I hate to sound whiny, but I am finding the process is getting older to be the pits! I tell myself that things could be worse, but that is hard to keep in mind when my hands ache and my knees feel like they have swollen to the size of basketballs!
Last year during my physical my doctor suggested that I start walking every day. He said that saturating a t-shirt with sweat was the best measurement for the amount of exercise. The second time I went out walking, I slipped on a twig on my driveway and fell flat on my face. I was using my cane at the time, so I got a bruise from it as well as the bruises from hitting the ground. I always have bruises on my legs and arms. After a couple of episodes of temporary deafness in one of my ears, I saw an ear, nose and throat specialist. They tell me I probably have a condition called Meniere’s Disease. It causes ringing in the ears, hearing difficulties and balance problems. I thought I was just clumsy! I had blamed it on my hydrocephalus which was diagnosed in 2002 when I was 47. My neurosurgeon kept telling me that my dizziness and the ‘squealing’ in my ears are not related to the hydro. The problem with Meniere’s is that there are no tests and no treatments. The cause is unknown.
After I fell, I decided to try yoga. My pain specialist gave the go-ahead on it, so I found a teacher close to my home. I had tried a video at home and gave up. It was hard to watch the television and try to do the poses at the same time. I gave it up after two classes even though I did like it. My hands were going numb a lot. It turned out that I had carpal tunnel! It was probably from caring for my sister while she was sick. She was pretty much dead weight and I would have to roll her from side to side. I’ve had surgery on the right hand with immediate improvement. The left one is not as bad and I don’t think I will have surgery on it.
I’ve had surgery so many times that I have started to enjoy being put under anesthesia. I always tell them to do it slowly so I can enjoy it. One doctor called me obsessive because I keep my surgeries and medication in a Word document. A few years later that same doctor decided that I was smart for doing it. Who can remember 13 procedures and when they occurred? Or is it 14? At least I don’t have them numbered, I have to count them.
I put this aside for a few days because it does just sound like someone crying “Why me?” I’ve even read it over several times trying to come up with a way to rewrite it and make it funny. On good days, I can really laugh at myself. I just can’t seem to do it this time. I’ve been using ice packs on my knees for the last 3 days. Whenever it rains or I climb the stairs too many times or I put my foot down wrong, I end up with at least one knee that is swollen and throbbing.
The recent rain is also affecting my hydrocephalus. I get bad headaches before the rain comes. I can feel the drainage catheter filling with fluid. If I have spasms in my back, the muscles pull all the way around to my abdomen. The drainage catheter is under my abdominal muscles so it gets pulled and I feel pain in my gut from the end of the catheter.
At least I felt well enough for a while this morning to write about the wildlife in my yard. I also started work on a website about our dogs and the three (maybe four) we will be breeding. Thinking about the fourth dog does make me smile. My daughter-in-law had bought two chocolate Boston Terriers. The two were just as cute as could be, but in need of a good meal and de-worming. They ended up with the temporary names of Hamburger and Pickle. Pickle now has a new home and a new name. Hamburger fell in love with my son and him with her. It took a while for him to admit her wanted to keep the dog. The name Hamburger is staying. In a way I hope her head does not grow into her ears. Those ears are huge! They look like batwings. Her nose is brown except for one pink spot. Every time I look at her, I think she has mucus smeared on her face.
That felt better; I may feel lousy physically, but the face of a little dog can make me smile. So can my Yorkshire Terrier who is outside barking like we are being attacked by bears. Maybe I need to sit with her for a while. She makes me feel better too.
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