October ramblings...

Wow, here we are, 2/3 of the way through October already!!  This last week, my sister-in-law was here to visit.  The first time we've seen her since my beloved brother passed away in August 2013.  It was so bittersweet to see her... I've always felt like she was, truly, my sister - anyone who loves and takes care of my wonderful brother is a true blessing.  She's easy to be around - I'm one of those folks who is fine around really outgoing people, but someone who is more like me, meaning a little socially uncomfortable...ehh... not so much!  I wouldn't call her a social butterfly exactly, but she's just really good and making one feel like they belong.  I love that about her!!

We went down to the farm on Monday and showed her the memorial plaque we put on my Grandparent's grave.  They are buried in a little cemetery a couple miles from our family farm, where there was once a church, called Pilot Grove - the name of the township my Dad grew up in, lived his whole life in, and died in.  The memorial plaque is right next to my Dad's - Dad and Wes were both cremated...

Anyway, it was a good week of hanging out. My hip has been so "bum" that I couldn't do much.  It sucks!!  But Sally is just as happy to just hang out, so we did a lot of that.  She stayed with Mom and I was over there every day.  She went home on Saturday morning... it felt a little sad to see her go.  I wish she lived closer...

It's been so long since I posted.  It's been a hellish summer.  My hip has been a total disaster.  I hobble around everywhere I go, and sometimes, it's so bad that I use Mark's walker around the house.  I went to the doc, they took xrays... she sent me on to a bone doc... he talks about PT, drugs, etc...  I need some serious relief!!  PLEASE!!  There are times I'm in so much pain, it's just utterly debilitating.  I can't get jack-shit done.  Last week, when I knew Sally was coming, I hired a maid service to do the things I've been unable to do for some time...  Dusting walls, wiping down woodwork, cleaning ceiling fans, wash floors, etc.  When you're in that much pain, only the bare necessities get done!!  One day, we made breakfast and I could barely stand long enough to cook eggs!!  I have great empathy now for seriously handicapped people and wonder how they take care of themselves...I have always refused my husband's pleas to use his handicap placard when going to the store, etc...  "That's for SERIOUSLY handicapped people!" I've always said.  But I've actually used it twice recently - once to go to see a doc and another time at a grocery store.  I decided it was easier and fairer to use our grocer's delivery system to get my groceries... I mean, for $4.95, they deliver your picked groceries to your front door!  What a DEAL!!

 ... So here it is, now 10/29 - I started this about 10 days ago.  A week ago yesterday, I went to a pain doc and got a shot of cortisone in my hip.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that doesn't hurt, 'cuz it DOES!  I wondered if it was worth it at first.  No, not really.  I went straight home and spent an hour watering plants, up and down the step stool and everything.  So I knew I had instant relief, but I still had pain.  And it got a little better each day... Thurs., Fri. went to the gym... a little better, but still sore.  Sat., worked, used my sciatic brace, did pretty good, but sore...but not bad.  Sun., a little better.  Mon. was a fairly good day.  Phyllis called that afternoon about her kitty dying.  She wanted to have her cremated and asked me to take her to Tully's on Tues.  We did that - it was good to see her and I was feeling pretty great!  Went to work with Mom after that and did some work.  I do still get sore after a bit, but it's not like before.  Then yesterday and today, even better!  I still have a limp, but it's not bad.. it feels premore like weakness than pain now...  I'm going to go to do some water/hydro-therapy to gain more strength.

Oh, it is SO much easier to have a positive outlook when you aren't suffering from chronic pain!  I'd forgotten how awesome life is!  No, my life is NOT perfect.  But... "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone... I can see all obstacles in my way...gone are the dark clouds that had me blind... it's gonna be a bright, bright sun-shiny day!"  That's how I feel!!  And the obstacles seem less cumbersome...

Anyway, I will never take movement for granted again.  I'm going to do as much as I can and not be so much of a slug.  And I'm eating better.  In the process of all this, I went to a bone doc.  Honestly, he wasn't uch help at all for my joint issues.  BUT, when I told him that I knew losing weight would be beneficial, he agreed and told me the best way to lose weight was to eat protein/meat and fruits, vemgetables ONLY, avoid ALL carbs.  He said he lost 50 lbs that way and had kept it off with no effort.  So I've been eating pretty consistently that way and I gotta say, I feel great!!  Mark is doing his best to be supportive...  I'm sure that will get old for him.

 So... my friend Phyllis.  She is such a hoot.  We worked together back in the early nineties.  I was an office manager and hired her to do clerical work.  She was in her late 50's back then and we became quick friends.  I'm convinced she is one of my soul mates - we are very sympatico.  We haven't seen each other a lot over the years, but when we do, it all just falls into place.  She called me last March to bail her out of crazy-ville.  Her daughters had her committed to a psyche-ward for three weeks, against her will.  Phyllis is, admittedly, scattered - maybe ADHD or something like that.  But she is NOT crazy!!  In her efforts to be a friend, rather than a mother, a rescuer rather than a mother, I think she created two self-absorbed bitches who just don't give a rat's ass about their mother.  I took her home and she has only talked to each of her two daughters once since then.  It's SOOO sad...  Bitches!!!!

But she's a sweet woman, 78 years old now, and just needs some friendship and attention.  And she deserves it.  She's a wonderful lady who is, admittedly, a little yakkity, but only because she doesn't get much company.  **Sigh**  I hope when I retire, I can spend time with people like Phyllis and give them some sense of a connection...

Well, I'm going to get this posted and move on to a new post, hopefully soon, about plants!