My Week

April the Giraffe finally had her baby.

Something that I left off my last post that has been on my mind a lot.  After Mass on Sunday, I asked our CWV post commander about pain for his up coming procedure for cancer.   He said "Nothing like what you're going through".  You see his wife had gone through back surgery.  We've always been giving empathy for others with the BIG C  because it usually leads to "you know what".  I realized that detection of cancer is not that easy because of the lack of pain.  Meanwhile, I also realized what a tough bitch I've been just saving my tears for the deepest of pain and minimizing medication. 

Monday I started my week with a rough morning.  I got up 5:30 since I've been going to bed earlier in hopes of getting ready for a 5AM check in at the hospital. I used the walker to get Sophie out instead of my usual cane. After an hour of struggling, I finally opted to take my stronger prescription pill (tramadol) which I've been using sparingly.  I got that script in January and it's been a long road.  There's no refill so I've been using it sparingly.   After awhile, I showered and went to the optometrist to fix my broken glasses. I went to Bourn Optical as soon as they opened up and had a new titanium arm attached for $40. Next year I'll get a new pair before the other arm weakens. This was supposed to be top of the line and expensive pair when I got them and the warranty had recently run out.

Monday evening was so painful that I went to bed at 7:30 to try to sleep through the pain.  Of course, that meant I got up extra early ~ 4:30AM.  Well that will get me used to that early check-in at the hospital in a few weeks.   It did help Tuesday.  I had Tripp Landscaping look at the area around my deck for landscape ideas.  Now to see if I can afford it.

Tuesday I went to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library for a viewing of the 1957 film "Path of Glory".  I came home to find out it's also on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2_xw4pMVu8&feature=share
Neither has closed captions but at least I may be able to replay the parts I missed.

Wednesday I did get up a bit later, 6:30.  As a result,the gears were going slower.  I went to the open house of the Springfield Vet Center on Wednesday where my son works.
http://newschannel20.com/news/local/veterans-center-opens-in-springfield 

This was nice because both of my sons were present.  Here the team makes introductions.

Sean before the ribbon cutting:

I saw our Illinois state commander for AMVETS (among all veteran organization muckety mucks) and mentioned my surgery on April 27.  He said that's a good day because it is his birthday.  
Afterward I went back to Bourn optical to have my glasses adjusted because they were crooked.  I was looking for something cute for Easter also in a few stores but didn't find the right thing.    I did find something that I wasn't looking for, a foot for my natural walking stick that I use for reenacting as a cane.  

In the evening, I went to our post AMVETS meeting.  I got liver and onions "to go" since I ate late in the afternoon.  I had leftover sweet and sour chicken.  It was getting a little dry since I made it on Sunday so I added some Pad Thai sauce.  Mmmm!  I got to get some more of that sauce.  It really goes good with rice.

Thursday I got up at 6:30AM.  I did my grocery shopping and it was back and forth in the store with coupons.  I was worn out and by 5PM, I had to call my neighbor for help.  Betty walked Sophie who was reluctant to go with her.  She bribed Sophie with treats and it finally worked.  Then she took my trash out since Friday is pick up.  Meanwhile I was breathing my yoga breaths and an ice pack rocking on the couch in pain. Went to bed at 6:30PM to sleep through the pain.  Woke up about 4:30 AM or shall I say got out of bed at 4:30.  Started out with a walker, pills, ice pack until 7:30 when I could take Sophie around the block.  She really had to go and made me pick up 3 times.  She made a mess on her "skirt" so she had her under carriage washed.

Late Thursday afternoon (yes, during my pacing pain anxiety attack) I noticed a wasp inside my sun room.  They returned which surprised me because I thought they came because of the old wooden screen porch. I've swatted 3.  Then I put up the window fly strips and had a fly stuck on it by morning.  I also saw a hawk perched on my chain link fence.  I scared it off when I stepped out on the porch but I worry about Sophie.  The baby rabbits under my shed are attractive to hawks.

I left a message with the nurse that I'm ready. Feb 23, Dr Williams said I should have surgery within 2 months. I calculate my scheduled surgery date of Apr 27th  to be 9 weeks! Hope they're not playing United Airlines on me and giving the favorite slots to their own.

Sean gave me some flowers from his office that wouldn't be good over the weekend.  It smells nice and gets me to think of nice thoughts.

I picked up some hot cross buns, and a little wheel barrel at Aldi.

I had to put the handle on before hauling my groceries into the house though.
My dogwood tree opened on Good Friday.  It was not until last year that I realized what this beautiful flowering tree was seeing them at the Lincoln Tomb and told by the other interpreters what their trees were.  It's been here since we moved in. I had assumed that all dogwood trees were white and this is pinkish.  I also thought that they didn't grow here.  The legend of the dogwood tree:
"Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross--two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see it will remember." http://www.promiseofgod.com/dogwood/

There is an Easter Lilly coming up too that I planted from previous year.

Mary Ann came to clean on Friday evening after getting off of work at the nursing home.  This time I asked her to help with living room windows, the guest bedroom, and the living room floor which always needs it.  She does like cleaning tile floors better than the typical American carpeting.  After accompanying her with chores, I eventually had to lay down. Ice packs don't fix everything. As soon as she left around 7:30PM, I took my pill and went to bed only to toss and turn at 2AM.  I finally got up for the bathroom at 3:30 and went back to bed and cried in pain.  One of our church's choir songs ( Responsorial Psalm 22 ) went through my head,"My God, My God, Why have you abandoned me?" I didn't know where to turn.  I can't go to an emergency room because surgery is the only cure and they can't do that there.  The thought crosses my mind that they have morphine.  So by 4AM I just stayed up.  I took a pill and started my morning routine.  I changed my bedding around 6:30 since I was starting to feeling mobile and took advantage of mediocre movement.  Looks like I'll need a summer bed cover since I got a queen size bed in September and my full size summer cover won't fit.  That cover would fit on my guest room full size bed but too flowery for my man son to occupy.  I put that light quilt on in the opposite orientation of the bed.   It might work.

 Saturday I did not leave the house.  Not even to walk the dog.  Sophie got excited when she saw the neighbors out doing yard work on a beautiful day.  I put her on the leash and coaxed one of the girls to walk her.  It worked out. I did get 2 loads of laundry done.  Some of it dried on the rack for the nice Sunny day.

Saturday evening I slept remarkably well but I was extremely tired.  Yes, I knew there was thunder too tho I sleep without hearing aids.  I went to bed about 7:30 and up at 6:30.  Now I still had the morning crippling pain.  Got my walker and ice pack going.  I had EWTN on and caught the tail end of the Lourdes Rosary.  I got on their prayer request line saying, "Back pain! Tears! Walking! Surgery scheduled for Apr 27, 2017.  Need help with prayers because it's too hard to concentrate without a pinched nerve interfering."  lourdesprayerrequest.com/
Sophie wanted to play toss the toy. I can not.
11 more days. This Thursday, I must go drug-free a week before surgery. I counted 8 tramadol pills left from a "no refill" script given in January that I had been spreading out sparingly. That should make it to Thursday. After that I don't know how I'll cope. Not doing a good job of coping with pain now.
Sunday morning we had residual rain from the thunderstorms.  After my agonizing morning, then finally the pill kicked in. I showered and went to 10:30 Mass for a beautiful flower theme decoration  At first I was going to wear my tulle skirt but that didn't go well with my Easy Spirit loafers so I wore a longer pastel dress that was just as nice with a pink blazer and flowers in my hair.  Our Lenten theme involved "Resistance to Happiness".  

I baked a chicken that was a little big for a chicken but too small for a turkey.  Must have been a hybrid bird.  I made noddles, corn, carrots and kale salad.  I watched AVATAR on TV and Sean said he saw it with Alan.  I reminded him that we went as a 3some together.

I really hate sounding like I'm in constant pain.  Sometimes I'm mediocre in pain and can do something.  But I don't want to sound pain-free either.  It comes on fast but leaves slow and that's when I start to move.  A sudden sharp pinched nerve demands slow movement.  Sometimes it's better standing or walking slow.  I joke that my slow walking is the equivalent of running because sudden movements can fold me over with a verbal something -something.

I had been thinking about my strength in relation to my muscles going to mush after recovery.  Well maybe a little.  I tried to do wall push-ups like we did at Powerworks.  Then I realized the only part I can work is upper body.  In fact I do that getting out of bed and grabbing my side rail or holding onto a crutch of any sort.  Any lowering is a squat or knees "slow and controlled" like we do in exercises.  I use my yoga breath when I'm am in pain.  Anyway, since I can't bend, I lower myself vertically to my knee and that knee seems to be getting rough and dry.  Ah lotion!