Set back but not cancer

Slipped on vomit? Someone's else's, I hope - although that is also kinda gross! Good can come from bad. We simply have to look for it sometimes. A slip and fall can more easily be recovered from than a relapse. So, instead of being too busy, too preoccupied, to frustrated at time when we should be hopeful and filled with peace and joy, you have a reminder to take it easy and care for yourself a bit. And, why not?

Linda,

You can touch your toes ?  Damn ! I wish I could. Unless I  put a foot up on a chair I havn't been able to touch my feet in decades, broken back and such. My wife or one of the kids have to put on my socks, shoes.

I can see you there on that floor. To me, the embarrasment is the hardest part, dealing with the watchers and gawkers, and the others who just feel a person on the ground is irrelevant.  In similiar straights I have wished I would become invisible or die or wash down a drain, if I could only get away from the gawkers.  

Yesterday, December 11, was the 30th Anniversary of me going out of a car window in traffic.  About three months later I was out of the hospital and well enough for my dad to roll me through a mall in a wheelchair.  It was so enlightening: the responses were not what I expected. The most common reaction was impatience and rudeness, a "Get to hell out of my way, freak !" response.  I would never have expected or believed such a thing without experiencing it directly.

I am glad a kind Samartian was there for you, who comforted and assited you until EMS arrived.  I'm also thankful that a thorough checkout indicated nothing serious, just bruised (but very painful) muscles.  You will recover fully, soon. I pray it.

As Po wrote, all happens for a reason.  As the brilliant Paul Simon writes, God has his plan, but the information is unavailable to the mortal man.  Another line in the song says,  A good day has no rain. A bad day is when I lie in bed, and think of what might have been....

Some believe these thoughts, many do not.  You and I, we do believe it, so may you recover fast, and not slip slide away again...

max

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_H-LY4Jb2M

Dang - maybe you just weren't meant to be doing those saved up chores in 2016.  Getting down and up-out-of-a-chair probably hurts?  Here's a trick our PT son taught me a couple years ago when I twisted and lifted something heavy - the good old lower back just seemed to go out.  If sitting:  get near the edge of the chair (NOT A CHAIR WITH WHEELS), bend at the waist and kind of slowly let yourself fall a bit forward - then using only your upper legs and butt lift yourself up and out.  Do the opposite to sit down.  It really worked for me but it was at least 3 weeks before it really stopped hurting.  Just remember - you have no damage to your back..."pain is not a measurement of tissue damage."  It will heal and you'll be good as new. 

paella

Sal0101 said:

High temp!

Linda, it sounds like you were kicked down for a short while, very short!! Your humor is refreshing! I was thinking of putting up a 10 foot tree, however the top several feet would be upstairs!! High temp here was 11, wind chill -3.  It's not that bad!! Merry Christmas!!

 

Sal,

What state are you in ?  I can remember growing up in Charleston, and many years running the air conditioning on Christmas Day, although it does freeze there in the winter at times, mostly January and February.

We surfaced the boat above the Arctic Circle once in August (the warmenst time of year at the North Pole), and the air temp was -35 (F), but I don't know the wind chill.  At Sub Base Groton (CT) I heard the weatherman say  on the radio one day that the wind chill was -50.  Of ocurse the Great Lakes area and New England get much colder than that during some storms.   

A junior officer ran out into the snow pack during that stop at the Pole area with nothing on but swim trunks and shoes, so that his feet would not freeze to the ground, had his picture made, and ran back down below. A crazy group, we were.

Wishing your area a thaw !

max

lindary said:

sitting

Paella - thanks for the info from your son. I am going to try that. The worse is getting out of bed in the morning. I sit on the edge and bend forwardwith my chest almost laying on my upper legs. I can feel the back muscles stretch as I do it. I let me arms hand down. Then I slowly sit up and then stand up but I am not lifting the butt. Three weeks! Well I am at the 11 day mark. About halfway. 

My Dr gave me more muscle relaxers but I've only taken them when going to bed. I don't take one in the morning because I have to drive to work. When I mentioned it to my boss (who also has back problems) she told me to bring the meds to work and take one after I get in. That way it will have worn off by the time I head home. I did that yesterday and today and I felt a lot better both days. 

As to the mall, it is a very big place. It was near a garbage can so I am not sure if the "Offender" was trying to get to it and didn't make it or what. With how busy that place was I have a feeling it hadn't been there very long but I think it is rotten they didn't report it to at least one of the people in the nearby kiosks. My luck to be the one that found it.  

Christmas in only 10 days away. We are just going to be putting up the live tree tomorrow. I think this is the latest we have every put it up. Since my husband is retired he bought the tree. I hope it's not another "Chevy Chase" tree where it is at least a foot tall than the ceiling is high. Last year he bought a veyr tall tree like what his dad used to get. Problem is that house had 10 foot ceilings. (Old house.) Then it's getting the rest of the decorations up.  Now if the weather will get a little better. High temp was 9 today. 

I've been off for a while and this is HORRIBLE on so many levels......

lindary said:

Back is better

Taking the muscle relaxer after I get to work has helped so much. I had taken off from work the first 3 Mondays of Dec. Because of the fall the 2 two weeks I didn't do much except rest. This weekend I did get our cards sent out and most of the gifts wrapped. The temps have been below 20 almost every day and that is before the wind chill is applied. Today I think the high was around 13 or 14. It is also the first day that I actually feel good. I am being careful about what I lift but I am able to move around better than I have since I fell. Tomorrow when I get home from work I am making kolakys for our Christmas party at work on Wed. It will be a busy week. 

 

Try this (when getting out of bed or a chair).  Sit on the edge and bend forward but only about ½ or maybe 1/3 of the way over.  Then tighten your thighs and butt (don’t lift your butt – just rock forward making the butt and thigh muscles really tight and use your thighs and the tightness of them and your butt to lift YOU, like when you do a squat.)  Stay bent over slightly until you’re all the way up.  Once you’re completely on your feet and standing, then straighten up out of the slight bend.  It’s a bit like the way they tell you to pick a heavy box up off the floor – your legs and butt do the work. 

Mac and I decided not to put up a tree this year.  He’s handling his toxic chemo for Pancan really well, but between the both of us we determined we didn’t have the energy.  Or maybe not enough Christmas spirit, either.   

Merry Christmas to all! 

Paella