I had an early appointment with the doctor today, a follow up to last
weeks diagnosis of tendonitis (lateral epicondylitis) (aka: tennis
elbow).
I have been a slug at home this week. Basically doing as little as possible to let my arm rest. I did catch the laundry up Tuesday. I forgot a load of jeans on the clothes line overnight, but did remember to bring them in before the rain started yesterday. However, they didn't get folded, but remained piled into a basket on the couch, where I grabbed a pair to put on after my shower this morning.
I took the jeans into the nice warm bathroom, and tossed them over the table by the heater while I showered.
I got dried off. I got my dainties on, and my shirt. I snagged up my now warmed pair of Levi jeans and pulled them on.
No laughing.
I was immediately aware that a fire had started on my inner thigh, and I was being stabbed by a needle. (Surely must be 12 gauge!) And... there is something other than myself squirming around in my jeans. The pain has me shrieking- screaming bloody murder! I came out of the jeans faster than I got into them. I was hopping around on one foot trying not to fall over as I shucked and screeched.
(Well, since you won't be able to help it, go ahead and laugh.)
I figured I was spider bitten. Until one large red wasp exited the jeans shortly after I did. Apparently she was none too thrilled at being shut up for more than 24 hours buried in a laundry basket. And then to be forced to share her confines with the likes of ME!
My screams brought Daniel... who beat a hasty retreat at the sight of a semi clothed matriarch still hopping and screaming and flailing about the bathroom. With his back to me, he asked what I needed. Antihistamine? Advil?
My request for the demise of the infernal insect was deferred until such a time as I obtained decency. I found another pair of clean jeans and inspected them carefully before donning them.
Daniel was trying to flick the wasp off the light fixture, rather than kill it outright. But a little flick of the flyswatter caused the entire globe to shatter to bits, and Waspy was way less than happy. Dan soon dispatched the wasp. I had to clean up glass from the floor before rushing on to my appointment.
(I have since found glass in the bath tub, on the counter, in the cat's box, in the carpet outside the bathroom door...)
I made it to my appointment. Doc was going to send me to some specialist, but I dissuaded him for the moment. From researching the injury, the best treatment is rest and TIME. He still sent me for lab work. I guess the docs are under a lot of pressure to check every Boomer aged adult for Hep-C.
I resigned as dishwasher at the Spoon. A repetitive motion injury is not going to heal if you don't stop the repetitive motion! I will try to remain as the casserole apprentice, but will have to see how much repetitive motion is involved there.
Meanwhile, the wasp sting's swelling has gone from a small, hard knot the size of a fingernail, to a more wide spread swollen spot across the soft tissue of the inner thigh. I don't seem to be having an allergic reaction to it at all. I wouldn't say this is an undue amount of swelling.
Well, that's all the buzz from here. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Friday, April 20, 2018
The arthritis flare... isn't arthritis.
It's been since sometime in early February I have been complaining about an arthritis flare. I have been working on natural cures, homeopathic remedies which take TIME to be effective. I have given the home cures a solid two months and have only felt progressively worse.
Wednesday, I was compensating for the pain in my right arm by using my left hand/ arm whenever I could. I am fairly ambidextrous anyway. It's just most efficient to pick up the dishes left handed and spray them off right handed, and set them into the racks to run through the dishwasher (which is to the left) with my left hand. The pain of the "arthritis flare" was so bad, I was crossing over- picking up dishes right handed and spraying off left handed, then letting the sprayer go and taking the dish in the left hand to stack in the racks. I realized that the SAME pain was starting in my left arm.
As Sam is fond of quoting his Electrical School instructor ... (I) "had an epiphany... a moment of blinding clarity"! While not in a religious sense of the word... it was truly a sudden eye opening.
This pain is from repetitive motion, NOT an arthritis flare. No wonder none of my homeopathic arthritis remedies were working.
At a bit after 2:00am Thursday morning, the screaming, screeching, spasms of pain in the arm woke me up. After almost 45 minutes, I gave up on returning to sleep. I finally, reluctantly took an ibuprofen. It helped... some. While I was still in pain, it wasn't as bad. Until the spasms started again. I realized I was clock watching... counting the minutes until I could take another ibuprofen.
That was really "it". I called the doctor's office as soon as it was open. I asked to see whoever had an opening in the practice. I got a Doctor I hadn't had before. I really like him. He spent a few minutes asking about my reason to visit. Then he took my arm and asked me to indicate where I was having most pain. I showed him. He asked, "does this hurt here?" and gave the arm a poke. "How about here?" . Okay, what about...?" poking a spot by my elbow. (I about decked him.) "Yep, that's what I thought. Tendonitis. Lateral Epicondylitis." (Also known as tennis elbow.)
He put me off work for a solid week, with instructions to return next Thursday. He warned me I may need to find a different occupation. Continuing as a dishwasher will just keep the tendons inflamed. 6 to 12 months of rest of the tendon is usually needed for a full recovery. In some cases, surgery may be needed, and in other cases, even surgery won't help. I'm on an anti-inflammatory, short term drug. (And boy does it make me loopy!)
I will be looking into the natural remedies/ preventatives once I am past this bump in the road. At least I don't have to give up on tomatoes and peppers at this point! (It was my next step in trying to stop the "arthritis" flare.) I had been convinced it was an arthritis flare in the first place because that was what my (retired) Doctor had told me it was, back when I was convinced I had carpal tunnel for a similar pain. He dutifully sent me for carpal tunnel testing, which came up negative... and was not gloating, but somewhat smug that the carpal tunnel tests were negative. Arthritis... it comes with age, he said.
Wednesday, I was compensating for the pain in my right arm by using my left hand/ arm whenever I could. I am fairly ambidextrous anyway. It's just most efficient to pick up the dishes left handed and spray them off right handed, and set them into the racks to run through the dishwasher (which is to the left) with my left hand. The pain of the "arthritis flare" was so bad, I was crossing over- picking up dishes right handed and spraying off left handed, then letting the sprayer go and taking the dish in the left hand to stack in the racks. I realized that the SAME pain was starting in my left arm.
As Sam is fond of quoting his Electrical School instructor ... (I) "had an epiphany... a moment of blinding clarity"! While not in a religious sense of the word... it was truly a sudden eye opening.
This pain is from repetitive motion, NOT an arthritis flare. No wonder none of my homeopathic arthritis remedies were working.
At a bit after 2:00am Thursday morning, the screaming, screeching, spasms of pain in the arm woke me up. After almost 45 minutes, I gave up on returning to sleep. I finally, reluctantly took an ibuprofen. It helped... some. While I was still in pain, it wasn't as bad. Until the spasms started again. I realized I was clock watching... counting the minutes until I could take another ibuprofen.
That was really "it". I called the doctor's office as soon as it was open. I asked to see whoever had an opening in the practice. I got a Doctor I hadn't had before. I really like him. He spent a few minutes asking about my reason to visit. Then he took my arm and asked me to indicate where I was having most pain. I showed him. He asked, "does this hurt here?" and gave the arm a poke. "How about here?" . Okay, what about...?" poking a spot by my elbow. (I about decked him.) "Yep, that's what I thought. Tendonitis. Lateral Epicondylitis." (Also known as tennis elbow.)
He put me off work for a solid week, with instructions to return next Thursday. He warned me I may need to find a different occupation. Continuing as a dishwasher will just keep the tendons inflamed. 6 to 12 months of rest of the tendon is usually needed for a full recovery. In some cases, surgery may be needed, and in other cases, even surgery won't help. I'm on an anti-inflammatory, short term drug. (And boy does it make me loopy!)
I will be looking into the natural remedies/ preventatives once I am past this bump in the road. At least I don't have to give up on tomatoes and peppers at this point! (It was my next step in trying to stop the "arthritis" flare.) I had been convinced it was an arthritis flare in the first place because that was what my (retired) Doctor had told me it was, back when I was convinced I had carpal tunnel for a similar pain. He dutifully sent me for carpal tunnel testing, which came up negative... and was not gloating, but somewhat smug that the carpal tunnel tests were negative. Arthritis... it comes with age, he said.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Reddy!
Sam's been asked to go ahead and take his Residential Journeyman's license test. He has well more than enough on the job training hours to qualify to take the test. He still has one year and a few weeks of class time left to be able to take the full Journeyman's Electrician test, which will qualify him to work both commercial and residential jobs without a supervisor.
Things are really starting to green up here. My chicks are outgrowing their box. I have been taking my plants out of the greenhouse on nice days, and letting the chicks run inside the greenhouse during the day, when I am home. The greenhouse, just being plastic, is not predator proof. The chicken coop isn't warm enough for the chicks overnight, with them not fully feathered out. We have a few nights this coming week where we are supposed to have highs in the 40's and lows in the 20's. But we are getting there!
I hope the big guinea (Speckles) from my batch from Nola gets along with these little gals.
Son Chris has been teaching himself to draw. These are pretty good, drawn freehand with pencil on plain typing paper. He has to draw from photographs.
Thanks for reading. I'm off to hose down the chicken pen while the weather is nice!
Saturday, April 7, 2018
It's been quite a day
Sam has been gone several days. His job took him to SE Arkansas on a contract. They expected to be gone until Friday or Saturday, but things went quite smoothly, and he returned late Wednesday night. I saw him briefly Thursday morning as he prepared to go to work. Thursday nights, he has class. I waited up until he got home, just because I sleep better knowing he is home safely. This morning, he left for work at his usual time: 6:38 AM. At a wee bit after 7:00, Daniel got a call. Sam had been in an accident. He was at a small convenience store less than 5 miles from the house. He assured Dan that "everyone" was OK. I was ready for work, but didn't need to leave until 20, 25 after 7. So Dan and I went to pick Sam up... I thought. Oh my.
We arrived just as a first responder got there. The F.R.'s wife hadn't seen the actual accident, but was there within seconds. She called her husband, who was locally located. Sam's truck had a broken drive shaft, and the leaf springs were completely sprung, driven into the suspension system. His tailgate was knocked off, and his back seat access door wouldn't open on the driver's side. A long crease from the driver's door all down the driver's side of the truck was apparent. He was facing the direction he had come from. While it is "unofficial", I know his truck is totaled. The young woman who hit him, and her passenger were OK. She was driving a newer car, 2016! Her front driver's side wheel is crushed completely backwards and around, preventing the driver's door from opening.
While Sam's airbags didn't deploy... ALL of hers did. Sam said, as he was headed to work, in the straightaway approaching a sharp curve/ turn, this car was already coming out of the turn. He saw a car in his lane. And thought... That car is in my lane. Followed instantly by THAT CAR IS!! IN!!! MY!!!!! LANE!" He swerved towards the ditch/ edge of the parking lot of the convenience store that is on the inside of the corner/ curve of the highway. The impact spun his truck 180*, but he avoided a head on collision. As soon as his truck stopped moving, he leaped out to check on the other people.
Sam said he was afraid of what he would find. The driver's door wouldn't open- the wheel bent around, driven against it at an impossible angle, so he ran to the passenger side. The passenger got out and tried to assist the driver. She was very dazed. Her cell phone was in the glove box! They had been headed home from an overnight shift at a nursing home., Whether it was miscalculation or a micro nap, we can only guess. Her side airbag had gone off first slamming her sideways into the steering wheel, where she hit her head. then the steering wheel airbag deployed, smacking her backwards. THEN the rear airbags deployed. It looked like she had curtains in her car. Neither she, her passenger, nor Sam felt the need to go to the hospital at the time. As it turned out later, the young lady has a concussion and did require some medical treatment. It took the highway patrol almost an hour to arrive... we were almost to the state line in a low population county at 7:00 in the morning. Thankfully, the young woman was fully insured. I am glad Sam was paying strict attention to his driving. Thankful the young woman was not on her phone. (Daniel, Sam and this young woman are committed to not texting while driving!) Sam kept trying to reassure the woman, (and her mother, who showed up a bit after I did) that he was NOT angry. Accidents happen. Vehicles are replaceable. All the people are OK! He said to me, now he doesn't have to be concerned about the wiring short that has caused some glitches in his truck over the last few months! I pointed out to him, he had NOT just gotten new tires and a new windshield, which he had planned to do THIS weekend! (After postponing the purchase last weekend!) So... Vehicle shopping.
Daniel had a minor incident last week... his truck has been in the shop this week. His airbag deployed when the struck a concrete culvert, having turned too sharply on a wet road. No one was injured, and other than needing the airbag and related mechanisms replaced, little damage was done.
The incident this morning made me late for work. The co-workers conspired, and a bored spring break high schooler daughter was drafted into dishwashing. I arrived, and found things well under control... but, since they were... could I work night shift as fish fryer? The boss was going to cover it, but also has a funeral in Kansas tomorrow. (I fried fish tonight.) All things worked together for good!
Sam had been THINKING of buying a new vehicle... but had pretty well decided to just hang on to the truck as long as it was running. He's been saving for a new vehicle for quite awhile. Now, he has no other option... but he does have money saved. So... it's just now "tomorrow". I am nearly wound down enough to sleep... if the arthritis allows! (I can TELL I fried fish tonight!)
Be blessed, thanks for reading!
We arrived just as a first responder got there. The F.R.'s wife hadn't seen the actual accident, but was there within seconds. She called her husband, who was locally located. Sam's truck had a broken drive shaft, and the leaf springs were completely sprung, driven into the suspension system. His tailgate was knocked off, and his back seat access door wouldn't open on the driver's side. A long crease from the driver's door all down the driver's side of the truck was apparent. He was facing the direction he had come from. While it is "unofficial", I know his truck is totaled. The young woman who hit him, and her passenger were OK. She was driving a newer car, 2016! Her front driver's side wheel is crushed completely backwards and around, preventing the driver's door from opening.
While Sam's airbags didn't deploy... ALL of hers did. Sam said, as he was headed to work, in the straightaway approaching a sharp curve/ turn, this car was already coming out of the turn. He saw a car in his lane. And thought... That car is in my lane. Followed instantly by THAT CAR IS!! IN!!! MY!!!!! LANE!" He swerved towards the ditch/ edge of the parking lot of the convenience store that is on the inside of the corner/ curve of the highway. The impact spun his truck 180*, but he avoided a head on collision. As soon as his truck stopped moving, he leaped out to check on the other people.
Sam said he was afraid of what he would find. The driver's door wouldn't open- the wheel bent around, driven against it at an impossible angle, so he ran to the passenger side. The passenger got out and tried to assist the driver. She was very dazed. Her cell phone was in the glove box! They had been headed home from an overnight shift at a nursing home., Whether it was miscalculation or a micro nap, we can only guess. Her side airbag had gone off first slamming her sideways into the steering wheel, where she hit her head. then the steering wheel airbag deployed, smacking her backwards. THEN the rear airbags deployed. It looked like she had curtains in her car. Neither she, her passenger, nor Sam felt the need to go to the hospital at the time. As it turned out later, the young lady has a concussion and did require some medical treatment. It took the highway patrol almost an hour to arrive... we were almost to the state line in a low population county at 7:00 in the morning. Thankfully, the young woman was fully insured. I am glad Sam was paying strict attention to his driving. Thankful the young woman was not on her phone. (Daniel, Sam and this young woman are committed to not texting while driving!) Sam kept trying to reassure the woman, (and her mother, who showed up a bit after I did) that he was NOT angry. Accidents happen. Vehicles are replaceable. All the people are OK! He said to me, now he doesn't have to be concerned about the wiring short that has caused some glitches in his truck over the last few months! I pointed out to him, he had NOT just gotten new tires and a new windshield, which he had planned to do THIS weekend! (After postponing the purchase last weekend!) So... Vehicle shopping.
Daniel had a minor incident last week... his truck has been in the shop this week. His airbag deployed when the struck a concrete culvert, having turned too sharply on a wet road. No one was injured, and other than needing the airbag and related mechanisms replaced, little damage was done.
The incident this morning made me late for work. The co-workers conspired, and a bored spring break high schooler daughter was drafted into dishwashing. I arrived, and found things well under control... but, since they were... could I work night shift as fish fryer? The boss was going to cover it, but also has a funeral in Kansas tomorrow. (I fried fish tonight.) All things worked together for good!
Sam had been THINKING of buying a new vehicle... but had pretty well decided to just hang on to the truck as long as it was running. He's been saving for a new vehicle for quite awhile. Now, he has no other option... but he does have money saved. So... it's just now "tomorrow". I am nearly wound down enough to sleep... if the arthritis allows! (I can TELL I fried fish tonight!)
Be blessed, thanks for reading!
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