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12:53 AM 12/18/2008 I finally got to the chiropractor; almost talked myself out of it. The temps are so cold that I hate to abuse my car trying to get it started. WOW ... WAS MY BACK EVER SORE! Until I get my head scans ... the chiropractor didn't want to do anything in the neck area. His working on my mid-back did loosen it up to the point where I was getting Charlie-Horses in my ribs. I made an appointment for Friday again.\5:58 PM 12/18/2008 Today, I went to have my head examined. The doctor, not knowing what caused the upset to my system last Friday ... ordered a Cat scan, & a scan of my neck to check for circulation problems there. Whatever it was ... panic attack, TIA ... she didn't think it was the stroke that I had feared. Probably won't get the results until next week. Good thing this was not an emergency! This is not the best area to have something malfunction! I do know that my back is just awful. I went to the chiropractor yesterday & will go again tomorrow. Since the doctor mandated that I lay off my Ibuprofen because of endangering my kidneys ... well ... that's easier said than done!
11:02 PM 1/2/2009 NEW YEAR ... same old back pain ... tonight, my back hurts so much that I am writhing in pain ... got up to take my third ALEVE. My doctor has been fussing about my using so much IBUPROFEN ... the Tylanol company, too, has been issuing warnings of liver damage with "over-use".
3:48 PM 12/14/2008 I must be feeling a bit better; I've been taking ibuprofen quite a bit today. I did force my self to take it easy today and mostly watch T.V. I was going to town to pick up some things at the grocery store and at the FAMILY DOLLAR ... didn't. I was going to go get my Christmas tree up in the woods today, before it got cold again ... didn't. I may work on printing up my Christmas cards.
7:20 AM 12/16/2008 Just practicing writing. No news is good news; my doctor didn't find anything wrong ,,, except SOMETHING IS WRONG. She has some tests scheduled for me Thursday. She doesn't want me to be taking so much Ibuprofen regularly. I am supposed to be more concerned about liver damage & do without the pain tablets.
3:27 AM 12/17/2008
Lois 
8:29 AM 12/3/2008 I took one at 8 ... doesn't seem to be helping much. OKAY ... I did the Green Bay Dental Clinic thing; my back is just so mad at me. Back to bed.
WELL ... THE ALEVE JUST DIDN'T DO IT! I even took another Ibuprofen ... still I've been in agony for the past many hours. Cannot sleep; no kind of stretching, etc is helping to reduce the pain. Finally gave up lying in bed, sleepless. So ... I am sitting at the computer with a little snack ... and some linament (internal AND external).
My THANKSGIVING DAY went well; I spent the day with friends & their large family. Sitting, visiting, surprisingly, really makes me suffer. But, I've learned to pack some pain pills in my pocket where they'll be handy. My back is a bit stiff this morning, but I don't think it's too bad. Now, after several pain pills ... sitting in the lounge chair for several hours ... I'm ready for the day. My back still has a sharp ache about half way up, mostly on the left. I did do the dishes, got my December budget printed out & figured out for when the Eagle Flies next Wednesday. The sun is shining; do I feel like doing something outside? I don't need to go to town for several days. I cannot believe that my back is giving me so much grief! BUT ... looking back ... there were times in my life that excruciating pain was the problem ... not just the gripping aches & stiffness I have now that is more of a nuisance & aggravation. Thank Heavens that I can get high-dosage prescription Ibuprofen on my Medicade.
I've spent too much time at the computer this morning ... I am in agony. That is one less job I'd be able to do ... anything at the computer or even at a desk.
Physical-activity jobs, which I used to love ... are also out of the question.
I thought that doing crafts would get me some extra money ... but, that doesn't work for me, either. No matter what position I try so I can do my crafts, even in the lounge chair ... my back soon starts bothering me.
I'm so tired of being broke ... thank Heavens for Social Security ... but I earned that the hard way .... keeps me in the game, anyways.
So, Medicare & my medical cards give me the chance to have treatments that do mitigate the pain & suffering. I don't have the high level of pain that I lived with since at least the mid-70's. Aches, agony, & discomfort do punish me for trying to do anything ... but, usually lying down for a while helps.
THESE PAST DAYS:
I've felt fairly ambitious, which is always a clue that my body isn't hurting that much. The trouble with that is I get involved with lots of activities (mostly indoor stuff right now) that make sure that I DO start hurting again.
Most of the last of my Christmas stuff is down, tho, not stored yet. Since "Valentines Day is my deadline for taking Christmas decorations down." ... I was forced to get that job done.
SPRING CLEANING ... tho we've have mostly sub-zero weather (mostly at nite) ... maybe that's what's driving this cleaning urge?
There's plenty of snow yet ... wondering if the amount of snow left will delay the start of my maple syruping, as it did last year? I'm not looking forward to that project; both of my brush buggies need a mechanic ... cannot afford that ... will have to do it on foot again.
Where do the days & weeks go? My back has just been bothering me lately ... I MUST make an appointment for my facets! I did resume going back to the chiropractor.
I have the excuse that our weather has been too cold to want to abuse my car trying to start it.
I've even postponed many doctor appointments. Missing the weekly chiropractor visits will make me sorry! Also, I need some injections at the Pain Clinic ... and ... another clinic for injections in my knee. The others are mostly just SOP TESTS as part of getting acquainted with my new "regular doctor".
My winter project is to read all the books in the Crystal Falls Library on history of the Upper Peninsula.
I have to return a book today.... 
L o i s
My webpage: Crystal Falls, MI
My main AOL journal:
NORTHERN PROVERB: 
DON'T EAT YELLOW SNOW!
click here: IRON County Courthouse Special on my main blog
"
click on this picture to get a larger view"
3:44 PM 2/3/2008
There ... I feel so much more enthused about this journal now ... with the new diary format.
While I was making the entry, tho ... I smelled toasted cabbage; my stew simmering was running dry! Oh, well ... that pot is cooling out in the snowbank; I've started a fresh pot. Thank heavens that I hadn't put the meat in yet. Not sure I like the toasted cabbage smell, tho.
My back feels pretty good right now ... did that have anything to do with I did a few P.T. exercises this a.m.? So ... that must be why I am feeling a bit more ambitious?
7:35 AM 2/4/2008
What should I do today? Oh ... a quick check of the calendar (on my cell-phone) tells me that I have a doctor's appointment (just a check-up) at 10:30. Recently, I changed to a new doctor; we're still getting acquainted. She seems quite intuitive; she's also experienced bad back problems & had some good advice.
That about takes care of the first half of the day. Since snow is moving in late afternoon ... to last a day or more ... I'd better do some shopping while in town, too.
6:27 AM 2/8/2008
The past few days, I've been trying to get things ready to take my crafts to a week-end show. No heavy lifting ... just sustained periods of activity.
Even my knee started bothering me; with being mostly cooped up in the house, the knee hasn't had much reason to start hurting. My new doctor had instructed me to make an appointment with the specialist for another injection. I had told her that I purposely am not overly active so as not to aggravate that knee. Partly, the reason for not having made the appointment is that I am rationing the gas for my car. My winter heating bills are getting behind and I'm on a budget.
Yesterday ... even tho I did my craft work tipped back in my lounge chair, the heating pad on my back, many aspirins/ibuprophen, some gin, stretching exercises ... my back still was siezed up & really painful. That kept me from sleeping well.
I did some stretching/traction type exercises before finally getting up ... it helped some. Now, I have the heating pad on the lounge chair ready for me to sit & get back at the craft project. I could have finished it last evening, except for I had to retreat to my bed because my back hurt so much.
I'm not looking forward to sitting all day for two days this weekend at the craft show ... my back will be just so ruined.
5:11 PM 2/19/2008
Okay ... here I am, back to making a whining entry. I've been taking ibuprophen, etc ... my back is really in agony.
Because of the cold weather, snow, car problems ... I've been cancelling doctor appointments. I missed two weeks of chiropractor ... my facets injections at the pain clinic ... etc. ... now, I'm suffering.
Click here for my weather(& yours)
FIRST "DAILY" ENTRY;
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2008
Another chilly day ... tho the bright sun, blue sky with pretty white clouds ... made you think it wasn't really that cold. At the time of this writing ... it is 19 degrees (F) below ZERO!
Many times, at the end of the day, like this, it seems as tho I didn't do much today ... but, I WAS busy doing SOMETHING. I tidied up the kitchen, putting stuff away that I'd had at the craft (gun) show. The set of antlers that I thought I'd done such a good job of repairing is loose AGAIN! Now, I have to take it apart again & figure out a procedure to REALLY fix it. I thought I'd done that.
I did some bookwork; found out that I probably cannot e-file my Energy Refund. After many tries to get into the Michigan Tax Department, I gave up that route, too. TOMORROW, I MUST MAIL IN THE FORM ... even tho I didn't get an answer to a question I have about filling it out.
I don't know how long it will take to get that refund; it is not as much as I'd hoped. It is based on what I used the past year; being economical with the thermostat thus worked against me.
The only things that I did outside today were to bring some warm food & water up to the cats in the Gunta shed ... & feed the deer at the end of the afternoon. After I got back into the house, I realized that I'd forgotten to get the mail ... but, I decided that wasn't important enough to go back out.
Besides ... about that time, my back started hurting big-time. Ibruprophen, etc. ... gin ... lounge chair didn't help. I took a nap; that helped some.
At the time of this entry ... now ... it's gone past midnite.
L o i S
click here: YOOPER Ground Hog Day
MEET "Aino Chukinen" 
L o i S
8:36 PM 1/31/2008
In the past few days, it's been so cold that I've not been doing much outside ... not even shovel the snow.
What I did do was to spend some extra time at the computer, making a web presence for a new geology club.
That caused my back to be really painful. This is a phenomenon that others experience ... one of my favorite blogs' writers wrote that she'd not be making entries for a while because her back was really bothering her & sitting at the computer caused horrible pain. Click here: Sorry
This is so discouraging ... everything that I'd hoped to do to earn a few extra dollars is just about impossible because of the back pain that I then experience.
Now, I did get rid of the pain somewhat by taking first 3 Ibuprofen ... then, some gin drinks ... then 2 aspirins ... & some more gin. Several hours with a heating pad with some more gin finally brought some relief.
8:46 PM 1/31/2008
My new chiropractor is so great ... he has a new procedure that involves a special table that applies gentle traction while he's doing his work upon my back. I've found out that I must go to him once a week ... even if I think I don't need it. When he starts to work on my back ... I realize that there is so much tension/stiffness/pain that needs his help. If I don't go every week, my upper back problems escalate so much that it takes him several weeks to get my back to a managable level again.
HERE'S A PICTURE OF A SIMILAR TABLE THAT HE USES FOR ME.
OKAY ...THIS IS A NEW YEAR ... I'M GUNTA RESUME MAKING ENTRIES HERE ... HERE'S A BACKLOG OF ENTRIES.
11:03 AM 7/27/2007
My back is not too bad this morning ... some aches during the night.
2:31 AM 7/30/2007
Overall, my back is better since my last facets ... but, tonight, for some reason, I just cannot sleep because of the agony of my lower ribs & upper back.
I have not accomplished much to be proud of the past few days ... even got several good night's sleep. Yesterday, didn't do much outside because of the heat ... WHY IS MY BACK HURTING SO MUCH NOW?
I didn't take aspirins before bedtime; I don't like to take aspirins, etc. on an empty stomach.
Now ... I am telling myself to get downstairs & make up a big cup of chicken broth ... with some powdered eggs & maybe a few noodles. Not that I'm hungry, but I need to take some aspirin & some acetaminophen.
2:56 AM 7/30/2007
There, I took two 500 acetaminophen & two aspirin ... plus applied some liniment to my upper ribs, the base of my neck, and my neck. (Wish I could reach to apply to my entire spine.) My spine & neck seem to be really stiff & sore; my neck clunks as I try to loosen it up.
My next appointment at the chiropractor isn't until Wednesday afternoon. The appointment for my facets in my mid back was to have been Thursday ... but, I had to postpone them until next week so that my Social Security check would be in. I didn't have enough money for the gas to get to the Pain Clinic in Niagra, WI.
3:26 AM 7/31/2007
My back is just so much better tonight ... is it because I let the hot spell we're having keep me mostly watching T.V. a lot?
10:06 PM 8/2/2007
I went to the chiropractor yesterday. My back felt pretty good today. I kept moderately busy ... just did short sessions of the harder jobs.
2:11 AM 8/6/2007
Been sleeping a while; thinking of putting some liniment on ... and of taking some aspirin. If I take aspirin ... I need to eat something first ...
My back is only stiff & sore ... but quite sore.
12:41 AM 8/11/2007
After my facets (injections) last week ... my whole back was just so improved ... I shore ruint it today!
It wasn't as tho I had been doing heavy labor ... just spent the day in the kitchen, mostly. But, I just kept too constantly busy. NOW, I'M IN AGONY.
9:52 AM 8/11/2007
After several applications of aspirins & some gin thru the night ... when I got out of bed ... my back is just awful ... I cannot imagine my being able to do anything today except lie down & watch T.V. & make phone calls. Even sitting at the desk or computer feels terrible!
1:36 AM 8/21/2007
I have company coming in a few days. I am way behind on my basic house-cleaning. I am going to have to lower my standards on the outside work I'd hoped to do.
Even after a few hours of sleep, my back dictates that I just lay around for at least a day; these cleaning projects must be cancelled. CANCELLED IS NOT AN OPTION.
I just had some aspirins, had to have some cheese to coat my tummy ... drank some gin & milk (with maple syrup) ... am going to do a few easy/sitting down jobs before I go back to bed.
4:26 AM 8/22/2007
I'm really going to appreciate that trip to the chiropractor today. By experimenting, I found out that I'd better not skip my weekly visit there ... it just keeps my back from becoming an emergency situation.
With company coming in a few days ... I must push myself to get my cleaning done. Housework is one of worst things for my back.
8:06 AM 12/6/2007
Not writing in this BACKlog doesn't mean that my back is better ... what it means is that it sounds like just a different verse of the same old whining about the pains. Pains is plural; often there are distinct different areas of my back that are giving me problems ... often in different ways.
I know that the aches/pains of yesterday that even the chiropractor wasn't very successful in mitigating are TENSION caused. My social security check came; I've been trying to stuff it into my new, improved, written monthly budget form. What with a cash-advance loan to re-pay, the $79 the State of Michigan is demanding to renew the plates on my car, gas for the car ... I'm not sure if I can appease everyone. ALSO ... I FORGOT TO DO THE PAPERWORK TO RENEW MY BENEFITS FROM THE STATE ... FOOD CARD, MEDICAL INSURANCE PMT'S ... DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MAKE THE DEADLINE.
3:18 AM 6/6/2007
A new chiropractor? Sorta ... same office ... new fellow. The chiropractor wants to move his young family nearby his relatives in Pennsylvania (health problems in some older people there in his family) ... I WILL HATE TO SEE HIM GO. He is just an excellent chiropractor & so caring & so nice!
However, the new person is really nice, too ... & did my treatment yesterday. I was impressed with his skill. I know he has my office records, but I told him my history of my back ... there are 6 problem areas, some "bare" vertebrae, some injuries back in the 70's & 80's, lots of arthritis (which I found out can be triggered by injuries).
I mentioned that I am getting the facets at the Pain Clinic, but, found out thru experimenting that I also need the chiropractic at least once a week. Right now, I need for the mid-upper back to stay adjusted ... otherwise it gets horribly tight & painful. We are making progress there ,,, after I had not been going hardly at all since Christmas, that area of my back just got to be impossible ... I need to be faithful in at least weekly adjustments, mostly between my shoulderblades & thru my lower ribs.
1:21 AM 6/18/2007
AWAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AGAIN ... BACK PAIN AGAIN! This time it is worst in my lower ribs. In trying to loosen it up, I got some "clunks", like shifting bones in my back there, but very little loosening. I took some aspirins & made a gin drink.
I had a fairly active day ... no heavy work, tho. I potted plants, etc ... washed dishes, vac'd the rugs ... watched T.V. ... had some company.
3:57 AM 6/8/2007
OKAY ... after my three asprins a few hours ago, I just took two extra strength acetominephen ... & a little more gin. I just have to get back to sleep; my back is really bothering me. Part of it may be due to emotional stress ... bills & the loss of my next to last goose. The one that is left is calling for her ... breaks my heart.
12:46 PM 6/11/2007
DAMN ... is it tension over my finances ... the extra pain that has developed in my "good" knee ... or WHAT?
I have done nothing physical so far today ... reasonably active ... some time at the computer ... I AM IN ABSOLUTE MISERY! I took some asprins ... even a little gin ... my upper/mid back has terrible pain & discomfort.
2:27 AM 6/12/2007
My upper back, between my shoulder blades, & down ... esp. my lower ribs, esp the ones on the left ... are in real pain. Not discomfort ... not ache ... REAL PAIN. Took some aspirin, acetominophen, some gin ... should I sit up for a while yet, exercise, or just go back to bed?
3:26 AM 6/12/2007
Still at the computer ... still hurt ... MORE GIN!
4:06 PM 7/20/2007
I've been out of gin for quite a while ... my back is really tightened up, partly due to some stresses in my life. Having just resolved my finanacial emergency ... I am headed out to go get some gin to relax my back.
Several days ago ... I had the lumbar facets in my lower back. My back had begun hurting at a level that I cannot remember for how long it had been that bad.
Almost immediately, there was relief ... but, my upper back pain was still terrible ... tho ... the level came down somewhat.
I am to go back in two weeks for the facets in my mid-back ... but, because of my financial condition ... I had to postpone that another week until my Social Security check comes ... probably can't change it back now.
12:38 PM 5/7/2007
My facets (injections) last week were in my upper back. That
had started torturing me more so than the usual problem zone in my
lower back. I had made the decision that I'd better start going
back to the chiropractor on a weekly basis; my upper back has been
so tight & sore. Then, I felt so great after the injections & the
chiropractor that I thought maybe I won't have to go back for the
injections in my lower back ... also might be able to go every
OTHER week to the chiropractor. NO SOONER DID I HAVE THAT
THOUGHT THAN MY UPPER BACK BEGAN TO FEEL TIGHT & VERY
SORE ... NOW .... today, my lower back is really hurting. All that
I did to earn that was to stand at the cupboard making up a big
batch of onion cookies. I still have to put them on trays & freeze
the chopped onion/carrot/chives mixture.
2:57 AM 5/8/20072:57 AM 5/8/2007
Not sure which part of my back hurts the worst. I think it is
the lower back hurting so much that the pain is extending upward?
I'm glad that, learning from past scheduling of injections, I did
insist upon the second set in the lower back soon after the ones in
the upper back.
Just read about a new technique that came out of a college
business competition. I put the link to the information on my main
Journal.
10:17 AM 5/11/2007
Yesterday, I had errands to do in town ... just headed towards
home, thinking how miserable my upper back felt. It was so stiff &
painful between my shoulder blades ... that got me to thinking about
the chiropractor. EVEN THO I'D CHECKED IN THE MORNING AS
TO WHAT TIME MY APPOINTMENT WAS, I ENDED UP GETTING
SO BUSY THAT I FORGOT COMPLETELY.
My appointment had been for 3 pm; now, it was 4:30! Thank
Heavens, he was able to take me in! He really had to work on that
area. This morning, it does feel so much better.
3:50 AM 5/21/2007
Here I am, up in the middle of the night because my back hurts.
It helps to get up, move around, take some aspirins ... then, I
have to have some chicken soup or something to make sure that I
don't take them on an empty stomach. A little time sitting up (like
at the computer) also helps. Now, I'm going back to bed to try to
find a comfortable spot so I can sleep?
6:54 AM 5/30/2007
I awoke at dawn this morning, my lower back hurt so much that
I couldn't get it loosened with stretching exercises. I had a hot
milk/maple syrup/gin drink ... sat at the computer ... it is feeling a
bit better. Some aspirins ... then lay around a bit more ...
Yesterday, I had it scheduled to do a little weed-whacking ... it
tried to rain ... I talked myself into waiting until today. My
weekend housecleaning project & activities with my daughter had
sorta ruined my back anyways ... needed a bit more "rest".
5:09 AM 6/5/2007
I've spent several hours trying to exercise my spine to get it
to quit hurting. It is not so much a sharp pain as a gripping,
sickening discomfort with the pain level of at least an 8.
This is mostly in the small of my back, involving my hip area &
lower ribs. My vertebrae would clunk as I tried various movements
to loosen up my back. Now, it is not as bad. I took some aspirin &
some acetaminophen ... & another gin & milk. MAYBE I CAN GET
BACK TO SLEEP ... FINALLY?
When I talk to my doctor, I want to remember to be able to
tell him around the first of June is when I started having bouts of
pain again. I don't have an appointment at the Pain Clinic until next
month. 
My "good" knee: the cortisone/steroid shot ... is that wearing
off, too? Usually, unless I have a misstep, there is no pain there,
just an awful tiredness & tenderness if I've been at all active. In
a week, I have an appointment with that doctor.
THE CHIROPRACTOR: I've gone back to going there every week again. It seems to be helping, especially the terrible tightness & discomfort in my upper back where I had the whip-lash problem. That is mostly between my shoulder blades, sometimes in my lower ribs, too. Today, I have an appointment there.
1:14 PM 4/14/2007
As usual ... I am more motivated to add to this when I am in total misery, which is the case now.
I am foolishly forcing myself to do something that is almost impossible ... do my maple syrup project.
Is this foolish pride, or trying to maintain self-esteem?
Should I relegate myself to a lifetime of watching T.V., yacking on the telephone, playing on the computer, sleeping ... or ... try to stay active so that I don't die of a heart attack or high colesterol?
11:09 PM 4/23/2007
My upper back ... where I'd had the whiplash in 1976 ... has been having bouts of making me really miserable. The pain is mostly between my shoulder blades. Surprisingly, my lower back hasn't been too much of a problem. This past afternoon, when my upper back really started hurting, & four aspirins didn't help ... I made a really stiff gin drink & rested a while. My back was hurting so much that it almost felt as tho I would get a charlie horse in my ribs. The gin helped; I resumed some light activities.
Then, this evening the pain & cramps came back. My gin is nearly gone ... I've got enough for two small drinks.
10:20 AM 4/27/2007
My knee has been making me postpone activities; my back keeps getting worse, too. I had the cortisone/steroid injection in my knee ... not sure if it's helping?
Next week, I have an appointment for the steroid "facets" in my back. I've been getting them in my lower back, even if it's not terribly bad at the moment. It is a precautionary routine that I've learned is necessary. Then, the next step is to make sure that I also go back (several weeks later) for the facets in my mid-back. Since my upper back has been giving me such grief lately ... should I get facets in that area FIRST?
I've spent at least five hours trying to reduce the pain in my upper back. The chiropractor worked on that area Wednesday; it was so painfully tight & painful. I just must make sure that I do go to the chiropractor EVERY week without fail ... hadn't been going as much lately.
My maple syruping project is over ... I'll bet that the task of disinfecting/rinsing the jugs out is going to cause big-time pain tho!
