Since my last post, there's been some good, there's been some bad.
Good: After the first Epidural injection, I DID have some pain relief.
Bad: It only lasted 2 weeks.
A Bit Worse: After my second epidural, I felt very crummy. I hurt, I was stiff, I was exhausted, I had no energy, I had anxiety attacks including chest pains and requiring Xanax.
The Helpful: My brother extended his stay with me an extra two days until he was certain I would be alright alone. I'm so grateful he came to stay with me and drive me to the injection.
Good: My daughter and I took a week's vacation in Virginia to visit one of my oldest friends. It was a wonderful trip. We went to a park & nature center. We went to the barn. They convinced me to try riding their horse. I tried. I got nervous and tensed up and poor Dusty thought I meant "Trot!" I most certainly did not mean Trot, but the whole tightening the leg muscles thing was my fault, not the horse's.
Another Good: Her kids are wonderful! I love them! They were a bright sunlight to see everyday. I was contented to sit and watch them tag along after my daughter and play, and their minds! So Smart! Amazing little beings. And the dogs! Love them!
Another Good: We had some "Girl Time" with the assembly line of hair dying! I put purple and cobalt blue streaks in Dayna's hair. Dayna put purple streaks in Lisa's hair. And Lisa dyed my whole head a strawberry blonde color. It was fun!
The Very Good: I did my exercises EVERY day I was there!
The Bad: My diet was leaving something to be desired :-/ I did try. But you can't win 'em all... I gained 4 pounds. It doesn't sound like much, but when you're aiming to lose 2 pounds a week, a 4 pound gain in a week is a 2 week setback.
Another Bad: I required more pain meds and muscle relaxers than I care to admit just to keep up with them. :-(
Good: I saw a neurosurgeon who believed he could help me. I swallowed my fear and did some soul searching. I took a deep breath, swallowed, and scheduled a lower back surgery. I can't live how I was, I needed to do SOMEthing, and this was the recommendation.
The Other Good: I survived the surgery! I came out of surgery in pain, but not as much as I had anticipated. So that was good. I stayed one night in the hospital and came home with a cane the next day.
The Bad: 7 weeks post-op and I still have pain. It's not as much as prior to surgery, which is good, but still enough that I need pain medicine, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers pretty near daily. And I'm not doing much. Just daily activities and basic exercises.
The Worse: At my 2 week follow up the doctor said I may need a spinal fusion. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around that one. I was nervous about going in to shave off the offending parts of my discs. The thought of rods and screws and the like in there freaks me out. I worry about what limitations I will have afterwards. I worry I will not be able to rest and recover properly since I live alone. I follow up again this week. We'll see what he says.
Mother Nature called: I had my back surgery Wednesday, August 24th. I came home Thursday, August 25th. I evacuated due to Hurricane Irene Friday, August 26th. Talk about timing! The evacuation was a bit of a hardship. I stayed at my ex's because my daughter was a barrel of nerves and didn't want to leave me so she talked him into it. I was grateful for the hospitality. My daughter was wonderful taking care of me. The sharing a twin size bed with her for 4 days was not anywhere near as wonderful. :-( The flight of stairs multiple times a day was definitely physical therapy overload. Talk about Stiff and Ow.
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| Sakura, 8 weeks old, 1 pound even |
The Bad: NO ELECTRIC! I lit a few candles. Dad brought over two oil lamps and a generator. The generator works one night to give us lights, then died. We used the enclosed oil Lantern with the handle for bathroom trips since it was safer to walk with. We finally got power back on Friday, September 2nd.
The Good: On Tuesday, August 30th my brother came by and mentioned to my dad that he had a kitten in the bathroom at his house. Apparently a friend found her and couldn't keep her. My brother couldn't bear to see the kitten homeless so he brought her home. He planned to leave for Scotland for 5 months the next day. My daughter caught wind of "Baby kitten" and I got the puppy dog eyes and the, "Can we keep her?" A trip to the supermarket for cat food and litter and a few hours later we had a beautiful little 8 week old baby kitten. Dayna named her Sakura (she says it means Cherry Blossom in Japanese).
The Bad: She's expensive! PetSmart got us for quite a chunk of change. Initial vet trip did too - Worms, Conjunctivitis, Fleas. A week later we were back for Ringworm. Itraconazole $68. Followed 2 days later by a Lime Sulfur dip and a stool sample that came back positive for Coccidia and another medication. The Good: I hadn't quite realized how lonely I was before. Now that she's here, I feel better. I have someone to talk to. She responds much more often than the walls (which proves I have a shred of sanity left).
The Bad: She responds how most playful kittens respond - with TEETH and CLAWS! Ouch! I am covered in scratches. She'll learn.
Another Bad: I cannot keep this cat off my counter or table.
The Good: We've moved into the trailer in the Highlands! It's closer to family, cheaper rent, and more room. It's safer - no drugs or excessive alcohol right next door. I no longer have to worry about Marlene coming by drunk and high at 3am and telling me to let her in while she calls me Britney. And aside from a spider in the kitchen, there's no constant bombardment of bugs!The Bad: I can't mow the lawn by myself.
The Good: Dad has offered to do it. Gotta love Dad! He told me not to even attempt it, he worries about my back. He says he is happy to do it.
The Bad: Move in is slow because of my back, but I am trying. I try to do a few boxes a day.
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