I wish I could be lazy!

9:19 AM 10/6/05
    Cold & rainy ... that's never good for aches & pains.  I'm feeling only slightly ambitious and still have some threatening twinges in my left, lower ribs ... severe aches in my lower back, and a slight ache in my neck.
     I slept poorly last night, but, had gone to bed early.  I do feel short of sleep, tho.

  5:35 PM 10/6/05
    I had a carpenter here to do some major repair on my house today.  It was necessary to assist by getting tools, providing extra hands ... nothing heavy.  I had to retreat to the sofa several times.  Pain pills didn't help.  I would lean upon something, and not be able to disengage myself to move out the way, even.  Eventually, I hit the gin bottle big time.  That did relax me.  I fell asleep early, but woke up in the middle of the night, and couldn't get back to sleep, because I had important things left undone, and couldn't make myself get up to do them ... like feed the kittens, and bring in my flowers so they wouldn't freeze.  So, now, I'm short of sleep again .... BUT ... tho my back is stiff and somewhat sore, I am walking upright, and the pain level is only moderate ... NOT incapacitated as I had expected!  GIN?  It seems to be the common denominator.

11:17 PM 10/7/05
     I DID IT ... I DID IT!  Although I hadn't wanted to get into the same problem as last night, when I couldn't sleep most of the night because I hadn't finished some important chores ... THERE WERE SOME THAT I HADN'T FINISHED.
     So now, I scolded myself into getting the last of the plants covered or brought in.  The kitchen doesn't look too bad ... AND, I EARNED THE RIGHT TO GO TO BED!
     I fell asleep on the sofa again, and my back hurt so much that I didn't think that I'd get myself dragged up to finish my tasks ....
     Now, I put some liniment on, took some more aspirins ... and some gin.  I hope something helps so that I could get back to sleep.

  11:09 AM 10/8/05
     My back is shore getting even with me for forcing it so that I could get my plants all in!  I had started earlier in the day, but, had been able to do a little at a time ... The last plants that I brought in look a little sickly ... but I won (last nite).
     I was up in the middle of the nite for a while hoping that I could keep the stiffness away.  Whatever ... I spent hours in bed this morning getting able to get up.  USUALLY ... I can roll around in bed, to change posititions and get loosened up ... BUT ... NOT THIS MORNING!
     I had to make breakfast to eat so that I could take some aspirin ... I'll have four.  I had a hot milk toddy ... then a coffee toddy ... I think I shall overcome!
     The carpenter is coming later; I am supposed to get some tools, etc. ready.  His son, the hunter, has promised me some venison if he gets one here; the freezer, saws, wrapping, etc. need to be gathered.  The neighbor is gone for the day; I have to drive over to let their dog out.

11:53 AM 10/8/05
    Okay, so I ate ... I think I'll lie down on the sofa for a bit  ... rub some liniment on my neck and back.

  7:33 APM 10/8/05
     I really ruined my back, nothing strenuous ... just steady, being a carpenter's Gopher ... getting tools, holding things ... etc.  Several times, I had to retreat to the sofa when my back got so bad that I couldn't even set something down onto the floor, or reach for something.
    Lots of internal and external liniment, and Ibuprophen and aspirins.

5:12 PM 10/9/05
     FOUR ASPIRINS ... have to drag myself outside ... need to finish a few things before dark.  Not hurting just too much, but, my lower back is getting that severe, gripping ache that is hard to ignore.

  2:13 AM 10/11/05
     I guess I'll survive ... kinda overdid it again!  I started out slowly, doing "sitting down jobs", until  late morning.  My goal was to finish painting the  back of the house.  Then, the carpenter came, and, I had to be gopher for several hours first. 
     I had to take several breaks when my back (mostly lower) got too bad.  I had to force myself to finish the painting.  Some of it I could do while sitting on my stool.
     Thank heavens the carpenter helped by getting my plants dragged in.  My last chore, to feed my pets ... used up all my GO.  I just had to force myself and lean upon my walking stick, and not move very fast.
     Now, after a nap on the sofa, this change of position ... sitting at the computer ... should help me sleep better.  I have an EARLY morning appointment "tomorrow".
     I took several stiff drinks to loosen up my back muscles about 7 p.m. .... now, I have another.  I'm eating my supper now, couldn't before for the pain. 
     My left hip has severe pain and I cannot walk upright.

My regular Journal ... (click  Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond  here)

Mid-Nite

I'VE KEPT THE TITLE OF "MID-NITE" ... THIS IS MY THIRD TRY AT GETTING THIS POSTED! 

    AOL (or my laptop) kept kicking me offline.  What an aggravation when I had all the decorations and everything just so!

 

4:30 PM 10/2/05
     Gotta take a break ... and, one extra strength Tylanol   and three aspirins     .

9:59 PM 10/2/05
     I just took one extra strength Tylanol   and three    aspirins.  I'm trying to pry myself off the sofa to drive to go get the gin that I promised myself if I kept caulking until dark and if I clean the kitchen before I go to bed.

7:57 AM 10/3/05
     Been awake for about three hours; I'd hoped to get back to sleep ....
    I spent a lot of time loosening up, some of my physial therapy routine, too.
    I had been up for a while during the night, mostly watching T.V., had some more gin and went back to sleep for a while.
    This morning ... from my back being so mean to me last evening ... to now, it is the best it's been for a long time.
     My lower back has just minor muscle soreness in my lower back between my hips. 

1:04 PM 10/3/05
     My back feels better than it has for a long time.  I never know for sure what makes it feel good ... I never know for sure what makes it cause me such agony! ... OR ... why? or why not?
     I just could not force myself to do my dishes and other housework last evening ... it just hurt too much.  So, here I am again with half the day gone doing YESTERDAY'S tasks!
     I'm going to do a little more scraping & caulking ... and hopefully a little painting.  The weather is going to turn cold & wet.
     I'd hate to admit that it seems to help to keep a little gin in my system when I feel my back wanting to cramp/go bad.  But, I don't want to drink if I'm going to drive or climb the ladder ....  For right now, I'm going to take two Ibuprophen and two aspirins as a precaution before I go outside.  AND ... I poured some liniment on my back ... to soak my waistband and to soak my shirt collar  & shoulders, etc.

6:32 PM 10/3/05
     I kept at my project until dark ... but, had taken several breaks and some pain pills.    I  had also made a stiff drink to quiet my muscles, and all in all, was only at the severe ache level of pain ... like all over.

    9:02 AM 10/4/05
     RAINY DAY ... working inside today ... keeping kitchen tidy ... actually had forced myself (eventually) to tidy it up last night.
     My back must feel good; I feel ambitious.  I didn't sleep too well, so, kept getting up and therefore wasn't too stiff & sore this morning.

1:45 PM 10/4/05
     I sat in front of the computer for several hours doing some "catch-up" work.
     I laid on the sofa a bit, then, spent an hour sorting books & magazines.
     NOW ... MY LOWER BACK IS THREATENING TO CRAMP UP NEAR MY LEFT HIP ... something that it hasn't done for months.
     Time for a serious break, some aspirins, maybe a hot bath ... maybe a drink.  LIKE ... NOW!

  3:02 PM 10/4/05
     Go figure ... no strenuous work ... moderately active ... some rest ... some physical therapy exercises ... and now, EMERGENCY!
    FOUR aspirins, ANOTHER drink, MORE sofa time!

  5:06 AM 10/5/05
     Miserable night ... up and down ... didn't get much sleep ... am going back to sleep now, I hope.  It took me until after 1 AM to get all my stuff done.

2:11 PM 10/5/05
     I did get loosened up; I did a some housework.  I took a long, hot bath ... didn't do much sofa time.
     But, the weather threatened to rain, so there was only a little outside stuff that I got done.  I just took four more aspirins ... Almost went to town.  Almost went for a walk to pick apples ... but, then it really started to rain.

5:13 PM 10/5/05
     A sofa break sounds good, BEFORE my back gets to be a problem.  I had put on a goodly amount of "IcyHot" liniment ... feels pretty good!
     I had forgotten about an appointment at the pain clinic for more injections (facets?) in my back.  There is a new appointment made for next Tuesday ... It is Wednesday now.

2:44 AM 10/6/05
     I've been awake for about an hour.     I had to fix something to eat so that I could take three aspirins.  I'll have another drink, too.
     I slept pretty well; the previous nite had left me short of sleep.  I hope to get back to sleep.
     Right now, it is hard to stand up straight.  There is moderate pain in my left hip & lower back there.  My lower ribs and base-of-neck have an ache only when I try to loosen and exercise that area.
     While I'm up (and eating) I might as well post this before it gets SOOoooo long.  It is probably a nuisance that my entries run from the oldest first, which might make it confusing, especially when the entry gets over-long.  But, this is the way I make the notes ... just sit down and post the current observations.

9:00 AM 10/6/05

THIS HAD BEEN MEANT TO BE POSTED HOURS AGO ... GLITCHES KEPT ME FROM GETTING IT DONE UNTIL NOW.  That annoying twinge that threates me sometimes is in my left, lower ribs when I wriggle... otherwise, my mid back is moderately stiff & sore (like muscle aches) ... and I'm walking fairly well.  It's enough to ruin my ambition, tho.