Monday, August 31, 2009

HOW TO GET UN-BUMMED



The past couple of weeks I have been nursing a bad back. Along with just jolly old age, I have a herniated disk, crushed coccyx, and arthritis in my back. Most often, I do pretty darn good, just not so good lately. I got better, over did, and went back to square one several times. Ashamed to say I had let myself get bummed. Bad Patti.

Normally my back doesn't bother me for very long. Usually a couple of days and all better. Not this time. I haven't slept well and spend most of each waking day looking for a good position. A decent supply of pain pills has made things bearable and enabled me to get necessary chores done. BUT--- I don't do inactive well and I hate to take medicine. Kind of a poopy patient. Just glad I am me and not taking care of me.


Mickey( the blurry head), Mighty, and Minnie.

Sunday, I decided to just smother myself in warm fuzzies and get the heck out to this blue funk. So first I spent some cuddle time with my four legged friends. They joined me on the couch to watch my favorite baseball team for an daytime game. Well they didn't watch but rather lay like lumps occasionally crowding each other for the best position closest to me. I often feel like I am being lovingly mauled. It's nice to be so popular, I think.




This is a picture of my favorite player, Cody Ross, taken off the TV. He is a bit small compared to his teammates but is gold glove caliber center fielder and a real clutch hitter. I am not his only fan. Whenever he comes to bat, the whole crowd chants----"Co-D, Co-D." I admit to doing the same chant on the couch much to the animals bewilderment. They really don't like when he comes to bat. However, he came thru today as usual and we won." Co-D."



Feeling better all ready but tired of hanging out on the couch, so I took Mighty Dog for a long, slow walk. The wonderful news about Mighty is that we are one week away from his third full month of rehab for the knee surgery he had in June. On the 3rd of September, we will be through all restrictions on his activities. Yea!!! This has been a long ordeal for him. He is a lot like his mama and doesn't do inactive well either. Mighty is off the leash as of this week and you have to look hard to notice a limp. Hopefully he will soon be able to stage a rematch with the Terrible Fifi.



The day did its best to accommodate. Beautiful, just beautiful. High of 82, gentle breeze and gorgeous sunshine. Mighty had a great time hunting and eating his favorite snack, worm jerky (the portions of the worms the robins don't eat that turn to leather in the sun.) This really does nothing for his breath.


Decided to smell the roses and actually enjoy my flowers since the season is running out. This was my lone rose that wasn't ratty looking. The good thing is that my back isn't any worse and my attitude is completely improved. Truthfully this has been my best day in quite a while so hopefully I will be back to normal tomorrow. Thanks for listening to me whine. This too shall pass.

Monday morning now and I slept through the night with NO pain. Now instead of running off like a wild woman and pulling weeds and heaving rocks, I will work on those stomach muscles slowly ( they are the ones that hold your back in place). Guess I needed less of a back adjustment and just a good ole attitude adjustment. "Than kuu" as we say in the South.

Fifty degrees this morning. That will put a spring in the step.

21 comments :

  1. I have some days and nights like that.

    Right now I have an ear that seems plugged--not much pain--just nagging. Probably allergies--it is rag weed season

    Trying to hold off till I see DR. next week.

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  2. Happens dear Patti.. Wish you a speedy recovery :)Take care!!

    When I saw that photo with a rose , I instinctively thought - "stop and smell the roses" !! ;-)

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  3. I suffer with a bad back too! They'd like to do surgery but I'm too chicken and besides I know people who've had it and ended up in worse shape! So I do what can, slow down when it gos down and try not to think about it! HA! Hope you continue to get better Patti! :)

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  4. It's those core muscles that support everything...exercizes to work Patsy...Almost 2 years ago at Christmas, I fell 8 feet, broke an ankle, hurt my back and leg muscles...needless to say I did not enjoy the 6 mos. of recuperating, back pain and inactivity, especially at spring time. The exercises did work wonders though...Thankfully!

    Hope the very same for you Patsy!
    I liked your "lovingly mauled" phrase!

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  5. Oh My Patti... I'm so sorry to hear about your pain. That's just NO FUN at all. But--maybe now you will learn not to jump back into activity too quickly. Just relax and do whatever needed to keep the pain FAR away!!!!!

    Love that picture of you and your babies. They are good cures for anything, aren't they???? Glad your baseball team is doing so well this year. Mine STINKS... ha

    TAKE CARE, my friend.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  6. So sorry to hear about the pain you have been in. Now that you're feeling a bit better, don't over do it!
    You're babies are so cute and the rose is lovely.

    Sunny :)

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  7. I hope you are feeling much better. I enJOYed your photos very much! It was in mid 60's here this morning. Very chilly for East Texas!

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  8. Hey, I don't do inactivity well either, and I don't like to take medication, ever. Those down times really do try the soul, don't they? I'm glad to see that you found just the right furry elixirs to make the time pass with pleasure.

    Hope you continue to heal well, patti.

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  9. Nitwit,
    Ouch, so sorry you are having allergy plugged ears. Do decongestants work?
    Hope you are better before the doc.

    lostworld,
    Thank you for your wishes. Doing pretty good today. Roses do wonders for a mood don't they.

    Carol, I guess we are not unique with our backs and I totally agree about surgery. That was recommended here also but I have several friends who are now much worse after surgery. Thanks, may we both do well.

    Wanda, Thank you.
    You are so right. If I did a simple set of exercises each day I would never have a problem. Each time I resolve to do them and each time I slack off. Maybe this time.

    Betsy,
    Think I have finally learned to take it easy. It is just hard to do when you like to be active.
    Your team isn't doing so bad, they took the last series from us. We are doing our end of season slide. It happens when you have all young players. Always next year for us both.

    Thank you so much Sunny. Much better today and am very hopeful that this is behind me.

    Cheffie Mom,
    Thank you for your wishes. I am so glad Texas is getting a break, it has been a rough spell of brutal heat. Sixty degrees is good.

    Robin,
    Thanks so much and I am glad to meet a kindred bad patient and poor pill taker. Feeling so much better today that I am positivly jovial. Sometimes feeling miserable makes us really appreciate the norm.

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  10. I'm glad you are feeling better. It was probably your pets that did the trick.

    An Arkies Musings

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  11. Isn't it always the way that someone's misfortune, is a windfall to someone else! It is the principle that makes drug companies rich! Whilst poor you were "bummed" you became a luxury trampoline for all those cats. You also became a vital part of the nation's television audience, no doubt known to advertisement executives and bean counters as U7ZeeTVADD... Upwardly 7 Zero Television Advertising Demographic. Advertisers must love people who can't move, or cannot move fast due to pain! Anyway, I am glad to read that there is some improvement, and that Co-D triumphed!

    How lovely to see Mighty Dog enjoying life out in the sunshine, tail wagging, and nose sniffing more for worm jerky, he looks a very lovable fellow.

    Beautiful rose, any idea of the variety?

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  12. richies,
    You are right, they played a big part. Thanks so much.

    Peter,
    You always make me laugh. You are right about them using me. It gets to be serious competition. I was glad to oblige. I know my job and I do it.
    Mighty and I both are doing so much better. Thank you.

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  13. Hope you stay better; a sore back makes you hurt all over.
    Your not-raggedy rose is just beautiful.

    I've worked in the yard all day and will probably pay for it tomorrow. I don't do lifting and bending very well, either.

    Can't complain about the weather, though. The last day of August was beautifully cool and absolutely non-typical for Arkansas. Shall we have snow by Hallowee'n?

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  14. I'm sorry about your back and can sympathize, since I have some of the same complaints. Attitude adjustment helps, doesn't it?

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  15. Sorry to hear you've been under the weather. It makes me crazier when I don't feel good and can't do things right now. Not a pill popper, I always forget to take even the vitamins.
    Mighty is looking chipper. Worm jerky, what a hoot. Maxwell prefers well aged pig ears...

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  16. Pat,
    Bet you were finding homes for all those Naked Ladies. Hope your muscles don't bark at you.
    This has been the nicest Arkansas weather I have seen since I got here 5 years ago. Just wonderful.

    kenju
    So agree on attitude. "Woe is me" makes everything worse. All is good now. Thanks so much.

    Brighid,
    Inactivity is brutal isn't it?
    I don't mind Mighty and the worms, I just hope he never asks for Bully Sticks. Wonder who thought up those. Guess it is a way to recycle.

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  17. I wish you a speedy recovery too! It's always a nuisance to suffer from an aching back. Your photos are lovely!
    Thanks for your visit to my gnomes.

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  18. Mighty is so cute! He looks very spry in that picture! And I'm glad to read you are feeling somewhat better....I have back and Hip problems and PAIN is my middle name, so I know of what you speak, my dear. I really have o start working on hose muscles, too....Well, as Scarlet said...."I'LL THINK ABOUT IT TOMORROW"....!
    Cody is very very cute!

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  19. OOLOH
    Sooo sorry about your back and hip. I have hip also but Glucosamine/chondroitin takes care of that.
    I am afraid I have Scarlet's attitude also.
    Thanks for your good thoughts.

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  20. First, congratulations to having won your baseball team. Go CoD!

    Second, you are blessed with your four legged loyal friends. And hope the Mighty canine will get well soon and be able to do his regular activity and out from that limpy situation.

    Third, your Rose is beautiful and glad it has left you some alluring scent for you to smell before it wilts.

    Fourth, as we age, yes, we do get those discomforts from time to time. Like you, I don't like medicines to prevail in my system either. Hope you'll just try to take is easy.

    Fifth, I hope the good weather will continue to be favourable to help ease up your physical discomfort.

    Last but not the least, thank you for your kind understanding as shown in your very caring and thoughtful comment left on my main blog. It gave me the chance to cry at last for my lost mother.

    Hugs.

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  21. Thank you Bonnie for a beautiful story of pain and forgiveness.

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