta have to wash my dishes ... I'm sure not!"

    Next week, I am to go to the pain clinic for another series of "facets" ... injections into my spine ... and the doctor DOESN'T WANT ME TO TAKE ASPIRINS OR ANY SUCH FOR THE WEEK BEFORE!

     Finally ... after 10 pm, I made a quick trip into town to get some gin to relax my back.  How I lied to the grocery man when he asked how I was doing ... "FINE", I lied....  I was stumping around the store, leaning heavily on the shopping cart.

     All night, I thrashed around the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot.  I got off to a slow start this morning, did a few stretching exercises, just drew a hot bath.

L o i s
my website: Crystal Falls, MI
my blog: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond

Liniment at last!

   Thank Heavens for e-Bay!   After three attempts, I took a low bid on an item I'd listed three times ... with the thought that I really needed some internal liniment ... gin.

     My doctor at the Pain Clinic wants me to not take any of my pain pills, such as aspirin many days before my appointment next week for more "facets" ... back injections ...

    Today ... with the weather so nice, I overdid it ... mostly just walking around ... nothing really heavy-duty.  My back was in such misery that I decided that somebody else was going to have to wash the dishes tonite ... NOT ME!  Just so that I could force myself into bringing my plants in so they didn't get frosted ....

      I had promised myself that if my Pay Pal came thru ... I would go get some more gin to try to relax this pain out of my back.

I MUST SPEND MORE TIME WITH THIS BLOG: The Spine Line Too(<<<click here)

CHURCH HURTS!

WHO WOULD'A THUNK????

  EASTER SUNDAY: I went to church; I was so physically miserable.  This reminded me why I haven't been to church in a long time.

MOSTLY, standing caused such misery in my back that I devised the procedure of placing my hymnal upon the pew ahead of me to lean upon. 

AFTER THE STANDING BECAME SUCH A PROBLEM: sitting was no comfort, either.

      My ugly, fresh-from-the-woods walking sticks would have helped, but, I'm not sure that I would like to be seen in church using them.

     When I go shopping, I ALWAYS  use a shopping cart to lean upon.  I don't do much shopping.  I don't go much of anywhere else.

     SO ... EASTER SUNDAY WAS MOSTLY SPENT IN AGONY ... I NEVER DID RECOVER THE COMFORT/ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF BACK PAIN ALL DAY!

      All night, finding a comfortable sleeping position was a problem; this morning, I opted for a warm milk & gin instead of making coffee.

     AGAIN: not knowing ever the direct cause/effect for sure ... I don't know if it was the going to church or other activities on previous days that made me so miserable ......

L o i s
my website: Crystal Falls, MI
my blog: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond

Hitting the bottle again (ASPIRIN BOTTLE)

   The fruits of my labors ...
   Thank Heavens that this maple syrup project only lasts a few weeks once a year.  I don't HAVE to do it ... sorta ... it is one of those things that I used to do & it would only add to my discouragement if I couldn't do it at all.  My procedures have been scaled back & new ways of doing things so as to be easier on my back.  I keep reminding myself that the lifting has got to be kept at a minimum ... for instance ...   using gallon milk jugs, and ONLY MOVING ONE AT A TIME !!!!!  Instead of boiling off the sap outside over a wood fire ... I am doing it inside on the kitchen stove.  Then, I can lie down & tend to the kettle, and not have wood to cut & haul & pitch into the firepit.  There have been times when I just realized that going out to gather sap was not going to be possible until my back would allow it.
     I have been told to get more exercise ... & to walk more ... this is certainly providing that ... but, I'm sure that advice did not factor in the steep hill.
     Often, I've had to call off another trip to gather sap, or some other household task, just because there was so much back pain ... which often took hours, or, all night to get a grip on.
     Now, with the snow about gone, and it's so nice out ... maybe I can get more exercise, which I'm sure would benefit my blood pressure & heart condition.
     I have to check & see how I'm doing on the allowable number of chiropractor visits  ...  only 18 allowed on my medical card for the year!   I have been wondering if I could somehow convince  "them" to allow more. 
     Treatment by a physical therapist is allowed, if on a doctor's prescription ... but, the chiropractor seems to be accomplishing miracles compared to the results of the physical therapist. 
     I wonder if one of my doctors would write a prescription for the chiropractor ... most doctors have an aversion to chiropractors!
     Over the months since my back injections (facets) ... I have gone from skeptical & unsure to HOPEFUL.  The overall pain level is just not as miserable as it used to be!  I am afraid to hope!  Just about the time when everything is going well ... for no major reason ... there I am on the sofa again ... or rolling around in the bed at night, trying to find a comfortable position!
      I am never sure what helps or hurts ... there is never a clear cause & effect.  It might take until the next day for effects to be apparent.  When something helps or hurts, it might be only a little.  When there is little or no improvement ... sometimes I wonder if it could have been WORSE? 
     To me ... it is a very positive statement to be able to announce, "At least, it's not WORSE"!

L o i s
my website: Crystal Falls, MI
my blog: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond

DAMN

 WHAT HURTS?

OR

WHAT DOESN'T HURT?

 

     My back is so miserable.  I had to drive to town; I returned with a bottle of gin.  I have been eating aspirins non-stop since last evening.  I had run out of gin.  I used lots of liniment.

     I HAD to go to Crystal Falls.  I returned with  a bottle of GIN.  Life-giving GIN.  GIN relaxes my back.  It is my "internal liniment".  I have  used it with much success since my first back problems in 1976.  I dislike "drugs". I trust aspirin & gin.  Natural. Predictable.

     I don't want to become an alcoholic; I am skeptical of pain killer drugs... even just the side effects of the over-the-counter ones.

     It took me all nite to get a grip on  my back pain from gathering maple sap yesterday.  It took several hours this morning to get in gear to (grumpily) get to the monthly food pantry.

     The sun is out; that means I can  anticipate making the tour of the woods to gather sap.  That statement does not factor in my extreme non-fit physical condition, nor ... the g. damn hill to contend with.

    If anyone cares ... my kitchen is a wreck.  Every big pot is sticky or full.  Two have an inch of embedded carbon crust.  The stove is a disaster area.  The cupboards are sticky.  All the potholders are sticky.  The floor is sticky.  I SHIVE A GIT!

     The season for gathering sap is limited; TODAY I must gather some more.  The hill is what makes it extreme.

   WHY?

I USTA.

SO ... WHY?

BEATS ME.

    

    

Movin' Slowly

     This is just such a pretty photo ... have to use it again!

      While wallowing around in bed this morning, I knew that getting turned and upright was going to be an experiment.  It turned out better than expected.  My wrenched shoulder has the worst pain ... I cannot walk upright.  I made a poultice for my back, made the coffee, and came back upstairs to sit at the computer.  There were some things on the floor that I made the decision to "you can stay there until LATER".

     I really must get out & about SOON ... I could make my trip to town while I am still moving so slowly?

     The maple trees seem to be not "running" any more?  That will be several less chores ... tho a large part of what makes it so difficult is being so sadly out of condition ... climbing that hill shore should be a conditioning workout!

     The most pain is in my lower back, esp. near my left hip ... then ... my mid back & lower ribs.  My upper back *& neck don't seem to be as much of a problem since the facets in my mid-back.  MY SHOULDER THAT I WRENCHED STILL HAS A LOT OF PAIN ... BUT, that, hopefully is short-term.

Stand up straight!

      My back ... it feels OKAY so far this morning.  I can actually stand up up straight.

     Yesterday, I did kinda over do ... did some extra walking around to the maple trees.  In the morning, I had done a little extra tidying in the house for company.

      I took aspirins thru the day & evening ... had a few drinks, even in the nite.  I was able to keep my back from tightening up; this morning I was surprised to not be in the usual awful pain.

     I did tell the Pain Clinic on their follow-up phone call that there had been significant improvement after my facets ... even, also, in the upper back & neck.