Category Archives: Health shit

Has it been 3 years?

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

Yes, almost three years since The Big Surgery. And I am feeling pretty much okay. It has taken much longer than I would have liked, but I admit I have no been as diligent as I should have regarding adherence to exercise and better eating. I still do eat mostly healthy and balanced, but I’ve not been strict about getting out and walking. I keep thinking I want to, but then I don’t actually do it.

I have days when I get up raring to go and other days I feel like just melting into a blog on the couch, which isn’t so healthy. And once in a while I forget to take my meds, either the morning or the evening, but that’s only 2-3 times a month when I forget.

In the last 3 years there’s been some areas of growth, and some areas of laziness on my part. I won’t go into that.

A while back I was looking through pictures, both in Facebook and my blogs, finding pictures of things I have made — various knit or crochet items that I had completely forgotten about. I wonder if this is true of other crafters, they keep producing to the point they just forget what they’ve done.

Also lately, I have been seeing notice of various celebrities who have died. Most are 2 or 3 decades older than I, but it is noticeable that more people are dying who are younger than I. It drives home the fact that I am getting always older and eventually my own time will be up as well. I can’t do much about that, other than try to take care of myself and then hope I die a quick and easy death. I definitely do not want to linger about like my father did for several years after his first stroke.

I wasn’t close to my father’s parents, or to my mother’s father and his wife. Mostly I knew my mother’s mother and her husband. But even that relationship was semi-distant because my mother and her mother had a strained relationship. I’m not as close to my kids or my grandkids as I would like to be. I’d love to have the money and other resources to make their lives better or at least easier.

Healing Continues

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

So, today is the 4th day after cataract surgery. It’s been going mostly okay, although yesterday felt like a speed bump or something. just a weird afternoon, feeling sort of off-center or something. I didn’t feel right until later in the evening.

This morning, after brushing my teeth I accidentally rubbed the towel over my left eye. I wasn’t pressing or scrubbng, just a light rub over the eyelid. Holy Shit, that hurt like hell! I don’t think I tore or damaged anything, but it felt like a 2-day bruised knot or something — the kind that doesn’t hurt until you touch it without thinking.

I am seeing better for the most part, including being able to see my computer. The alignment in my eyes isn’t changing, though, and I will need to see the Dr. about that — if I look too long at something the right eye goes a little askew. I’m also trying to remember to blink more often to keep my eyes from drying out and to help reset my focus.

I’m glad I decided to get both eyes done at the same time — I don’t think I would enjoy going through this healing process for a month and then having to do it again for the other eye. Better, in my mind, to just do it and get it over with. Seems like everyone I’ve talked to either had just one eye done, or both eyes done a month or two apart. So maybe this wasn’t the smartest way, but it’s the way I chose and I don’t regret it.

And, if I’m honest, I suspect I would have had to pay a second co-pay if I had had the eyes done at separate times, since it would be two separate procedures. I might be wrong, though.

It is annoying having to not do all the things I normally do — trying to limit my computer time (esp. Facebook), as well as following orders not to lift anything too heavy, not to bend over (squat down don’t bend over), and things like that.

Later — just took a 30 minute walk up to Alderson and back. Sore and tired in my hips and legs, but feeling better overall for having the walk. It’s good to get my “fresh air, sunshine, and exercise,” whether I want it or not. As we move into cooler, winter weather, I should take advantage of relatively decent weather whenever I can, right?

New Things to See!

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

Two days ago, on Tuesday, I had cataract surgery on both eyes. I am still in the adjustment and healing period, which includes resting my eyes, restricting certain activities, and taking special medication (eyedrops).

I had not been much aware of a cataract developing in my left eye because my right eye had gotten so bad and blurry, but the last time it was checked, my optometrist told me the left was also bad. Most everyone I have talked with said they had one eye done, and then the other eye done in a few weeks or a month later. My ophthalmologist said he’s done several people getting both eyes done the same day. I told him I live alone and I was concerned about being able to heal properly with having both eyes done the same time, and he told me I would be fine.

I have always done things in a “do it all now” fashion. I had all four wisdom teeth removed the same day. I had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands/wrists the same day. I had bilateral inguinal hernias done the same day — and then had to repeat it both sides a month later. So, it wasn’t unusual for me to consider having both eyes done. This was taken just after I got home from the surgery. I look a bit of a mess, eh?

Picture of me after cataract surgery.

So now it’s been 2 days, I only have to wear the shields at night for 5 more nights (7 nights total), and then follow a diminishing schedule for the eyedrops.

I have worn glasses since 7th grade, when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I should have had glasses 3 years earlier, in 4th Grade, but my mother didn’t believe the school when they said I could not see. It was the 7th Grade when the Electric Shop teacher said he would have me expelled if I didn’t get glasses, and then my parents got serious about it. They got me a pair of glasses finally; just one pair. And my next pair of glasses was when I hit Air Force Basic Training. They were ugly, dark-rimmed glasses, but the difference in corrected vision was astounding.

(On a side note, I also never saw a dentist until I got my duty station in Athens, Greece. My parents never took me to a dentist, ever.)

It is interesting to be noticing things round the house I haven’t really noticed before — cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling, parts of the floor that need vacuumed or swept. Since I was told not to bend over or lift more than 10 pounds for 7-10 days, I’m not going to be working, but I might be spending time sprucing up the place more than I have been. I’ve never been the most fastidious housekeeper, but suddenly noticing things better now might change that.

It is only the second day since the surgery, and I am supposed to be resting my eyes. I have until early January before I see the doctor again to see about new glasses or whatever. I will be able to work after next weekend. I have some new generic reading glasses arriving on Saturday which should help in the meantime.

What? Another Month?

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

Two years ago I had The Big Surgery, on 21 January 2020. I have come a long way since then, and fairly well set in my daily patterns and routines. Not nearly enough exercise, too much sedentary. I’m getting better at staying active, but ‘better’ is relative; I’m not nearly as active as I had been the summer before the surgery.

I can’t remember why I started this post, other than to remind people I’m still here. It is currently just after 2:30 in the morning. I only got a couple hours of sleep and woke with my right knee screaming at me. BigBoy had apparently joined me on the bed. Usually when he jumps up, he’ll find the crook behind my knees, since I’m usually sleeping on my left side. Somehow he got between my knees and was leaning on my right knee and I was on my back. Weird. I started moaning a bit trying to get comfortable again. He started getting all sniffing, kneading, and prodding around. I’m sure he meant well, but it wasn’t helping. I dragged myself upright and go up. He nibbled at his bowl and went outside. So now, he’s out, I’m up and caffeinated, and will tire shortly so I can get Second Sleeps.

Oh! Here’s a funny…. yesterday I was long overdue for a haircut, so I got my gear out and set to it. My little Wahl “Peanut”, which I’ve been using for several years, decided to totally crap out on me. I have always kept it brushed and oiled, and it had been giving me minor grief for a while, but yesterday it just stopped even trying. Of course, it had a good start, so I was left with this mess. WTF???

May be an image of 1 person, beard and indoor

So, I go on Amazon, found a replacement hair clipper in a price range I could scarcely afford but very much had to spend. I spent the rest of the day like this:

May be an image of 1 person

As I mentioned on Facebook, a big hat covers a multitude of sins. 🙂

Ever-grateful for Amazon Prime, my new hair clipper arrived in the afternoon, and I was able to give myself an all-over buzz cut. I did notice that the closest cut with the new clipper, not using any guards, leaves the hair just a wee skosh longer than the Peanut clipper did. But the difference won’t be noticeable after a few days and my next cut will be even all over once again. 🙂

Anyway, I have some orders to finish packing when the sun comes up. I’ll try to nap before then.

The Day After

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

After yesterday’s painful walk, I took an exhausted nap for about an hour at mid-day, and then was feeling sleepy long before 10:00, but I stay up until just after 10:00 and slept until 6:00 (with a brief bathroom break round 3:00). A long sleep was nice, but I woke with both my thumb and middle finger locked and hurting. This is not a good thing, of course, since I didn’t really do much yesterday that would have caused them to hurt. It’s not arthritis but the trigger joints.

I am also feeling rather stiff-and-sore from yesterday’s walk, so I may be moving a little slower today.

It was warmer than normal yesterday, but it is 43º this morning after the cold front moved through yesterday afternoon. Br-r-r-r. I am unamused. I have dyeing to do today, so running the steamer will help a little to keep the place warmer.

O’course, in order to get the dyeing started, I have to thaw out and get my insulin, breakfast, and morning meds done first. So, off I go to start the day.

Changing the Clocks Again

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Well, good Sunday morning to you, I suppose.

I stayed up to watch the new Mrs. Miracle movie with some other actress playing the role Doris Roberts played so well. It was “okay”, but really sort of preaching in a rather smarmy way. But anyway, I’d already changed the clocks back, so it was only 10:30-ish when I toddled off to bed, and then around 4:30 when I woke. So that’s about 6 hours, except that after an hour and a half in bed with strange dreams I got up and took a couple ibuprofen.

When I did wake again the trigger joints in my right thumb and middle finger were both popping. Damn it.

Thankfully, neither joint is causing significant pain, but they’re cause by inflammation of the sheath through which the tendon passes. All of this trigger joint bullshit started after I power-crocheted the shawl for my daughter. And then after the first cortisone shot I knitted the gray shawl (which I oddly can’t remember if I gave it away or store it here until the winter), and I had more pain afterwards and then took another cortisone shot.

Knowing that handwork aggravates the tendon or sheath, I have been actively avoiding handwork. It makes is sad because I have yarns purchased for a special project and I’ve been afraid to do those projects. I’ve not knitted or crocheted in more months than I can remember now. Later today I will try again to do something because I really really want to do this next project.

I am grateful that the summer heat is over, but later in the coming week the temperature is supposed to go up a little. Last week I walked to and from Kroger, and I will likely do it again later this morning. Technically I have enough food, but there are some things I should stock up on (toilet paper, peanut butter, etc.). And it will be good to get the fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. Right now it is about 48º, but should warm to around 72º later today.

Later —-

Made it to Kroger and back; got what I needed. I took a rest when I got there, and then also paused at my regular rest area. I’d only gone a short space after that when Walter drove by and offered a ride. He hefted both my heavy shopping bags and the big walker into the back of his truck. And, of course, Ginger was in the cab of the truck so I got some ear-licking loving from her.

BigBoy was on the ramp when we pulled up. He seemed a little miffed that I didn’t bring home a box of chicken (they didn’t have any ready at Kroger). Or maybe it was because he saw me get out of a strange truck smelling like Ginger. I dunno. Whatever.

Even though the general objective is to walk and get the exercise, I was grateful for the ride. And now time to rest my hip-supporting, butt-shaping, thigh-lifting, calf-defining muscles. Everything from the waist down is still burning. It hurts, but that means I’ve worked all those muscles and that’s a good thing, right? 🙂

Oh! And it is a glorious sunshiny but cool day, and the door and window are open for a nice breeze through. 🙂

I was going to get a bag of cole slaw mix but what they had didn’t look fresh enough, and I saw this and decided to try it. There were also a few other types of bagged salad, but I didn’t see the kind I got last time, and this looked interesting, mostly because it didn’t list kale in the ingredients. I’ll let you know if it is truly horrible.

The Day After Yesterday

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

So, I told you I took a walk yesterday both to and from Kroger, using my walker. I’m glad I had the walker, for sure. Having done the walking, the rest of the day was spent hobbling around as my body got stiff and sore in the afternoon and evening.

Based on previous long walks, I expected today I would feel great and tomorrow I would be stiff and sore. I’m actually sort of feeling it today. Bummer.

I managed to sleep over 7.5 hours, from just after 10:00 until nearly 6:00. I crawled into bed from the opposite side to avoid waking BigBoy, who was asleep on ‘my’ side of the bed. Usually he plants himself behind the crook of my knees, but this time he pretty much stayed curled up around my belly. I woke briefly around midnight and came to the couch and fell asleep sitting up. When I woke around 1:30, I noticed BigBoy at the front door, so I let him out and wandered back to the bed and slept a lot more. Nice.

I have my ring light and camera set up, and after some futzing the computer recognized the camera I had installed instead of the built-in camera. I also got updated versions of my video software, so I can do more video talks when the mood hits. Not that I plan to become a video star, but it’s nice to just talk when I don’t feel like typing.

Anyway, I’m on my 2nd cup of coffee and soon it will be time to feed Big Boy his breakfast and get myself into the day.

Hey, I made it there and back!!

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

I walked to Kroger and back this morning.

I know, for most healthy people on their feet all the time, that may not seem a big deal, but for me it is a Major Milestone in my recovery.

I checked the weather and my bank account, and decided I would go for a small load of groceries. I’d already had groceries delivered to me yesterday, but my meats and other things I really like to select for myself. So I got my shopping totes ready, along with an rubber strap with hooks at both ends to support the bags on the seat as I came home.

I made it all the way to Kroger in one walk, but I sat on a brick ledge outside to have a smoke and sip of water. I went to tuck the water bottle back into the under-seat basket and realized I’d forgotten to bring the shopping totes with me. Damn it. Oh well, I was there and would use the plastic shopping bags from the store. I got what I needed, most of the stuff did fit into the under-seat basket, and the smaller bag of assorted little things got tied to one of the handles.

I had to pause a few times on the return trip, including a sit-down rest at the spot near Alderson on Manor where I have always taken a rest break for years — an unused former driveway that still suffices for me. And since I have nearly always gone to Kroger in the morning hours, the big shade trees in the people’s yard make for a truly delightful shady rest area.

So, anyway, I made it there and back, first time I’ve done that since November 2019. After a rest, I took a glucose reading — 81! Bravo for me. Most of the time my glucose readings are within a good range, maybe once or twice a week I go over 130 before lunch or dinner, so I have to take a fast-acting insulin that starts to work in about 15 minutes and peaks around 2 hours later.

Thanks to money not my own, I have replaced the computer with a model I can live and work with. I think I mentioned previously that this laptop (a gift from a friend last spring) has been an asset since the other really big computer (also given to me by another friend last spring) died a month or so ago — complete hard drive failure. I’m still not sure if I want to take it to the shop and get a new hard drive and get it fully restored. It’s over 8 years old now, so I’m not sure the hardware would support the latest softwares, so I will sit on it a while and consider what can be done and how much it would cost. It really was a great computer, but when I checked pricing to buy a brand new one just like it (but the latest model) would have been 4 figures, and I didn’t have that much money available to me.

So anyway, the new computer arrived on Sunday, and I got it booted up and started. It came with Windows 10, and once I got it registered and so forth, it asked me if I wanted to download and install Windows 11. Yikes. I didn’t even know Windows 11 was out, but apparently it is. So I got that downloaded and ready to use. This afternoon I’m going to focus on getting it set up with my essential softwares — OpenOffice productivity suite, GIMP photo editing, and my video production software. Plus some assorted accessories that I like to have. I’m using the external hard drive for storage, plus the cloud for essential stuff I can’t afford to lose, so I don’t much care that the new computer only has about 528GB hard drive (which I noticed was already half used with Windows “stuff”. It has 8G of RAM, which is twice what the laptop has, so I should be able to do all that I need to do.

So, that’s my afternoon ahead. I may have to resort to YouTube videos about Windows 11 to understand how things work there.

Ouch, Damn it!

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Walk achieved, up to Alderson and Manor and back again. I sat and rested a couple minutes in the resting space near Alderson. I tried to take l-o-n-g strides — I read somewhere if you only move until the joint twinges, every step will twinge 100%, but if you extend the joint beyond the point of pain, back to where the joint is free of pain, then the overall stride is somewhat less painful. That’s why you see some people hobbling along with tiny-tiny steps, they only move until the pain starts, and they are constantly in pain. I’m not sure the exact science behind it, but I did try to take longer strides.

My neighborhood here in Cloverleaf has no sidewalks. I was taught to walk facing traffic if there is not a sidewalk, so that’s what I do. You can see there is hardly any place to my left where I can get out of traffic; to my left is the drainage ditch and I’d rather not attempt to drive the walker at an angle. Most drivers are courteous and swing wide around me, or at least obviously trying to give me room, and they often slow down some as well. One pickup truck seemed to deliberately run his right front tire right along that white line. No other traffic coming the other way, he was either not paying attention or being a menace. He did finally move around. That’s why I try not to walk the roads during morning or evening rush times or during the noon period.

Anyway, my walk was had, and it took about 30 minutes round trip. Probably just under a mile, I’d guess. Definitely not racing (I could get to Kroger in about 15-20 minutes, pushing the granny cart), trying to deliberately establish and keep an even gait as best I could. In the Air Force we were expected to run a mile in 6 minutes, and I just barely made it. But that was a while ago.

My WordPress installment has changed how things are input, but I am learning how to insert pictures in appropriate places. It is not made any easier by having to use this laptop, but I am hoping to get a regular computer in the near future, depending on how things go the next couple weeks.

For now, however, I’m waiting for a pizza and couple of salads to be delivered. I hurt, I don’t feel like cooking today, and want the pain to stop. I take celecoxib morning and evening, and I’m not supposed to take any other NSAIDS, but I may have to take some ibuprofen.

Sore but moving

Ray Whiting -- Posted on by

After walking home from Kroger on Sunday, pushing the weight of a big bag of groceries and the walker, I expected yesterday I would have been a little stiff and sore. Actually, I am more stiff and sore than I … Continue reading →