I’m sorry I’ve been MIA from the blogging world, again, but after I finish explaining the week we’ve just experienced, I’m sure you’ll understand. Blogging has been about the last thing on my mind, lately.
Last week began with a doctor’s appointment for me, and one for Ed, as well–together. As in, we shared an exam room together. This was our second experience of sharing an exam room and the doctor at the same time. I’m not really sure I like it, but I went along with it since it was Ed’s idea. Whenever we share the doctor and exam room, it seems like we should get a discount or something, don’t you think?
Anyway, Ed and I both had fairly good checkups, but when we went to pay our bills, we discovered Medicare had neglected to send Ed a new card showing that he has part A and B on it. Oops! Ed wasn’t able to use the card he had. Next, when Ed decided to try getting his prescriptions filled through mail order, there was a glitch with that, too.
Tuesday, after making several phone calls trying to get Ed’s Medicare and mail order pharmacy business in order, we decided to plant the rest of our garden. It took us most of the day, but we got everything planted–by hand, with the exception of Ed’s row of peanuts. And we said we were going to plant less this year…but that didn’t happen, of course.
Let me stop here and mention the fact that I’ve been experiencing some back stiffness, off and on, for several weeks, especially after sitting for a while. Stooping over to plant all those garden seeds hasn’t helped the stiffness any. Then, I stepped into a shallow hole in the yard, on Tuesday afternoon, which jarred me just a bit, but I didn’t think much about it at the time. Perhaps I should have.
On Wednesday, I woke up to a weird sensation in my left leg. My leg felt tingly, like it was asleep, and it continued feeling that way the entire day. Ed and I needed to do some work in the flowerbed, next to the house, so I ignored the feeling and went about my business. A girl’s gotta’ do what she’s gotta’ do–or so I thought.
Do you know how one job sometimes leads to another job? Well, that’s what happened to us, on Wednesday? When we started getting ready to plant some new plants, we decided we needed to put a new coat of paint on the lattice underpinning surrounding the bottom of our house. We spent most of Wednesday and Thursday painting and repairing that lattice!
By Thursday morning, my leg was feeling worse. The numbness I’d been feeling had been replaced by what felt like occasional muscle spasms. By then, I was pretty sure I was experiencing the symptoms of a ‘pinched nerve’, since I’ve had one in my neck before. Oh, but that wasn’t the worst part of the day! While removing and painting the lattice underpinning, that day, we discovered evidence of termites! Not actual termites, just where they’d been dining on some of the lattice. Then, later, when Ed removed the dirt from a barrel planter, sitting beside our house, he discovered termites had eaten the bottom completely out of the barrel–and were still dining on the sides of it! There was nothing left to do but call an exterminator!
On Friday, I decided I’d rest my back (and leg) and see if it made any difference. I spent most of the day on the couch, but I couldn’t tell that it made much difference. As long as I sat still my leg felt fine, but whenever I walked any distance (like across the room) my leg began to have spasms that hurt like hell. (Pardon my language.)
While I was resting, Ed called the exterminator, who came to check out our house for termites on Friday afternoon. Upon his initial inspection, the exterminator told us we had an even larger problem than termites! (he didn’t actually see any visible termites under the house) He informed us we have mold growing under our house, which if left untreated, will soften the wood and eventually cause the floor of our house to go bad! (Say it ain’t so! That’s exactly what happened to the floor in our old house!) Then the exterminator explained to Ed that his company is in the business of treating and preventing mold, in addition to treating for termites. He explained the three-day process, then gave Ed an estimate for the cost of the services of treating for mold and for termites. Ouch! Let’s just say, it’s going to take two full months of Ed’s former pay to fund this project! Ed told the exterminator we’d take the weekend and decide what we’re going to do, but as we see it, we really don’t have a choice. We know how the story ends if we do nothing.
For now, I’m still laid up with this ‘pinched nerve’ thing which doesn’t really seem to be getting better. I’m going to give it a few more days [of rest] before I give in and go to the doctor, because I already know, from experience, what seeing a doctor will entail, and I really don’t want to go there! I’m going to increase my dosage of Nsaids, continue resting for a few more days, and hope and pray for the best.
One funny thing has come out of this ‘pinched nerve’ situation, though. Ed went to his mom’s house and got her four-legged cane for me. He said if I’d use the cane whenever I walk, it will take the pressure off of my bad leg, therefore, helping with the pain. Well, I must be the most uncoordinated person in the world because we’ve gotten more than a few good laughs over me trying to learn to walk with that cane! When I am able to use it correctly, Ed’s right, it helps. The problem is using it correctly. For me, it’s like patting my head and rubbing my stomach at the same time 🙂 I just don’t seem to be able to do it! Ha!
Have a great Monday! As for me, I’ll be resting my back and trying to get the hang of this stupid cane–until Ed returns to his mom’s house and brings back her walker…
Reflections...by Kathy 