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Saturday, January 22, 2022
5 Minute Memory
If you go on to Pet sites, they tell you a dog has a 5 minute memory. I beg to differ.
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Our two Chihuahua mixes have memories more akin to the proverbial elephant!
I bet you would like an example. As you know, if you've been here for any length of time, I am an avid power walker who takes the dogs every single time. In fact, if they see me even walking into the garage and I'm not carrying my person keys they begin spinning around in circles.
This time of year in the desert we never know from day today what the weather will be. The other morning when I left for physical therapy it was sunny and crisp. Suddenly, we heard a thunder clap that made the whole gym jump!
The rain came down in torrents! It didn't stop until I was home for about 20 minutes. But, I made a mistake.
The mistake was, I told the girls when I got back we would go for a walk. They both stared at me with their big brown eyes. Lucky, the more vocal of the 2, barked at me and scraped the ground to let me know she was probably going to hold me to this event.
I was gone a total of an hour and 45 minutes. As soon as they heard the key in the door I heard barking and jumping! As I walked in the door both girls were barking at me to hurry up and get going!
Now neither one likes to actually go out in the backyard to go potty unless the weather is perfect. But they somehow think in their tiny little doggy minds that the front yard is probably a lot drier than the backyard!
Either way, they were barking at me and scratching at my knees until the rain stopped and I could finally get them out the door. They were not particularly thrilled about walking on wet ground. But were running towards Adam's house hoping that Lily and Dex would be joining us.
My question to all animal specialists is how did you decide that rule about "5 minute memory"?
Friday, January 14, 2022
Sigh, Like Mother, Like Daughter
Sigh.
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Poor Lucky. It was her adoption day too. Went for our usual walk and she took a good long nap.
When she woke up, our little 10-year-old did not want to use her front left paw!
My first thought went to she slept really hard and maybe it was just asleep. By now it was too late to do anything about it. I was going to have to wait till the next morning.
By then, we still were watching her hop around on three legs. Legs. Everything else was good!
Eating well, wanting to play with her sister, insisting on her treats and hitting me with her remaining front leg for getting something she wanted, etc...
But she would not use that paw!
Now we were stuck. Couldn't call the vet until Monday morning.
Thankfully, the vet always chooses the path of least invasive first. First. So we picked up a doggy version of Aleve and went home to give it to her to give it to her.
Within 2 hours she was not walking normal but she was at least attempting to put the foot on the ground.
By the next morning, she forgot that she had a hurt foot! For that we were thankful.
Steve was already counting how much we were going to be shelling out for X-rays and a doctor visit.
3 days later when I came home from physical therapy, both dogs would not hold still and we went for a short walk.
Definitely did not want to push our good luck. Today, I will try a bit of a longer walk.
Steve said Lucky must be having sympathy pains! After all, now that my back is showing the slightest bit of improvement, all that manual therapy has inflamed my entire right leg from my hip down to my formerly broken foot!
Sigh.
Saturday, January 08, 2022
Ow! That Really Hurts
I'm back in PT. My new physical therapist was happy to hear that I didn't expect miracles. He was thrilled to hear that my expectations were that I could be able to sleep and not be in pain to the degree that it would be the rather than the exception than the exception.
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Anyone who has been through physical therapy can tell you that it is not juof "suck it up, buttercup" planned therapeutic exercise. There is some "manual work" that usually needs to be done.
In my case, it's trying to get my back to move a little bit better, the hip and thigh area to not be so tight and to be able to just walk without a brace on something.
The last 2 sessions had him really pressing on the scar tissue that is built up in my hip and down to my knee.
Let's just say this is no massage. As he has been working on it tears have been rolling down my face. He keeps on apologizing. I just said do what you have to do if it makes me better.
I'm actually feeling a bit of relief in that lower back. But, there is always a but, my hip and entire right leg have been spasming because of the work he's been doing to help my back!
I'm hoping that with diligence of my home program I will be able to enjoy life a bit more soon.
In the mean time, I am just using my mantra of "suck it up, buttercup".
Friday, December 31, 2021
Welcome to Medicare
Happy New Year to one and all! Let's hope it really will be a much happier year than its two predecessors.
It's very cold and rainy here. In fact our usual fireworks show has been cancelled because of the predicted onslaught of the wet stuff. We also have freeze warnings. That doesn't usually happen until mid to late January.
Steve's turning 65! We're doing his favorite-smoked ribeye roast, Yorkshire pudding and a salad bar. He decided on a "cookies and cream" cake.
Many people don't look forward to getting this old-but not my husband! He's thrilled to get the basic Medicare added to his medical insurance. Seems that it looks very appealing to him when he doesn't get a bill for many of my various appointments.
He's also trudging over to Great Clips. At 65 they start giving a senior discount.
Obviously, he enjoys the little excitements in life.
Me? I'm holding out for PT to give me enough improvement on the "spine" issues to just be able to get something of a night's sleep. You'll notice I didn't give the adjective of "good". Just some sleep.
The bags under my eyes are presently meeting my jowl line. It's not a pretty sight.
Friday, December 17, 2021
Happy Holidays
I have no idea how you feel but I was hoping for a whole lot better 2021than the year before.
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It's been a trial. I'm sure some people had a great year! I have not been 1 of them.
Before this year is over I wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday and hopefully a much better new year.
We actually booked our plane fare for the family. We're hoping this time it's going to happen for what will be our cruise in April. It's our 3rd attempt and even the youngest grand kids are wondering if it's ever going to take place.
Bryce, 6, informed me that now that we've actually got plane tickets we better get on the plane and run on to the boat! "before they cancel us again!"
In preparation, for what we hope is our 1st actual vacation and over 2 years, I have begun more physical therapy. I was informed that my hope of just having less pain enough to sleep was realistic. Being pain free is evidently not in my wheelhouse, EVER.
If nothing I have always been practical. So at least my hopes are not stretching the limit of reality.
Good riddance 2021.
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Same Garbage, Different Day
Before I begin, I want to wish every single person who drops in here a very happy holiday season and hopefully happy and healthy 2022.
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I haven't been posting much of late due to the fact that I need a new spine.
Naturally, I'm not going to be getting one. According to my spine/pain doctor he could cure me except that he can't. The spine surgeon and he said that what I need is a spinal fusion on all my "L's" and "C's". The problem is is I have severe osteoporosis and no qualified surgeon would dare to dream to do something like that since the screws would pop out.
He could also go back to doing epidurals-eccept he won't because I have valley fever and I am not allowed to have any kind of steroids. There was also talk about putting in some sort of electrical cords that would be worked with an app on my phone to control the pain except the same problem would happen withholding it into the right place.
It's not just the pain in my back. For those who have the blessed lives of not knowing what it is to have this kind of back, your back is full of nerves and it begins to shoot the pain to your hips, knees, feet, as well as your upper extremities.
This also takes a toll on being able to do what you want to do. An example? I used to be a dancer and one of the shows I enjoyed being in the most was West Side Story.
It also happens to be probably one of my top 5 films to watch over and over again.
Knowing this Steve decided we have not been on a real date or seen a movie since before the pandemic. So he dug up some of our free movie passes and decided we would go see the new movie.
While I highly suggest everyone go see the new version. Because I think it's now my favorite movie of all time. The only thing I could think of was that it was 2 1⁄2 hours long. How was I going to get in the car, drive to the theater and sit there for 2 1⁄2 hours and then come back home?
Somehow I enjoyed the movie and I made it through. But not without living with the results. I was totally wiped out from the pain.
I'm not sure what I dislike the most-living with this knowing there's no end in sight or realizing that my body has seen fit to be in this position at all.
Monday, December 06, 2021
New Phone Blues
"I'm getting you a present"
I've come to really hate when I hear that phrase!
This time it was for a new cell phone. I neither needed nor wanted one.
Mine was only 2 1⁄2 years old and it worked just fine. Plus it was my 3rd 1 from that brand so I was quite comfortable with it.
But Steve saw that it was free and it was going to have all the latest items I probably will never use. So I have a new phone.
I hate it!
And I swear to you all it knows I hate it. Took me 3 days to get my fitness app to work. And when I say me, what I mean is Steve.
It doesn't even like to answer when I do what it says. It just hates me.
Then came the worst...
Our niece, who moved to Georgia, decided to have a zoom baby shower.
You're probably guessing what happened next.
I don't know what I did, but let's just say I was phone less for the remainder of the day. It took my techie husband three hours to clean up my mess. Both Sam and Adam had already tried.
As for the baby shower? Went to Sam's and joined in there.
Frankly, if it were possible, I would make them find my phone that I got along with and send it.
Free is way too expensive for me.
